One hundred and fifty-four years ago today, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens spoke before the Georgia legislature to denounce President Jefferson Davis and his recent suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
Stephens had feuded bitterly with Davis since early in the war, but Stephens carefully contemplated before determining to give his fiery speech before the Georgia legislature the day after the Ides of March, 1864.
Stephens knew that his actions would be viewed as a bitter betrayal by Davis. The previous October, Stephens’ older brother Linton, exasperated with the administration’s efforts to centralize power, exclaimed, “I am greatly troubled. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what my duty is… I see no hope in anything but God. It seems to me the case calls loudly for a Brutus.”
Check out Dr. David Bonner’s article about the Ides of March speech of Alexander Stephens.