Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-06-18
Friday, June 49,: 1869.
The True Cause Of the Late War
Letter of tho Hon. A. d. Stephens,

&. -- r
The Hon. A. II. Stephens has s
addressed letter to the National |
.h,telligencer in vindication of the I
principles of his great work against {
the structures of the Hon. S. S. I
Nicholas of Kentucky. Judge !
Nicholas in a communication to
that same paper had given the fol- {
lowing paragraphs as condensed
summary OF the positions of Mr..
Stephens, as to the origin of the
war;
"Negro slavery was unquestiona-
bly, the occasion of the war, the
main exciting cause on both sides,
but was not the real cause, the
ca,lsa causans, of it.
eThe war was inauguratcd on,
the one side to vindicate the right
of secession, and on the 9th
er in denial of the right and to re-
sist its exercise. 1t grew out of
opposing views as to the nature of
the government, and were under
our system, ultimate sovereign pow
er or paramount authority resides"
Mr.. Stephens has a perfect right
to use his time and talents i'll self
justification as an alder Of the rebel
lion, but he is not justifable in
even unintentionally drawing upon
the orthodox Statc-rights principle
additional oblo luy by his attempts
to show that "opposing views" as
to those rights was the true cause
!, Of the civil war" ,
s~ - Mr.. Stephens objects to the par
agraphs as presenting partial and
incorrect view of the statements OF
his book, on the subject, and gives
the following extract from his work,
as embody ing his real views:
~ '.Slavery: so called, or that lega'
subordination of the black race to
the white, which. existed in all but
one of the States when the Uuior
Ras formed, and in fifteen of then
when the war began, was unques
tionably the occasion of the war
the main exciting proxi,nate caus'
=, on both sidee-on the one as wei
as the other. But it was not tn
real cause, the 'ca,tsa causa,as, of il
That was the assumption of til
Federal authorities that the. peopl
of the several States were, as yo
say, citizens Of the United States
and owed allegiance to the FEEDERS
Government as the absolute sover
eign power over the whole cour
try, consolidated into one natior
The war sprung from. the very ide
you have expressed, and from th
doctrines you have embraced
the, question propounded to m
It grew out of different and direo
ly opposite.views as to the natul
of the Government of the Unite
States, and where under our syste1
ultimate sovereign power or pa
amount, authority properly resides
;" We do not see, however, that the
is according to Mr.. Stephens ov
statement0 any real difference in Il
issues presented. The latter pa1
graph seems to be an expansion
the condensed statement of the. fo,
going. As expressed in both, t
cardinal position Of Mr.. stephe
seems to be, that whilst the protect
of slavery was the proximate a
exciting cause Of the war, the n
cause.-the "eausa causans"-was
RADICAL differences in theory, betwe
the General Government and t
Southern States, as to the respecti
powers Of eaeh-whetherIs sovereign
is alodged in the General @ Governme
Or has passed ito. tho whole people
44ae United isAtas: as one aggisy,
MACS, orstill remaining to thss pso
Of the several, States as distinct pol
cal organizations" oHi i,sl .i@!ns,
But Mr. Stephens objects th
an intimation is conveyed in !,
condensed extracts Of Judge Mic
.sss, thatths Waf waassiSeaydaa,at 1byia
Southern States, This lie iit'diiefii iin'diiigfnia
Iydenies aid ielAboratsiy dispro,
FFn This however Mr.. Stephens see
nefeiy.to.raise, up 8 aman Of stra
for the pleasure Of f'n knocking /
qdowb.io 1t could certainly not 4,
abeena the intentidn sof thsiJ JHage
make any such charge End Is CHA
pot,dsaasible from the atAgrsphs
Aasstioasi ssghssddeterfhibxttSh 4
tnies sJaationf ,ofi Tie fqusaedsnf az
ssspoaystilisysfst ths fnankafatt6n
, Tho WAR Jadgs Nicholas sssshas'