Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-07-27
Vice President STEPHENS

NRAS
The Hon. Alex. Z. Stephens, Vice President of the
Confederate States, spent Friday night in this place
on ms way South. A large crowd of our citizens as
sembled in front of the Mansion House at S o'clock
called for a speech. Mr.. Stephens appeared and
spoke for about an hour inAan eloquent and encour-
aging tone. We will attempt no synopsis OF the
speech, but merely give an outline of the gentleman's
remarks. He commenced by abiding to the lnva-
sion of Maryland and Pennsylvania by Gen. Lees ar
my-said that it had whipped the enemy on their
own soil and obtained vast supplies for our own men,
and was now ready to again meet the enemy on q
new field. Whatever might be the movements and
object of Gen. Lee, he had entire confidence In has
ability to accomplish what he undertook. for in abil-
ity and intellect ne was q head and shoulders above
any man in the Yankee army. He commended zen.
Lee for keeping his own secrets, and told the people
not to be discouraged because they did not hear from
Lee over his own signature. He would come out
ali right in the end.
Mr.. Stephens nextspoke of the surrender of Vicks-
burg, and said that it was not an occurrence to cause
Encouragement or gloom-thatt the loss of YlckSburg
was not as severe a blow as the loss of Fort Pillow,
Island No. 10, or New Orleans. The Consederacy
had survived the loss of those points, and would sur
vive the loss of Vicksburg, Port Hudson and other
places. Suppose, said he, we were to lose Mobile,
Charleston and Richmond, it would not affect the
heart of the Confederacy-we could and would
! survive such losses and finally secure our ~independ-
ence. He was not at all discouraged at the prospect
he never had the "blues" himself, and had no re-
J spect or sympathy for "croakers." The enemy has
already appropriated twenty-scven millions of dollars
and one million of men for our subjugation, and af-
ter two years war had utterly failed, and if the war
continued two years longer they would fail to accom-
plsh our subjugation. So far they had not broken
the shell of the Confederacy. In the Revolutionary
war the British at one time had possession of North
f Carolina, South Carolina and other States; they took
!, Philadelphia and dispersed Congress, and for . long
time held almost complete sway in the Colonies
t yet they did not conquer our forefathers. In the war
e of 1912 the British captured the capital Of the nation.
n JNoob;1o@op ~ and hrrnf II " a tbou did not oOpL
quer US and if we are true to ourselves now, true to
e our birth-rights, the Yankee natiou;wil utterly fail
to ~subjugate US. Subjugation would be utter ruin
and eternal death to Southern people and all that
they hold most dear. He exhorted them to give the
Government a cordial support, to frown down all
croakers and ~grumblers, and to remain united and
fight to the bitter end for liberty and independence.
As for reconstruction, said Mr.. Stephens, such a
thing was impossible-such an idea must not be
tolerated for an instant. Reconstruction would not
end the war, but would produce a more horrible war,
t ts@ns ih oa ii BIZ ~ : osss; -ngsssaa aas only y
final and complete separation from the North-rath-
er than submit to anything short of that, let US a II
resolve to die like men worthy of freedom.
IN In regard to foreign Intervention, Mr.. Stephens ad.
W yised his hearers to build no hopes on that vet awhile
st He did not believe that the leading foreign powers
ne ever intended that the North and South should be
en- again: united-they preferred that the separation
er should be permanent-but they considered both
e, sides too strong now. and did not deem il good policy
CO on their part to interfere and put an end to the war
Foreign nations see that the result of the war will
be to establish a d~espOtism at the North, and are
" therefore willing to allow it to continue awhl,
to longer.
The whole tone of Mr.. Stephens speech was yer,
ne encouraging and showed not the slightest sign o
lat dependency. He said many things and related
to several facts by way of encouragement to the south.
ern people, and concluded by expressing entir
confidence in the ability ofthe Confederacy to main.
ng tain our cause and achieve independencs.-ChGrbt
Democrat