The Washington union., 1857-08-22
.~.sMsA
LETTER PROM HON A. H. STEPHENS TO THE yo-
TIERS or THE EIGHTH CONG NGREsSIoNAI. DIS
rnICsr OF GEORGIA

ing at this time and in this way The numerous Calls
that have been made upon by personal and political
friends IN primary meetings OF people and otherwise
TO allow my TO go before the district again ioi re-
election to Congress without the formaity OF regular
nomination, require response This should nave oeen
made earlier and would have been but for matters OF
personal that have prevented and which In no
way concern the public.
10 reply however TO each separately would take
siderable time and deyolye upon great deal OF
less labor while TO select in preference to Others
might be deemed inyidious i, therefore, take this
method of answering all together, and at the time
saying briefly not only to those who have thus manifest
ed their wishes in this particular but the other voters OF
the district generally that il is the will and pleasure
OF the people that shall them again in the nation
al councils have sufficient reason consistent with
my of duty to the country and my obligations to
them Justify in refusing particularly at this juno
ture feel profoundly sensible OF the signal marks OF
confidence repeatedly shown towards by the people OF
this district The present may not be an improper oc-
cason to make auson to them and the past relations
between us of representative and constituents
During the whole time have represented the district
the honor has conferred without any party nonina
tion-this is unusual in day and the honor that
account has been the more highly appreciated by me
Ii has caused me- ii possible to feel more sensiby the
weight the responsibility resting me to watch over
look after guard and protect equally the rights and in
terests Of all How far succeeded in meeting their expec
tons in the discharge of the great trusts thus condngy
placed in my hands, they must judge for themselves
But IL is quite qualification to me to know that since
have been chosen not single vote or act OF mime as
time ms far of by asngle man OF any party
in the district All approved at the time 1t was done, OF
everything did their Representatives AT least moth
ing heard to the contrary-no censure was made
no disapprobation ever expressed Party and nomi-
nal questions OF the greatest magnitude and most ex
citing character were acted ON during the time AT
the first session of that term OF service the Kansas
BILL which is still the topic OF so much discussion was
brought forward gave it, as you all know my warm
and zeaoussuppot Its hailed not only in this
district butby parties throughout Georgia as great t
umpa triumph not of section OF the country over
another of the South over the North, farther than
her restoration to equality concerned but OF the
friends Of the constitution everywhere over those who for
thirty years had been endeavoring to wrest that nsru
Inent from its true spirit to accomplish selfish and sec
tona purposes against southern institutions And though
have seen up TO this day attack upon me- ndividu
ally for my position in connexon with that measure
yet regret to say it is but too apparent and has been
for time past that party in Georgia. and particn
larly in the sth district is rising up whose object Is ii
not openly coyery at least to get popular condemna-
ton of IT, They clearly insinuate that 1T was the
work of tcgs and deDgcgaes for the purpose OF aga-
ton and excitement To this it might be a sufficient
ply to say that those who bring this charge estopped
from making any such accusation for they gave 1t pro
y hearty approval at the time it passed as any
body else Ii icsrs the authors of it, they were
the 0ickster hackers.
The pretezt now that they then gave their approval
with reservation exception to the ''aen suffrage
and squattersovereignty features they called it,
will not do. This is but after-thought and wholly
untenable at that All the ''aen suffrage the bill ever
had in it in it when it met the approval of the Geor
gia Legislature in February 1854 and when they declared
that hostility to the principles OF the bill should be
garded as hostility to the South And for the ''squat
ter-soyeregnty feature that nothing but fancy OF
the brain from the beginning, which conjured up
some time afterwards about the time it was discovered
that the only defenders of the bill at the North with few
exceptions democrats No such principle however,
was in the bill. This conclusivey shown du-
ring the canvass year. and is generally admitted
In fact the main argument last year not much to
really the bill to
prove that such the northern construction of it, 1t
was strenuously conended that Mr. Buchanan had put
that construction upon lin his letter OF acceptance But
by inaugural that ground of complaint altogether
imaginary and unsubstantial it was) removed
This is also openly acknowledged danda very import
ant acknowledgment it sor with it the last vestige of
that pret for opposition objection vanishes 1t is
matter be noted and remembered that the Waenton
convention of the 9th instant that nominated my hon
orabe competitor, expressly state and proclaim
g We confess, then, our surprise, when his Mr. Bu
chanan 81 inaugural address RENoUNcED souATTER
RErNTy and the edge of opposition to his aminstra
ton bunted by the apparent bodness and honesty OF
his sentiments
ghs Is an honest and timely confession. It is COM
pcte answer most of the arguments of their orators
and newspapers of last year. Buchanans squattersoy
ereenty principles then the staple of their speeches
and editorials they the burden of their song the
IIiad Of their woes" 1t this phantom that caused
some in their maddened rage to that the BILL with
this construction, for the South than the viii
mot proviso itself Most binding must have been that
which 10 dnylhiHy
could have for the South than that ose ab
soe and perpetual prohibition against slavery in Terrific
Nv put on in 1920, and which the Kansas bill removed
But such things have witnessed and perhaps sran-
ger ones are yet in store for 1t is not much how
ever with the past with the present and the future
we have to deal The past, it is true frequently throws
light on the future and for this reason it is not to be
neglected or forgotten need not you that
for the bill in the beginning and for it yet and shall
stand by 1t to the last notwithstanding the sire in
the rear as well as the old one 'n the front"
From late indications the next Congress will have be-
fore it deeply interesting not unusually exciting ques
tons-not less so than those before the last In the
elections for the last Congress the of the Kansas
bill was prominent issue at the North. Upon the
sembling Of that body large majority of the House
claimed to be in favor of its repeal But they did not
succeed in their object. IT, however, it was mwse
measure got up by agitaoB and h5cse to selfish
and party ends ought it not to have been repeaed2 On
this point the Waenton convention If such be the drift
and tendency of their policy again estopped at least
their party late the 2Sth of January of last
year the following resolution offered in the House
Representatives by Mr. Meacham, Of Vermont
RssoluM That in the opinion of this House, the
peal Of the Missouri Compromise of 1920 prohibiting sl
very north of latitude $50 3O example of useless
and acos agitation Of the slavery question both in and
to portion Of the American people
This resolution is but short statement of the substance
of the commentary of the Waenton convention and il
they right their representative ought to have voted
for it, But he did not, did single member of the
American party any party from the South vote for it.
except Mr. Etherdge, from Tennessee. Messrs Foster
and Trppe from this State voted against 30 did the
two Mashalls from Kentucky, Mr. Zollicoer from Ten
a,Ia renft Tho