The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-10-28
A. Il. STEPHENSON PEACE.

peace movement. was written in an.
swer to q letter addressed to him by
several of his fellow citizens of Geor-
gia;
CRAwFoRDsv1LLE, GA, Sept. %.
GENTLEMAN: You will please ex-
cuse me for not answering your letter
of the l4th inst. sooner. / have been
absent nearly week, on Il visit to my
brother in Sparta, who has been quite
out of health for some time. Your
letter found here on my return home
yesterday. The delay of my reply
thus occasioned | regret
Without further explanation or
apology, allow me now TO say to you
that no person living can possibly
feel a more ardent desire for an end
to be put to this unat1eal and mer.
CHESS war upon honorable and Just
terms than do But really do not
see that it is in my power or yours,
or that of any number Of persons in
our position, to inaugurate any move
ment that will even tend to aid in
bringing about a result that we and
so many more desire.
The movement by our Legislature
at its last session, at the suggestion
Of the Executive, on this subject, was
by authority properly constituted for
such purpose.
That movement, in nv judgement,
was timely, judicious AMI in the right
direction. Nor has it been without
results. The organization Of that
party ut the North to which you refer
may justly he claimed MS a part Of the
fruits of it. These, it is TO be hoped,
will be followed by others of a more
marked character, ifall in both sec
tions who sincerely desire peace upon
correct terms will give that move
ment thus inaugurated all the aid in
their power.
The resolutions Of the Georgia Leg
islature, at its last session, upon the
subject of peace; in my Judgment,
embodied and set forth very clearly
those principles upon which alone
there can be permanent peace be-
tween the different sections Of this eX.
tcnsive and once happy and prosper
Gus, but now distracted country.
Easy and perfect solutions to all
present troubles and those far more
grievous ones which loom in pros
pect, and portentiously threaten in
the coming future, ie nothing more
than the simple recognition of the
fundamental principle and truth upon
which all American constitutional lib.
ertv is founded, and upon the main
teranoo 81 u,l.iek slSuy It ran he pre-
served-that is, the sovereignty, the
ultimate absolute sovereignty of the
States. This doctrine our Legisla-
ture announced to the people of the
North and to the world. 1t is the
only keynote to peace--permanent,
lasting peace--consistent with the
security Of the public liberty.
The old Confederation was formed
upon this principle. The old Union
was aiterward formed upon this prin
ciple. No league can never be formed
or maintained between any State,
North or South, securing public lib
erty upon any other principle.
The whole framework Of American
institutions, which in a short time had
won the admiration Of the world, and
to which we were indebted for such
an unparalleled career Of prosperity
and happiness, was formed upon this
principle. All our present troubles
sprung from departure from this
principle, from violation of this es.
sential law Of our political organiza,
ton.
In 1776 our ancestors and the an,
cestors Of those who are waging this
unholy crusade against us, together
proclaimed the great and eternal truth
for the maintenance of which they
Jointly pledged their lives, their for,
tune and their sacred honor, that Gov.
ernments are instituted amongst men
deriving their just powers from the
consent Of the governed. and that
whenever any form of government
become destructive ofthOse ends from
which it was formed, it is the right OF
the people to alter or abolish it and
institute a new Government, laying q
new foundation on such principles,
and organizing its powers in sub q
form as to them may seem most like.
ly to effect their safety and happi-
ness.
1t is needless here to state that by
"pcople" and governed" in this an,
nunciation, is meant communities and
bodies of men capable of organizing
and maintaining Government, not
individual members of society. The
consent of the governed refers to tho
will Of the mass of the community OF
State in its organized form, and ex,
lpresscd through its legitimate and
properly constituted organs. 1t was
from this principle that the Colonists
stood justified before the world in eff,
fecting their separation from the
mother country 1t was upon this
principle that the origin ii thirteen co.
equal and co sovereign States formed
the Federal compact Of the old Union
in l7S7. 1t is upon the same princi
pie that the present co-equal and co
sovereign States Of our Confederacy
formed their new compact of union.
The idea that the old Union, or any
Union between sovereign States. con
lciotartlxy uv,th tlic ftn Il a N, aotoI t.,,.I