Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-06-18
Erii,in; TO an Empire.


The Hon. A. Ii. Stephens has written a
long and elaborate letter to the National
Intelligeucer, giving his views as to the
prime cause Of the war between the North
aud the South, and closing with some
speculatlOns as to our political future. We
copy the concluding paragraphs of the let
ter
And nov, Messrs. Editors, DO you ask
CWi bono? Why so much written upon the
dead issues of the past, when questions of
SO much magnitude of practical cha rac-
ter press upon the public mind II so,
the reply is two fold. First, to vindicate
the truth of history, which is itself high
duty on the part of any one who has it in
his power to do it; and in the second place,
to show the people of these States, in this
vindication, not only the true cause, the
real "causd causdns' of the late war, but
the real cause of their present troubles
The Federal machinery for the last ten
years has been abnormal in its action 1t
must be brought back to the Jetlersonian
doctrines, and made to conform in It's
workings with the organic principles of It's
structure, before there can possibly be
return Of the days Of peace, harmony,
prosperity and happiness which formerly
marked our course. There is no other
hope for constitutional liberty on this con-
tinent. Judge Nicholas may ''dream
dreams about another constitutional
amendment, providing new mode
of electing the President, but the
remedy lies in no such device as that.
1t lies simply in bringing back the gov
ernment in its administration to original
first principles. This is to be done not by
secession, however rightful and efficient a
remedy that might be. That is abandon
ed. Nor is it to be done by force or VIC
lence of any kind, except the force of rea-
son and the power of truth. It is to be
done, if at all, at the ballot-box. Free
institutions are more generally lost than
established, or strengthened by resort to
physical force. They are eminently the
achievement of virtue, patriotism and rea-
son. That our institutions, and even
nominal form of government is now in
great danger, the prudent, sagacious, and
wise everywhere admit. An able editorial
in your own paper, not long since, put the
pertinent and grave question, " Whittier
are we drifting ?" To this question take
occa sion for one to give you direct and
positive answer. we are drifting to con-
solidatlon and empire, and will land there
at no distant period as certainly as the sun
will set this day, unless the people of the
several States awake to O proper apprecia-
ton of the danger, and save themselves
from the impending catastrophe by arrest
ing the present tendency of public affairs.
This they can properly do only at the
ballot-box. All friends of constitutional
liberty, in every section of the State. must
unite in this grand effort. They must Sc
riously consider and even reconsider many
questions to which they have given but
slight attention heretofore. They must
acquaint themselves with the principles of
their government, and provide security for
the future by studying and correcting the
errors of the past.
This is the only hope, as I have stated,
for the continuance of even our present
nominal form of government. Depend
upon it, there is no difference between
consolidation and empire No difference
between centralism and imperialism The
end of either, as well as all of these, is the
overthrow of liberty and the establishment
of despotism. I give you the word of truth
in great earnestness-words which, howev-
er received or needed now, will be render
ed eternally true by the development
ments of the future.
Yours, most respectfully.
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS.