Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-10-07
VICE PRESIDENT STEPHENS VIEWS UP
ON PEACE MOVEMENTS.

ON PEACE MOVEMENTS.
The following letter from our worthy
Vice President, Hon. A. II. Stephens. Civ
ing his views upoL s. Feace Movements"
viii beread with great interest. 1t was
written IN answer to letter addressed to
him by several gentlemen in the interior
of the State:
CRLWFORDsvILLE, GA,
Sept. 22d, 1864.
GENTrEMEN You will please excuse
me for not answering your letter of the
nearly a week on visit to my brother in
Sparta, who has been quite ont OF health
f,r some time. Your letter | found here
n M return home Yesterday. The delay
- m0 reply thus occasioned, l regret
Mt.r''It further explanation or apology,
allow NE now to say TO you that no person
living can possibly feel more ardent de-
sire for an end to be put to this unnatural
and merclleSs war upon honorable and inst
terms than | do. But really do not see
that It is i'll my power, or yours, or that of
any number OF persons in our position, to
InaugHrate any movement that will even
1erd to aid i'll bringing about result that
we. and so many more, so much desire.
'fhe movement by our Legislature a: its
last session, at the suggestion of the Exec
utiVe, on this subject, was by authority
properly constituted for such purpose
That movement in my Judgment was time
", judicions, and in the right direction.
Nor has it been without results. The or
&aaizdiiou ofth2t party at the North to
which you refer may be Justly claimed rs
apart OF the fruits of it. These it is to be
hoped will be followed by others of more
marked character, if ali in both sections
Who sincerely desire peace upon correct
terms, will give that movement thus inau-
guratod all the aid in their power
The Resolutions of the Georgia Legisla-
peace, in my Judgment embodied and set
forth very clearly those principles upon
which alone there can be permanent peace
between the different sections of this ex-
tensive, once happy and prosperous, but
now distracted country. The easy and
perfect solution to all our present troubles
and those far more grleyous ones which
loom up in prospect and pOrtentOuSly
threaten in the coming future, is nothing
more than the simple recognition of the
fundamental principle and truth upon
which all American Constitutional liberty
is founded and upon the maintenance of
which alone if can be preserved; that is,
the soveleignty-the ultimate absolute
sovereignty of the States This doctrine
orr Legislature announced to the people of
the North ard to the world: 1t is the on
" keynote to p9ace-permanent, lasting
peace-cOnsistent with the security Of
public liberty. The Old Confederation was
formed upon this principle Tho old
Union was afterwards formed upon this
principle; and no Union or League Can
ever be formed o. maintained between any
States, North or South, securing public
liberty upon any other principle. The
whole frame work of American Institutions
which III 50 short a time had won the ad
miration of the world, and to which we
were indebted for such ar unparalleled ca
rcer of prosperity and happiness, was
formed upon this principle. All our pres
ent troubles spriug from departure from
this principle-trom a violation of this es-
sential vital law of our political organism.
IN l7T6 cur ancestors and the ances-
tors of those who are wagIng tins I'M
holy crusade against us, together pro-
claimn2 ne great and eternal truth, for
the ~ ntenance Of which they Jointly
IIedgeu their lives, their fortunes and
their saered honor, that governments
are instituted amongst men deriving their
inst pow erS from the consent of the gov
$ erned - and that whenever any form of
government becomes destructive Of these
ends those for which it was formed it is
the right Of the people to alter or abolish
it. and to institute a new government, lay
ing its foundation on such principles
ard organizing it's powers in such form as
10 them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and happiness"
1t is needless here to state that the "peo
pie" and the governed in this annun-
citation is meant communities and bodies
Of men capable Of organizing and main
timing government, not individual MEM
bars Of society. The "consent of the gov
ened refers TO the will of the mass of
the community or State in its organized
farm and expressed through its legitimate
and properly constituted organs.
1t was upon this principle the Colonies
sood justified before the world in effect
ing separation from the mother Country.
T. was upon this principle that the original
thirteen co-equal and co-sovereign States
formed the federal compact OF the old
Union in 1897. 1t is upon the same prin-
ciple that the present CO equal and co-sov-
ereign States OF our COntcderacv formed
their new compact Of Union. The idea that
the old Union CT any Union between any