Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-08-01
SPEECH OF A. H. STEPHENS,

SPEECH OF A. H. STEPHENS,
vice-Pres ident of Southern Confederncy.
Alexander H. Stephens, Vice-President
of the Southern Confedcracy, made speech
at Augusta, Georgia, on the 18th July, in
which he said:
Upon the adjournment of the Congress
from Montgomery to Richmond, the estimate
was for one hundred thousand men for the
first fiscal year. The amount estimated 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. This amount must be raised. =
How to do it is the question. But since
that djournment-sincet that estimate-this
war has assumed wilder and broader range.
1t has taken on large and more gigantic pro-
portions, and instead of one hundred thou
sand men we may have to send two hundred
thousand men to meet the enemy; instead
of fifty millions of dollars, we may have,
and we shall have, to raise one hundred
millions; 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 Treasury was fifty millions of dollars,
and whatever number of men and whatever
amount of money shall to necessary must be
raised. We do not intend to be subjugated.
MIR. Lincoln has increased his call from
seventy-fvc 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 recolle0::, .
and asks his Congress, now in session, for
four hundred millions Of dollars. 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.
It is war of political and social existence,
and unless we intend to be overridden and
beaten down and subjugated, and to become
the vassals of his mercenaries and myrmi-
dons, we must, every one of us-every man,
every boy, and every woman-be prepared
to do our duty. Our means in men and
money are ample to sustain our indepen-
dence. We have, upon reasonable esti-
mate, at least 100000 fighting men,
Whether all these will be required to drive
back his armed myrmidons, know not; but
if they are, every man must 60 to the battle
field. He may think, and doubtless does,
and overrun u.s. He should recollect, how
ever. as we should, and reverentially, too,
that the trace is not to the swift, nor the
battle to the strong" but that it is God that
gives the victory.
Four hundred thousand men may be a
formidable army against us; but it is not as
formidable as the 10000 led by Darius
against the Grecian States; and we there
have the example of much fewer numbers
than we are fighting battle for right, for
justice, for independence and for liberty
We have an example worthy of our imita-
tion. 600, ,000 Persians invaded Greece.
These small States could bring against them
but II 900, all told The II, 200 met the
hosts of Persia, not the 10000, but all
that could be brought against them, on the
common plata. The II 900, with valorous
hearts. dghting for home, fighting for coun-
try, fighting for everything dear to freemen,
put to fight the hosts of Persia, leaving
60, 900 slain upon the field. Men of the
South, therefore, let this war assume its
most gigantic proportions, its most threat
ening aspects-nerving our hearts with the
spirit of OUT Revolutionary fathers, when
they we're but three::million, and coped with
Great Britain, the most powerful nation in
the world animated by these sentiments,
fighting for everything dear to US, fear not
the result, recollecting that ''thrice armed
is he who has his quarrel just;' and as our
fathers in the bloody conflict of the Revolu-
tionary War, appeared to the God Of Battles
for success in their cause, SO may we, since
we have the consciousness, in any event,
that this in no war Of our seeking. X
The men are ample; the means to sup
port them is the subject upon which | am to
address you, and how is the money to lie
raised? War, 1 tell you, costs blocd as we'll
as treasure. Have we :,le means? Can
we cope with the North? That is the ques-
ton. We have not less than four thousand
millions taxable property within the Confe-
derate States. upon the last minimum esti-
mate. AT last years rates, We therefore
could raise from one hundred millions to
two hundred millions, for years to come,
and yet survive. The wealth Of nations,
the ability Of nations to sustain war, depends
not so much upon its taxable property as its
productive capital. It is to the latter we
must look for the means and ability to sus-
tain war, for in times of war generally all
business is interrupted. In this particular
of productive capital, perhaps there is no
people in the world more favored under
Heaven, and for which we ought to be CRATE
full, not boastful, and it is one of those bles-
sings for which we should return thanks.
No nation in the world. with the same pop
ulation, has such continuous annual pro-
ductive capital. l have not stated the
wealth of the North, but it is not my pur-
pose to detract from it. They were peo-
pie of wealth. Most of it, however, came
from their connection and trade with US
They we're an ingenious and manufacturing