The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-09-07
NUMBER 10.
A Ah.Stephens-s COnstiiutiOnRI VtA,,, =,
the Civil War


After long delay, caused bv sevaro IN
ness, Hon. Alex II. Stephens has pnLIisl,ed
the second volume of his great work emit
tied "A Constitutional View of.the Iata
War Between the States-Its Causes
Character, Conduct and Results" This
work IS most valuable and admirable
one. In it will be found the causes of the .
war, the constitutional questions underlv-
ing II, the principles, moral and political,
involved IN 1t, the efforts made to avert If
the peace mission of Blair, the Confer.
ence at Hampton Roads, and the diving
struggles Of the ConfedeTacy. Throuobon3
the volume there is marked absence
Of prejudice or bitter feeling, a wiIIing-
ness to allow for the preiudices of Others
and generosity in Judging of the acts
and intentions of the Jacobin enemies of
his section, which, in our opinion, is car
rled too far, but which, we admit, is in
unison with the forbearing charity and
phllosophic impartiality so characteristic
of Mr.. Stephens.
The Constitutional View will be a
standard work when the ephemeral "His-
tories, so called, Of the war, will have
passed from the memory of man and the
shelves of the book sellers. The book is
enriched with nine steel engraved por-
traits of Stephens, Beauregard, Toonbs.
Douglas, Lincoln, with autograph letter.
Davis, Lee, Johnson and Grant and not
the least interesting portion of it to the
general reader will beMr. Stephens's per-
sonal estimate of the leading men of both
parties with whom he came in contact.
which IN one instance is snoticeably differ
ent from the general estimate. In the
Appendix the reader will find a great
| deal of valuable historic documents. We
commend the volume to every one desirous
OF understanding the causes that led to.
the war, the issues that sprung out of it,
| and the results attained through and by
IT.. The closing passage is so full of truth,
and so thoroughly in accord with the
| opinions we have held and the principles
we have advocated that we give it entire
| ''Thls, then, is one of the main differen-
ces between Governor Brown and myself
10 his idea that we are conquered peo-
pie, and as such should make the best
terms we can, my reply is, that this was
not the understanding at the time of the
surrender. The States, as States, were
distinctly recognized in that surrender, as
we have seen; nor have even the Recon-
structlonists at Washington as yet acted
upon the avowed assumption that we are
thus conquered. These monstrous meas
ures so proposed by Congress are aclznowl-
| edged to be without authority by those
| who have passed them, and can, therefore
be considered as nothing but gross usur-
pations. The courts have yet to pass
upon them. These measures, in my judg-
ment, can never receive the sanction of
that department of the Government-not
even IN the view that we are a conquered
people Conquered people. Uonquerors
must govern their subjects accord ing to
| 10 ,F Il, ].
law. This is well established by the laws
of nations. The fundamental law of Con-
gress, by which the courts must must be
governed, is the Constitution of the United
States. This gives Congress 10 power in
time OF peace to susped the writ of habeGS
corpus, nor to declare martial law, to say
nothing of the other enormities of these
measures, over any class of people, ,wheth-
er citizens, aliens, denizens or subjects
We are bound to believe, therefore, that
the Supreme Court of the United States
will hold these measures, when they come
before that body, to be gross and palpable
usurpatlons Of power, and utterly null and
void.
"But if this court should not so hold, if
this tribunal should decide not only that
we are conquered people, but further,
that Congress, representing the conquer
OlSs Sdh properly govern US as UIeY see JH,
outside of the limitations of the Gonstitu-
tion of the United States; and can prop
erly deny us, if they choose, the great
American rights of self-government for
the future, then, even in that view, my
reply ls,- let our conquerors govern us as
they see fti
"We. it is true, cannot resist, or offer
any violent opposition. We can only bear
with patience and iortitude, as best we
may, what is imposed upon us but in the
name of all that is sacred, do not let us
attempt to govern olTSelUeS-not as a0e see
til, but as our cOaaquerorS see .tftI That
} would be but their government at last
without any of its responsibility. By ev-
cry consideration, then, we should not, by
giving these measures formal approval
put ourselves in the position Of being
told, when the disastrous consequences
; follow, which will inevitably ensue, that
it was lOe, ourselves and not Mey, who
brought such ruin upon the country p
CRISIS.