Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-09-15
WHAT STEPHENS SAID.
The North had Never WrOnEed the
SOuth-NO Cause or Justification for
Secession.

SECESSION h
Just before Georgia took the plunge into
the gulf of secession, Alexander H. Ste
rhens, afterwards made Vice President of
The "Confederacy," delivered a speech to
the Georgia Legislature denying that the
South had any justification for secession;
denying that the North had wronged
Them denying that the North had assail-
ed any of their rights" much less de-
prived them of any denying that there
was any cause or justification for separaE
ton from the Union. We want every
Copperhead to read this extract:
Pause, 1 entreat you, and consider for .
moment what reason You can give that viii
even satisfy yourselves in cslmer moments
what reasons can you give your fellow
sufferers in the calamity that it will bring
upon US What reasons can you give to
the nations of the earth to justify it2
They will be the calm and deliberate
Judges in this case. And to what cause or
one overt act can you point on which to rest
the plea of justification 2 What right has
the North assailed? What interest of the
South has been invaded? What Justice
has been denied and what claim founded
in Justice and right has been withheld? :?
Can either Of you to-day name one gousr1I-
the git Sf sorong deliberately done by
the South has right to complaint. / chat
Ienge the answeFl While, on the other
hand, let me show the facts (and believe
me, gentlemen, 1 am not here the advocate
of the North, but am here the friend, the
firm friend and lover of the South and her
institutions, and for this reason ] speak
thus plainly and faithful to yollrs, asine and
every other mans interest, the words OF
truth and sobeTness,) of which I wish you
to Judge, and will only state facts which
are clear and undeniable, and which now
stands SIS records authentic In the history
of our country. -ag
When we of the South demanded the
slave trade, or the importation of Africans
for the cultivation of our lands, did they
not yield the right for twenty years
When we asked three-hfths Representa-
tion in Congress for our slaves, was it not
granted? When we asked and demanded
the return OF any fugitive from justice, OF
the recovery of those persons owing labor
or allegiance, was it not Incorporated in
the Constitution, and again ratified and
strengthened in the Fugitive Slave Law Of
1s5O7 .4rs.as
ado you reply that in many instances
they have violated this compact, and have
not been faithful to their engagements
As individuals and local communities they
may have done 50, but not by the sanction
of the government, for that has always
been true to Southern interests.
Again, gentlemen, look at another fact
| When we have asked that more territory
should be added, that we might spread
the institution of slavery, have they moi
Welded to cur demands and given us
Louisiana Florida and Texas, out Oi
| which four States have been carved
to be added in due time, i
you, by this unwise and impolitic act dc
not destroy this hope, and, perhaps, by il
lose all, and have your last slave wrenched
from you by stern military rule, by the
vindictive decree of universal emancipa-
tiOn which may reasonably be expected tc
follow. 'H
q But, again, gentlemen, what have We
to gain by this proposed change Of our re
Ia ion TO the General Government. We
have always had the control, and can yet
if we remain in it, and are as united as We
have been. We have had majority o.
the Presidents chosen from the South as
well as the control ssand management o.
those chosen from the North. We have
had sixty years of Southern Presidents tC
their twenty -four, thus controlling the iEx.
ecutive Department, % ,--
"No man has controverted, or can con.
trovert these facts. Who then so base as
to justify the rebellion2"