Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-10-25

4. II, Stevens Of Georgia on Rec onstructcu,
Tx SIZES RAY OF LIGnr.
Alexander Il. stephens, the vice presldeul Of
tho rebellion, h, recently written Iottof Is An
svtr TO one addressed to him by certain gentle
men Of Georgia, asking liz views Of the best way
10 bring about ptaec, This latter il TOO long 70
DO trans'orrod entire to cur columns, but ~ ha
point Of it /, contained aa few p,mgrap" vs
reproduce them. n says
Easy and perfecs solution to all pr'lsnt
troubles and lhssc hr more gfieVsu, cRm which
loom in prospect and porentously threaten !. the
coming future, is nothing more Imam thu 'l@ple
recognition Of the fundamental principle asd
uuth upon which a., Amehcin constitutions In
erly Is founded, and upon the maintenance u
which aioce it can be pressrTed-Ibst 10, tho SOW
Teiguty, the ultimate absolute sovereignty u ms
b,AGn. This doctrine aut LsAhitufs annoa-css
~ the pesp.s at vac NniA sad 70 shs 'srls. II,
IA me enlJ hey.nsr 10 p'ic' -PTnt1cnI, IIT'Hs
psast-sohsistsnl Min ns ieu,iv Of the vubhO
liberty.
The old csniedcrllon vas formcd upoH rtls
principle. The old Ualon was afterwards nrmsd
upoA this principle No league cia eVw be
iorned OF malnla.ned bawsen any State, uonh or
south, securing public liberty, upon any othOr
principle.
The idoa that tho Old Uoioa or any unoa Do
tween sovereign States, consistently vita this
fundamental truth, can Ds maintained by fJios,
IL prepo:terUus This war spring, from 4u attempt
to do Iha prep0sterou' thing Superior power
may compe a union VI ,omu slrt, but II would
not 10 the union VI the Old Constitution Or Of
our new. 1t would 10 MA: SORT u unol that
results from ds'polbn
Tho action Of tho CaicaSo Convention 40 far,
It's platform Of principle, goes, pre'sAts % have
said OIL another UcclslOn, ray VI llght, ah.Gh,
undsr Providence, may prove lhe dawn Of HE
day to III ions ADD cneeflS,s nigh!-the trH roy
OF light have seen from the North since Inc var
oegIn. This cnssp the hear,, ana toward il
could almost sAclllm," Hal, holy light otr'puas
Of Heaven, hrs. bora o. tho eternal co.elrrna
beam. May exp "a, LnsJ Ilb..m7d, since Odd Is
light"
indeed, could have quite SO exclaimed but
for the SAD reflection u,at whether Il shall bring
healing ~ ia bsams " be los. IN a dark and oml
nous eclipse efo Us good work DO don,, depends
so mueA ipOn tho sctlon VI other, Who may not
regard Il and vcw il as DO So st beat il /, blt
i rat, a small and !rsmu.ou' riJ, enough On J TO
gladden. the heart aud quIchen The nope
The prominent and leading idei Of the Convex.
ton seems to have been d desire 10 osch peace
III adjustment Of our present d,Hic ites and i.fif,
through the medium Of convention oi tho
state. Ihsy propose to suspend hosdiitei, TO
s,e what can be done, Il anything, by negouaren,
Of some sort lni' is one step II Inc right diree
ton. To fuch convention Of the states should
have 0 objections peaceful conference aud
interchange Of views between equal and soversgu
powers, just ~ the Convention Of 1887 was ctllsd
mad assembled.
But should favor such proportion only as q
peaceful conference, as the Convention Of 1881
was. | should be oppo ed TO leaving the qlcs.
tons at issue to the abso!ute decisions OF such 4
body.
Delegate, might be clothed with possH TO
consult add agree, # hey could, up,n some plan
Of adj tslmen', to be submitted for slbscqteut
ratification b. the IOvereigo Safe, whom il affect
ed before it should be obligatory or binding. sad
then bind;ns only on such "a should so rtiff IT,.
1t becomes the people Of the South, as well As tbs
people Of the NORTH, to be quite as Watchfu a7t
ealoIs Of their nghtf as their common ANCESTORS
were.
The chief aid and encouragement We can & Va
the pe,ce party at The North ~ 70 keep before
them these great fundamental principles and
truths, which a,one will lead them lnd us 10 per
manent and lasting peace, with possession .nd
enjoyment OF constitutional liberty. With lnr's
punc les once recog iz'd the future WOuli t4No
care Of itself, aud lhsa thsrs would be no more
var 40 long 8, they shhuli bs adhered to.
Al qleIulns VI b.uauities, confederaG.ss AID
union or uni MS would naturally aud sasI.i 'dj l't
them'evos acclrdIog TO the lntafest, Of paitic'
and the eIigsnc'' Of Tho lime' Herein lies the
true laR of the D.ancs Of podcr aud the harm ny
Of States.
Tai, lsttsr /, unqg'stioniblJ p'ric,l doou
ment, published to AID III, Chciso nominate %,
sud Keep the " in, ny of hsh' shlc' thu t,os
has seen itos going out 10 sn't wi. he Tor re-
bellion utter d,tkhsr OF to ne Nj. Stephen
language, dark sui on aou, eclipse" Athoasf
Ste phsa' di'c'iin,'pAkls By auth MY ws h,v'
NJ dsb, the febtl, arc Wiling to talk Ard IT,
diplomacy nov, At srN Ing eaough to &c ,
! bftAthnE space, and ali1w some Of their boy, 1,
| sroW to tho military age. We, however, inyi;,
Any renonAbI. man % consider what such eour,,
a. this reos, proposes, aad which no evidently ne
lievis 10 be iiIissototy to tue Ch,oAgoils,, -ol
amount to Il rcd, |. oi5ias with c,un,loN Of
hosu!lt.' from SAch he South en- bu, glir
more than III, Govarnm-n,. Inca com,s ,h'
convention o. S,de',--5l, The d,,oSts, ~, 20
nave ~ power 70 bind aayb,Iy. Then ,uel
State, ouy a. snail agree to the eonclu,ion, o
he Cprvcalipn are - behng To the nss Union,
And those clnmloids' on the lh,1y Of tn,
sb'nu.e sovereignty - Of the States, lre %
eaSe ne righI 10 seosds a, any ,m,, the Union
houg clothed with 10 power to suppte" treason
stephen, frankly admits lhs, this will be the ole
Confederation over again, aud the rebel. woulc
no doubt, having found out that war is a losing
game, .. willing to ,dopi principle which woulc
give them The right TO do without resistance vha
they are now ende~oring to accomplish sg,in,,
he government 10 arms.
W. are no, surprise that the Mcclellan p,per,
ar, prououncng The peace aud the new Unior
vaica Stephens declare, for, no, only possible
but desirable. We have told our readers again
and gain, that the Chicago platform W" in e,
,enc, secession declaration, th, the Union it
declared for os such Union a, rebels wanted
and not such Union as our lalhers made, and
their mo,tol % saving the Union could only snt
in VAR more better than before, or an acc,ptaa,.
by the people OF he Monts ,nsty Constitution
And the favor watch tbs Cao,soitcs show t.