The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-11-28
THE SPEECH OF VICE. PRESIDENT 1. H. STE.
PheNS...THE war.

THE SPEECH OF vlCe. PRESIDENT 1. H. STE.
PHeNS...THe war.
Vice President Stephens made speech al Craw-
scrdville, Ca, some weeks sices, which W. hud re-
ported In the Augusta 0rcntcle Tho prssent war
he said. 10 smphatieally ".he peoples war" nia
the effort at one people to blot another from IL
htenss, and II becomes every man In the South ia
exercise every capacity In aiding the army which
10 preventing his bsconiag worse than ssrf He
said fsakly. that the Government. while doing all
army - the efforts OF commuuitiss and lndividua,s
In his appeal for contributions he alluded to thoss
whose Pursutts, positions, or opportunities had On.
sh!ed them to make money In these timss Oppor.
tLnities to realize unusual profits upon labor or
capital in particular pursuits trades, inoi
dsnts Of al war;. and this one wa. no exception
These wsrs evils Of war They afford great temp.
tations TO frsil human nature These temptations
by every one should be resisted Is tho spprosehes
of the foul fend.
Dickens had said the fumes Of gold were more
deadly to the moral ssnsibiities than the fumes Of
charcoal to the physical. II was tros none sh oul4
Dthink OF making money or growing rich ont Of
our common neosesities; but every one should
feel and realise the fact that eur common all n
embarked In the common cause that everything
h at stake, and every should do his duty, and
his whole duty, whether at homo or In the nsld.
Those at home, in whatsoever portion. have a.
important and ~ essential-thouga not % hard
and danseroas-duties to peeform - those IN the
deld AL should cooperate hArmonioualy a1d pa
trioteally 70 the great end and while they ithe
people of that community had none among them
known ~ spsoulatorD OF extOrt )ners yet there
were some whoss pursuits enabled them, or afford
Cd them, opportunities 70 realize larger profts on
their capital and labor than In times 0f peace. To
such he made special appeal to contribute liber-
ally and geperously, - he believed they would
Let no one, whether body corporate not think Of
msking profits out of articles needed b5 the men h
the held. The idea was abhorren..
On the general subject Of our present conflict, In
volving 1t does our Individual we'll 40 national
existence he said all wars were c&lamities-the
greatest that can b fall people except perhaps d.
rect vdtations from Providence. such a. famipss
plaques, and pestilence. The greater the war. the
greater the calamity. This war 10 great cal entity
to u.s. We all feel It, II IL The greatest war and
OF Christ The history of the wcrid-n1t except
ing tie erusades-eurnishes. no parallel to it In the
present era
The responsibility and gnilt of 1t must be fearful
somewhere As great eaIsr1..ies as wsrs are, they
are however, sometimes necessary. Ofsen forced
by the highss. dictates of pstriotisn-lke ''of-
fences" We told ot-shsy sometimes nesds
come They are however, never right or iustffk-
BILE on beth siies They may be wrong on both
sides, brt can never be ri sht on both Unjust wars
by the unanimous consent Of civilia,d men, ere
held as they should be. in condemnation and re-
probation. People, therefore, a. we'll IS their
rriers 30 whom such high trusts ERE eonfdea,
should look well to it and see thst they righs
before Appealing to tAis last and mos. terrific ar
bteament Of arms
Some ,toughts on this subject, Mr.. Stephens said,
might no: be ont Of place, even there. Tkese be
d.eIt uSon at soms length, showing the justice OF
our eau = and the wanton aggression of the enemy.
He traced the history Of the controversy between
the Southern and Northern States tho principles
and sovereignty of the Statss. and the right o.
each control its own destinieS and act for Itself
In the last resort as each state might thiak best
for itself 1t was wholly imM&terial, hs sail, in
considsring the question o. tight and justics now
to look any further thar the solemn act of tho
States of the South after p,aure debsrstion, esah
acting for itself il its sovereign capacity. Zach
State had the right thus to act and when each for
Itself had thus acted no power on earth had the
right justly t. gAinsay 1t.
