Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-27
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ADDRESS OF HON. ALEXANDER IA.
ETEBNWWEG

-
STEPHENS,
Before the General Assembly Of the stat
Of Georgia, February p, 1850.
seurIem=n oC the Senate and House Of Bepss
seutaflreS:
appear before YOU in answer TO You
cali. This cali coming IN the imPosin
form il does, and under the oircum
stances it does, requires response from
me. You have assigned 20 me a yer,
high g very honorable and responsibt
position. The position you know dii
not seek. Most willingly would l hav
svoided it; and nothing but an eXtraoT
dinsry sense Of duty could have induce
me 20 weld nv own .disinclinatiOns an.
sversious 10 your wishes and judgmen
IN the matter. For this unusual mani
fssraIion OF esteem and confidence, I re
turn VOu my prOfOuudest ackuUwledg
meuts Of gratitude. OF one thing Onll
can 7 give you any assurance, and tina
j., II ] shall be permitted % discharg
the trusts thereby imposed, they VIII b
discharged with singleness OF purpOs
20 the public good.
The great object with me now is to sel
a restoration, ii possible, Of peace, pros
perity and constitutional liberty IN thl
onae happy but now disturbed, agitateS
and distracted country. To this end al
nv energies and efforts 10 the extent %
their pJWers viii be devoted.
You ask my views on the existing state
Of affairs; our duties at the present; ana
the prospects Of the future. This Is 6
task from which, under other circum'
stances, / might very well shrink. Ht
who ventures 10 speak and TO give c0un-
sci and advice IN times Of peril OF disas
Ter, assumes no enviable position Fal
be tbst rasdness from me which some
times prompts the forward 10 rush ln
where angels might fear 10 tread, In
resn0ndiuE. therefore, briefly % your In
Quiries, feel, trust, the fuIi weight anl
magnitude Of the subject It involve-
The welfare Of millions nov living, and
that OF many more millions who are %
come after Us. am also Iuily impressed
with the consciousness Of the lnc0nceIv-
ably small effect of what / shall say upon
rha nomeur1us results involved IN the
subject Itself
Il Is with these feelings I offertny mite
Of counsel at your request And IA the
outset Of the undertaking, limited IS Il Is
intended 70 be % & few general ideas
only, well may I initiate an Llustrlous
example in invoking aid nom on High,
"tbar I msy say nothing or this occasion
which NAV comurOmit the rights, tie
honor. the dignity, OF best interests OF
NV country" ! mean specially the
rights. honor, dignity and best interests
Of the people Of Georgia. With helr
sufferings, their losses, their misfOrtuues,
their beneavemeuCs, and their present
utter VTustratiJn, my heart Is IN deepest
sympathy.
We have reached that point in our ar
fairs al which the CREST question before
us ito be or not % be. and Il %
Ue. How? Hope, ever springing IN the
humsu breast, prompts, even under the
.rrearasr calamfties and adveFsities, never
70 despair. Adversely is 8 severe school,
q terrible crulible. both for individuals
and communities. We are now in this
school. this crucible, and should bear in
mind thsti Is never negative in its Sc
ton. Il Is always positive. Il is ever
decided n ius effects one way or the
other. Iteither makes better or worse.
IL either brings out unknown vices or
u-nuszz dormant virtues IN morals Its
tendency j. 10 make saints or reDrObates;
in politics 70 make heroes or desperadoes.
The first indication Of its working for
good. % which hope looks auxi0usly, Is
Ihe manifestation Of a fuI consciousness
1f its nature and extent, aud the most
u-1mising grounds OF hope for possible
good from our present troubles, or OF
things with " getting better instead o.
worse. Is the evident general realization
on the part of our people Of their present
situatiOu- of the evils u0W upon them,
aud Of the greater ones sul impending
These IL is not my purpose TO exaggerate
AZ could: that would be useless; nor 10
lessen or eXtenuste; that would be syorse
than useless. All fully understand and
a.
well they do.
