The National tribune., 1885-01-15
lude to these matters .r te sole purpo.e ofcorrecs

lude to these matters for the sole purpose correct
ing an erroneous impression your mind.
/ assure you have no ontipathy to Mr.. Davis;
am hostile to him and if there is object,
or intention, or wish with any to organize party
in opposition to the administration know nothing
of it-have heard nothing of it.
As to the late movement on the action ofGeorgis
upon the subject of the habeds corpus, and the
lutions in relation to the terms on which peace
should be sought, think know much as any
body else. If any one is responsible for il,
is more so than myself. 1t Is true that those
lutions were not drawn up by me, but they were
prepared by Linton after full consultations; pre-
pared at his house before he went to MilIedgeYile
And as fer Mr.. Davis or his administration, they
had but little to do with it-nothng in the world,
except in far they fall within the scope of the
point stated. They did not rise to the dignity of
a moments serious consideration or thought one
way or the other Greater objects by far were then
engrossing my attention, and Lintons too, think
As for Mr.. Davis, repeat again have no feel
ings of antipathy much less hostility. What opin-
ions you may think Ientertain of him as you inti-
mate know not; but have no hesitancy in stat
ing to you freely and frankly and most confiden-
italy, what my opinions of him are. They
much more akin to suspicion and jealousy than of
animosity or hate.
While do not, and never have, regarded him
as n great man or statesman on large scale,
q man of any marked genius, yet L have
regarded him as man of good intentions,
weak and yascillating, tiInid, petulant, peev-
ish, obstinate, but not firm. Am now Begin
ming to doubt his good intentions. / say doubt,
for, after watching him closely, am not satisfied
in my own mind, arrived at any conclusion,
whether some of his shortcomings are to be attri-
buted to weakness or bad purposes. These my
real sentiments and reasons for them are these:
Since his first elevation to power he has changed
many of his former StatesRightS principles, as in
of conscrption His whole policy the Or
ganiZaiOn and discipline of the army is perfectly
consistent with the hypothesis that he is aiming at
absolute power Not a word has come from him of
military usurpation in the orders for martial law
by Bragg and Van Dorm the whole system OF
passports and provoSt-marshals, which is utterly
wrong and without authority of law. After all
that may be said or written by myself and others
against these usurpations, not one word has
lnr4
Again, it is well known that the subject of dcta-
torship has been mooted talked of and discussed in
private and in the public journals and that the most
earnest advocates of such sourse, the virtual do
ing away with Congress and the Constitution have
been editors near hm-right under his nose; editors
of journals recognized at the time to be the organs
of the Administration. Now, il seems to me
strange that this should be and men holding and
advocating such sentiments for months should hold
such near relations to him if such sentiments were
dstasteful to him. These are bad signs to me- yet
they not conclusive evidences of bad objects
intentions his part They leave me in doubt,
but certainly awaken my suspicion and watchful
jealousy. They teach me to be on my guard, and
they should, in my opinion, put the whole country
on their guard. The price ofberty IS eternal yigi
lance But again | assure you feel no more hos
tility 10 him than / do to you and great numbers
meet with who see no danger in these things. My
hostility and wrath (and have enough of It to burst
ten thousand bottes is not against him, or any man
men; butagainst the thing-the measures and the
pohcy-whch see is leading us to despotism. If
you can understand and appreciate this position
and these feelings, then you can understand me;
and if you cannot, then you do not understand me,
and cannot, But trust you 90. How you could
have got the impression entertained the thought
that had an antipathy TO Mr.. Davis, was hostile
to him. is strange and unaccounable to me. You
surely have heard me in conversation speak of his
weakness and imbecity, but certainly with no
bitterness of feeling, and what have said on this
subject has always been more in sorrow than anger.
had no more feeling OF resentment towards him for
these than had towards the defects and inirmities
of my poor old blind and deaf dog that you saw
when you were here. Poor old Ris; he is dead now
and gone to his long rest Peace to his ashes and
honor to his memory. While | deplore his in
firmities certainly have no feeling of unkndness
to him. As to what you say about [thel Admiais-
trati0n, word: / hardly know what idea you
attach to this term as used by you Il you
mean the Cabinet then they are sustained by
neither the Congress nor country, and when
their recommendations were rejected by Con-
gress, if they had had any self-respect they
would have resigned their places. II you mean
the acts and messages of Congress, then l am
confident not one-tenth OF the people of this coun
try approve them. i would stake my head upon
the issue that not 10 Districts in the Confederacy
could be carried in a Congressional election for
candidate running on the advocacy of the four
leading measures of the last Congress, and pledged
10 sustain them as the settled policy OF the country
This cry of sustaining the Administration, you will
allow me to say, with all due respect to you, Is
nothing but stupid, senseless cachinnation. No
body approves it. / heard that Gen. Cobb in his |
speech at Milledgeville said all these acts of Con-
gress were proper. wise, and Just and yet do |
know that Gen Cobb spoke very differently to me |
of some of them before they were passed. Why
will men thus degrade themselves by attempting |
better laws if bad ones, that all feel and know to
be bad not denounced and true principles pro-
claimed
said but little about the tax and currency ques-
ton in Niledgevie, because money at best, in my
estimation is but trash. Greater and more vital |
interests were in jeopardy.
Now am done with all these matters with you. |
wished TO put myself lright?l with you certain
points. Ihope have doneso Hereafter will write
other matters. L do not know yetwhen can get |
to see YOU 1t still continues to rain, and cannot |
get my corn in the ground. l must see after that |
before can leave home. But must add, in con- |
ciusion, that you are, think mistaken in suppos-
ing that the late movement in Georgia was started
with any view towards the organization of a party |
against Mr.. Davis his administration. know
all about that movement, if allusion IS made to |
Gov. Browns message. / advised it from stem to
stern, and approve it. don't mean the language, |
but the policy and the course taken, and knoW L |
had such object, thought of none such, nor |
dreamed of any such. Ii is the proclamation and |
vindication of great essential truths that desired
to set forth at the right time and on proper
occasion. But again enough.
What have written to you Is with that freedom
and frankness L always in writing to one who
holds such high place in my esteem, and trust
you will consider il and appreciate it. Let me
hear from you when you have leisure to write and
as cannot agree on these great questions, let
us entertain ourselves on other topics.
Yours, truly, ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS.
Hon. II. V. JOHNSON,
Sandy Grove, Ga.
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