Ths old Union was formed by the States, each
acticg for tssf In its sovereign character and Ca
pscity with the objsc. and purpose OF advancing
their interests respectively thereby. bach State
the sole judge, in the last resort whether the
future Interests, safety, and well being of her pso.
pie required her to resume those sovereign pow
ers the exarcsc Of which had been delegated 20
These prindpIas have svsr been hsid not only
trs but sacred with the friends Of constitutional
liberty In all the States aimee the old Union was
formed. They rest upon that fundamental priAci.
Die SEE tOftQ IN INC O6Cl0I6L1Ou Oh Au00p6uC6UC0,
that all Governments "derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed" The States
South therefore, b ad nothing but Whist was their
right-their lnalsoable right to do, the sAme IS
their ancestors did in conmon. with the North
When they severed their CONNECTION with ths
British Government.
This war was wsged by the North in denial Of
this right and for the purpose of conquest and sub
and uriust Susk must bs the Judgment Of man.
kind. lot It's results be whst they may. The re.
spcnslbility. theref1e, for all Its sacrifices Of
treasure and blood heretofore, or hereafter to be
made in Its prosecution, rests not upon us
Mf. Z. sid that soon after the first battle Of Ma.
ns,sas duty called him 70 our camps near that
poins. He went over the ground On which that
conflict hsd taken piaoe. The evidences sf tho late
terrible strife were still fresh and vae ali around.
The Widespread desolAtion, the new meds graves.
aud the pu rid animal remains not yet removed by
the vu.tures fully sttssted wha. scene OF blood
1t bad been. While surveying the bills and deales
over which the various columns CT men and the
enemy passed, and were engaged on that memor.
able day, sraongs. many ether things that crowded
themselves upon his mind, were two dying eHpres-
SONS reported to have been uttered In the midst Of
the batus One was BY solder on the side of tho
snsmy, who, fallen and weltsrng In his blood ex-
claimed, my God! whs. IL eli this for !" The
other wa by the lamented Barlow, who said Boys,
they have killed me. be-: neyer give 1t up" These
two exelAmations were mads q; NO great distance
apart and perhaps , ne.s Y, the same In IL. g
could bat think the question was pertinent to both
Edes, and most pertinent from him who uttered
it, addressed to ali lis invading comrades ard
those who sent them. Well might he there, In tho
agonies of DEATH In the din and dust OF STRIFE In
the elangor Of arms and the thunder OF artillery.
ask what Is all this fort" Why this array Of
armiess Why this feree meeting In mortal COM
basi What u ali this carnage and slaughter for
The same question ID sill pertinent to those who
~ waSing this war ainst a. - It was then Why
the proiongation of this eondieti Why this in
mense secrtGce of life in caIsp and the numerous
battles that have been fought sAcei Why tits
laDsntation md mourning going up rom almost
every house and family from Maine TO the Rio
0rands, and from the Atlantic ana Cuff TO the
by disease and violence In this unparalleled strug
gsi The question, II replied TO BY the North, osn
have but one srus answer. What fs Ill this for on
their part bat TO ovsrturn the principle upon which
theiY own Government, ~ well ~ ours, L. based
to reverse the doctrine that Governments derive
their "just powers from the consent of the gov
ernedi" What is 1t fer but to oyerturn the prin-
sip.ss and practice Of their own Government from
the bsginningt That Government was founded
and based upoa the political axiom that all States
and people havS the halisnsbie right TO change
thst- forlao Of Government at will
This principle was acted On In the recognition by
the United States Of the South American Repub-
lica II was the principle acted on In the recogni
on OF Mexico. 1t was acted on In the struggle
Of Greece TO overthrow the Ottoman rule On that
oueA4 4on the greatest constitutional expounGer Of
the North Mr.. Webster. gained his first laurels as
a American statesman. This principle was acted
Philippe, on the overthrow Of Charles K, Of
France and again In the recognition Of tho Lamar.
tine Government, on the overthrow of Louis Phil
iinnA in l640 At that time every man at the