Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-06-17

Prom the Atlsn:, oonfedoraey OF Wednesday last
ITayipc learned that Ycs Pres5eut Stephens was tt
address the p ope OF Wilkes county Saturday last
on the produce oan ard wishing 10 bear the plane an'
purposes of the Government more fully on this subject
and Law the same before readers attended %,
meeting and made report of tie speech. Tie Court
Reuse, in Shh he address wss delv red, was filed L
overaowing the assembly being greced by the presence
Of many ladies'
Ron. Carne,t Andrews was called on to preside, arc
Dr. II. &. Robertson Secretary
Mr. Stephens then arose amidst loud applause, ans
said:
ER CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GsNrLEMEN l aIpear be
fore ycu o.d4y m11ly Gu business The subject is o.
o jie importance. IL Is OF great magnitude II con
crrs Us all as much any upon which ever addressed
ven before Our country 10 at war-ths most important
We ever we're Engaged in before-uot excepting tia. c
the Revolution vi Oh resulted in the achievement OF
iude peudtuce TO provide means 10 carry ON the war
and susain country in tts exgercy the object o.
| nv appearance here to-day Our Cause mus. Le su'
tau,d d o. it's success everything that concerns Us IL
life dJpents.
Timt need not be taken up in reAearsing at leugth
the c.use OF the war;s OIL IN or history. allow ne
to preusc however briefly few things IN relation TO
this contest la the first place, it is most unnatural
sLd irrational var Oh the part of iomer Northern
coplederatea It's success their part would end IL
an en.ire overthrow OF the pTLcp les upon which cur
common independence was achieved These States at
| tie North nov engaged ia this war Inst Us occupy
did tow, rts the coions in he Revolutionary struggle
They sre eudeayorDg goyCra Us sglust our consent
Eup!lrd claimed the night TO TX aud goyun Us OF
the same principle. This GIN cur fathers denied. o.
the fourth Of July, l716, each one OF the colonies,
through ibCir l,gG Sa;e for IL
seii-dacgrd tbcr ifdebu ud-ucc, and proclaimed the
great tuh hat all goveInmtEts dtTYe their just pow
ers ircm consent OF the goSerned This G'ea'auon
was not made nator, but by the representatives OF
e,ch one Of tue sovereign aud lid, pendent States.
| l. ~. cirl
p.ndrt Of each Of tie States Separately ui hsssachu
us OF New York, CT Vugril OF Georgia, AID al the
other States Individually. 0a this SANE principle the
Confederate States stand. In this mes: unnatural
war Massachusetts,, that wds represented by The Paniot
John H,rccck in l776, occupies towards Us the
anne aton ttat England cid 10 u in the revolution.
l. is war aguinst the whole principles upon which the
reyclr:icr WIS fought. Whatever may be the danger
of The future let every of revolutionary sires remc-
her that the same priuc l,5 are nov iavOlyed. We
never sourbt 20 interfere win their internal affairs
Afsr til eckuowl,dg n. Ui tie independence o.
each OF the States separately an5 seyeray by Great BIZ
,sio Union between a Of them wis formed IA taot
eoU.ac known as Constitution CT tie Ur'ted States
Thi- related D. extra trIiof!s or icel6l tHsTS, ana
ex'r. State ,fai's.
The .ulato4 OF all matters Of domestic and internal
policy w.i. tie states p.civeiy was expressly re-
rived 10 The Sl,os OF tic opie Sa-e Sovereignty was
,l VIZ pli:,d aith in TIA; Constitution or compsc- OF
Union Sovereign powers TO icllei extent were dele
rated but severe aLty itself sl reserved TO the
..rl al the States respectively. We claim the same
srve5si,uty hat on. fathers d.d-the nal nable
reht 10 .i-eoyvrment which they ussered and which
-. States of the Ncrih Joined them IN pledgng Their
lives their fortunes aad sacred honor in maintaining
TIL. ri.h. Is nor deu.,C hence ,his col H.ct.
