Internet History Sourcebooks: Modern History

Internet Modern History Sourcebook

Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883):

Cornerstone Address, March 21, 1861

Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883), although originally opposed to secession, was
elected vice-president of the Confederacy. After the war he returned to political service
in Georgia and in the House of Representatives. He was elected governor of Georgia in 1882
and died in office.

We are in the midst of one of the greatest epochs in our history. The last ninety
days will mark one of the most memorable eras in the history of modern civilization.

… we are passing through one of the greatest revolutions in the annals of the
world-seven States have, within the last three months, thrown off an old Government and
formed a new. This revolution has been signally marked, up to this time, by the fact of
its having been accomplished without the loss of a single drop of blood. [Applause.] This
new Constitution, or form of government, constitutes the subject to which your attention
will be partly invited.

In reference to it, I make this first general remark: It amply secures all our ancient
rights, franchises, and privileges. All the great principles of Magna Chartal are retained
in it. No citizen is deprived of life, liberty, or property, but by the judgment of his
peers, under the laws of the land. The great principle of religious liberty, which was the
honor and pride of the old Constitution, is still maintained and secured. All the
essentials of the old Constitution, which have endeared it to the hearts of the American
people, have been preserved and perpetuated…. So, taking the whole new Constitution, I
have no hesitancy in giving it as my judgment, that it is decidedly better than the old.
[Applause.] Allow me briefly to allude to some of these improvements. The question of
building up class interests, or fostering one branch of industry to the prejudice of
another, under the exercise of the revenue power, which gave us so much trouble under the
old Constitution, is put at rest forever under the new. We allow the imposition of no duty
with a view of giving advantage to one class of persons, in any trade or business, over
those of another. All, under our system, stand upon the same broad principles of perfect
equality. Honest labor and enterprise are left free and unrestricted in whatever pursuit
they may be engaged in ….

But not to be tedious in enumerating the numerous changes for the better, allow me to
allude to one other-though last, not least: the new Constitution has put at rest forever all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institutions-African slavery as
it exists among us-the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This
was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson, in his
forecast, had anticipated this, as the “rock upon which the old Union would
split.” He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But
whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The prevailing ideas entertained by him and most of the leading
statesmen at the time of the formation of the old Constitution were, that the enslavement
of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle,
socially, morally and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with;
but the general opinion of the men of that day was, that, somehow or other, in the order
of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. This idea, though not
incorporated in the Constitution, was the prevailing idea at the time. The Constitution,
it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and
hence no argument can be justly used against the constitutional guarantees thus secured,
because of the common sentiment of the day. Those ideas, however, were fundamentally
wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It
was a sandy foundation, and the idea of a Government built upon it-when the “storm
came and the wind blew, it fell.”

Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are
laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white
man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and moral condition.
[Applause.] This, our new Government, is the first, in the history of the world,
based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been
slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments
of science. It is so even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well that
this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past
generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North who still
cling to these errors with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. All
fanaticism springs from an aberration of the mind; from a defect in reasoning. It is a
species of insanity. One of the most striking characteristics of insanity, in many
instances, is, forming correct conclusions from fancied or erroneous premises; so with the anti-slavery fanatics: their conclusions are right if their premises are. They
assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges
and rights, with the white man…. I recollect once of having heard a gentleman from one
of the Northern States, of great power and ability, announce in the House of
Representatives, with imposing effect, that we of the South would be compelled,
ultimately, to yield upon this subject of slavery; that it was as impossible to war
successfully against a principle in politics, as it was in physics or mechanics. That the
principle would ultimately prevail. That we, in maintaining slavery as it exists with us,
were warring against a principle-a principle founded in nature, the principle of the
equality of man. The reply I made to him was, that upon his own grounds we should succeed,
and that he and his associates in their crusade against our institutions would ultimately
fail. The truth announced, that it was as impossible to war successfully against a
principle in politics as well as in physics and mechanics, I admitted, but told him it was
he and those acting with him who were warring against a principle. They were attempting to
make things equal which the Creator had made unequal.

In the conflict thus far, success has been on our side, complete throughout the length
and breadth of the Confederate States. It is upon this, as I have stated, our social
fabric is firmly planted; and I cannot permit myself to doubt the ultimate success of a
full recognition of this principle throughout the civilized and enlightened world.

As I have stated, the truth of this principle may be slow in development, as all truths
are, and ever have been, in the various branches of science. It was so with the principles
announced by Galileo-it was so with Adam Smith and his principles of political economy. It
was so with Harvey, and his theory of the circulation of the blood. It is stated that not
a single one of the medical profession, living at the time of the announcement of the
truths made by him, admitted them. Now, they are universally acknowledged. May we not
therefore look with confidence to the ultimate universal acknowledgment of the truths upon
which our system rests? It is the first Government ever instituted upon principles in
strict conformity to nature, and the ordination of Providence, in furnishing the materials
of human society. Many Governments have been founded upon the principles of certain
classes; but the classes thus enslaved, were of the same race, and in violation of the
laws of nature. Our system commits no such violation of nature’s laws. The negro by
nature, or by the curse against Canaan, [note: A reference to Genesis, 9:20-27,
which was used as a justification for slavery] is fitted for that condition which he
occupies in our system. The architect, in the construction of buildings, lays the
foundation with the proper material-the granite-then comes the brick or the marble. The
substratum of our society is made of the material fitted by nature for it, and by
experience we know that it is the best, not only for the superior but for the inferior
race, that it should be so. It is, indeed, in conformity with the Creator. It is not
for us to inquire into the wisdom of His ordinances or to question them. For His own
purposes He has made one race to differ from another, as He has made “one star to
differ from another in glory.”

The great objects of humanity are best attained, when conformed to his laws and degrees
[sic], in the formation of Governments as well as in all things else. Our Confederacy is
founded upon principles in strict conformity with these laws. This stone which was
rejected by the first builders “is become the chief stone of the corner” in
our new edifice.