The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-05-14
ALEX. H STEPHENS' SENTI.
MENTS TWO YEARS Ago


Extract from speech delivered In the
Georgia Convention Of January, 1851,
which convention was held for the purpose
Of declaring the State of Georgia seeded
from the Union.
'That this step, once taken, could nevsl
be recalled; and all the baleful and wither-
ing consequences that must follow Gas they
would see) will sest on the convention for
all coming time. When we and our poster
isy shall see our lovely South desolated PY
the demon Of war which this act of yours
will inevitably invite and call forth |; when
our green fields Of waving harvests shall be
trodden down by the murderous soldiery
and fiery car Of war sweeping ever our land;
our temples of justice laid in ashes all the
horrors and desolations Of war upon us;
who but this convention will be held res
ponsible for it and who but he who shall
have gwen his vote for this unwise and i'll.
timed measure Gas honestly think and be-
lieve) shall be held to strict account for this
suicidal act by the present generation, and
propably cursed and execrated by posterity
in all coming time, for the wide and desol-
atiny ruin that will inevitably follow this
act you now propose to perpetratef
"Pause, ! entrea. you, and consider for
moment what reasons yod can give that will
even satisfy yourselves in calmer moments,
what reasons you can give to your fellow
sufferers in the calamity that il will bring
upon us What reason can you give to
the nations of the earth to justify it I? They
will be the calm and deliberate judges of
the case; and to what cause or ons overt act
can you name or point on which to rest the
plea classification What right has the
North assaileds What interest Of the South
has been invaded? What justice has been
denied and what claim founded il justice
and right has been withheld? Can either
Of you to-day name one governmental act of
wrong, deliberately and purposely done by
the government Of Washington, of which
the South has right to complain chal
lenge the answer. Wh'e, on the other
hand' let me snow the 'acts land oe''eVe me
gentlemen, am not here the advocate of
the North; but ! am mere the irend'
the nrm r'cnd ana lover Oh fhe
South and her institutions, and for this rea-
son I speak thus plainly and faithfully, for
yours, mlne' ana every other mans inter-
est, the words OF truth and soberness) of
which wish you to judge, and will only
state facts which are clear and undeniable.
and which now stand as records authentic
IN the history OF our country. =,
men we OF the south demanded the
save trade, orIitne il''portuaaaon ua OF Africans
Tor the ,uitvat'on OF our lands DID they
not yield the rlgnt Tor twenty yearsg when
we asked the three hiths. representation IN
Congress Tor our slaves, was 1t not granteds
when we asked and demanded the return
OF any fugitive from justice. or the recovery
OF those persons owing labor or allegiance,
was 1t not Incorporated IN the constitution,
and again ratlned, ana strengthened IN the
fugitive slave law OF fsoos !. ~aAs
but 40 YoI reply that IN many instan'
ces they nave violated TINS compact, and
nave not been faithiul % tne'r engagements
AS 'hoiV'dua's ana 'ocai COMM un'''es sthey
nave oohe So ou. ho' oy .he SANCTION o'
goye'nneh'' ioE 'na' tlAs - Always Deeh true
20 soutnern interests again. ge*tlemen'
look a. a"o'nel iac' "nen we nave asked
'nat more territory snouIa oe aaoeo, tha'
VIC n's"' Spre'a 'ae ''s'''u''o, u s'sVe'y'
nave they no' y'eioeo 20 our oe'nanos 10
giving US Louls'ana' rior'oa, ana le1as
ou. OF Tn'cn 'our otates nave oeen carved
ana ample territory Tor iour more 10 DC ad-
aed IN aue tlme' II you, oy tnls unw'se ana
'npo''''c ac., aono, destroy 'n's nope ana
perhaps oy IL rose all ana nave your last
save wrencneo rom you oy stern military
RUE, a. eoutn america ana mexico nave or
oV tne vno'c!iye qecree OF universal eman
cpa.aon' wn'cH nay Fsasonaahly oe eSRecse0
70 lollowE f
'bal again, gentlemen wna' nave we 70
gam oy TINS proposed cnanse OF our re'A-
''on 70 the genefai government we nave
e'Svays nao 'ne con.rol le q ~ ana can yet' II
We 'e"a'n ~ II ana ave IS on'tea r We
have been. Wehave had majority OF the
Presidents CHOSEN from the South, As well
as the control and management of the most