Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-03-14
Address of Hon. Alexander II.
stephens, Before the General
Assembly of the state of GeOr-
gia, Feb. ID, 1866.

Assembly of the state of GeOr-
, gia, Feb. %. 1866.
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Repre-
SentatiUeS:
l appear before you in answer to youl
call. This call, coming in the imposing
form it does, and under the circumstan
ces it does, requires response from me
You have assigned to me very high, 8
very honorable and responsible position
This position you know l did not seek
Most willingly would | have avoided it.
and nothing but an extraordinary sense
of duty could have induced me to yield
my own dIsinclinations and aversions to
your wishes and judgment in the matter.
For this unusual manifestation of esteem
and confidence, return you my pro
foundest Acknowledgements of gratitude.
Of one thing only can give you any as
surance, and that is, if l shall be permit
ted to discharge the trusts thereby i'm
posed, they will be discharged with a sim
gleness of purpose to the public good.
The great object with me now is to see
q restoration if possible of peace, prosper
Ity and constitutional liberty in this once
happy, but now disturbed, agitated and
distracted country. To this end all my
energies and efforts to the extent of their
powers will be devoted.
You ask my views on the existing state
of affairs; our duties at the present, and
the prospects of the future, This is task
from which, under ordinary circumstan-
oes, | might very well shrink. He who
ventures to speak, and to give counsel
and ADVICE in times of peril or disaster,
assumes no enyiable position. Far be that
rashness from me which sometimes
prompts the forward to rush in where an
gels might fear to tread. In responding,
therefore. briefly to your enquiries, feel,
| trust, the full weight and magnitude of
the subject. 1t involves the welfare of
millions now living, and that of many
more millions who are to come after u.s.
lam also fully impressed with the con-
sciousness of the nc)nceivably small eff
feet of what shall say upon the moment
Gus results involved in the subject ITSELF
1t is with these feelings l offer my mite
of counsel at your request. And in the
outset of the undertaking, limited as it is
intended to be, to a few general ideas
only, well may initiate an illustrious ex-
ample in invoking aid from on High,
''that l may say nothing on this occasion
which may compromit the rights, the
honor, the dignity, or best interests of my
country" l mean specially the rights,
honor, dignity and best interests of the
people of Georgia. With her suferings,
their losses, their rnisfortqnes, their be;
reavements and their present utter pros
tration, my heart is in deepest sympathy.
We have reached that point in our af-
fairs at which the great question before
US is-"to be or not TO be?" and if to be !
How? Hope, ever springing in the human
breast, prompts, even under the greatest
calamities and adversities, never to de-
spair. Adversely is a severe school, ter
rible crucible, both for individuals and
communities. We are now in this school,
this crucible, and should bear in mind
that it is never negative in its action. 1t
is always positive. 1t is ever decided in
its effects one way or the other. 1t either
makes better or worse. 1t either brings
out unknown vices, or arouses dormant
virtues. In morals its tendency is to make
saints or reprobates-in politics to make
heroes or desperadoes. Tine first indica-
ton of its working for good, to which hope
looks anxiosly, is the manifestation of
full consciousness of its nature and extent, |
and the most promising grounds of hope |
for possible good from our present |
troubles, or of things with US getting bet |
ter instead of worse, is the evident generr |
al realization, on the part of our people, |
of their present situation, of the evils now
upon them, and of the greater ones still
These it is not my purpose
to exaggerate if l could; that would be
useless, nor 10 lessen or extenuatey that
would be worse than useless. All fully
and realize them. They feel
them. 1t is well they do.
Can these evils upon us-the absence of
law; the want of protection and security (.
Of person and property, without which
civilization cannot adVance-be removed?
Or can those greater ones which threaten
our very political existence, be ayerted
These are the questions.
1t is true we have not the control of all
.he remedies, even if these questions
could be satisfactorily answered. Our
fortunes and destiny are not entirely in
our hands. Yet there are some things
hat we may and can and ought, in my {
Judgment, to do; from which no harm can
,ome, and from which some good may
ollow, in bettering our present condition
RITUALS, when they have done the best
hey can in view of surrounding circum- {
tanoes, with all the lights they have be- {
ore them--le results be what they may
can at least enjoy the consolation-no
mall recompense that-of having per- !
ormed their duty, and of having con-
cience void of offence before God and
nan. This, if no more valuable results,
will, trust. attend the doing of what l
propose.
The first great duty, then, would en-
DIN at this time, is the exercise of the &
imple, though difficult and trying, but 6
indispensable quality of G
Patience requires of those af- q
Iicted to bear and to suffer with fortitude I
whatever ills may befall them. This is
'ften, and especially is it the case with /
Is now, essential for their ultimate reno 1
-al by any instrumentalities whatever @
We are in the condition of a man with t
lislocated limb, or broken leg, and
'ery bad compound fracture at that. How +
{ became broken should not be with him /
question of so much Importance, as how s
t can be restored to health, vigor and t
trength. This requires of him as the O
highest duty to himself to wait quietly S
nd patiently in splints and bandages, un- Q
il nature resumes her active powers-un- C
il the vital functions perform their office. G
he knitting of the bones and the granu- 1
alton of the flesh require them. Perfect P
uiet and repose even under the severest il
ain is necessary. 1t will not do to make l
90 great haste to get we'll An attempt t
o walk too soon will only make the mat &
er worse. We must or ought now, there e
pre-, in similar manner to discipline a
urselves to the same or like degree of t,
atience. l know the anxiety and rest t
sssness of the popular mind to be fully i
n our feet again-to walk abroad as we \
nee did-to enjoy once more the free G
ut-door air of HeaYen, with the perfect 4
Sc of all our limbs. l know how trying a
, is to be denied representation in Con-
ress, while we are paying our proportion a
f the taxes-how annoying it is to be C,
ven partially under military rule-and s.
ow injurious it is to the general interest a
nd business of the country to be without o.
ost offices and mail communications: to b
~ nothing of divers other matters on the Il
~ lief oT o,1r TpaaanI inaOnuanianona II