Year: 1869

The Hon. A. Ill. Stephens has
written a long and elaborate let
ter to the National Intelligencer,
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 paragraphs of the let
ter:


"And now, Messrs. Editors, do
you ask, CMj b0aO2 Why so much
written upon the dead issues of
the past when questions of so
much magnitude of a practical
character press upon the public
mind? Ifso, the reply is tvgO-fold.
First, to vindicate the truth of
history, which is itself a high duty
on the part of any one who has it
in his power, to do it; and, i'll the
second place, to show the p eople
Of these States, in this vindica,tion,
not only the true cause, the real
''cGaSG cduSGRSn Of the late war,
but the real cause of their pre- sent
troubles.


The Federal machinery for the
last ten years has been abnormal
in its section. 1t must be brou, yht
back to the Jeffersonian doctrin es,
and made to conform in its work-
ings with the organic prineip. les
Of its structure, before there can
possibly be a return of the DAYS
of peace, harmony, prosperit J,
and happiness, which formerl y
marked our course. There is no
hope for constitutional liberty OH
this continent. Judge Nichol s
may "dream dreams" about an
other constitutional amendments
providing a new mode of electing
the President, but the remedy lies
in no such device as that. 1t lies
simply in bringing back the gov
ernment in its administration to
original first principles. This is
to be done not by secession, how
ever rightful and efficient a RENE
dy that might be. That is aban-
doned. Nor is it to be done by
force or violence of any kind, ex-
cept the force of reason and the
power of truth. 1t is to be done,
if at all, at the ballot box.


Free institutions are more gen.
orally lost than established, or
strengthened by a resort to physi-
cal force. They are eminently the
achievement of virtue, patriotism
and reason. That our institutions,
and even nominal form of govern
ment is now in great danger, the
prudent, sagaciOus and wise every
where virtually admit. An able
editorial in your own paper, not
long since, put the petinent and
grave question, "Whither are we
drifting?' To this question / take
the occasion for one to give you
a direct and positive answer. We
are drifting to consolidation and
empire, and land there at no dis
tant period as certainly as the
sun will set this day, unless the
people of the several States awake
to proper appreciation of the
danger, and save themselves from
the impending catastrophe by ar
resting the present tendency of
public affairs. This they can
properly do only at the ballot-box.
All friends of constitutional lIber-
ty, in every section Of the State,
must unite in this effort. They
must seriously consider, and even
reconsider many questions to
which they have given but light
attention heretofore. They m ust
acquaint themselves with The
principles of their GOvernme at,
and provide security for the .tu.
ture 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 ii.
there is no difference between
consolidation and empire. No
difference between centralism and
Imperialism. The end of either, as
well as all these, is the overthrow
of liberty and the establishment
of despotism. | give you the
words of truth in great earnest
ness words which, however re
ceived or needed now, will be
rendered eternally true by the
developments of the future.