Show Chats With Great Men Great Men of oi the the the- Civil War WarBy Warp By Mrs Gen Pickett A. A f t Copyright bt 1313 1513 b by Tho The Press ID leg Co The New York World l ALEXANDER H. H STEPHE STEPHENS NS CO DOMING OMING up to greet us at our wed wed- J ding dint reception was a n. man of ot whom Abraham Lincoln had written fifteen en years before I take up m my pen to tell ten you OU that Mr Ir Stephens of or Georgia a a. little slim c 1 pale faced consumptive man has Just concluded the vel very best beat speech of oC an m t- t hours hour's l length I ever heard My old oid old i withered dry eyes are full tutI of or tears I yet yet t The Tho time had come conic which had been foretold by Mr Stephens StephenB In 1847 18 t I If Mexico the forbidden fruit Is Isto Isto to be seized at ever every hazard I very j much fe fear r that those who control public public pub pub- lic affaIrs In their eager eager- pursuit after the tue unenviable distinction of despoiling despoil despoil- A 1 t In lug ing a neighboring republic will have havethe havethe havethe the still less enviable glory o of looking back upon the shattered and broken fragments of ot their own confederacy And instead of or reveling In the halls of ot Montezuma or gloating over over the ruins of or the ancient cities clUes of the Aztecs they may be compelled to turn and behold in their rear roar another and a wider prospect of ot desolation carnage and b blood I oo d. d Ho lie Helas was las no now the vice Ic president of or the confederacy After Arter congratulations ho turned to the general with the qu query ry Well Yell have havo you OU heard from Old Abe since the war be began began began be- be gan Yes Tes I have heard twice What did ho he say His latest message was sent through Mr Ir Browning Drowning He said I was v to go back to my Bible and read the Prodigal Prodigal Prodigal gal Son and he would do his part and ha have hatho tho the fatted calf ready read when I was ready to come back Years afterward when my worldly goods had allI all vanished b by the failure and defalcation of those In whose whoso I cl charge ge tl they had lad been placed place and I was In a a. department office in Washington Mr Ur St Stephens was In Con Congress gross When hen henhe he learned of m my position he said dam d he Mad ho always pronounced the tho word word with an nn exaggerated number of d's ds I ds I am very ery sorry t thear to hear this vcr very sorry You would better go back to Virginia and raise bees and make hon hoc honey y I dont don't bellevo believe General Pickett v would approve of your our coming coming- to Wash 1 Ington to work Nor u would ho approve e of m my being stuck up with honey hony and stung by bees either cither Mr Ur I replied It la is safer b by far and l iss ss painful to be bo stung b by bees than hornets and If lC you OU are ore not careful you ou ma may bo be stung tung by hornets here I T told him that I should treat the tho hornets so that they would not sting me and did not expect to he be In office office- after In my son had finished his course courso in fn tha tI-is military Institute What twill will you OU do then 1 he asked My I son will take care of at me while 1 write a book about m my husban husbands husband's a division Write a book I Oh Oh my God Godi I he cried In dismay l ma Go and read Job Mad d Some Some southern friends coming comInS' up tho the conversation turned upon ubon Mr Davis and his cabinet tIt t. t It seems a pity said one that Mr Ir Davis ls was not allowed to follow tollow the bent of his inclination and command the and let Mr Toombs be president Toombs president Well VeIl we should hould have havo had a a. devil of or a time But it wouldn't have lasted than about three throe days Ho He would v have havo had no mercy taken no prisoners no quarter know wa Vas u Toombs you O nover e. r turi fa never novel asked for a a. pardon ana anu was as n never cr forgiven I dont don't know wh why but you OU always make mak me think of ot Mr oIl Toombs I raid Toombs Toombs Toomb wh why he and I were a as 8 unlike as aa asIt asit It if one ono had como come from Hades s and the other from Greenland's Greenland's Green Green- lands land's Ic Icy mountains mountain InsteAd of both coming from tho the good old state of Georgia of or which we are ver very proud Our views 1 on every other question on earth from tram alon up dl diametrically opposed even en as to his hla ion lon of oC my humble self For ho saw Jn Sn me great presidential