The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-19
Mr.. A. III. Stephens Hook.

The Vice-President of the late Confeder-
aey is probably the ablest man within its Inn
its. Like Standardization and ThaddeEs Ste
vens he is confirmed invalid, but mana
ges, like them, to command respect and atten-
ton though suffering from such extreme
physical debility that his career is at any
time liable TO come 10 a sudden close. For
some time past he has been preparing book
On the nature of our form of government,
which is nearly ready for publication He
is bit OF philosopher, and, following Plato
and Cicero, presents his arguments in the
coIloquial style. In pursuance o. this plan
he introduces as his interlocutors persons
from the North, representing different
phrses of opinion, who visited him in
1857, only giving them fictitious names.
Judge Bynum,' of Massachusetts, is the
Radical, "Prof. Norton !" of Connecticut, is the
conservative Republican, and "Major Heis-
ter, " of Pennsylvania, is the War Democrat
The conversations in Mr.. Stephens book
purport to be simply report OF the substan-
tial portions of the real conversation with
these representative men. The following
paragraphs from the introduction constitute
a concise statement of the philosophy Of the
war fropi the Southern stand point: af- e-
1t is postulate with many writers of this
day that the late war was the result OF two
opposing ideas, or principles, upon the sub
jest Of African Slavery. Between these, ac-
cording to their tneory, sprung. the 'irIepress-
IDLE conflict in principle, which ended in
the terrible con fict OF arms. Tnose who as
sumo this post olate, and 50 thee rize upon it,
| are but super fcial observers. sf.so.T AN
| Il That the 'Ear was at its orig in in opposing
| principles, which, in their afstion upon the
conduct OF men, produced the ultimate col
| lision OF H.rms, may be assumed as an un-
| questionable TACT But the opposing prnci-
pies which produced these results in physi-
| cal action were of a very different character
from those assumed in the postuate.r They
| lay in the o,yoaic 'Itractsxe of ths Gouern-
me1lt of the StGtes. The conflict in princi-
| pie arose fom different and opposing ideas as
| to the pature of what is known as the Cen
eral Goyernme nt. The contest was between
| those who held it to be strictly Federal in its
character and those who maintained that it
Tas thoroughly National. 1t was strife be-
! tween the principles of Federation on the
one side, and Centralism, or Consolidation,
| on the other. sl atl H, 1am 41E hsa gw
Slavery, so called, was but Che question on
! which these antagonistic principles, which
| have been in the conflict, from the beginning,
| on divers other questions, were finally
| brought into actual an active collision with
each other on the field OF battle. tr
Some of the strongest Anti-Siavery men
| who ever lived were ON the side of those who
opposed the centralizing principles which led
| to the war. MIR. Jefferson was striking il
lustration of this, and prominens example
of very large class OF both sections OF the
| corntry, who were most untortcnaselv,
brought into hostile array against each other.
No more earnest or ardent deVotee to the
emancipation Of the black race, upon humane
rational and constitutional principles, ever
lived than he was. Not even Wilberforee
| himself was more devoted to that cause than
Mr. Jefferson was. And yet Mr.. Jefferson,
though in private life at the time, is well
known to have been utterly opposed to the
centralizing principle, when first presented,
on this question, in the attempt to impose
conditions and restrictions on the State of
Missouri, when she applied for admission into
the Union, under the Constitution. He look
ed upon the movement as political manou-
vre to bring this delicate subject land one that
Law so near bis Eeart) into the Federal Councils,
with a view, by its agitation in forum where
it did not properly belong, to strengthen the
Centrasts in their efforts to revive their doc
trines, which had been so si9nally defeated
on SO many other questions. The first sound
OF their movements on this question tell upon
his ear as a fire bell at night" The same is
true Of many others. Several Of the ablest
| opponents of that State restriction, in Con-
gress, were equally well known to be rs de-
cidedly in favor of emancipation as Mr.. JET
ferson was. Among these may be named
Mr.. Pinckney and Mr.. Clay, from the South.
to saw nothing of those men from the North
who opposed that measure with equal firm
ness and integrity. tFs1n' Oh .Tsu
.psTlfEs 81 1-Ir