The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-03-23
ANOTHER SPEECH OF VICE PRESIDENT
STEPHENS

hENO.
Vice President Stephens was enthusiastically rC
ceived at Augusta, Georgia, on Friday, on his wa
10 Savannah. In speech acknowledging the re
ception, he took occasion to explain the benefits
the Constitution of the Confederate States as con
trased with that of the Union from which the
have withdrawn.
In the first place, Congress is forbidden from fos
terlng one branch of industry at the expense o
| another. Thus, the merchant, the mechanic, tn
| business man and the labOrer are all placed on th
| same footing in that respect; one interest has NJ
more claim to the protection of the governmen
than another, and therefore honest labor can now
work Its own reward, by energy, industry and per-
| severance. This he considered wise provisions
1t setted the question of protection forever.
In the second place, the question of internal i'm.
proVements was also settled. Under the old Con.
stltutlon the improvements in one State were made
often at the expense of another. Thus for instance
Georgia, which had acquired the title of Empire
state on account of her numerous improvements,
bad to pay several millions of dollars to the General
u0vernment, by way of duties on the very iron
Whlch she used IN these improvements, and out of
these duties money was taken to improve Northern
harbors and rivers. This was -manifestly unjust,
and was entirely obviated by the new Constitution
ohuer luis one each section can make its own i'm
proVements, and Is authorized to lew a tax upon
those who are benefited by such improvements
Ihus, II Savannah desires to improve her harbor
sue can 40 so, and then levy tax or duty upon
the Commerce benefited by such improvements.
II Moole or New Orleans, or any other port, de-
sire to make improvements they all have the same
privileges and hence Georgia will not have to paw
for improving Mobile harbor, and vice versa In a
WORD, those who receive the benefits will have to
pay Tor them. This provision he considered wise
and Just. In the third pace-and this is a very
important Improvement upon the old Constitution
the public money is protected. We have been ac
castomed, in the old country to hear the President
charged with the extravaganza of the public exnen
dItures. Thus we had heard of the extrayapances
OF John Quincy Adams, of Andrew Jackson, of
Martin Van Buren, and, finally, of James Buchan-
an put these extravagances not really charge
able to the Presidents. Their estimates Of the pTo-
0aole expenditures had fallen short of the reality
Thus, IN some cases. the expenditures had increased
Two or three millions the estimates and in the
case OF MIR. buchanan, as much twenty millions.
ms estimates were sixty millions, and yet Congress
nad appropriated eighty millions 1t was general
~ the fault of Congress- and the result ogrolling
by the members
As, for instance, the last night of session, it
frequently happened that in the hurry of finishing
the business of the session and passiug the Appro-
prlaton bill, some member would succeed in fasten
ing upon 1t an appropriation of million here, and
another million somewhere else-all done without
reflection, and often by an irresponsible BODY of
men-men whose time OF service was completed,
ana VINO would, perhaps, never return to Congress
But all this is obviated by the new Constitution
Ihe Congress of the Confederate States can only
make such appropriations as the President recon-
iHCHueJ VI, tuey exceed tneSe 1t must be done by
a vote of two-thirds of both Houses Thus YOU
see, my countrymen, that a very important point
Is gained. You have the public treasury well
guarded, and you can hold the President responsi-
ble at the ballot-bOx if he rushes the government
into extravagant expenditures. 1t makes no differ
ence how much business merchant transacts-
do difference how much profit arises-if there are
TOO many hands in the till, he is bound to be ru-
lned. AS mercantile men, you will understand and
appreciate this illustration And the illustration
applies to the government treasury as WELL But
that, think, is now properly guarded and so we
nave another improvement upon the old Constitu-
ton.
In the fourth pace-and this is the prin and
most Important point of alive have settled aud, |
trust settled forever the great question which was
the prime cause of our separation from the United
StateS-l mean the question of African slavery
The old Constitution set out with a wrong idea on
this subject; it based upon an erroneous prin-
ciple; it was founded upon the idea that African
slavery is wrong, and it looked forward to the uti-
mate extinction of that institution. But time has
proved the error, and have corrected it in the
new Constitution. We have based ours upon the
principle of the inequality of races and the princi
pie is spreading-it is becoming appreciated and
better understood; and though there are many
even in the South who are still in the shell upon
this subject, yet the day is not far distant when it
will be generally understood and appreciated-not
only IN the South, but everywhere else. The
world IS rapidly progressing in its views on this
SUBJECT, and IN very few years we NAV witness
great changes in respect to this institution