Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-07-13
Hon. Alexander III. Stephens, ,--And his
ODiniONy.

The speech Of this distinguished Georgian, de-
lirered recently ut the Augusta Dinnor, has been
written out by himself and appsrs thus corrected
in tue Constitmionalis. Of Sunday morning. We
have read this revised report with great interest,
and shall be glad to lay the specuh before our rea-
ders if We can find room to do so. At present we
propose to state the substance of it, and to mako
one or two brief comments.
Mr.. STEPHENS sets out with an expression Of his
thanks for the complimentary demonstration of his
fellow-citizcus in the dinner then pending. He
could have wished to retire without such nu 0cca-
sion, but us his constituents thought otherwise he
1nustabdc their wishos Since he entered public life
in 1885, there had been wonderful progress in our
whole country in every department Of civilization,
social, moral and civil. In civil matters there had
been great and alarming connections, but they had
passed by aud ull now was quiot lilo reverted to
the annexation of Texas, and claimed part in
the conception Of the resolutions hy which her ad
mission was effected. IIo dcnioa, what Col. BgS-
TON asserts in his "Thirty Yours View" that these
resolutions had their iucipicncy in the State De-
partment, at the head Of which then stood Mr..
CALuoUS, Mr.. WILTON BRowS was thor author,
and he (DnowY) with the advice and counsel chief
ly of Mr. STEPHENS and Hon. EpHnAIN II. FOSTER,
u colleague of Mr.. Brown, concoctcd the scheme
of said resolutions.
Tho speuker next glanced at the territorial ques-
ton growing out Of our acquisitions Of territory
by the Mexican War, and hero We quote part of
his own language, i,aliciiius the purts which
struck US upon the peruHal;
1.-The next question Of agitation arose out OF our
ACQUISITIONS frUu Mexico, embracing also tho Ter
ritnry of Oregul-the title to which bad just been
definitely settled about that time. This was the
greatest Of ALL, before or since. It involved the
powers Of Congress ovOt the Territories, and the
right of the General government to exclude slave
rv rs it exists with We. from them. The principle
was one of vast importance, whether considered
in An ahst,act or practical view. It's assertion ab-
straclly carried with it Southern inequality, inferi-
nrity, nnd degradation Its enforcement prac
ly would have hemmed us up, helged us in, walled
us around, pnd preventcdnll future growth and es-
uansiou. The point the South mudc rns The right
10 40 in!o the Trri'ories wh their s'ure property,
on The sume fno,ing and miM The sams security, "s
other Droyerfg uader the Constitution. This was
lcr deu,alul and it wns this basis tile settle
lacnt was ul.,le Tho Territories are to bc kept
rpcn for settlement and colonization, by ul, alike
without any discriminating legislation On the part
Of Congress 1T against any species ol property,
until the people come to form their STATE COhS'i-
tntions for admission intu The Union-whcn they
are to Le admitted either with or without slavery,
us they may then determine for themselves. This
il non intervention. And, as you all may know,
l. came shurt # what I wished. It was, IN my
Wow, not the full lDcasurC of our rightS-that re-
uured in my Judgment, the enactment, by Con-
gross, Of ull needtul laws for the protection OF
slave property in the Territories, 80 long us the
Territorial condition lasted.
BIT an occrrheimimy mgjo'ity OF the Somh tcas
against thnt position. IL @as sad Mut "c rho
maintained Il, yietded the mh"ie q"estio" by yfeld-
ira the jurisiicti"a--and that i iCe conceded the
uSner to protect rc necessarily conceded mhh il
IL loecr 10 pn"hibd. THE, by meunr, J"''oned,
il. my Judgment. Bat such m"s the prceaiting opin-
ion. And it was not uutil it was well uscertained
that i large ulnjnrity uf the Snnth would not ask
fer, or even vote rur Congressional rrUcrtiun that
those Of us who were fur it yielded to non-intcr
yenliun, because. though it ruiuc short Of our
wishes, get. it contained no sucrfce 9f principle
hutl nothing cJyressire in Il. and Sccared far al
pro. teal purposes rhm ~ds manfed. That IL, the
urlr, strrtr.l right Of expansion over the c"IIhon
pullic dumnin, ~ uclinalion, convenience, Or ne
while Congress ah-tained fr"m all direct lc.isla-
ton On tie subject, get The dats "rganisi"y Terri
forini g0t 81. acnt, granted Ia the iuca fryisifurcS
fhs yumer to y,,,s i~r "npon al" riyhfni snLjrcts c
ie,,;slnfon, not ;ncuns.tcmt rhh iAe C""s'i"ono 81
tie United IStates." 7h;s gaze them the l'"'cer to
poss all nccdiu ia~s far Mc protection Of Stace
propc,fy, il tie pc"p'e @u"tcd 'hem-fd"t being
riyhfuk subject y ir3i.la'o"--Juf Hone I" Prohi1h
D- ccciude--fhot being i"consistem mhh the C""si-
,ufinm ot the United Mnfrs. aud the rScrcirc Of n
j.or.r that Co"se ers did not pos"cs' and could not
grant"
Mr. STEPHENS declared his Willingness to stand
ny this view Of the cuse.
lie next alluded to the territorial question that
arose in 1854 in regard to kausas, affirming
that although the repeal Of the Missouri C"mpro-
mise which rnsllltc ,hc1efr"m hu: tlc triumph
Of Il principle, Yet it Wis IN mpnrinnt principle.
IL. then illustrated the necessity of cuutendng for
n principle by instances and eases in point. lie
considered ,tt great good had hccn evolved by
tho last agitation of this territorial question, and
WAS the perfect establishment ut principle. j"
use lis words again, "tlu old Missouri Restrictions
of 1880, has 'c,.n taheii from the statute book.
There is not now y siot o! the public Territory "t
the United States, over which the national flag
1oa,s, where slavery is excluded ly law of Con.
gress and the highest tribunal cf the land has
decided that Congress has power to pms such
law, nor to grant such power to Territorial leg
sla,urc. All this las been the result Of these ngi
taicns."
Tho gl,oukcrt',en turned from the past to theprcs
cnt lie could l"t say how long the present settled
condition of The slavery question would last. This
will depend upon the people themselves. " But"
says he, I" on the present basis of governmental
action, recognised in all its departments, on hosc
questions vital to the South, zee nothing likely
to arise from it calculated tu cndangcr either her
safety or security. Hence, nothing TO prevent
the hope and earnest desire that n still greater,
widur, and higher career is bcfnrc Us than that
yet attained. And f"r many long years to come,
there is nothing in tho diversity and dissmlarity
of the institutions Of the different States incon-
sstent with this; nuthiug in amy increase or adli-
ton of Suites: nut,.iug in the future enlargement
Of the limits Of the Republic, hy further ncqui.i-
ton Of Territories, ny in tho event uf continued
union, there, doubtless, will be-"
And again lie remarked,
"Whalcvcr may he our acquisitions of territory,
see nothing to endansrr our rights in the Union,
if the principles now established be adhered to
and mlntaincd in good faith Over all present
possessions or future acquisitions. We have aud
will have, by those principles, the unrestricted
right to expand, to settle aud COLOMBO with our
institutions to tho extent of population and ca
pacity. Wherever climate and soil suit, there
slavery can and will go to tho extent Of lupula-
LiOn."
Immediately pursuant of this Wow, Mr.. STErN-
EMS announced himself iu favur of the further inl-
poratiun of African slaves, that we may have pnpl-
aton sufficient, and of such description AZ will