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To: WhowasGustavusFox
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 institution -- African slavery as it exists amongst 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 that time. The constitution, it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and hence no argument can be justly urged 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 government built upon it fell when the "storm came and the wind blew."

Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone 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 normal condition. [Applause.] This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. -- Alexander Stephens, vice-president of the confederacy, March 1861

Mr. Hunt has absolutely no idea of what he is talking about.

17 posted on 04/08/2002 3:09:47 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Non-Sequitur
If you are going to quote the Cornerstone speech, be sure to provide his first quotes in the speech.

Alexander Stephens, Cornerstone Speech, (March, 1861):

"Allow me briefly to allude to some of these improvements (of the new Confederate Constitution over the old Union Constitution). 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.

“This old thorn of the tariff, which was the cause of so much irritation in the old body politic,is removed forever from the new.

20 posted on 04/08/2002 3:26:08 PM PDT by WhowasGustavusFox
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To: Non-Sequitur
A very effective rebuttal to a rather leaky piece of revisionist history.
21 posted on 04/08/2002 3:41:40 PM PDT by Mission2mars
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