Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-08-02
Che National Crisis.
speech of Vice-PPesident ALEX, III
STEVENS, of the G.. $, A,

- ~ L.
STEVENS, of the c. $. A.
From speech delivered on the 18th
ultimo, by Alexander II. Stevens, to a
large audience assembled on the College
Green, Augusta, Ca, we make the fol-
lowing extracts:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men Of Richmond County l appear be-
fore you to-day in the discharge of du-
ty assigned to me by the Confederate
Congress.
My business to-day is to unfold to you
the exigencies of this war and its re-
quiremcnts. The Congress, it is known
to you, provided for raising one hundred
thousand men. Nobly, CALAMITY, and
periodically has that call been responded
to, and is now being responded to-
Thousands and tens of thousands-the
exact number | am not now able to state
to you-have gone to the battle field
These men, however, must be clothed !;
they must be fed they must be armed !;
they must be equipped.
The amount estimated by the Secreta-
ry of the Treasury to meet the require
ments to support an army of this num-
Der was fifty millions of dollars-a large
amount. This amount must be raised
How to do it is the question. But since
that adjournment---since that estimate
this war has assumed wider and broad
er 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 men to
meet the enemy instead Of fifty millions
of dollars, we may have, and the proba-
bility is, that we shall have to raise one
hundred million of dollars and it may
be, if it goes on and increases, that we
shall have to raise more. The estimate
however. of the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry was fifty millions ofdollars, and what
ever of men and whatever amount of
money will be necessary must be raised
We do not intend to be subugated Mr..
Lincoln has increased his call from seven
ty-fve thousand to four hundred thou
sand men. He has increased his demand
for money from the five millions first
asked for (the amount ] do not exactly
recollect,) and asks his Congress, now in
session, for four hundred millions of dol
lars. Whether he will raise his men or
his money know not. All | 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 hundred millions of money, we must
raise enough to meet it.
Our means in men and money are am
pie to sustain our Independence. We
have, upon reasonable estimate, at least
seven hundred thousand fighting men
WisyaeI ail these viii be required to
drive back his armed Ipyrmidons know
not; bnt, if they arc, every man must 60
to the battlefield.
-Four hundred thousand may be a for
midabe army against US but it is not as
formidable as the six hundred thou sand
led by Darius against the Grecian States;
and VIC there have the example Of much
fewer numbers than we arc, fighting
battle for right, for justice, for indepcn-
dence and for liberty. Men of the South,
therefore, let this war assume its most
gigantic proportions, its most threatening
aspects (nerving our hearts with tho
spirit Of our Revolutionary fathers, when
they were but three million, and COPIED
with Great Britain, the most powerful
nation in the world)-animated with
these sentiments, fighting for everything
dear to us, fear not the result, recollect-
ing that thrice armed is he who hath
his quarrel just; y and as our fathers, in
the bloody conflict Of the Revolutionary
war, appealed to the God of Battles for
success in their cause, so may we have
the consciousness, in any event, that this
is no war Of our seeking.
We simply wish to govern ourselves
as we please. We simply stand where
our Revolutionary fathers stood in '76.
We stand upon the great fundamental
principle announced on the 4th Of July,
l776, and incorporated in the Declare.
ton Of Independence-that greater prin-
ciple that announced that the government
derive their just powers from the consent
Of the governed.
After the establishment Of the great
principle, after the acknowledgment Of it
by Great Britain, in the treaty of 1888.
when each separate State was recognized
as independent, We we're not recognized
by Great Britain as a nationality, but
the independence Of each Coloney or
State was recognized by ITSELF assa-
chusetLs and Rhode Island, and Connec-
ticut aud Virginia, each one by itself;
each one was separate, sovereign and 10.
dependent. They made common cause
to achieve individual and separate sove-
reign existence. After the Revolution
airy war they entered into a constitution
al compact-that constitution that we
have ever adored-that constitution to
the maintenance of which have devoted
50 much of my life. We entered into
that constitution with this people.
But soon after that constitution was
formed, large party in the North CON-
menccd, as ! have said, by construction,
to torture and twist the constitution from
its proper and legitimate meaning, to
gain power indirectly. 7 have not time
to 60 through tho history Of the country.
1t is enough to say il ripened within the
last few years, and came to maturity I'M
der the organization of thatparty now in
power--that party which now has the
destiny Of the United States in its hand
known as the republican party. Seven
States Of the North finally utterly ropu-
dated the most important feature in it,
.