Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-07-25
The groaa1re gpat1,
From the Charleston Mercury. -
SPEECH OF HON. A. II. STEPHENS,
AT AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

of Richmond County: Iappear before you
to day in the discharge. of a duty assigned
me by, the Confederate Congress I am re.
joiced to see so many persons out-persons
of all classes and ages, men as well as wo-
men. 1t is true, that the subjects upon
which 1 am to address you to day concern
mostly-most direetl ly-the men, and par.
ticular class of men. at that mean the
cotton planters-interesting all alike. The
questions involved are questions which con.
Germ all alike. They involve the peace of
the country--her political and social exist.
ence. All, therefore, do we'll to be. here.
We are involved in war-the most i'm.
portant war that the country has ever been
involved in since the revolution Of our
fathers-since the American Independence
was declared. We have had Indian wars
with the different tribes We have had a
small French war; we have had seeond
war with the mother country. Many per-
haps, who hear me to day were engaged in
that conflict But this, is war far trans.
ceuding every other war, in magnitude and
consequences that will result from it.
My business today is to unfold to you the
exigeucies Of this war, and its require
meuts The Congress-, it is known to you
provided for raising one hundred thousand
men. Noble calamity, and partriotically
has that call been responded to. Thou
sands and tens Of thousands (the exact mum.
ber I am not nov, able to state'to you) have
gone to the battle field. These men, how
ever, must be.clothed !; they must be fed ;
they must be armed ) they must be equip
ped. Wars can be sustained, not by men
alone; it requires men and money. The
gallant volunteers have responded on their
part. The question upon which l am to
address You to day, relate to the import
ance of raising the necessary amounts Of
money to meet these acquisitions.
Upon the adjournment Of the Congress
from Montgomery to Richmond, the esti.
mate was for one hundred thousand men
for the first fiscal year. The amount esti-
mated by the Secretary of the Treasury to
meet the requirements, to support an army
of this number, was fifty millions Of dollars
"a large amount Fhis amount must be
raised. How to do it, is the question. But,
since that adjournment, since that estimate,
this war has assumed wider and broader
range. 1t has taken on larger and more
gigantic proportions, and instead Of one
hundred thousand men, we may have to
send two hundred thousand to meet the enc
my; instead of fifty millions of dollars, we
may have, and the probability is that we
shall have, to raise one hundred millions ;
and it maybe, if it goes on and increases,
that we shall have to raise more. The esti-
mate, however, of the Secretary of the
Treasury was fifty millions of dollars, and
whatever number of men and whatever a.
mount of money shall be necessary must be
raised. We do not intend to be subjugated
Mr.. Lincoln has increased his call from
seventy FIVE thousand to four hundred thou
sand men. He has increased his demand
for money from the FIVE millions first asked
for (the amouutI Go not exactly recollect,
and asks his Congress, now in session, fol
four hundred millions of dollars. Wbeth
er be will raise his men or his money,
know not Il I have to say about it is
that if he raises his four hundred thousand
men, we must raise enough to meet him
and if he raises his four-huadred millions
of money, we must raise enough to meet it
tits a war of political and social existence
and, unless we intend to be oserridder
and beaten down and subjugated, and tc
become the vassals of his mercenaries and
myrmidons, we must, every one of US
every man, every boy and every woman-be
prepared to do our duty. Our means-M
men and money-are ample to sustain ou1
independence. We have, upon reason
able estimate, at least seven hundred thou
sand fighting men. Whetherall these viii
be required to drive back his armed myr
midons, know not but if they are, every
man must 60 to the battle field He may
think, and doubtless does. that four hundred
thousand men will intimidate and subjugate
and overun US. He should reeollect, how
ever-as we should, and reverentially, tor
that the Grace is not to the swift, nor the
BATTLE to the strong," but it is God tha
gives the victory. Four hundred Thousand
men may be formidable army against US
but it is not as formidable as the six hun
dred thousand led by Darius against th'
Grecian States and we there have the ex
ample of much fewer numbers than we arr
fighting battle for right, for justice, TO
independence and for liberty. We have
an example worthy of our imitation. Siz
hundred thousand Persians invaded Greece
These small States could bring against then
but eleven thousand all told. The clever
thousand met the hosts of Persia, not th'
six hundred thousand, but all that could b.
brought against them, on the common plain
The eleven thousand, with valorous hearts
fighting for home, fighting for country
fighting for every thing dear to freemeD
put to flight the hosts of Persia, leaving
sixty thousand slain upon the field. Me1
of the South, therefore, let this war ASSUME
its most gigantic proportions, its most threat
ening prospects (nervipg our hearts witt
the spirit of our revolutionary fathers, whel
they were but three millions and coped Will
Great Britain, the most powerful nation ii
the world)-animated by these sentiments
fighting for everything dear to US, fear no
the result, recollecting that "thrice arme'
is he who hath his quarrel JUST" and a