The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1868-09-19
The War between the United
states, by A. H. stephens.


The War between the United
States, by A. II. stephens.
Mr. Bate, the agent for the above
work has kindly presented us with the
first volume, which has just been issued
from the press.
From the time it was first announeed
that Mr.. Stephens had such work in
course of preparation, the public has
evinced an eager desire for Its appearance.
The acknowledged ability of the writer,
coupled with his long public career in
the affairs of state, and more especially
the prominent position which he occupi-
ed in the late Confederacy, have conspir-
ed to render the work one of peculiar
and unusual interest. Thoroughly ac-
quainted with the task before him, aud
with ardent devotion to the truth of his
tory, Mr.. Stephens has given to the coun-
try one of its finest political classics.
We venture to assert that no such work
has appeared since the time when Hamil-
ton, Madison, and Jay gave to the world
those powerful expOsitiOns of constitu-
tional law in the letters of Paci6cus and
Helridius. Though many histories Of
tn. l..a ,va- (and SOME without nsr-
i) have preceded this work, it was re-
served for Mr.. Stephens to write histo-
ry from materials hitherto untouched. 1t
would be difficult to say whether the
strict historians of the war have designed
ly avoided the field which Dir. Stephens
has so successfully entered, or wether the
Importance of the subject and its COM
plexity have deferred them from the un.
dertaking.
The work differs essentially, both in
its style and the quality of the materials
employed, from any similar modern work
with which We are acquainted. 1t is not
a recital of historical facts thrown togeth.
er to swell a volume, neither is it q
graphic description of battles, victories
and defeats. Its aim is not so much to
record the facts of history, as to deal
with the materials of history 1t is q
philosophic treaties on the principles Of
the American Government, and the
causes which led to the disruption of the
Federative System. Though the work is
written in that easy and graceful style
which charaeterizes the authors produc-
tons, it is nevertheless mastery effort
in vindication of the constitutional right
of secession. 1t embraces a logical dis
QUESTION of the principles and theory OF
the Government from its inception to
the present time. The author has touched
no subject which he has not elucidated
Every line is characterised by an analyti-
cal accumen and cogeucy of reasoning
which carries conviction with it.
The reader will, perhaps, better con-
ceive of 60 - = wor& if he
! ! !; ! ! -
s f.ssesy, Professor NoSsoE, conservative
II the same party, and Major Hester, a
War Democrat. These gentlemen, whose
names are fictitious, call upon Mr.. Ste
phens for friendly and mutual discus
sion of the questions involved in the
late war. The conversations had in that
interview forms the subject matter of the
volume.
Many of the readers of the work will
not agree with Mr.. Stephens in the rea-
son which he assigns as the ultimate
cause of the War. He denies that the
war was the result of twoopposing ideas,
or principles upon the subject of African
slavery. He does not deny that theswar
had its origin in opposing principles, but
says slavery was not that principle, and
that they lay in the organic structure of
the Government of the States The con-
test was between those who held the
Government to be strictly Federal in its
character, and those who maintained that
it was thoroughly national. 1t was a
strife between the principles of Fedora
ton. on one side, and Centralism, or Con-
on the other.