The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-11
DRIFTING TO AW EMPIRE.
Vhe Tendency OF the T1mes-A Remar T..
able Letter from the Hon. Alexander
IL. stephens.

The Hon. A. FL. Stephens has written a long
and elaborate letter to the National Lnte.li-
Renoer, giving his views as to the prime cause
OF the war between the North and the South,
and closing with some speculations as to our
political future. We copy the concluding para
graphs of the letter:
And now, Messrs Editors, do you ask Cui
oono Why 80 much written upon the dead
issues OF the past, whtn questions of SO much
magnlttude ma ofa practical character press upon
First, to vindicate the truth Of history, which
is itself a high duty on the part Of any one who
has 1t in his power to do il; aud, IN the second
place to show the people Of these States, in
rea! 'cdusG cduSdns' Of the late war, but the
real cause of their present troubles. The
Federal machinery for the last ten years
,, mas oeen "a abnormal o,l in IT'S action It must be
ta&de to conform In ito woihings with the or
ganic principles of its structure, before there
can possibly be return Of the days of peaca,
merly marked our course. There is no" no other
hope for constitutional liberty on this CONT
nent. Judge Nicholas may ''dream dreams"
ABOUT another constitutional amendment, pro-
but the remedy lies in no such device as that.
1t hes simply in bringing back the government
IN its administration to original first principles.
ibis 10 to be done not by secession, however
~.
That is abandoned. Nor is it to be done by
force OF violence of any kind, except the force
OF reason and the power Of truth. 1t is to be
done, il at oil, at the ballotbox. Free institu-
tons are more generally lost than estab-
ilshed, or strengthened by a resort to ply
steal force. They are eminently the achieve.
ment OF virtue, patriotism and reason.
That our institutions, and even nominal
form OF government is now in great danger,
the prudent, sagacious, and wise everywhere
virtually admit. An able editorial in your own
paper, not long since, put the pertinent and
grave question, "Whither are we drifting ?"
10 this question / take the ccason for one to
give you direct and positive answer. We are
drifting to consolidation and empire, and will
land there at no distant pc iod as certainly as
the sun will set this day, unless the people Of
The several States awake to a proper appreci-
alton OF the danger, and save themselves from
the impending catastrophe by arresting the
present tendency of public affairs. This they
friends of constitutional liberty, in every SEC
ton or the State, must unite in this arand
effort. They must seriously consider, and even
reconsider many questions to which they have
given but slight attention here ofore. They
must acquaint themselves with the principles
the future by studying and correcting The
errors of the past.
This is the only hope, as have stated, for
the continuance Of even our present nominal
form Of government. Depend upon it, there is
no difference between consolidation and em-
pire No difference between centralism and
imperialism ! The end OF either. as we'll as all
of these, is the overthrow of liberty and the es-
tablishmenr of despotism. l give you the
words OF truth in great earnestness-words
be rendered eternally true by the developments
of the future. .4
Yours, most respe ectfuly,