The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1864-11-11
LETTER FROM ALEXANDER H.
STEPHENS, OF GEORGIA.
The Doctrine of State Sovereignty.


The following letter from the rebel vice
president, Hon. Alex II. Stephens, giving
his views upon the peace movement, was
written in answer to q letter addressed to
him hy several of his fellow citizens 10
Georgia.
Charlottesville, Ga, Sept. %
GENrLEAEN. will please excuse
me for not answering your letter of the
14th ins.., sooner. | have been absent
nearly week on vis, to my brother in
Sparta, who has been quite Gu, of health
for some time. Your letter found here
on my return home yesterday. The delay
of my reply, thus occasioned, regret.
Without further explain alton or apology
allow me now to say to You that no per-
.on living can possibly feel more arden.
desire for An end to be put to this upnatu.
raj and merciless war upon honorable aud
jus, terms, than do. Bnt really do no.
see ia at it is in my power or yours or that
Of any number Of persons in cur position,
| 10 inaugurate any movement that will even
tend to aid in bringing about resul. thai;
we and so many more desire.
The movement by our legislature at its
last session, at the suggestion Of the exec
utive on this suIjec', was by authority
properly constituted for such purpose
That movement, in nv Judgment, was
timely, judicious, and in the 'igh, direc-
ton. Nor has it beer withou, results
The organization of that party At the north
to which you refer, may justly be claimed
as part Of the fruits Oft. These, it is to
be hoped, will be followed by others Of a
more marked character, if-el in both sec
tons who sincerely desire pesca upon cor
rect terms will give that movement, thu.
iraugurated, all the aid in their power.
The resolutions Of the Georgia legisla-
ture, at lis last session, upon the subject
Of peace, in my judgment, embodied aud
set forth very clearly those principles upon
which alone there can be permanent peace
between the different sections Of this ex-
tensiye, once happy and prosperous, but
now distracted country.
Easy and perfect solution. to all present
troubles, and those far more grievous on es
threaten in The coming future, is nothing
more than The simple recognition Of the
fundamental princi pie and truth upon
which all American constitutional liberty
is founded, aud upon the maintenance Of
which alone it cau be preserved-that is,
the sovereignty, the ultimate, absolute
sovereignty of the states. This doctrine
our legislature announced to the people a,
the north aud to the world 1t is the only
keynote to peace-permaDent, lasting
peace -consis;ep, with the security Of the
pubic liberty.
The old confederation was formed upon
this principle The old Union was after
wald formed upon this principle. No
league can ever be formed or maintained
between any state, north or south, secur>
ing public liberty, upon any other priuci
pie.
The whole framework Of American in
stitutions. which in so sLort time had
woH the admiration Of the word, and to
which we were indebted for such al un>
paraIle!ed career of prosperity and happi-
ness, was formed upon this principle. All
our present troubles sprung from depar
ture from this principle. foom a violation
Of this essential law Of our political organ
| ization
In 17IG our ancestors and the ancestors
of those who are waging the unholy cru
SADIE against ns together proclaimed the
great and eternal truth for the mainlen
ance of which they jointly pledged their
lives, their fortunes and their sacred hon
or, that governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from the
consent Of the governed, and that when
ever any form of government becomes des
tructive Of those ends for which it wa,
formed. it is the right Of the people 10 al
ter or abolish it and institute Lew gov.
ernment, LAYING its foundations on such
principles, and organizing its powers in
such form as to them seems most likely
to effect their safety and happiness.
1t is needless here TO state that 10y "peo'
pie" and governed in this annuncia'
ton, is meant communities and bodies o
men capable of organizing and MAINTAIN
ing government not individual member:
Of society. The consent of the governed
refers to the will of the mass Of the com
munity or state 10 its organized form, enc
expressed through lis legitimate and prop
erIy constituted organs, II was upon .hi
principle the colonists stood justified be
fore the world in etrecting their separaiior
from the mother country, It was upor
this principle that the original ,hirtee'
coequa and cosovereign states formed th'
Federal compact of the old Union in 17S7
1t is upon the same principle tha; the pre-
sent coequal and cosovereign states O: ou
coniederacy formed their new compact c
Union.
The idea .hat the old Union or any In
ion between sovereign states, consistent
with this fundamental truth, can be main
tained by force is prepos,erous. This wa
r springs from an attempt To do this pre-
, pos,erous thing. Superior force may con
pei Union OF some sort, but it would ne
be The Union Of the old constitution or
our new. 1t would be that sort cf Uric
that results from Gespotism.
The suhjugaticn of the people Of Il
5 south by The people of the north wou
=, necessarily involve tie destruction of II
constitution, and the overthrow Of the
liberties ss we'll ms ours. The men or pa
;. Is at the north, to whom you rsf.', vi