The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-09-07
Mr.. STEPHENS A KNOW NOTHING.

certain class Of newspapers in Tennessee, to
quote Hon. Alexander Stephens, of Georgia,
as one Of the great lights Of the nation who
IS Supposed TO the American movement, and
is now battling for the enemy-that enemy
who believes that the best American citizens
are those who were born in Irelard and Ger
many. We do not know how Mr.. Stephens
may really feel upon the American question
at this time, but as recently as the year 1859
he was good American, and planted himself
upon the American platform. In proof read
the following extracts from an Address de-
livered by Mfr. Stephens before the Maryland
Institute in Baltimore, on the evening of the
2Sd February, 1852, in commemoration Of
the birthday of Washington" We take these
extracts from pamphlet copy Of said address,
published by John T. Towers, Washington
City,
"The other point promised to allude to is,
the subject of our foreign relations. This is be-
coming matter Of grave and momentous i'm
portance for the consideration of the Ameri-
can people. II is matter that the far seeing
eye Of Washington did not overlook. Hence
his emphatic and solemn warning which you
have Just heard, against the insldioua
wiles Of foreign influence Q conjure you to
believe me, fellow citizens the jealousy Of a
free people ought to be constantly awake"
This was the language OF the patriot and sage
in his last words to his countrymen. The
hand that penned it has long since returned
to its mother dust but the same voice still
comes from his tomb at Mount Vernon, and
here, this night, invoke you, for his sake, il
not for your own, to hearken to that voice.
Again he says, "The great rule ofconduct for
us in relation to foreign nations is, to have
with them as little political connection as
possible" From that day to this-for more
than half century-we have followed that
advice. Our motto from that time TO this in
the language of Mr.. Jefferson, has been.
Friendship with all nations-entangling al.
liances with nome" And I am proud to say
that no American--no son OF Washington,
not even the most degenerate, was the first to
advocate change in this policy. II wasre
served for the son Of another and distant
clime-a man, too, who had abandoned his
own country in the hour of her peril to come
here aud teach us how to make ours great,
prosperous and powerful. For the honor OF
attempt to arraIgn the wisdom Of Washington
on this question of our foreign policy, was
made by foreigner. v ould that | could
say that no American had yielded to "the in
sidious wiles of his influence" But the virus
has taken effect it is spreading through the
land; and we nov hear it openly proclaimed
in many places, that it is time for us to as.
sumo our position amongst the nations Of the
earth; that it is time we had foreign policy.
What does this language meant Is itintend-
ed by those who use it, TO convey the idea,
that we have gone on upwards OF sixty years
in career Of prosperity never before equaled,
without any foreign policyi Was not the
rule laid down by Washington and acted on
by every president from his day to this, a
policyS 1t was a policy. It was and is the
policy Of attending to our own business, and
letting other nations alone. II was and is
the policy, the ,ime-honored policy of non
intervention. 1t may not be a foreign policy,
but it is Washington policy /; by an obser-
vance Of which we have come to be what we
are--one Of the first nations of the earth.
And above all lend no listening ear TO
those who come from other countries to teach
you the principles Of repubicanism. Yield
not to the tempter. The father ofyour coun
try forbidsit. II was in an evil hour that
our great parents touched the forbidden fruit.
They were happy in their paradise: their
willy enemy came from other regions
Imagine for moment the scene, when the
guardian angel OF that innocent and noble
pair took his departure from them when he
was called from his charge Of watching over
and protecting them. Hear the last whis.
pers Of his voice, 6eware of foreign influence.
1t was this that Washington, our deliyerer.
defender and guardian spirit, spoke to us on
taking his last parting leave Had they
needed the warning given to them, they had
not fallen. May we as a nation, never fall
VS. they did
All men are not suited for constitutional
free government. One of the most common
of the popular errors of the day is, that any
people having the pish to be free also have
the ability to be free. This is a great mis-
take. Constitutional liberty, or liberty reg
ulated by law-the only liberty that is worth
the name-is not so easily acquired If it
were, we would not to-day be the only PEG
pie on earth in it's enjoyment. u is true, the
people Of almost any nation, with firm
resolution, can overthrow the strongest des-
potism, but they cannot build up a republic
in its stead This requires more than physi.
cal force Il requires virtue, intelligence,
morality, patriotism, and statesmanship.-
Brutus and few associates found no Difficult
ty in removing Cesar from an imperial throne,
but they did not thereby restore lost freedom
to Rome. France found little difficulty in
bringing Louis the XVI. to the block but
France did not thereby establish a republic.
She found even less difficulty in driving
Charles the Xth from the kingdom he had so
badly governed; but che did not thereby sue
ceed in establishing good government for
the people Louis Philippe had in like man.
ner in q short time to be carried to her Tar
she made her last effort at republicanisrn.
And what do we beholdi Louis Napoleon
"A President Kingl
And so il will be, fear, with all the ma
tions Of Europe, until there be change in
the minds, habits, education, and modes Of
thinking on the part oftheir people. Liberty,
in their estimation, is licentiousness, lawless-
ness They do not understand or appreciate
its first principles. Men, to be capable OF
maintaining law and order in a free govern.
ment,-must be schooied in the elementary
principles"
There, reader, that's the sort OF doctrine
advocated by Mr.. Stephens in 1852, and that's
the sort Of doctrine the American party are
now contending for, and we put it to those
patriotic gentlemen who are fighting so
zealou.ly against il, whether they hadn't bet
ter pause and reflect before proceeding much
farther in the unnatural crusade against their
own country.
AUGUSTA, GA.-Attcntion is directed TO
the large assortment of Groceries advertised