ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS, IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. WITH LETTERS AND SPEECHES. BEFORE, DURING AND SINCE THE WAR. BY HENRY CLEVELAND. Who made the heart, ’tis he alone, Decidedly can try us; He knows each chord its various tone; Each spring, its various bias. Thence at the balance let’s be mute, We never can adjust it; What’s done, we partly may compute; But know not what’s resisted.—BURNS. PORTAGE PUBLICATIONS Portage Publications, Inc. Colorado Springs, Colorado www.portagepub.com © 2000, 2003 by Portage Publications, Inc. Portage Publications believes the underlying text in this document is in the public domain. Master created December 11, 2003, 10:53 pm. Except for correction of minor typographical errors in the text and reformatting the document to better suit modern output media, this book is an unabridged republication of the version whose publication information follows on this page. This information is provided for historical reference purposes only: NATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA, RICHMOND, ATLANTA, CINCINNATI, ST. LOUIS AND CHICAGO Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by J. R. Jones, In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania S.A. George, STEREOTYPER, ELECTROTYPER, AND PRINTER, 121 N. SEVENTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA PREFACE. A few words, and a few only, may not be improper by way of preface, or introduction to the following pages. Mr. Stephens has for a long time filled a large space in the public attention throughout the United States. Taken all in all—physically, morally, and intellec- tually—he may very justly be regarded as one of the most remark- able men of this country and age. For a quarter of a century he has been an active participant, and often leader, in the great questions of war, peace, change, and progress, that have made the most inter- esting chapters in the history of the western world; and in the late semi-decade of conflict he watched the shifting of the mighty scenes from the high stand-point of the second office in the south- ern confederation. It is but fit that what he has said and done in all this eventful period should be preserved in some durable form. This has been the principal object of the writer; and in the execution of his purpose perfect accuracy has been his controlling motive. With this view he has communicated his design to Mr. Stephens, (having been on inti- mate terms of friendship with him for years,) and received his con- sent to the undertaking. During the late summer (of 1866) he had free access to all his papers, with no restriction upon their use, save in questions as to their present interest to the reader, or of propriety and good taste. The result of the labor of compiling and arranging, as well as biographical description and sketching of interesting inci- dents, is respectfully presented. The writer only hopes to receive from the wider circle of the American public, that kind indulgence so generously accorded to different efforts in a narrower sphere. To the student of biography the private life of this great and good man is full of interest. To those who desire to know their country’s true history, there will be value in the thoughts and words of one who was so trusted and honored by the southern portion of the late con- testants, and who stood for the Union and its constitution amid its 4 ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS. enemies in a time when many despaired of it in the land of its friends. The writer has submitted to Mr. Stephens the result of his undertaking, and, as part of this preface, subjoins a letter received from him on the subject of the present publication. Should the effort meet with favor the credit will be due to the subject; if not, the writer will only think he has been unfortunate in his manner of presenting it. H. C. CRAWFORDVILLE, GA., 10TH NOV., 1866. Henry Cleveland. MY DEAR SIR:— Your letter with proof-sheets of your forthcoming volume has been received. I have looked over the latter, and made some correc- tions and suggestions which you will notice. With these the work in all essential facts will be, I think, substantially correct. I have not had time to examine closely the speeches taken from the Globe. You must see that these are as they there appear. All the others, I believe, are correct, as well as the letters contained in the book. I have no objections to your using this letter as you may think proper. With best wishes, I remain as ever, Yours truly, ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS. GENERAL CONTENTS. PREFACE . 3 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. I.—INTRODUCTORY. Home scenes—Personal appearance—Birth and lineage—Education and early manhood . 11 II.—SUCCESS AND RISE IN LIFE. Admission to the Bar—Election to the Legislature—Election to Congress . 34 III.