Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-01-25
Gen. Lee q Birthday.

The ninety second anniversary of
General Robert f. Lees birthday was
appropriately observed in Berryville
appropriately because never before
has there been poured into the ears
of local audience such sound logi-
cal reasoning as to the causes of the
civil war as was done by Rev. Il. ID.
Stephenson, of Woodstock, in speech
of one and a-hslf hours before the
i. +. b. Stuart Camp, c. V, aud
their guests at the courthouse last
Thursday night.
DIR. Stephenson INDUCED in no
high classical expressions but en-
ployed pure Anglo-Saxon in telling
the story of the events and causes
that brought about that struggle,
and he frequently called to his assis-
lance statistical facts to sustain his
assertions and to prove false the Sian
der hurled at the South by SOME i'll
Informed and narrow minded North
ern sympathizer.
His audience was held spellbound
lay his convincing arguments aud
clear statement of facts. and applause
seldom Interrupted his discourse so
closely did his hearers follow him
ami So attentively did they listen to
his remarks.
After prayer had been offered bv
Chaplain Broaddus. DR.. Stephenson
was introduced by Commander Gold.
The speaker opened his address by
stating that his talk would be chiefly
about he misunderstanding between
the States. a. az this time there eN-
lists Woeful lack of knowledge of
The true history of that conflict. es-
ptcia'iN among the Younger people.
-\us Now. hr said. hr believes that
th' muse for au accurate account of
thv events prior aud during that war
viii 500 .ome. because the sectional
feeling Incident to he struggle has
about hren Obliterated. as no later
'hau two months ago the President
-: thi' great sepubiic. Northern of
seer. sand iu a public speech that the
Confederate dead were deserving of
recognition from their Northern
brothers. and that the lapel of his coat
WAS decorated with Confederate
badge. He said be was glad to see the
establishment of friendly feeling
between the States again. the cause
OF which he believes lies IN the fact
that the present condition Of airs
are similar to those existing prior tc
go, and that being so light
would soon break. He said that the
Northern and Western States believed
III the years before the war as they
do now that the constitution is pro
gressive. or it's meaning may b,
changed to suit the condition of af
fairs of the country at any time
while the South regards it as cove
nant. Before the war, he said. til,
business interests IN New England
being in conflict with those in tn,
South, the enactment of laws beneti
cial TO the North seriously interior
ed with the business in the Soutl
and provoked much luminosity among
the Southern people. The constitu
ton, he said, provides that the peo
pie of every state should be allowed
TO attend strictly to their own bust
meas without interference from any
other State, bur the enactment OF
these laws by the government a
Washington practically DESTROYED
this right of self government anC
made it possible for the centraliza
ton of power in one federal head
thus violating the guarantees of tn,
constitution. Against this infringe
ment of the North upon states right.
the South rose up in arms to protec
her interests and to enforce the con
stitution that accorded her the RICH
of self-government, and not to de
stroy the Union as heralded from
state to state b. Northern sympathi
zers. Now, he says. the Northern
and Western politicians are endeav
oring to stretch the meaning of tn,
constitution into its permitting thi,
country to acquire foreign territory
This expansion movement, he SAYS
Will ventilate the constitution, which
will demonstrate the correctness OF
the South's position in '6O-'64.