The Cornerstone Speech - Alexander H. Stephens (Audiobook)

Описание: To listen to the portion on slavery in the Confederacy, go to 11:12.

This is a Strategic Scholars reading of a notorious speech known as the Cornerstone Speech, delivered by Alexander H. Stephens on March 21, 1861. Stephens, a career politician, served in the United States congress until the state of Georgia seceded from the union. Shortly thereafter, he was elected vice-president of the Confederate States of America.

Less than one month before the outbreak of the American Civil War, Stephens delivered the Cornerstone Speech, which discusses the differences between the US and Confederate constitutions and governments. Most notably, Stephens indicates that slavery “was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution” and that the Confederate government is founded upon “the great truth, that the negro is not equal to the white man and that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition.”

This reading of the Cornerstone Speech is taken from, Alexander Stephens, In Public and Private With Letters and speeches, before during, and since the war, published in 1866, starting on page 718 after introductory remarks.

It is noted that there is no word-for-word copy of the speech and that this version was reported in a Savannah, Georgia newspaper. At the end of the "sketch" of the speech, the reporter notes that the speech "is not a perfect report, but only such a sketch of the address of Mr. Stephens as embraces, in his judgment, the most important points presented by the orator." Stephens received a copy of the book containing this version of the Cornerstone Speech for his review prior to being published. Stephens replied in a letter that he "made some corrections and suggestions which you will notice. With these the work in all essential facts will be, I think, substantially correct."

For this and other reasons, it appears that the primary points of the Cornerstone Speech are an accurate reflection of Stephens' views and, as the second most prominent politician in the Confederate government, views more widely held by the southern states regarding the reasons for seceding from the United States.

The book that published this speech may be read at the following link: https://books.google.com/books/about/...