Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-01
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HON. ALEX. H. STEPHENS,
Before the General Assembly OF the
state of Georgia, February 22, 1866.
ADDREs .
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Rep

Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Rep
resentdtiUes:
Iappear before you in answer to your
call. This CALL coming in the imposing
| form it does, and under the circumstances
| it does, requires a response from me. You
have assigned to me a very high, very
honorable and responsible position. This
position you know did not seek. Most
willingly would have avoided it; and
nothing buta extraordinary senseo Of duty
could have induced me to yield my own
disinclinatiOns and aversions to your wish
es and judgment in the matter. For this
unusual manifestation of esteem and con-
fdence, return you my profoundest ac-
acknowledgements of gratitude. OF one
thing only can | give you any assurance,
and that is, If | shall be permitted to dis
charge the trusts thereby imposed, they
will be discharged with a singleness of
purpose to the public good. =
The great object with me now Is to see a
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 en-
ergies 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 circumstances,
| | might worry well shrink. He who VEN
| lures to speak, and to give counsel and ad
| vice in times of peril, or disaster, assumes
no enviable position. Far be that rashness
| from me, which sometimes prompts the for
ward to rush in where angels might fear to
tread. In responding, therefore, briefly to
your inquiries, feel, trust, the full weight
and magnitude of the subject. 1t involves
the welfare of millions now living, and that
of many more who are to come after us.
| am fully impressed with the consciousness
of the inConceivably small effect of what
shall say upon the mOmentous results in
volved in the subject itself.
1t is with these feelings that 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 on
", well may initiate an illustrious exam
pie in invoking aid from OIL High: that
may say nothing Oh this occasion which
may compromit the rights, the honor, the
dignity, or best interests of my country"
mean specially the rights, honor dignity
and best interests of the people of Georgia.
With their sufferings, their losses. their
misfortunes, their bcreayements, and their
present utter prostration, my heart is In
deepest sympathy.
We have reached that pointin our affairs,
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 calamlties
and adversities, never to despair. Adver-
sity is a dear school, a terrible crucible, both
for individuals and communities. We are
now in this school, this crncible, 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 dor
mant virtues. In morals, its tendency is to
make saints or reprObates-in politics, to
make heroes or desperadoes. The first in
dication of its working for good, to which
hope looks anXiously, is the manifestation
of a 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 gener-
al realization, on the part of our people,
of their present situation, OF the evils now
i upon them, and of the greater ones still
impending. These 1t is not my purpose to
eXaggerate If / could-that would be use
less; nor to lessen or extenuate-that
would be, worse than useless. All fully
understand 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 civili-
zatiOn can not adVance-be removed2 or
can those greater ones which threaten our
very political existence, be averted? These
are the questions.
| 1T is true we have not the control of all
the remedies, even ii these questions could
be satisfactorily answered. Our fortunes
and destiny are not entirely in our own
hands. Yet there are some things that we
NAV, and can, and ought, in my Judgment,
to do: from which no harm can come; and
from which some good may follow in bet
tering our present condition. States and
communities, as well as individuals, when
thev have done the best they can in view
of surrounding circumstances, with all the
lights they have before them-let results be
what they may-ean at least enjoy the con-
solation-l-nO small recompense that-oi
having performed their duty, and of hay-
Fling conscience void of offense before God
and man. This, ii no more valuable result
will, | trust, attend the doing of what
propose. u sg.....- t.-t ---..:-..,
l The first great duty, then, ,Uould ewotn al
this time, is The exercise Of the simple though
difficult and t,giag, but aeverthelesS iRdiSpenS-
able quality OF patience. Patience requires
of those afflicted to bear and suffer with
: fortitude3 Whatever ills may befall them
l This is often, and especially is it the case
with us now, essential for their ultimate
) removal by any instrumentalities what
lever.
We are in the condition of man with 8
dislocated limb, or broken leg, and avery
bad compound fracture at that. How il
became broken should not be with him 8
r question of so much Importance as how II
oI can ! be restored to health, vigor and
y strength, This requires of him, as the
highest duty to himself, to wait quietly and
lpdtiently in splints and bandages, until ma
ol ture resumes her active powers-until the
Vital functions perform their Office. The
Knitting of the bones and the granulatior
of the flesh require time. Perfect quie
|. and repose even under the severest pain
is necessary. 1t will not. do to make too
great haste to get well. 4, An attempt tt
: walk too soon will only make the matter
/ worse. We must or ought now, therefore
in similar manner, to discipline ourselve:
TO the same or like degree Of patience. j
know the anxiety and restlessAess of tht
popular mind to be fully on our feet agair
r Ito walk abroad as we once idid--to enjoy
4 once more the free outdoor air of heaven
lIwith the perfect use of all our limbs.
,, llknow how trying 1t is to be denied repre-
: Ilsehtatioh in Congress, while we are paying
our proportion of the taxesrzhow annoy
= ling it isIto be even partially under military
rule, and how injurious It is to the genera
s Interest and business of the country to b.
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