The banner-enterprise., 1884-03-17
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS AND WENDELL
f3f8 'ttf" PHILLIPS.
An Interesting "Reminiscences.

(Charles J. Woodbury. in N. Y. Evening Post.
| TIt was in the summer Of 1873 that Wis
| tied the South for the purpose of seeing Mr..
| Alexander II. Stephens. lie entertained me
week at his home, "Liberty Hail." in
Charlottesville, but at parting forbade pub
| lie repetition Of his conversations upon na-
tional questions. however transcribe from
my memoranda the following notes Of his
talk about Wendell Phillips, on account of
the opinions and incident, especially inter-
esting now, which there is certainly no occa-
sion for longer concealing.
"Wendell Phillips" said Mr.. Stephens, "is
a man whom I would rather know than any
| other living to-day in the North. l do not
agree with him or his views. make war
upon both. But | have watched him. l
have seen the kind of work he does and is
capable of, and I am astonished at .he man.
He could attain anything one could desire,
politically or professionally. But he waived
all to bccome--an abolitonist. Such self
remuneration is incompatible with anything
in the century. Indeed, few men have ever
lived of such lnarvellously sincerity and
singleness of purpose.
"They tell about his one literary lecture,
The Lost Arts Do you know how that
came to be written? 1t was especially pre-
pared for an occasion, on which occasion it
was not delivercd-the omission declaring
more eloquently the fibre and quality of the
man than the delivery could have done. Let
me wheel my 'trundlc' over here to the
south window under the roses and fig bushes
and l will tell you about it.
GA friend of mine down here in Liberty
county (the finest county in Georgia) was a
member of the senior class in Williams Col
lege, Massachusetts,, the class which gradu-
ated in 1856 or '56, believe. You know
at that time the slavery question was very
much agitated in the North. The names of
Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips were
in every mouth. The excitement was in the
very atmosphere, and was breathed not less
in colleges than in other brain centres. Ac-
cording to my friend, Williams College was
no exception, although things were quieter
there than in the majority of the other
schools, and this mainly due to the influence
Of its President, Mark Hopkins.
"You know Mercer and our University at
Athens, in this State, where l was gradu-
ated, by no means took care Of all our young
men. A great many went North, and Will
liams always had large share on account of
the policy adopted by its President of avoid
ing politics and kindred topics offensive to
the South in his public utteranccs and wri-
tings. On this account the college was popr-
lar amodg us for long time after our boys
had been generally withdrawn from Harvard,
and especially from Yale.
II tell you, sir, f.r.sighted, sagacious
man of affairs and financial manager is this
man Hopkins. He has written good books
OH moral science. But, more notably, to my
mind, he took his college when weak and
poor and carried it through to prosperity.
He made sort Of conscience of its welfare.
Well, at the time mention, in the height of
political feeling elsewhere, there was mark
ed division of sentiment among the under
graduates, Northern and Negro sympathizers
of course predominating. At Commence
ment Day it is the custom for the literary
societies to unite in an organization called,
I believe, the Adelphic Union, which
is addressed by some national man
invited by a committee elected from
ed from the societies. My young friend
served On the committee this year. In spite
of his determined opposition, the committee
needed to invite Wendell Phillips to deliver
the grafton, and die forward to him the in
vitatior. When the fact became generally
known there was an uproar. The President
Immediately indicated to the Committee that
the invitation must be at once withdrawn.
The committee appealed to the society.
While the debates were in progress courte-
GUS withdraw of the invitation became i'm
possible, for it was accepted. Mr.. Phillips
arrived. Then, said my young friend, the
trouble began, for what was the consterna-
ton of the Lecture Committee to find that
the hall where from immemorial time the So
ciety held its annual meetings, was closed
against them, by order of the President. The
boys sought the churches but they all re-
fused audience room. The village of Will |
Jamestown was then one of small opportun-
ties, and for time it seemed as ifno place
could be found. However, at last, a room
called the Agricultural Hall was obtained,
and seated (for there wasn't even bench in
it) after the best manner possible. Then the
Committee waited upon Mr., Phillips; and,
feeling that some apology was necessary, they |
stated why 1t was that the College Chapel,
the Congregationalist and Methodist church |
es, and the one public hall were locked against |
them, and hoped that their guest would not |
refuse to speak. Ny friend, who said he went
to the hotel with the Committee to see, as he |
expressed it, how Phillips would receive the
news, said he never should forget how the
bright eyes of the young old man glistened
as he rose and walked up and down the floor
of the apartment moment, then stopped
and said: Yes, young gentlemen, / will
speak, t9gaa5 sgae4.
"That evening the hall, which had never