was elected to the United States Senate, but was never seated. He afterwards became unpopular for the time being on account of his acquiescent attitude toward the military measures which challenged such widespread and bitter opposition; and was twice defeated for the same office. But popular sentiment soon underwent radical changes and Alexander H. Stephens eventually received, in unstinted measure, the appreciative recognition which his wise statesmanship and true patriotism merited. Reelected to Congress in 1873, upon the initiative of Robert Toombs, who called the meeting which put him in nomination, he continued to represent Georgia in the halls of Congress until the time came for him to close his illustrious career of usefulness in the executive chair of the commonwealth.

Buried in the beautiful green area which immediately fronts the picturesque old home which he owned and loved so long, and which admiring Georgians will always reverence under the name of Liberty Hall, an unpretentious shaft of white marble marks the exact spot beneath which lies the dust of the departed sage. The principle which ever governed his life has been chiseled into the solid stone: "I am afraid of nothing on earth, or above the earth or under the earth, except to do wrong. The path of duty I shall ever endeavor to travel, fearing no evil and dreading no consequences." This noble sentiment deserves to rank on the historic page with the kindred utterance of the great Aristides: "Oh, Athenians! What Themistocles proposes would be greatly to the advantage of Athens, but it would be unjust!"

CHAPTER VIII.

The Last Days of Alexander H. Stephens.

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EFORE the finger of Death closed the eyelids of the Great Commoner it was most appropriate that his long career of public usefulness should have first threaded the official doorway of the executive mansion. Since 1836 Mr. Stephens had been almost constantly in public life. The greater part of this time he had spent in the halls of national legislation. But he had never worn the senatorial toga. Once during the days of reconstruction he had been chosen for this lofty service, but on account of the issues of the period he had not been permitted to claim his seat. And later, when his counsels were somewhat unpopular, he had sought the office, but had been defeated. However, it was one of the felicities of politics that after having been for years the central figure of the great American House of Commons he should at length be permitted to end his days in the gubernatorial chair of the State. And, besides filling the measure of an ardent desire on the part of the old statesman, it also had the happy effect of attesting the record of an illustrious public service with the official imprint of the executive seal.

The significance of this tribute is emphasized by the fact that in the race for Governor Mr. Stephens had defeated

so distinguished a Georgian as Gen. L. J. Gartrell. General Gartrell had been in Congress at the outbreak of the war, and returning home on the adoption of the ordinance of secession, he had gone at once to the front. In the first battle of Manassas he had caught the bleeding figure of the gallant Bartow as he fell mortally wounded upon the victorious field; and all through the war he had borne himself with chivalrous address. But on account of his eminence as an advocate he had not been permitted to give his entire time to the military service, but had been assigned important duties to perform in the legislative halls at Richmond. And following the war he had become the greatest criminal lawyer in the State. But strong as were the claims of General Gartrell upon the people of Georgia, he had nevertheless been defeated at the polls by an overwhelming vote. Still in view of the fact that he had run as an independent Democratic candidate, and especially in view of the fact that Mr. Stephens had been the Vice-President of the Confederacy and was now an infirm old man whose roller-chair cast a charm upon the popular sympathies, it is universally conceded that no man in the State could have taken the field against the Great Commoner with better results.

Never will the campaign of 1882 be forgotten in Georgia. Too feeble to engage in the strenuous exercises of the stump, Mr. Stephens nevertheless appeared before the people at such well-selected times and places as made it evident that he was still master of the noble science of strategics. What his voice lacked of the old power which had once aroused the silvery echoes, his emaciated figure, as he wheeled himself before the footlights, in part at least supplied; and again at the age of threescore years and ten