The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-23
PAY TRIBUTE TO
STEPHENS LIFE
BRoNzE TABLET rs UNVEILED TO
MARK SPOT WHERE HE
49, LIVED.
GEORGIAN is SPEAKER
CONGRESSMAN BRANTLEY TELLS
HISTORY OF yICE-pREsIDENT
OF C0NFEDERACY BEFORE
LARGE AUDIENCE.

In the presence of two hundred
/ spectators, little Martha Bell Will
t finEhaH, four years old, unveiled the
| bronze tablet at the corner Of Twelfth
| and East Clay streets yesterday af-
! ternoon. placed there by the Con-
/ federate Memorial Literary Associa-
| lion to mark the spot where once
! stood the house in which Alexander
! Hamilton Stevens, vice-president OF
/ the Confederate States of America,
| lived in 1861.
! Prior to the unwilling members of
! the association, veterans of the r.
| r. Lee camp, commanded by u. p.
I Taylor, marched from the Confed-
| crate Museum to the auditorium OF
| the University College of Medicine,
I where Gongrcss11an- " ififam Gordon
| Brantley. Brunswick. Ca, delivered
| the address Of the occasion, review
I ing the life of Stephens. at one time
! the governor of Georgia. He was
introduced by Judge George l.. Chris
| t!an,
| Music by Choir.
! a choir from the public school
| sang patriotic songs and MIR. Taylor
| presided at the meeting. Mrs. James
/ committee. who has always shrdl
| r. Werth. chairman OF the sites
| committee. who has always attended
| the dwellings. was detained by ILL
! ness Prayer was said by the Rev.
| DIR. Poindexter.
| Little Miss willingham In the
| granddaughter of Mr.. and Mrs. r. j.
! Wtllingham, Sr. Mrs. Willingham is
u first cousin of Senator Bacon. of
! Georgia.
n ~ ~ his "A I'll IN.
/ Producing Congressman Brantley,
Judge Christian stated that the Geor-
| gia statesman would retire to private
| life and not again offer for re-elec-
ten. Congressman Brautiey left
| last night for Washington and will
| go from there to Atlanta, Ga. where
his son, w. q. Brantley. Jr.. is
seriously ILL.,
The congressman said:
Congressman Speech.
FOR my State. / thank you for
this oecasion--for this signal honor
ms at the hands or those so worthy.
| the memory Of Georgia's great and
iilustrious son, Alexander Eamilt on
Stephens. He sank into his last sleep
in the governors mansion, in the city
OF Atlanta, on Sunday, March +,
1888, but the things he did yet live.
rs ie evidenced by this assemble se
ITO me has been assigned the I'm
possible task OF placing before your
mental vision the story Of a life that
commenced on February IL. 1912.
and ended on March 4, 1SS5-that
was full of wonderful and ceaselcss
activities-that played an heroic part
amidst the scenes of the most stir
ring period in our country's history.
| and that nobody acted and suffered
u.
that ever came to ii great people.
Lived Amid Problems.
Limitations Of time prevent me
from casting more than a swift
glance at the life of Mr., Stephens
and the times in which he was most
active, bat 4 glance will show that
from lettering childhood to totter-
Ing old age. lie liyer surrounded by
problems greater than fall to the
lot Of the majority of mankind.
problems he had of health and life.
| Of education and sustenance, and in
| addition to these he was called upon
| to unravel the problems of the peo-
ple--problems OF State and nation
some of them Involving the life and
| death of the republic itself.
"Bereft of parents, OF physical
| strength or health of property and
! of influential friends how could he
ever reach the coveted field? His
problem was to reach it. and how.
well ne solved this problem is writ
! ten forever IN ths history Of his
| State and country.
1.-THE craving for mental stimulus
early developed. led him ~ the result,
| OF attendance upon Sunday school IN
become deeply interested In the sto-
| ries of the old Testament and this IN
turn led certain benevolent parties TO
undertake his prepaM ton and educa-
/ tion for tho PRESBYTERIAN ministry. We
know not the glorious result that might
| have come To humanity and the church
! had he become minister OF God, but
I we do not know that 1t WAS the pllr-
| pose to see him In that sacred calling
| that gave to the world. one OF its purest
land wisesf statesmen. 1t WAS as an
saefss IL HIS strsssaratfaa feiF sSalsssse
/ that he adopted fhe name of Hamilton.
| He had been christened simply Alex
ander Stephens, but in honor of his
tea cher Alexander Hamilton Webster,
| he became Alexander Hamilton Steph-
! ems. II required two years Of study
and of earnest thought ana prayer Mt
4 the University IF Georgia, TO convince
| him that he was nor called to preach
| the Gospel. but once convinced he
promptly notified his benefactors of the
conclusion ne had reached. and in keep
ing with his ever high sense of honor
iand Utilization he fsn1ered 10 them In
satisfaction Of the debt he owed his
little natrmory OF four hundred dol
lars, that had but recently come to
! him from HE fathers estate. This
tender meant. had it been accepted, the
! sa crifice of his college career. but for
/ t,tnately for him and for the people
| then and now. the sacrifice was not al
lowed and ne was permitted to COM
plete his college course, which he did
with honor to himseir and the Uni
versitv, and later he repaid ia the last
! earthine the debt he had assumed.
Mauic Story of Success.
His subsequent career as teacher,
and law student and lawyer Struggling
| against poverty and disease, making
-t,4-hFal+- a+4ti-wiA power HIT mr.
| lure had denied him In body, Is the
magic story of success, the story or The
r,au unafraid the story Of the tritlInpe
! of mind over matter. FOR 1t Is to he
| recorded that despite his many ana
serious handican~ he marched steadily
onward until he had climbed to the
summit of renoun and power ~ a'great
I and successful lawyer.
His public career commenced III
| 1896 when ne was elected to tho
! Georgia legislature. and Il did not end
until death claimed him for its own