Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-04-02
SPEECH
ZION. ALEXANDER m. STEPHENS,
Delivered Btfors the GsOrgia Legislature on
Wednesday Eigat, March I6l., 1864.

Reported fer he AtlEnts Ialslligenser by A. f. Mar
SHALL ID revised by himself
At the hour Of seven ard half O'Clock P NJ the bal
had bsen hes TO It's utmost capacity by members of the
Legislature and citizens gensrAy and a. the vast as
ssmblsge -.ithiR the beloved form Of GsOrgiss
Toad and noble son, every eye grew bright With joy
and hearty and unanimous Epplsuss bid him welcome
sir stephens sseendsd the speakers stand and spoke
I Is follows
/ Gentleman Of the Senate
and House Of Representatives:
In compliance with your request az least with
that Of large portion Of your respective b2dies sp-
pear before Jon toigbt 70 Epeak Of the ate Of pub
lie zfeirs Never perhaps, hSfore have risen to 2d
dress publis audience undsr circumstances OF so
much responsibility, and never did 1 feel deeply
/ impressed with the weight Of it Qaessions Of The
most momentous importance pressing upon yen for
| consideration and action Upon these to address
you Would that my ability, physically, sud in al
other respects were commensurate with the magnitude
Of he occasion We 10 the midst of dangers and
perls, Dangers without and dangers within. Seyla
the cue side and Chsry 6dis the o!hsT. War Is
being Wsged against Us by a strong uuserupuons and
yudietiVs foe; for subjugation degradation
! and exterminRlOn. From th5 quarter threaten the
psrils without Those wikiu are from questions Of
oicy As to the beat sans the sest ard ssfest to re
pei the enemy aoheve Independence, 10 maintain
and Keep secure rights AID liberties Upcn the de-
cisiOn Of hese qneEt0nE looking 70 tbs proper deYe
opmeut Of limited resources, wisely and patriot
csy, that their entire efficiency be exered IA
our deliYersnee with At the sans time "stehiu yg
Rnce 70 the safety Of the citadel Hsels as much de-
Esnds as Upon the sEiA OF our eommSnders and the
vsior Of oar cItzsn soldiers IA the field, Eyerythng
dear to as ~ ireemen is AZ stake An IN judg
sHf though sprinzing from the most patriotic notYes
WHISTLER In councils Of councils Of state, may be
fatal He therefore, who rises under such circum-
Etances 70 cfsr words Of advice, not only assumes
position OF great responsibility but stands dan
gsrOug ground Impressed profoundly with such feel
ngs ana convictions should shrink from the under
tasing yoG have called TO- but for the strong
sciOuEnsss tnat where duty Leads should ever
fear tread. Great the dangers that threaten
perious as is situa 0n-2nd do not intend TO
| q UudArsratn Ietlgr awaken undue
prehen ln to excite hopes and expectations never
70 be neutrality-suspicious. therefore, situation s
il is far far frcn being desperate or hopeless, aud
feel no keutston in saying to you IA ell frsnkneEs and
esndor that If true 20 ourselves and true to
| our Gauge, ell will yet be well
In tae progreEs of the war thus far It IL true there Is
much be of suffering Of sscIifcs and Of dssoa-
ton much 10 gicken she beaEt and cause blush fer
civilization and Chrstisniy. Cities have been taksu,
towns have been sacked smsuats Of property have
been burned fields have been laid waste, have
been DESTROYED churches have been desecrafed women
and children have been driven from their homes IN
armed have been put 70 death, States have been
Overrun and whole populations made 20 grOan under
The heel Of dssp0ts; all these things and felt
but IN them nothing 70 Be seen 20 eause disy much
s dssp air. these deeds Of ruin and savage barbsTity
have been psrpe-r-ted only On the outer borders,
lie coast and on the line Of tie rivers where by The aid
OF heir ships Of and gunblats tie enc has had
the advantage; The great breadth Of the f1r-tha
heart Of our oountry-hEs never yet BE- Achsd By
them; they have a. yet, after sirugr ia. es
years. with unlimited means, at a e. not less thsn
four thousand millions Of dollars hoN much Is IN
EnOFnt OF tlOub1QQs Of lives he9u able
only 10 break ihe outer hell ,f the COnfederacy. The
only Egnsl advantages they have as yet gained have
been the water where their land and naval forces
Wsra combined. Thst they should have gained sdTan
tages uudeT such circumstances Is matter Of much
surprise. Nations in Ike individual men or ami
mas show thsc real power in combat when they stand
upon the advantages thst nature has given them aud
light on their ground End in their element The
Un houEh king OF the forest cannot contend success
tul with the shsT in tie water 10 no conflict Of Grmg
away from gunjoats, during the whole war since ths
E-s bat ie Of Manassas 10 that Of Ocean Pond have
gallant soldiers failed Of victory Uhsn the numbers
on each side were at Al eq1aL The fErthest advance
into the interior from the bsse snG protscton Of their
guRbcstE, either tie the rivers that the
enemy has been able TO make for three vesrs was TIE
late movement from VgcksbUrg to Meridian, and the
speedy turn OF that movement shOTs no hing mo-e
clearly than the difficulties and disadvantages sttead
ing al SUCH hsse things should be noted and marked
IL consids lag cur present situation snd the prospects
ths uUre. In all losses up this time 10 vital
blow hss ever been given either 20 our canse
sTgies We stl hold Richmond after repeated efforts
TO take t. both By force and strategy. We stihod on
the Gulf MOBILIZE and on the front, Wilmington
SayanEsh AID Charleston These places have been,
and stl held sg4inzt the most formidable usva AZ.
msment ever put EtiosE
At Charl- -n the enemy sssa to direct al their pow
er. land aGd naval hat can be brought bear in com
bnat5on--sll thsif energy, TauCJur and vengeance.