Ntr. .he rcope OF tie Southern Ss e. looked TO the
future after tie election last is thought u best 20
,,ait te, cLd see what the result would be-to zee
whether the ptry then successful 10 he eiecd'n ot ihciF
Prs.iicrt would attempt carry ont their &vowel rocy
La,
roir Tee Gallant State South Carr Ina took the Lead
vs her ,hs % re-ssslms the strse OF all her SOW
srccn powers i she chose 70 30 So aud 10 ors had
rt 10 question IT, This right stcgr in the pin
ci,s s-ta shed when her and orr AID the ind per-
dec, o. a he S,Ses vas &c ie7ei OiAer States soon
folio, ed We did uot resc.. 20 Oar separation
VS. ilste' not through tho c5'dse bos bdt q rough
the bli2;-bcz TIE ItcPe dtoced thm question icy
,h-nseivs Such neral pect4Cc never "ai witnessed
An overwhelming mai lrty Of the people Of seven Southern
ta that ~ best 70 resume their sovereignty
10 question q - right 20 DO 30 involves the whole doe
triue Uron which American institutions were founded
Gls great l1amn;al principle which unceries h,oer
can COEsi u,ional Ib.Yy VS. dslicd Oy SIR. Lincoln
even before be formally seated m bis present position
We s-ug Commissioners 20 settle al matters between
Us and old c0Aiedces upon the principles OF lust
| ice ara good .dh. We wished 70 have - -trile-gc
wished peace We neye; Wsasd TO Interfere with them
o. Jh,c il-tpus. II they thought theirs better than
ours We we're willing tiat tley should eUoy them We
we're oLy determined that ;h,y shoai lot interfere with
ours or us Cvc- 80. We believe our institutions age
best Tor u. Th5Y a5 - accordance not only Win na-
ture bui tie teachings Of ioiy Wnh and are most wise
rs Instituted fec ,te bcGcn o! Goth white aud black
The statistic and hi'ory Of the world show It, But all
our ti5 Is u maintain peaciale aud amc b!e relations
were vain.
l. never vas cur object to MIKE aggrcssi5Es on any
State not iGcliaed 10 With Us. We thick Missouri
Keutuehy, Maryland and DeIWare ought to ccme viii
~ We think it is b.s for them; but It Is question
for them to decide.
1. is our interest to 10 ~ pesco with the North. 1t
is not to Cur interest that they should overthrow the
Institutions Of their fathers Wars are jGncus TO all
people We and taey feel i, aud y! continue to lee
more as long as la. Hence 'bi5 war Is unnatural
and SUICIDAL on the part OF The North. They say We
begun i that We first fired Fort Su1ter. We lid
ire on sumter tu. it not ul;l after 40 had asked
'tem vsuae it-locaed, as Il was, on cur oGn sell
over which the resumed sovereignty Of one o or new
coniecerat,s extended, ate; 80 mad been notified
that reiuioroements -Jril be toIeiby sent TO H. aud
aese e.-jrcements were on the way, and almost
at { place. The war virtually begun, not by the
irt fUu that heG bGt Oy the GnuouEcs ment that
MouiTie a9d all the oher forts 10 our possession should
be apluied s,z d, aud held b. Mr. Linco!ns Govern
men,. This he beginning ot the war. This wss
it, dclara,ion and FROM this has sprung oil that has
may ensue. TIE tskEg Of Sumter was y the meeting
Of thiS proclamation / o~gts to have been met Toe
aext sep VS. sir. L.neon's proclamation CT the 10 b
Of April ealing cut - coo CT Tie militia without the
to cur coercion sud subj gitioa purpose yhch could
have been conceived in ncthiaa snot Of the mUs s.u
per dous fcy as veil az the most suicidal reckless
ress The o. ject be attained while the COL
sequences viii be TuaoUS those who Undcrr &c IL.
Il should be purpose - Geifect from the meT
it, the chGi prosperity, or power OF the people
tie NOrtA e1y Other pccpe Oh earth but IL may tt
utly said tia, most of the wealth Of which they boas
has been ccqured from their aonOectlons with tbs
South. Their weata = no' 10 tie productions OF thd
OIL Il consists mostly IN their commerce. their ship
n;rr their trade their Ianufsc.uT 3 th.F spildes
their looms their fopud Cs. their fOrges, their aven
tons ana .heif thou. and aud one cOnrvauces for sup
D'ype the want. anu the markets Of the Souh. The
soli TO the South annually less than S250000 00
worth of manufacture Of various kinds, tesdes th
enormous profits accruing 10 ias'r snip o~ners rcm be
ing our carriers while they exported 20 all the wor'
besides not exceeding $4,000 COO What will become
of themY The party now in poTer there have alwey
s,id the South was sccursed. Their EcAnCfy fttet
orly to manufacture supplies suited to our wents The
knew cur van'z aud were prcpUed 70 supply them ar
weia OF pre- pared supply those OF any ether people
Most of what they made for us will suit o;her peo
tl. This ar on their part i; TO- cbe illustration OF th
old sdace Of a nan eating ca his nose to spite bi
face" eree the remark that it Is war altogether ii
rational aud altogether suicd' on their part. When
however reason is bln6ed and Gsas away ther
is no telling where people uiii'be ied to.
Bot the,a a. another remark about this war which con
Germs US al all ieuds Of constitutional liberty every
where Upon cur success in il, depends constitution
government Noibrg less is Involved IN tue issue TIN
Uaiod States have bsen oo keG 10 by the downtrodde
of essia Gs the polk star Of hope because within the
limits eyer7 iTe6maE-eyery Cii9ep cod en an quality
Tie whole fabric rested upoa r.stTgiats being threw
Al out ryers No other government 10 the wcrd ear
ed such privileges. The will of man o. OF few pei