Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-09-23

steady and unwavering prosecution Of the
War.
an, my dear sir, truly yours,
JoHs 4. DIX
WARD HUNT, Esq.
Alexander II. stephens Speech in 1851.
The Vice President OF the rebel Confeder
acy is Alexander Il Stephens Of Georgia, a
man Of great ability and long experience in
legislation. Like many other able men Of
the South, who opposed the wild scheme Of
Secession, as one which could bring only DIS
aster to those who should 20 into it, after the
die was cast he cast bis lot in with his rebel
associates in the South. How far be wac
Influenced to do 50 from what he considered
his honor as southern man required, viz
that be ought 70 take his chances with his
old associates, for veal or for woe, or how
tar he found himself bemmed around by the
tolls Of The consIirators, 50 that he could not
escape from them cave at the immediate peril
Of bis life. it s impossible to know. But
that be forcsaw clearly and pointed out
plainly, not only the terrible consequences
which would follow from the proposed sgccs-
sion. hut the utter bsselessness Of the pre-
tences under which it was TO lie made, Is TO
be seen from the following extract of lis
speech. delivered in the secession Clnven-
tiOn OF Georgia. in January, 1851. The
speech was Published widely at the time;
but it viii be useful to read it again, sud a
the present time
This step tseoesEon), once taken. can never
be recalled; and all the baneful corscquslce-
that must follow viii rest on the convention tQr
all coming time. When We and our p s-erty
shall see our lovely South desolated by the i.m-
on Of war, which this act of yours viii ine-
yitably invite and call forth when our green
fields Of waverng har,ests shall be tr,iiea
down by the murderous solilery and fiery car
Of war sweeping over our land, our temples 0t
justice laid in sshes all the horrors and dss lf-
tons Of war upon Us. who but this convention
will be held r,sponsb ble for H. and who but be-
that shall give his vote for this un-wise and i..-
timed measure shall be held 70 strict account FIR
A4e e4AlIllhl Asl tue I-tlll y l'''lAs
probably cursed and execratet by poster.tF iu
all coming time. for the wide and des,iir'n-
ruin that will inevitably follow this act you now
propose 10 perpetrate2
Pause, entreat you, consider for moment
WLst reasons you can give that viii even satisfy
yourselves in calmer moments what reasons
you Can give % your fellow sufferers 10 the cl-
lamity that il Will bring What reason, can you
give TO the nations Of the earth 20 justify it p
They will be the calm and deliberate judges in
the case and TO what cause, or one overt a-',
can you point on which 10 rest the plea of Iu-ti
hcaton2 What right has the North asslleI ?
What interest Of the South has been invaded .
What justice has been denied, or what claim,
founded in justice and right, has been withheld,
Can any Of you to-day name one governmental
act Of wrong deliberately and purposely done iy
{ the government at Washington, Of which the
South hasa right to complain challenge
I the answer
/ On the other hand, let me show the facts Of
which | wish YOU to Judge Will only state
/ facts which are clear and undeniahe, and winch
now stand as records, authentic in the history Of
our country. When we of the South demanded
/ the slave trade, or the importAtions Of Africans
/ for the cultivation Of our lands, did they not
/ yield the right for twenty years, When We
asked for a three-hfths representation IN Con
l yress for our slaves, was it not granted When
we demanded the return Of any fugitive from
/ Justice. or the recovery Of those persons owing
| labor or allegiance, was it not incorporated IN
the Constitution, and again ratified and strength
ened in the Fugitive Slave law of 1880? When
we asked that more territory should be added
that We might spread the institution OF slavery.
have they not Welded 10 cur demands IN giving
Louisiana, Florida and Texas, out OF which four
States have been carved, and ample territory ior
four more 10 be added in due time, If you, 10y
this unwise and impolitic act, do not destroy
this hope. and perhaps by It lose all, and have
your last slave wrenched from you by stern mil
tary rule. as South America and Mexico we're
or by the v1n1ctive degree Of universal eman-
cipation, which may reasonably be expected &c
follow ;
But what have we to gain by this proposed
change ofour relation 10 the general government
We have always had the control Of II, and car
vet il We remain in it, and are united AS We haN'
been. We have had = majority Of the President
chosen from the South, as well as TIE control anC
management Of most Of those chosen from 'h'
North We have had sixty years Of Southern
Presidents to their twenty-tour, thus contro.lin.
the Executive Department. So Of the Judges O
the Supreme Court, We had eighteen from tn
South, and but eleven from the North. Although
nearly four-6fths Of the judicial business ha
arisen in the free States, yet majority OF III
Court has always been from the South. This VI
have required 90 as TO guard against any inter
probation OF the Constitution unfavorahie 10 us
In ike manner we have been equally watchfu
10 guard our interests in the legislative orancl
Of government In choosing the presiding Pres
idents (pro tenn Of the Senate, We have ha
tEenty-four TO their eleven. Speakers Of tn
House we have had twenty-three and they twelve
hile the ma jority Of the representatives, fron
their greater population, have always been tror
the North, yet We have so generally secured th
Speaker, because he. to great extent, shape
and controls the legislation Of the country.
Nor have we had less control in every o;ne
! department OF the general government. OF Al
, torney Generals we have had fourteen, while 10
; North have had but Eve. Of Foreign Minister
we have had eighty-six. and they had but hity
four While three-fourths Of the business whic
: demands diplomatic agents abroad is clearly froI
the free States, from their greater commercn
interest, vet we have had the principal embassies
80 as 10 secure the worlds market for our cotior
tobacco and sugar on the best possible term
We have had vast majority Of the higher OF
GERS Of both army and navy, while larger pr
norton Of the soldiers and sailors were draw
r from the North. Equally so of clerks. audito'
and comptrollers filing the Executive depar
ment; the record shows for the last hfty yea
that Of the three thousand thus employed, '
have had more than two-thirds Of the sam
while we have but one-third of the white pcp'
= latiou Of the republic.
Again, look at another item, in which we ha'
Il a great and vital interest, that Of revenue,
s means Of supporting government. From othci
Y documents We learn that a fraction over thre
: knrths of the revenue collected for the suppo
:, of government has uniformly been raised iro
n the North.
r Pause now while you can, and coDtempla
. carefully aud candidly these important items
= Leaving out Of view for the present the counte
: millions of dollars you must expend in war WI
the North, with tens of thousands Of your ~