" Ct-:a4g0 Gss7.da sst u their this Csv ted
CITY. Every mesns that money can cournsnd aud IL
geuIitJ suggest IRON the hugsst engines Of
before kn wn, 10 the heuish Of Greek rs have
been aud are being applied for its destruction Per
nearly utne months the city, under the ssi Of
summste commander, his suboriiustes snd the hero
yrues Of our mstchless braves In the rRnks stl holds
against ali the Disadvantages OF defence without
suitable naval aid That she NAY continue 10 hold uut
sd her soil never be polluted BY the unhalowed foot
prints OF her vandsl besi-gers Is Of course The earnest
wish Of al. But even IL 30 great disaster shou hap
Dsn the loss OF Chsrlsston Be not dismayed a-
dulse sentiment AKIN % hat Of despsr-Chaseston
is vital part We msy lose that place. ssysnns Al,
Mobile, Wellington, and even Riehmold the sea- Of
government, md sill survive. We may los all our
Strong pacss-the enemy may traverse great ints-
ru they have lately done in Mississippi, and may
survive. should cAlamities be
of than 10 their struggle for
irds psudenee. During the time that tried mems Iouls
with thea, every city ths coss., from Boston to SAvan-
nsh. taken by she enemy. Phisdeiphia las taken
aud Consress driven sway South Carolina, North
Carolina, portions Of Georgia. Virginia, and other
States were overrun and occupied by the enemy ss
completely Kentucky, Missouri, Louissna and Ten
nezsse are now. Take courage from the example #
your nucsstors-dlsasters caused with them noting
like dEuay or Ssspsr-they only aroused 3 spirit of
renewed energy snd fortitude The principles they
fought for suffered and eadarsd much for, the
game for which We are now struggling State rights,
State sovereignty tie crest principle set forth n the
declaration Of indepsndrncs-he right OF every State
10 govern itself as plessos With t1e same wisdom,
prldenee forecast and patriotism the equal
stat smansbp the part Of rulers n directing an
trOlled public Affairs At that time IN rne camp and in
the Cabinet, and with the spirit Rnmstlag The
bress Of the people, devotion to liberty and right ha
trd OF tyT8uny and oppression affection for the
for the cslse's sake; with the sediments and
feelings the part Of rulers and people In these days
as were in those might and may os they
were our interior may be penetrated by superior hos
tile armies sud our country laid waste theirs
but can never be conquered, as they never could
be. The issues Of WRT depend qui as mach upon
s.stesmA Anship as gsnsrRlship; quite much upon
whas Is done At the council board upOa what dons
ia the hsd Much tae Ereater part OF e.! wars ~ sosl
ness-psin practical every day LIE business there u
In it no art mystery special knowledge except
good strong, common ssnssthsrslst 20 the huEncsI
ousrsunssters and e0ieIniSsarys departments, the
WAYS and meEns proper-in word TO the resources
Of a COUNTY and It's capaclies for Ssr. The number
OF men hat can be spared from production, with.
out weakening tie aggregate srengththe prospect Of
supplies Fubsistenes arms and munitions OF all kinds
II is As nscessa airy that shoId be armed clothed
shod Snd fed, that they should be put in the hela
subsistence is Gs essential men At present we
bsve subsistence sufficient Tor the yesr, IL II Is taken
care Of and managed with economy. Upon = moderate
estimate one within reasonable bounds the tthss Of
wheat and corn last year notl lsEs In the States
east Of the Mississippi Ito say nothing Of the other
sids) than eighteen million bushels, kentucky and
Tennessee ineluded in this estimate This would
bread army Of five hundred thousand men and one
hundred thousand horses for twelve month"; and leave
considerable margin for waste or loss This we have
wi hout buying or mpressing bushel pound Nor
need bushs OF II be lost seeount Of the want Of
transportation from points as distance from railroads
AT such pisces Il could be fed TO animals pnt into beef
and pork and thus lessen smount OF these articles
OF food 10 be bought Upon Hke estimate the tiihs Of
meat for the last year viii supply army for at least
monhs-rende ing ths purchsss Of supplies Of this
article necessary for only half The yesrthe surplus in
the country and sbove the tithss is ample 10 meet
the deficiency. AL that Il wanting Is Of business
capacity honesty integrity economy and industry in
| the management snd control Of that department.
There need De no Tear OF tne want OF suOsteoce TINS
year, If officials do their duty. But how it will be
year II the policy adopted by Congress, at its late
session. Is carried out, safely venture TO say.
This brings me 10 the main objects OF this sddress,
review Of "a acts Of Congress to whoa your
ou has been specially called by the governor, aud
which your sctiOn Is nvoked-these are, the currency
the military and the hsbeas cor suspension /,
IS the besuy Of system Of government that all 10
authority responsible 10 the people. 1t s. too al
ways more agreeable to approve than to disapprove
what our agents have done Bot IN grave snd important
matters however dissgresRbls painful it may
be 70 express pPrJvA yet somstues he highest du
" requires It. No exceptions should be taken 10 this
when II s done in proper spirit and with view soleIy
for the public welfare. 10 free governments men vii
dftTerFs 70 he means OF promoting the public good
Houest erences Of opinion should beget III feel
pes or personal alterations The expressions Of differ
enees Of opinion do no harm when truth alone ia The
object on both sides Our opinions In all such discus
sious Of pubc Affairs, shou be given rs from frend
to friends a. from brothers TO others 10 common
csUss we are all launched upon the same boat snt
must ride the storm or 90 down together Disagree