Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-10-20
ALEX. Il. STEPHENS ON PEACE.
The Doctrine of State Sovereignty.
THE GEORGIA RESOLUTIONS
Conservative Southern View of the Situation,
WASHINGTON, Friday, Oct. Il, 1854.

The following letter from the rebel Vice
President, the Hon. Alex. III Stephens, CIV
| ing his views upon the peace movement, was
written in answer to letter addressed to
him by several of his fellow-citizens of
Georgia:
CRAwFoRDsvILLE, GA, Sept. %, 1864.
GENTLEMEN:--You will please excuse me
for not answering your letter of the 18th
inst. sooner. l have been absent nearly q
week on visit to my brother in Sparta,
who has been quite out of health for some
time. Your letter found here OH my re-
turn home yesterday. The delay ofmy re-
ply thus occasioned regret.
Without further explanation or apology,
allow me now to say to you that no person
living can possibly feel more ardent de-
sire for an end to be put to this unnatural
and merciless 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 movement that will even
tend to aid in bringing about result that
we and so many more desire.
The movement by our Legislature at its
| last session, at the suggestion OF the EXecu-
tive, on this subject, was by authority prop
erly constituted for such purpose.
That movement, in my judgment, was
timely, judicious and in the right direction.
Nor has it been without results. The or
ganization of that party at the North to
which you refer may justly be claimed as a
part of the fruits of it. These. it is to be
hoped, will be followed by others of more
marked character, if all in both sections
who sincerely desire peace upon correct
terms will give that movement thus inau-
gurated all the aid in their power.
The resolutions of the Georgia Legisla-
ture 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
between the different sections of this eX
tensive, once happy and prosperous, but
now distracted country.
Easy and perfect solutions to all present
troubles, and those far more grievous ones
which loom in prospect, and portentously
threaten in the coming future, is nothing
more than the simple recognition of the
fundamental principle and truth upon
which all american constitutional liberty
is founded, and upon the maintenance of
which alone it can be preserved-that is,
the sovereignty, the ultimate, absolute SOW
ereignty of the States. This doctrine ol.r
Legislature announce-to the people at the
North and to the world. 1t is the only key
note 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 after
wards formed upon this principle. No
league can ever be formed or maintained
between any State. North or South, secur-
ing public liberty, upon any other princi-
Pile.
The whole framework of American in
stitutiOns, which in so shorts ia 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 pres
ent troubles sprung from departure from
this principle, from n violation of this es-
sential law of our political organization.
in l776 our ancestors and the ancestors 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
fortunes, and their sacred honor, that Gov
ernments are instituted amongst men, de-
irving their just powers from the consent of
the governed, and that whenever any form
of Government becomes destructive of those
tnds for which it was formed, it is the right
of the people to alter or abolish it and insti-
tute a new Government, laying its founda-
tions on such principles, and organizing its
powers in such form as to them may seem
most likely to effect their safety and happi-
ness.
1t is needless here to state that by "peo-
pie" and governed" in this annunciation,
is meant communities and bodies of men
capable of organizing and maintaining a
not individual members of So
ciety. The consent of the governed refers
to the will of the mass of the community
or State in its organized form, and express
ed through its legitimate and properly con-
stituted organs. twas upon this principle
the Colonists stood justified before the
world in effecting their separation from the
mother country. 1t was upon this princi-
pie that the original thirteen co-egual and
co-sovereign States formed the Federal
compact OF the old Union in 17S7 1t is
upon the same principle that the present
co-equal and cO-sovereign States of our
Contederacy formed their new compact of
union.
The idea that the old Union or any Union
between sovereign States, consistently with
this fundamental truth, can be maintained
by force is preposterous. This war springs
from an attempt to do this preposterous
thing. Superior power may compel a
Union of some sort, but it would not be the
Union of the old Constitution or of our
new.
The subjugation of the people of the
South by the people Of the North would
necessarily involve the destruction of the
Constitution, and the overthrow of their
liberties as well as ours. The men or party
at the North to whom you refer, who favor
peace, must be brought to full realization
of this truth in all its bearings, before their
efforts will result in much practical good.
Any peace growing out of a union of States
established by force will be as ruinous to
them as to us.
The action of the Chicago Convention, so
far as its platform of principles goes, pre-
sents, as have said on another occasion, a
ray of light which, under Providence, may
prove the dawn of the day to this long and
cherries night, the first ray of light
have seen from the North since the war
began. This cheers the heart, and towards
it could almost exclaim: "HaiLholy light,
offspring of Heaven, first born of the eter-
nal co-eternal beam. May i express thee
unbalanced, since God Is light"
Indeed, could have quite so exclaimed,
but for the sad reflection that whether 1t
shall bring healing in its beams or be lost
in dark and ominOus eclipse ere its good
work be done, depends so much upon the
action of Others who may not regard it and
view it as do. So at best 1t is but a ray, a
small and tremulous ray, enough only to
gladden. the heart and quicken the hope.
The prominent and leading idea of that
Convention seems to have been desire to
reach peaceful adjustment of our present
difficulties and strife through the medium
of a Convention of the States. They pro-
pose to suspend hostilities to ee-what can