Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-13


stephens- X esnIt Of His Mission TO Vlr-
sipia- Further Designs Of the Rebels.
Hon. A. H. Stephens reached Atlanta, Ga,
on his return from Virginia, on the Both ult.
He was received by large crowd, to whom
he made speech, of which we find the fol-
lowing report in the COrJedsracy Of the I'd
Nh Feltov eitizsns: | think the country
may be considered safe, since your interest
in its welfare has brought You out az this
hour of the night. | have Just returned
from a mission TO old Virginia. IL will be
gratifying to you, know, to state that she
is not only out Of the Union, but she is a
member Of the Southern Oonfederacy, and
has sent delegates to our Congress, now as
sembled. North Carolina win have her del
egates with us, also, in a few days. Her
Legislature meets tomorrow, and l doubt
not she will be out Of the Union before Sat-
urday night. The fires which first kindled
the old Mecklenburg Declaration of Inde
pendence are again burning throughout all
her dominions From ali that we have
learned in the last few days, Tennessee will
soon put herself on the side OF the South,
and be new star in our shining galaxy.
The news is also good from Kentucky,
though have nothing official from there.
A few of her public men are trying to put
the brakes down on her people; but they
seem unwilling to submit any longer. From
Missouri the news is most cheering, and
Arkansas will soon be with us.
But the best of all is, that Maryland-gsl-
liant little Msryland-right under the guns
of Lincoln, and the threats of Blair to make
it free State, if the blood of the last white
man has 10 be shed in accomplishing it-has
resolUed, 10 man, to stand by the South
She will be arrayed against Abolitiondom,
and cling to the South; and if she has no
delegates with us now, she is in open def
ance of Lincoln and his Government, and
will soon be with us, even by revolution.
The cause of Baltimore is the cause of us all,
from the Atlantic to the Rio Grande. Her
hands must be held up, and triumph must be
| assured to her.
You may probably have seen it stated that
overtures of peace had been made by Lord
Lyons, and perhaps by other parties. tell
| you it is not true, and is only intended to
deceive you. 1t is also said that the Lincoln
Government has done so. This may be
true; but if it is, it is oil for treachery, as
| they gave traitorous assurances to our Com
mlssioners at Washington. For weeks they
were kept there under the most positive as
surances of pacific policy and intentions
toward us-all with the bAsest motives that
can actuate treacherous heart. If peace
propositions are made by them now, con-
jure you not to trust them for single mo-
ment, they only intend to deceive and be .
tray; to lull your energies and suspicious,
till they secure some cowardly advantage.
Our enemies say that they only want to
protect the public property; and yet have
Il from uDquestioned authority that they
have mined all the public bulldogs in Wash
ington-the Capitol, and all the other De-
psrtments-for the purpose Of destroying
them. They have called out seventy-five
thousand men, they say to protect the pub
lie property now in their possession, and to
retbke and protect that which they have
been forced to give up; yet, wherever they
are now, they have prepared to destroy the
property, and have destroyed, or attempted
TO destroy all that we have compelled them
to relnquisb, because of their intentions tC
use it for the purpose Of subjugating us
Sumter was mined, to be blown up on leav.
ing it. Much of the property was burned
up at Harper's Ferry, in hastily vacating that
place; and an attempt was made to burn uI
not only all the public property, on leaving
Gosport Navy. yard, but the whole city O.
Norfolk. This is one of the most remark.
able instances on record where Providence
was on our side. Plans were laid to burr
up the Navy-yard and the whole city.
The incendiary fires were lighted, and, i
their intentions had succeeded, such con
fagration as has never been witnessed or
this Continent, and would have been second
only 10 the burning of Moscow; but, just a
the critical moment before the ravages haG
extended, the wind turnedI The Winds o
Heaven turned, and stayed the spread of thu
devouring element. The same wind thai
kind Heaven sent TO keep off the feet al
Charleston till Sumter was reduced, came Il
the relief of Norfolk at the critical moment
Providence was sigually on our side. They
attempted to blow up the dock-the mos
expensive one on the Continent-but there
aVr =. - = H. i L.
it failed. They attempted 10 burn down thu
the old Pennsylvania, Germantown and thu
MerTimdc. They set the match while they
endeavored to get out of the way of thei
intended destruction; but the vessels sunl
before the fire caught-another remarkable
instance of the interpesition of Providence
on our behalf, and the strongest evidence o
,, our rectitude. We were right at first, ar
right now, and shall keep ourselves right Il
the end.
What is to take place before the end,
know not. A threatening war is upon uS
made by those who have no regard for right
We fight for our homes, our fathers an
mothers, our wives, brothers, sisters, son
and daughters, and neighborsl They 70
MONEY The hirelings and mercenaries of tn
North are all hand-to hand against you.
AS told you when addressed you few
days ago, Lincoln may bring his seventy
five thousand soldiers against US but seve
: times seventy. Eve thousand men can neve
conquer us. We have now Maryland an
Virginia, and all the Border States with u!
i We have ten millions of people with US, hear
| and hand, to defend us to the death. We ca
/ call out million Of people, If aeed be; an
:, tDhcn they are cut d0t0n, zoe can call out an
other, and still another, until the last man
} the South finds bloody grave, rather tha
submit to their foul dictstion. But triuu
J phant victory and independence, with a
unparalleled career of glory, prosperity an
progress, awaits US in the future. God is o
I our side, and iOho shall be against usS Non
| but bis Omnipotent hand can defeat us i
this struggle. ....... ....r.. .......
A general opinion prevails that Washing
: ton City is soon to be attacked. On tn
f subject l can only say, our object is peac
) We wish 70 sggressions on any ones right
and will make none. But If Maryland secede
T the District of Columbia will fall TO her b
reversionary right-the same as Sumter
! South Carolina, Pulaski TO Georgia, an
, Pickens to Alabama When we have th
| right, we will demand the surrender
} Washington, just as we did in the othJ
) cases, and will enforce our demand at ever
J hazard, and at whatever cost. And here Il
me say, that our policy and conduct from til
/ first has been right, and shall be to the las
4. glory in this consciousness of our rectitud
It may be that "whom the gods woul
I destroy they first make mad" But for LiI
!. coins wicked and foolish war proclamation
! the border States-some of them at least
) would still have fingered, in the hope thI
. the Administration and its designs were NJ
3 so basely treacherous as that document hi
1 shown them to be. Tennessee and othC
I States would have fingered for some tim
! Now, all the slave States are casting in the
. lot with us, and linking their destinies wit
I ours. We might afford to thank Lincoln
little for showing his hand. II may be thi
soon the Confederate flag, with fifteen star
: will be hoisted upon the dome of the ancieI
: Capitol. If so, Gods will be done, is m
prayer. Let US do nothing that 10 wron
8 Let us commit our cause into His hand ne