Can these evils upon Us-the absence
Of law, the want Of protection snd- -secu-
rity Of person snd property, without
which civilization cannot aGvanCe-be
removed? or can those greateF ones
which threaten our very political eXis-
tenCe be averted These are the qiies-
uans.
il is true we have not the control Of
all the remedies, even if these questions
could be satisfactorily answered Our
fortunes and destiny are not entirely in
our own hands. Yet there are some
things that We may, and can, and ought,
in my Judgment, % DO from which no
harm can come, and from which some
good NAV follow, In lettering our pres
ent condition. States and communities,
as well as individuals, when they have
done the best they can in view Of sur
rounding circumstance. with all the
lights they have before theM-let results
DE WhEt they may-cau at least enjoy
the cousOlatlOn-nO small recompeIse
Jhat-Of having performed their duty,
and Of having a conscience Void OF
offeuse before God and man. This, if no
more valuable result, viii, / trust, attend
Lhe doing Of what / propose.
The mt great duty. then, l would en-
i0in AZ this time, Is the exercise Of the
simple, though difficult and trying, bat
nevertheless indispensable quality of pa
tience. Patience requires Of those
afflicted 70 iear and % suffer with fOrti-
rude whatever Ills may befali them
This Is often aud especially is il the case
with uSnow, esssnJisl for their ultimate
removal by any ins,rumentslities what
ever. We are In the condition Of man
with a dislOcated limb, or broken leg
and s. very bad compound fracture at
that. How it became broken should not
be with him a question 50 much OF IN
p0rtauce as how ii can be restored 70
health, vigOr and strength. This re-
guires Of him, as the highest dutyt0 him
self, 10 wait quietly and patiently in
sp-luts and bandages, until nature re-
tumes her active pOwers-untu the vital
functions perform their Office. The knit
oug OF the bones aud the granulati0n OF
ibe nesh require time. Perfect quiet
and rep0se, even under the severest pain,
IS necessary. II viii not do % make
1oo great haste TO get well. An attempt
20 walk TOO soon viii only make the
mstter wore. We must. OF ought now,
therefore, in a similar manner, 10 disci-
pine ourselves 70 the same OF Ike de-
gree Of patience. / know the anxiety
and restlessDess Of the popular mind 70
he fully On our feet sgatn-to walk abroad
as We once dtdAt0 enjoy once more tks Z
free out door air Of Heaven. with the .
perfect use Of all our limbs. ! know .
how trying it is to be denied represent .
alton ia Congress, while We are paying !
our proportion Of the AXes-how annoy .
iug il IS 70 be even partially under mill T
lary rule-aad how injurious il Is 70 the f.
general interest and busizes Of the coun-
-ry % be without post Offices I'D mail F..
10 say noting Of di- .
yers other matters on the long iist of our
present inconvenience and Ffivaions.
All r2ese. however, we must patiently .
ear and endure f0r season. With
1uief and repOse We NAV get well-mav .
Set once more oB our feet again. One .
hing Is certain, that bad bumor, ill TEN
,er. exhibited eisler ia restlessness or /
will not hasten &C.
Next 10 this, another great duty We .
we to ourselves Is the exercise Of hbe- I
al spirit Of fOTbesrance amongst our /
elves.
The first step towards Local or general I
,syvnonv, is the banishment from our 4
,ressts of every feeling and sentiment .
.aIcuIated 10 stir the discords Of the past. I
Nothing could be more injurious or mis- 4
10 the future Of this country, /
han the agitation at present ofquestions
hat divided the people anterior %, OF
.urfDg the existence Of the late war. On
10 occasion, and especially in the bestow-
nent of Office, ought such differences Of
pinion In the past, ever 70 be mem
'oned. either for or against any one
fhervise equally entitled TO confidence.
'bsse ideas or sentiments Of other times
nd circumstances are not the germs
ON which hopeful organization can
ow arise. Let al differences Of opinion
,uohing errors, or supposed errors, o1tne
cad OF heart, on the part Of any in the
sst. growing out Of these matters, be a.
nee. Ia the deep ocean Of oblivion, for
yer buried. Let there be no erimins- /
ons or recriminGtiOns on account Of acts {
Z otl.sr dRys No canyassing Of past ]
1nduct or motives. Great disasters are
pon us and upon the wholeeountry, and
IithopE inquifing how these originated,