National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1883-03-05

nent government upon tho principles and
basis Of the constitution Of the United States,
On Feb 9, 1861, he was elected vice president.
April o. he made speech at Richmond.
Va, in justification of the secession move
ment, and in July visited the principal cities
of tho southern seaboard states to urge the
taking of the cotton loan. In November of
that year he was elected permanent vice
president Of the southern confcderacy From
an early day Of the war he dissented
strongly from tho general policy of the
confederate government. During a largo
part Of its existence he withdrew
TO great extent from affairs, refusing to give
his sanction of his name to n policy Of whose
general want Of wisdom he had no doubt He
opposed the policy of obtaining troops by
prescription, the suspension of the habeas
corpus, and the subordination Of the civil to
the military power, In September, 1862, he
wrote q memorable letter protesting against
tho declaration of martial law. Early in
tho same year he was of the opinion that
the day for vigorous policy is past. 1t is
too late to do anything. | fear we are ire
trievably ruined. What stupendous ignor-
ance we have shown of the value of cotton.
The government and those who favored its
policy did not undervalue cotton, but misun-
derstood the character of its value. In their
opinion cotton was a political power. There
was tho mistake. 1t is only commercial
power. If it had been understood and em-
ployed in that way, it would have been easy
to manage the government by getting enough
ironcad ships in Europe to keep several ports
open. 1t is now too late for that"
In January, 1865, Mr.. stephens cast the de-
Gliding vote in the confederate senate against
the bill suspending still further the writ OF
habeas corpus In February he was one of the
commissioners appointed by the confederacy
to treat for prcliminarics of peace, but were
not received as such by Mr.. Lincoln, although
he met tho party in Hampton roads.
Mr. stephens left Richmond Feb. for Craw-
louisville, Ga, when he was arrested on May
II by order of the federal authorities He was
confined in Fort Warren, in Boston harbor
from May 25 TO Oct. II, 1865, when he was re.
leased on parole He was elected United States
in lS66by the first legislature convened
under the new constitution of Georgia after
the war, but was not allowed to take his seat
lie was elected to the forty-third congress to
I'll the vacancy caused by the death of Am
brose Il. Wright, and was continuously re-
elected till 1882, when he was chosen governor
of Georgia, and resigned his scat in congress
During the time he was out of public life
he wrote his constitutional view of the war
between tho states" which was severely
criticised in tho south, but which. was very
widely circulated some two hundred thousand
copies having been sold. He wrote besides
n history of the United States, and was fire.
quent contributor TO the magazines and en-.
cyclopcdias Mr.. Stephens was n man OF
clear intellect and cold courage, conservative
in character and conciliatory in temper
| Equally with Clay may he be called the
great commoner and compromiser." He in
herited the Gaelic taste for metaphysics and
music and led n remarkably consistent life as
Christian. He was an orator of great power
but addressed the understanding rather than
the emotions He was tho last of the