Malcolm Rivera
Alexander H. Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederate States of America, believed that the US Constitution was fundamentally flawed. In his Cornerstone Speech, Stephens outlined his belief that the Constitution failed to address the contradiction between the ideals of equality and the existence and acceptance of slavery. Stephens argued that the founding fathers were wrong to believe that slavery was a violation of the laws of nature and that it would eventually disappear. Instead, Stephens claimed that slavery was compatible with the Bible, God's providence, and scientific understanding. He also pointed out the hypocrisy of Thomas Jefferson and other founders who advocated for freedom and equality while personally owning slaves. Stephens' defense of slavery and his views on racial inferiority contributed to the Southern states' secession and the American Civil War.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Failure to address the contradiction between the principles of equality and the practice of slavery | The Three-Fifths Compromise allowed southern states to count slaves for representation, thus giving political power to states that practiced slavery |
| Failure to deliver the same rights and freedoms for all Americans | Exclusion of women, people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities |
| The Constitution leans towards being a 'negative rights' constitution | Restrictions on the government rather than focusing on what the government owes its people |
| Interpretations and applications of the Constitution are discordant | Deep disagreements among U.S. citizens about what the Constitution means, leading to questions about the legitimacy of certain laws or governmental actions |
| Failure to address the institution of slavery | The founders chose not to confront the issue of slavery decisively, leading to compromises that protected slavery indirectly |
| Failure to recognise the equality of races | The Confederate government’s “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 normal condition.” |
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What You'll Learn
Failure to address the contradiction between equality and slavery
Alexander H. Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederate States of America, believed that the U.S. Constitution was fundamentally flawed due to its failure to address the contradiction between equality and slavery. In his "Cornerstone Speech" delivered on March 21, 1861, Stephens outlined the Confederacy's commitment to slavery and white supremacy. He argued that the founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, recognized the idea of equality and the inherent rights of individuals outlined in the Declaration of Independence. However, they failed to adequately address the issue of slavery within the Constitution.
Stephens claimed that the founders were delusional in their belief that emancipation was a "breach of the law of existence" and that slavery was an "injustice" that would eventually decline or disappear. He disagreed with their assertion that there was an "equality of races." Instead, he stated that the Confederate government's "cornerstone rests upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery [and] subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition."
Stephens criticized the compromises made by the founders during the drafting of the Constitution in 1787. To create a political union that would satisfy both northern and southern states, they indirectly protected slavery through compromises such as the Three-Fifths Compromise. This compromise allowed southern states to count slaves for representation in Congress, thereby granting political power to states that practiced slavery. Stephens believed that these compromises legitimized slavery and were incompatible with the foundational principles of equality and freedom espoused by the Constitution.
The contradiction between equality and slavery highlighted by Stephens also extended beyond the legal and political realms. Jefferson's personal ownership of slaves while advocating for freedom underscored the disparity between the Constitution's ideals and the realities of American society. This contradiction contributed to enduring conflicts about freedom and rights, with the Constitution failing to deliver the same rights and freedoms to all Americans, including those who were enslaved, as well as women, immigrants, people of color, and other marginalized groups.
In summary, Stephens believed that the U.S. Constitution's failure to reconcile the principles of equality with the practice of slavery exposed a fundamental flaw in the nation's founding document. This contradiction, along with the compromises made during its drafting, perpetuated slavery and inequality, leading to ongoing struggles for equal rights and freedom in American society.
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Compromises that legitimised slavery
Alexander H. Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, believed that the US Constitution was fundamentally flawed because it failed to address the contradiction between the ideals of equality and the existence and legitimisation of slavery.
The founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, recognised the idea of equality and the inherent rights of individuals as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. However, they failed to address the contradiction of slavery within the Constitution itself. Many of the founders were aware of the moral implications of slavery but chose not to confront the issue directly when drafting the Constitution in 1787. Instead, they sought a political union that would be palatable to both northern and southern states, leading to compromises that indirectly protected slavery.
One such compromise was the Three-Fifths Compromise, which allowed southern states to count slaves for representation in Congress, thus giving political power to states that practised slavery. This compromise, along with others, legitimised and protected slavery, despite the prevailing belief at the time that slavery was a violation of the laws of nature and wrong in principle, socially, morally, and politically.
Stephens further argued that the founders were delusional in their belief that emancipation was a breach of the laws of nature and that slavery would naturally weaken and disappear over time. He claimed that the cornerstone of the Confederate States' government was the belief that "'the negro is not equal to the white man'" and that slavery was the natural and normal condition for people of colour.
In summary, Stephens believed that the US Constitution was fundamentally flawed because it failed to resolve the contradiction between its principles of equality and the practice of slavery, leading to enduring conflicts about freedom and rights in American society. The compromises made during the drafting of the Constitution legitimised and protected slavery, making it incompatible with the foundational principles of liberty, equality, and justice.
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Exclusion of women, people of colour, and marginalised groups
The US Constitution is a document that was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates at the Philadelphia Convention, replacing the previous organizing document, the Articles of Confederation. While the Constitution beautifully articulated the notion that the government's power flows from the people, it failed to deliver the same rights and freedoms for all Americans, including women, people of colour, and marginalised groups.