presidential timber and on February 4 4 1861 In Montgomery Ala did me the honor of ot suggesting mo me as president of our confederate states state J OIl 1 wonder what would have hav been the result rosult Mr Stephens I J said if It you OU had taken first place an and Mr Ir Ii IiD D Davis ls s' s Second v. v i Do you remember Mud dam tho the wonder that thi swelled your our young heart to bursting bursting- when as as as' asa a a. littlechild little child you Olt were first told In awesome tone by one with bulging eyes Suppose the sk sky sh should uld l fa Then wh when you Ou co could ld not bear the agony of such a a a. calamitous us sUP P position another second the tragic voice punctuated thai the taut overstrained bag of ot suggestion with th the tha answer It would c catch flies tIles That's Thata all all dam d I heard Mr Steph Stephens ns I T said that when General Upton sent an armed force to have hav you arrested d ft the surrender of tho the confederacy you OU said to tho the ott co Gentlemen I am greatly perturbed that your commanding command command- inc In ing general should havo have subjected you to BO so disagreeable a n duty for I assure you really that if It I had had the taint faint faintest est intimation or conception that m my presence was de det desired t should havo have done myself the honor to to go by quickest route rout to Atlanta to pa pay my respects But perhaps your your commanding officer General Upton ia is not familiar with the amenities sNo s.- s. No Mad dam Mr I S Stephens ophe 8 Interrupted I I d dt did not use the tho word amenities nor that expression lon gr perturbed They have o been bean slanderously added My word I believe Mad d were a n. little more emphatic Bu flu Buas as well as I now remember YO you have In the tho repeated re Te re repeated tho interview correctly JOne J One day ay when I was In the capitol with some friend a armed ono confederate soldier the toni tongil u or orator tor of ot the tho south Col Cot Charles f EL E Hooker of ot Mississippi came camo forward to greet lUll ua Jus Just then seeing Mr Stephe i helpless and paralytic as to body but brilliant as to mind mm being carried into th the hall he sal said In fn his courtly J John John- John John-J hn manner Come Madam permit me to present my most most- honor honored d 4 and esteemed friend Mr Alexander 11 II Stephens arid and your charming friends Before we could assure him that we wo knew Mr MI Stephen the colonel said f Mr Stephens may ma I have the double and e. e honor of presenting you ou to Mrs rs Pl Pi Pickett kett tho the widow of ot GUI OU great Illustrious commander Gen George E K E. Pickett an and r fit nf f mn h r with Uh ono anti of Our most ite and brilliant statesmen I Y YM M Mr Stephens acknowledged the introduction and emil emil- replied Thank you Colonel Hooker I know Mrs She took her first ride In a a. setting egg basket and I am am- talc talc- lag Ing my last rid In one Now Non I know knew her before she aba wa was married was at liar her wedding reception in Richmond and know knew Mr Corbel her i as ai father before her itA Hel it A Pl S t V q as X I a a at Tf i unon nan anh 1 told me that that- the only only- i J serious quarrel he heti ti h. 4 ever had with td-l td site was about l S sm A-sm 4 i slon In connection p with the name 1 y youngest son called 4 for an uncle b J be came a rabid C The dispute suited In Yz the changing of the boys boy's name Anti And I learn that to thil day he calls his boy by byj 4 on one name and his v calls him by another r ts Your son he I turning to me like both t you husband Mad Mad- Mad l tT Ah Au dam Mad th the y general was aa as mild Ii lUlU KenLie 01 UL nu manner na naas as no ho was as fearless and earnest rnest of ot soul I have havo hoard heard that PresidenT Lincoln was v very vory ry proud of ol having been Instrumental mental In fn the generals general's going goIn- to West est Point You know Mr Stephens when you were on th the the- peace commission and w went wint nt to hold a conference with M- M Ir Lincoln at Fortress Monroe there was a consultation In In camp that thal night of ot the officers at our headquarters an anthe and ad the they were In fn hopes that you would end the war WaT Art Arid afterward when hen they learned the result of ot the conference for tor several days the men inca were Jubilant because they t felt sure that you ou all had something up your Our sleeve foreign Intervention or or Yes a little Joker replied Mr Ir Stephens I |