The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-08-06
tffom The Sund0y Reuie,0, March 2Oth.]
MR.. A. H. STEPHENS ON STATE sovER-
EIGHTY.

Mr.. Alexander Stephens, the Vice
PRESIDENT of the lll-fated Southern Coz:
federacy, is perhaps of all America
public men the best qualified fairly t,
represent and discuss the conflictin.
| theories of State rights and Federal an
thorlty which, after a political struggle
| OF more than a quarter of century
were at last brought to decisive issue OF
the field of battle. 1t is true that there
must always be deficiency of practical
interest in the re-opening on paper o1
a controversy so decided; for there is Q
feeling, in both the readers and the
writer's mind, that it is useless vet A.
gain to dispute with the pen the verdict
once recorded by the sword. Never
theless, In justice TO a brave, high mind
ed, and most unfortunate people, and
III due regard to historical truth and to
the interests of political science, it is
even now worth while to hear what a
scholar, man of deep political learn
ing, of profound knowledge of consti-
tutlonal history, OF moderate opinions
and temperate spirit, has to say in de-
tense OF principles which, however gen.
orally repudiated in 1869, were as gen
orally entertained ten years ago, and
which the South deemed woFti Il uphold
ing with her whole wealth and her best
blood. MIR. Stephens, If any one, MAG
be expected to think and speak fairly
and impartially on the subject. He
was more consistent than any Northern
opponent of sece cesSion-nearly al! of
whom had, at one time or another, de-
clared in favor lit; he is less embtter-
cd and exasperated than any Southern
secessionist. He opposed secession
from the lirst on Southern grounds; he
Upheld, on the. same grounds, the right
and duty of every Southern citizen to
abide by the decision of his State; he
was true to his cause to the last, vet
the only part he took I'm the war was
that OF nego:iator and peacemaker;
he is neither unpopular with the North
or dlstrus ed by his own people. The
opinions and arguments of such a man
are entitled, priori, to respectful at
tentlon; when they are Just, so clear,
so "ell-reasoned, so amply supported
by authorities OF the highest character
and OF every class as we find them in
the volume before MS, they cannot but
assist MS greatly in forming true iudg-
ment upon tile nature and merits OF the
controversy.
The plan of Mr.. Stephens work is
simple and somewhat trite, but conve-
nlent Tor his purpose. 1t is written in
the form OF conversations with North-
ern visitors at his Georgia residence;
each OF the three interlocutors repre-
sentlng and stating, with great distinct
ness, and we believe with perfect fair
ness, the ideas OF one OF the principal
Northern parties, and defending Them
by authority and reasoning, while the |
chief part of course is played by Mr.. |
stephens himself, as the assertor ofthe |
defeated doctrine of State sovereignty, |
TO which subject exclusively the present |
volume is devoted. The argument is
well arranged, with regard both to
historical order and logical sequence.
ma the propositions which the author
undertakes to maintain are as well and
Is eonclusively supported as any pro-
POSITIONS admitting of controversy well
IAN be. Mr.. Stephens is superior to
he common articles of advocacy. or is
90 confident in his cause toneed them.
lie never stoops to weaken or misstqte
he opposite view; he takes the strong
st points of his antagonists case, as
tated by its most eminent advocates.
nd meets them with arguments and
acts about whose relevancy there can
eldom be the shadow of a doubt.
The Northern theory of Federal SOW
reignty. as stated by Motley, and rein
Drced.by quotations from Story and
' ebster, divides itself into two altern-
tive propositions. The first is that the
sates never were sovereign, but de-
lved their very existence and origin
rom the Union. The second is that.
ranting them to have been sovereign
nder the first Confederation, their SOW
reignty was resigned or taken from
hem by the Federal Constitution of
lo7. Mr.. Stephens meets these asse--
ons by undertaking to prove: That
nc Declaration of Independence pro-
eeded from the colonies individually
nd seyerally, and asserted their sever