atchless brilliancy.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON STEPHENS.

~1812=1883.~

ALEXANDER HAMILTON STEPHENS was born near Crawfordville, Georgia, and
received an early and excellent education in his father's private
school and at the University of Georgia. The cost of his tuition here
was advanced by some friends, and he repaid it as soon as he began to
earn money. He taught for a year in the family of Dr. Le Conte, father
of the distinguished scientists, John and Joseph Le Conte, now of the
University of California.

He pursued his law studies alone and passed an unusually brilliant
examination. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1836, and to
Congress in 1843, where he served until 1858. He then retired to
country life at his home, "Liberty Hall." But in 1861 he was elected
Vice-President of the Confederate States. After the war he was made
prisoner and confined for some months at Fort Warren near Boston. He
spent several years in literary work and established a newspaper at
Atlanta, called the "Sun."

He was of small stature and delicate health, and met with one or two
severe accidents. His career is a wonderful illustration of the power
of the mind over the body. An amusing incident is told of him in
regard to his size. He was attending a political convention in
Charleston as one of the chief delegates; and one evening, with
several other prominent men, he was on the porch of the hotel lying on
a bench, talking with his companions who were standing about him. The
hotel-keeper coming out saw the gentlemen standing, and bustling up,
said, "Get up, my son, and let these gentlemen be seated." Mr.
Stephens at once arose and his friends burst out laughing; they
explained the situation to the hotel-keeper who was profuse in his
apologies.

An instance of his remarkable bravery is the affair with Judge Cone.
This gentleman considered himself insulted by a remark of Mr. Stephens
and demanded a retraction. After accepting an explanation, he still
insisted on a retraction, and Mr. Stephens refused to make it. Judge
Cone, a tall and powerful man, then drew a knife on him and holding
him down on the floor, cried out, "Retract, or I'll cut you to
pieces." "_Never!_" answered Stephens, "_cut!_" and caught the
descending knife in his right hand. Friends interposed; Judge Cone
apologized, and they afterwards became reconciled.

Mr. Stephens was elected to the United States Senate, 1874 and 1876:
he was governor of Georgia