—POSITION IN RELATION TO POLITICAL PARTIES. Always States Rights—Never partisan—Against the policy of the Mexican war and the acquisition of any territory by conquest—A Constitution Union man throughout. 56 IV.—REVIEW OF SPEECHES AND LETTERS Speech against acquisition of territory from Mexico—Against Clayton compromise—Personal rencounter—Presidential campaign of 1848—The compromise of 1850—The Georgia platform—The Kansas and Nebraska bill—Territorial policy in regard to African slavery— Know-Nothingism—Admission of Minnesota and Oregon . 67 V.—RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS. Speech at Augusta, July 2d, 1859—Views of the proper relation between the white and black races at the South—Presidential canvass of 1860 . 101 VI.—POSITION ON THE QUESTION OF SECESSION. Speech before the legislature in opposition to secession, November 14th, 1860—Correspondence with Mr. Lincoln—Speech in the secession convention—Goes as delegate to Montgomery, and is elected Vice- President of the Confederate States organization . 121 CONTENTS. 7 VII.—VIEWS OF PUBLIC POLICY AND COURSE DURING THE WAR Cotton loan—Martial law—Conscription—Impressments—Habeas Cor- pus suspension—Efforts for peace—The two brothers—Hampton Roads conference. 143 VIII.—ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT. Release on parole—Election to United States Senate—Reconstruction speech before the legislature, February 22d, 1866—Testimony before reconstruction committee—Newspaper comments . 167 IX.—CONCLUDING REMARKS . 190 SPEECHES, LETTERS, ETC. Report of the minority of the committee on the state of the republic, Georgia Senate, 1842 . 205 Speech on the right of members to their seats in the House of Representa- tives, February 9, 1844 . 222 Speech on the joint resolution for the annexation of Texas, delivered in the House of Representatives, January 25, 1845 . 248 Speech on the subject of the Mexican war, delivered in the House of Rep- resentatives, June 16, 1846 . 275 Speech on the Mexican appropriation, or “three million bill,” in Commit- tee of the Whole on the State of the Union, House of Representatives, February 12, 1847 . 298 Speech on the territorial bill (Clayton’s compromise), delivered in the House of Representatives, August 7, 1848. 315 Address before the Maryland Institute, in Baltimore, February 23, 1852, in commemoration of the birth-day of Washington . 338 Address before the Few and Phi Gamma societies of Emory College, Oxford, Georgia, July 21, 1852 . 352 Speech on the bill to prevent frauds upon the Treasury of the United States, in defence of Mr. Corwin, and the Galphin claim, House of Representatives, January 13, 1853 . 368 Nebraska and Kansas speech, House of Representatives, February 17, 1854 . 390 8 ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS. Speech delivered in the House of Representatives, December 14, 1854, in reply to the remarks of Mr. Mace, of Indiana, on giving notice of his intention to introduce a bill to restore the Missouri compromise . 416 “Georgia and Ohio Again.” Speech in reply to Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, deliv- ered in the House of Representatives, January 15, 1855 . 436 Letter to Judge Thomas W. Thomas, on the subject of the Know-Nothing party, written, Crawfordville, Georgia, May 9, 1855. 469 Speech at the City Hall, Augusta, Georgia, announcing himself as a candi- date for re-election to Congress, in 1855. 485 Debate with Mr. Zollicoffer, of Tennessee, on the power of Congress to establish or prohibit slavery in the Territories, House, January 17, 1856 . 506 Speech delivered in the House, March 11, 1856, on the Kansas contested election . 538 Speech on the bill to admit Kansas under the Kansas-Topeka constitution. House, June 28, 1856 . 558 Speech on the Presidential election of 1856, the compromise of 1850, and the Kansas act of 1854. House, January 6, 1857 . 595 Speech on the admission of Minnesota and alien suffrage, House of Rep- resentatives, May 11, 1858. 619 Impeachment of Judge Watrous. House of Representatives, December 15, 1858 . 633 Letter on the subject of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, written March 13, 1857. Number one. 651 Letter on the subject of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, written March 17, 1857. Number two. 659 Speech on the admission of Oregon, House of Representatives, February 12, 1859 . 671 Farewell speech on retiring from Congress, delivered in Augusta, Ga., July 2, 1859 . 691 Athens, Georgia, literary speech, in August, 1859 . 709 Letter to Hon. John J. Crittenden, of Kentucky, Jan. 21, 1860 . 716 Letter of thirteen gentlemen of Macon, Georgia, and reply of Mr. Stephens, May 9, 1860 . 722 Letter to Dr. Z. P. Landrum, of Lexington, Georgia, July 1, 1860 . 732 Union speech delivered in the City Hall Park, Augusta, Georgia, Septem- ber 1, 1860 . 740 CONTENTS. 9 Celebrated speech, delivered in opposition to secession, before the Geor- gia Legislature, November 14, 1860 . 765 Rules for the government of the Confederate Congress, Montgomery, Ala- bama, 1861.