Speech Of A. H. Stephens At Richmond

Last iiight, ot the boür oí 9 o'clock, a large numbor uL ci.izens congrogated 1 in front f the Exchai ■ , ui-.h . the First Régimen) Ba,nd, tui 1 se dl Ilon. Aloxamier II Stephens, Vice Prosiden-t of the Confedérate States of Apierj a. Thia distinguinhed gontlemap vvíís ntroduced l Uie tfyrong by Mayor Mayo, and rooeiyod with bearty cheers. Io re6po,n-,e Mr. Stephens rotunned bis ftükn'ïwlodginon's for tiie vvaruith of the peMooa) greeting, nod t'.c most profouud tbanks for it as the reproattntiitive f t ho Confedérate Suites, lie spoke of the rejoiving the seeession of Virginia bad cuusud among her suuihcni sinters, Her people wo'd feeljusltfied f tlioy could bear itna lic bad. lic would nol spoak ii' the Stutos vvho were out, but those who were in North Carolina waa out , aj)d did not know exacily Innv she pt out, Tbc lires that wece blazinjhere lic had scjii all ulong bis track froin Montgomery lp liicli:niul. At Wilaaiogtpn, ÍN'. C, he had eounled, on one streei, twr:!y dágS of bc Confedérate States. . no nevvs frorn Toiincssee was equully cboertag - tbore the tnoutttiains were on lire. soine oí' II. o Slatos StiH hesita', eti, but Boon :ill would lie in. Tea nesssee was 00 longer in the late Union. Sho was out by rtsojutions of' her populair assomblies, in Memphis and othor cities. Kontnolcy would soon bo out. Hei i)u..)!i,' woru moving. - Missouri - who could doubt tliu stand .sho would tuke whon fier Governor, in reply io Lincoln's insolent proclumation, said, ' You fhall have do iroops foriho furthoranco of your ilioiraï, unubristiao and diabólica] sahemes l': 31 issou:i wiil Boon add auother star to the Bootbern galaxy. Where Maryland 'u you all know. The lirst soiuhorn blood [ad boen sliud on bersoil, and Virginia would novor stand idly by and see her citizens sliot down. The causa of Baltimore is tliu cause o! thu wliole Soiltb. i Ie aaid the cause we were enoraged in was tha. wliiuli attftched neople to the old constitulion of the United States - it was the oauso oí civil, rsligious and eonf.tutional liberty. Many of ua looked at tbat constitution as the anchor ot safuty. In Georgia the people had boen attnciied to the previous Union, but the constitution which govnrned it was franrád by southurn talent. and underst nilii:. Assaulta had heeo madeon it ever since it was escablisbed - lately a latitudinious constriiction ieen made by tbe Xonh, hile we of the South souglit to interpiet it as it wHS, advocafeing Htrict construction, Stilte rigbtfi, t.ho ri,'hts of the people to rule, ase. He spnke of all the fiftuen southern States asadvopating tbiw coustruction. To viólate the principies of the constitution was to nitiate ïvvolution - ar.d tho Northern States had d me this. Tho constitution framod at Montgoniery discarded the obsolete i Jeas of the old constitution, but had -1 its better portions, with some uiodification!, suggested by tho experience of tho past, and it lias been adopted by the Confederóte State.s, who woulil stand to it, The old eonstitution . ad been made an engiüe of power to crush out liberty ; that oí tho Confedérate .States, to presorvo it. The old constitUiion was improved inour hands, and those livtog ander it had, iike the Pboeiiix, risen from the atibes, The rvolu ion lately begïin did not dieet ulmiu property, but liberty. Me alluded to Lincoln'i cali for 75,000 volunteers, and said lio could lind no aulhurity in the old constitutio:) lor such a flagrant abuso of power. Mis second proclauiation h id Btigmatized all who sailed in Ie ters of marque; thi.s was also in vioiaüon of tho constitution, whioh alone gave ' Gong ess that power. - What had the friends of liberty to hope for? Beiiinning in usorpation, where ould he end? You were, hnvèver, said he, no longer under the rule i of á tyr.int. Wilh atroog anus and i stout Iiearts, yotl huve resolved to ' stand in defenso of liberfy. Tiie Confedérate S tutea had but asserted their rights. Ttiey believed that their rulers derivad tbuir just power a from the consent ol the govorned, No one had a right to deny the extatéooe of the Bovereign right of secession. Our pooplo did not want to meddle with tho norlhern States- only wartted the latter to lel thein alone. Wlieu did Virginia over aslc tho assistance of the get.eral govemment f it there i.s sin in mr totltutlr)Q8 we bear the blarne, and will stand :icquitted by natura-l law and the biffbr law of the Creator. Wo stand upon the law ol God and nature. The soi'.ihoi i Qtatea did not ivbh are.-.oit to anns alter secession. Mr. S'.ephons alluded to the negotialions butweun MlijiA' Aü'k-rsnn and tlio authoriiie.i ol' the Confedérate States to demónstrate the propositic.n. llistory, he said i f rightly writlen, wou!d acquit us of u de.-ire lo shöd oar brolhers' bluod. Tha law of neees.-üly and of right compeled us to act as we did. tle had reason to believe tnat the Orea tor smiled 09 it. Tho Federal ilag v:is taken down without tho Kxss of a single llfe. Ile believed that l'rovidenco would be with ua and bless us to the end. We bad appealed to the God of JJattle.s for the justfioss of our causo. Madnese and lolly ru&d at VVasbington. Had it not havo been so, Beveral of the States would have been in the old Union for a year to come. Tho gods first made inad those they would destroy. Maryland would join us, and niav be ere long, tho piinciple that Washington louglit for n)ight be again adminis'.ered in tho city that bfare his iiainc. Bvery son ol tho Boütb, trom the l'otoinae to the Kio Grande, shoöld ral'y to tho support of .Maryhuid. If Lincoln qnits VVasbiagton as ignomin iously as he entcred it, God's will will have been accoinplished. The argu ment was noiv oxhausted. le. prepared; stand to yourarms; détaad your wives and liresides. Ho alluded to tho momentous consequenöes of tin issue involved. lvuther than be conquered, let every second man rally to drive baok tho invaders. The oonflict vvill be terrible, but tho victory will hv oiirs. Virinianf, èaid lie, yo fight for m ii' your sacred rights - tho lajid rii Patríele [lenry - to keop fVfnii deíocration the to nb of W:.toii, Ui e gravea of Mudismi, Joíi' nnci a i ypu hl i moat duar Throtí given for ! Stophuns. anH thrae cheers for Jeffersoii Duvíh. 'l'lio ji!i,ons repaired to tlio öpolswood House fo serenade C !. Lee. M lynr Mayo app ated, aóil i'-grotteí] that gontlomán'a hbsènce but h'avíng tJtcn appointed ösneral ol tri) the land íoi-oes in Virginia, lie wastbon conBuUi[{í with tho Extjcutive as t tb.e propof m. -asures to lltí p'.íi'suu.l.