Alexander H. Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederate States of America, believed that the US Constitution was fundamentally flawed. He attributed this belief to the Constitution's relationship with the institution of slavery and its failure to address the contradiction between the ideals of equality and the existence of slavery. Stephens argued that the founders, including Thomas Jefferson, recognised the idea of equality and the inherent rights of individuals as outlined in the Declaration of Independence, but they chose not to confront slavery decisively when drafting the Constitution. This resulted in compromises that indirectly protected slavery, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, which allowed southern states to count slaves for representation, thereby granting political power to states that practised slavery.
Stephens further contended that the founding fathers were delusional in their belief that emancipation was a "breach of the law of existence" and that slavery would naturally weaken or disappear over time. He asserted that slavery was based on the notion of the inferiority of people of colour, particularly Africans, and that this belief was not just rooted in religion but also in scientific understanding.
The exclusion of women, people of colour, and marginalised groups from the definition of "the people" in the Constitution is a significant aspect of Stephens' critique. The Constitution failed to recognise the rights and freedoms of these groups, perpetuating inequality and injustice. This exclusion contradicted the very principles of liberty, equality, and justice that the Constitution purported to uphold.
In summary, Stephens believed that the US Constitution's failure to address slavery and its exclusion of women, people of colour, and marginalised groups rendered it fundamentally flawed. These flaws led to enduring conflicts about freedom and rights in American society, highlighting the contradictions between the Constitution's ideals and its practices.
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Lack of explicit fundamental economic rights
While the US Constitution was created with principles of liberty, equality, and justice, Stephens believed that it was fundamentally flawed due to its relationship with the institution of slavery. The Constitution failed to address the contradiction between the ideals of equality and the existence of slavery, and this failure led to enduring conflicts about freedom and rights in American society.
The founders, including Thomas Jefferson, recognized the idea of equality and the inherent rights of individuals as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. However, they chose not to confront the issue of slavery decisively when drafting the Constitution in 1787. Instead, they sought a political union that would be palatable to both northern and southern states, leading to compromises that protected slavery indirectly, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise. This compromise allowed southern states to count slaves for representation, giving political power to states that practiced slavery.
Stephens also believed that the founders were wrong in their belief that slavery was a "violation of the laws of nature" and that it would eventually weaken and disappear. He argued that inequality was not just in accord with the Bible and God's providence but also with the scientific understanding of the world.
In addition to the issue of slavery, Stephens and other critics argue that the Constitution has not delivered the same rights and freedoms for all Americans, including women, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. There is also a lack of explicit fundamental economic rights in the Constitution, which some believe is a flaw. While President Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech mentioned "freedom from want" as a fundamental freedom, the Constitution does not explicitly provide for basic economic rights.
The Constitution has been amended and improved over time to address some of these flaws, but there are still deep disagreements among US citizens about the interpretation and application of its rules and regulations.
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Interpretation and application of rules and regulations
Stephens' interpretation of the Constitution centred on the issue of slavery. He argued that the Constitution was flawed because it failed to address the contradiction between the ideals of equality and the existence of slavery. The founders, including Thomas Jefferson, recognised the idea of equality and individual rights but did not confront the issue of slavery directly. This resulted in compromises, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, which allowed southern states to count slaves for representation, thereby legitimising and protecting slavery. Stephens saw this as a failure to uphold the principles of equality and freedom that the Constitution purported to espouse.
The interpretation of the Constitution's rules and regulations by Stephens and other supporters of the Confederacy led to a "revolution," as Stephens termed it, which resulted in the American Civil War. The Southern states' secession was based on their interpretation of the Constitution as preserving slavery and justifying racial inequality. This interpretation was in direct conflict with the principles of equality and freedom that other Americans believed the Constitution represented.
The application of the Constitution's rules and regulations is also a critical aspect of this discussion. The Constitution, as interpreted by Stephens and the Confederacy, was applied in a way that protected slavery and denied equal rights to certain groups. This interpretation and application had tangible consequences, including the return of people to slavery and the exclusion of women, non-white people, indigenous people, and other marginalised groups from the definition of "the people" and the full enjoyment of their rights.
The interpretation and application of the Constitution's rules and regulations continue to evolve. Amendments have been made to address some of the flaws identified by critics like Stephens. However, the interpretation and application of these amendments may still be influenced by the biases and interests of those in power. This dynamic nature of constitutional interpretation and application highlights the ongoing struggle to balance competing interests and ideals within a legal framework, demonstrating the complexity of this aspect of governance.
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Frequently asked questions
Stephens believes the US Constitution is fundamentally flawed because it fails to address the contradiction between the ideals of equality and the existence and acceptance of slavery.
Stephens claims the founding fathers were wrong in believing that slavery was a "violation of the laws of nature", wrong in principle, and an evil that would disappear.
In his Cornerstone Speech, Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederate States of America, defended slavery and outlined the perceived differences between the North and the South, initiating the American Civil War.
Stephens criticises the Three-Fifths Compromise for allowing southern states to count slaves for representation, thereby granting political power to states that practised slavery.
Stephens acknowledges the US Constitution's principles of liberty, equality, and justice. However, he criticises its failure to deliver equal rights and freedoms for all Americans, including those marginalised based on race, gender, or other factors.
