Year: 1864

4 ABSTRACT OF THE SPEECH OF Hon


A. I'll. STEPHENS.


The Columbus (Ga.) "Times" publishes tt
following abstract of speech delivered by Viz
President Stephens in the hall of the House


Representatives, at Milledgevile, on WeGnesda


evening, March 10th, 1884,


Mr. Stephens began his speech at the hour


Z IL p. NJ. and closed at 1920. The hall wa


crowded with members of the Legislature an


citizens generally, there being among the latte


many ladies'. All seemed anxious to get an
|other sight Of one whom the people of Georgi


had often honored, and to whom they had ofte
| looked FOR counsel in times of peril. He ha,
EeEtered at ali early hour, in company with hi
Excellency, the Governor of Georgia, and hal
not been observed until he ascended the Speak
er's stand. Then there was burst of hearty
applause that seemed to come from all present
testifying how truly, and with what regard, be


was called upon to speak.


He began by saying that bis object was tc
speak on the state OF public affairs at this pres
ent crisis. The time had passed when the meas
ures which brought on the war should be dis
cussed; the great question to be determined by
legislators was the proper hIsbandiDg and man
agement of all the resources of the county,
The country was environed by dangers and per-
lis within and without; but though the times
were perilous, he did not regard the cause as
hopeless. If true to ourselves and to our cause,
we must ultimately succeed.


The enemy had not as yet inflicted any vital
blow on our interests; though they gained some
important advantages, the chief Of which was
their success from their gunbo4ts. We could
not resist their attacks successfully from this
source any more than lion could successfully
attack shark. If asked whether we should ul>
timately triumph, his reply would be yes, a
Thousand times yes, If we properly managed the
resources of the country.


On the currency question he did not intend TO
speak further than to say that he regarded it as
an unwise measure, though 1t might have been
the best that could have been adopted with the
conflicting opinions on the subject.


On the military Act-the second CONSUMPTION
act as he termed it-he was more severe. He
thought 1t put too large portion of the fight
ing men in the field. Only one>third of the
fighting men of a country, it had been demon
strated by history, could be safely put in the
field. Whenever this proportion was exceeded,
there was danger to the country in long wars,
from the want of means of subsistence of the
army. He feared that sufficient regard had not
been paid to the fact when the bin was under
consideration. IS to the question assumed in
the Act that all the mechanical, manufacturing
and agricultural labor of the country could be
put under the control of the President, that was
a question left for the Courts to determine and
he would be satisfied with their decision.


The next important question would be SUBJ
mitted to the Legislature, was the act suspend
ing the writ of habeos corpus. He contended
that while Congress had the power to suspend
that writ by an implied grant in the Constitu-
tion, it did not have the power to do that which
the act did, which was to authorize the arrest of
persons without charge being made against
them on oath or affirmation, or probable cause
of some person. That right Congress had not
the power to take away, for it was expressly
granted in the Constitution. The aetcontained
thirteen specifications, in any one of which the
writ might be suspended. There was no need
of the act SO far as concerned persons guilty of
being spy, or of treason, or of cutting telegraph
wires The entire spirit of unity of the people |
in the prosecution Of this war, forbid the enter
tanning of any such opinion. 1t could have
reference to but one class, which is styled per-
sons seeking to avoid military service.


The great liability to abuse of this power, SO
far as that class of persons is concerned, was
dwelt upon with great earnestness and force.
Instances were advanced in which the power





base of man who was put into military service
IN the field whom the family record and other
evidences showed to be above forty>fve years of
age, because under recent order the persons
age had to be computed according to the last
,ensus and the person referred had had his age
given in. Another instance was sd-
luced of person seeking to get his son into
he army as 3 volunteer, as under the aot he
lad right to do, and having that son suddenly
arrested anG put into perison as seeking to
avoid military service"


Mr.. s. thought it the duty Of the Legislature
% give public expression TO their opinion as
he most likely to effect the repeal of the act
~ the next Congress. He favored the free ex>
preston of opinion, thought it as much a duty
o disapprove measure that is wrong, as to ap-
prove of one that Is right.


He considerd the great question involved in
he war to be independence and eonstitu-
onal liberty Without one he did not want
The other. He would not desire 10 survive the
lefeat of either.