The sun., 1891-05-17
GEORGIA HISTORY.
Tke Career and Character or Alexander
Hamilton stephens.


In this last article shall give my recollections
ofsome things In the life OF Alexander Stephens
which may not be generally known.
Thirty years ago he gave me diary which
he began whom he won't to Crawfordville
After some months 1t wns suspended. POSSIBLY
because he noted twhat is apt to be the case In
sensitive beings addicted to such habit its
tendency to induce melancholy. In this diary
are evidences OF profoundest sadness. along
with those Of eager ambition. Yet In all appears
earnest desire to have full trust In the Creator.
for whose guidance. especially aRainst wrong
doings. invocations are made In humble. on
treating supplication. Conscious OF some
bitterness for having been brought into the
world with 80 frail physical organization, his
most arduous struggles were expended In re-
pressing feeling SO unhappy His natural
impulse was TO be hostile to mankind. Yet.
even In youth. he made the resolve to lenrn
how to love them and to devote the avails Of
his work 70 their service. 1t was thus that
compassion in his being grew to be more con-
stant and more painfully felt than what have
known In any other person.
Outside OF the help extended by him in tho
education OF young men and young women
(more than two hundred in ALL he seemed in
his charities to look out mainly for those who
came nearest to the being Of utterly friendless.
which had led to such condition. his eyes could
not turn away from the present misery before
thom. His rooms at tho National Hotel In
Washington were beset almost daily by per-
sons who cano for help OF some sort. Among
those were young men who having spent their
travel money. claimed 10 want only Just
enough to get out OF Washington and back to
their homsa There were doubtful women OF
various agss waning places. money. or what
ever else could be gotten for themselves or
somebody. real or imaginary. who was dc.
pendent upon them. There were poor carpet
baggers aud ragged scalawags who had been
driven away from communities which they
had outraged beyond further endurance vaga-
bonds OF many sorts. including negroes who
having run Off with the Federal army In the
time OF Shernans invasion. professed to be
homesick. and would wish nothing further
than to get back to the old plantation once
moro Some OF these cases were extremely
ludcrous. despite the ever continuing plunder.
ing that was put upon him. His brother Lin.
ton. himself possessed Of noble generosity. for
q time demonstrated with him for suffering
himself to be so imposed upon. but In tones as
pleading US II It were he that was the beggar,
he would say They have no friends. and
cannot turn my back upon them." When con.
vinced. as often was the case that no had boon
grossly defrauded, he would smile with the
laughs raised by his credulity. and again suo-
cumb before the next applicant The most
singular thing in his Judgment of mankind
was its difference whom In the aggregate and
when with individuals. With tho latter he
was constantly making mistakes. some of
which were most absurd. With the former he
had q wisdom beyond that OF any person whom
have ever known.
Almost everybody knows how hs lived at his
h0pna which ho al 7 th>r Hall
for II q urivate mansion had ever open doors 1t
was this. Mon, women. youth. and children.
known and unknown. had access to 1t. not
only by day. but by night. even the very deep
OF the night. When awakened In mornings, he
never knew who were to be at breakfast Tho
night railroad trains. while passing through
Crawfordville. seldom failed to discharge
somebody who went to the house. called up
Harry. his head servant and was put to bed
for the rest OF the night. He fixed his dinner
hour lone summer at 1850 A. M so as to &C.
commodate guests. some OF whom he knew
would be coming. Orders wore sent BY him
continually to the stores for supplies OF food
and clothes to his poor neiRhbora. Sometimes
he kept bolts OF cloth IN the house. even under
his bod, from which Harry cut OF for those
Sa to uo
plnched In his money affairs. and / have
% 10 give tot to tho . destiute. 'aN'' ~ n'u H'' moro
In a1ectionatensss, as I verify believe. there
eurred cur In bis cSildhood. TSe triumph @ ni q Els
lis aud as Il
because Of the recent death Of his brother |
lis s lis deah he tho
absent, hundreds upon hundreds oi, letters.
Most Of these saw Stdh While RGepgE[nf the Sos
browne i and wrots. They showed The afiec. HS
ton not only Of beother but Of father also.
Was 50 o. ii IN 1s whsn We sfe9 le9keS
every day for him TO die. often be wept aloud
hs me in oa dsd mnSsrs Ss
was the going back Into public life.
est times he retained. perhaps. In purest slim
@ tho psops Of III:
S:va fSs hsse hS had Just
hs eabss
sorely., However illustrious the guests at his
able .a ne was not more wsf9me nor more
his side. and In all this there was never grain
ot the feeling Of condescension.
portance few men have lived whose Judgment
was more Just and whose foresight more accu-
lin IL hs aes
3arsy; yet & warn an1 freHdshiP had grow, up
at The calm confidence with which
he foretold results and the froguont
ulflmcnt. sometimes In the very details, OF
lis predictions. In his Congressional district
10 planned most q the organization. very Of
or COUNTY nominatons Thsse Ta we Wers dons
mainly In Crawiordville., whittier politicians
rom the counties resorted for consultation. l
ememb ber well how. in private. after his oar:
lest public STUMP ~ speaking "a ,!he greatest Of all
ions of leading, Know Nothings. who as he
you'd turn from, 1t MS men would turn from the
orpse Of not u horse but an elephant. 30 he
oretold most accurately. from the very Begin
ing. the results OF Fillmore's run in 1856. and
Greeley's afterwaId.
Yet. Of all times when he seemed pifted with
foresight. those most Interest,"
lg to- me were before and at the period OF
eoession: In the month Of May. 1860. i
3 my. plantation In Hancock. It was Just
fter the adjournment 10 baltimore OF the
)emocratio party at Charleston without n
sana ompatIGn k,m t"r Prssldsnt, On ny arrival
.iter supper we went into his bsdr9om which
q m NJ M m ha.x | I