Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts

Little Aleck - Confederate Memorial Day

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2005-04-24

Synopsis: John Weaver delivers a Confederate Memorial Day address at Fort Jackson, focusing on Alexander Hamilton Stephens ('Little Aleck'), Vice President of the Confederacy. Weaver highlights Stephens' courage, conscience, constitutionalism, and Christian faith, using his life to exemplify principled manhood rooted in biblical Christianity. The sermon calls for modern men to emulate Stephens' unwavering commitment to truth and principle.

[John Weaver] 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 13, the Word of God simply says, Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong.

[John Weaver] We certainly welcome you here to historic Fort Jackson on this Confederate Memorial Day in April 2005, and let's vow for prayer, shall we?

[John Weaver] Father, we're so thankful today for the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] We're thankful for His grace and mercy, for the history and the heritage that you've given unto us, And we ask your blessings, Lord, upon this day and upon the services that are to follow.

[John Weaver] In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.

[John Weaver] Amen.

[John Weaver] Now, the reason I read 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 13, a very simple passage, watch you stand fast in the faith and in this race, quit ye like men and be strong, because the message today is on what I would call one of the most notable men in our southern history.

[John Weaver] The message is on Little Alec.

[John Weaver] If those of you who have studied history, you would automatically understand that Little Alec is the nickname for Alexander Hamilton Stevens, who is the vice president of the Confederacy.

[John Weaver] It was Congressman Abraham Lincoln who said this, a little, slim, pale faced, consumptive man just concluded the very best speech of an hour's length I've ever heard in my life.

[John Weaver] And he was referring to Alexander Hamilton Stevens.

[John Weaver] Of course, most of you know that he's written not only a history of the United States, but also he wrote a two-volume set of the Constitutional view of the late war between the states.

[John Weaver] So Alexander Hamilton Stevens was Vice President of the Confederate States.

[John Weaver] He was a man of eminent natural abilities, intellectual training, statesmanship, and moral virtues.

[John Weaver] He was also the grandson of a soldier that was under General George Washington.

[John Weaver] He was one of that body of men who stood very firmly for the independence of the South in 1861.

[John Weaver] Little Alec was born in a log cabin on February 11, 1812.

[John Weaver] He was the son of Andrew B.

[John Weaver] and Margaret Gere Stevens, and they were basically what you and I would classify as a poor farm family.

[John Weaver] Shortly after his birth, his mother died.

[John Weaver] His father continued to be a farmer and a school teacher, and at age 14, his father died as well.

[John Weaver] But Alexander Hamilton Stevens had a very brilliant mind, and that mind was recognized by a handful of mentors who paid for his education at Franklin College, which was to become, and now is, the University of Georgia.

[John Weaver] And by the way, he graduated from the very top of his class.

[John Weaver] He became an attorney, a lawyer, and he eventually owned the plantation here in Georgia that he named Liberty Hall.

[John Weaver] Alexander Hamilton Stevens was five feet, seven inches tall, which was about the average height for a man in his time.

[John Weaver] But he never weighed more than a hundred pounds his entire life.

[John Weaver] Hence, he got the nickname Little Ellie.

[John Weaver] The word which was most usually used to describe him was the word cadaverous.

[John Weaver] That is, he almost looked like a dead body.

[John Weaver] And so the word cadaverous then was used to describe this pale, odd-bodied man with dark, lustrous eyes.

[John Weaver] He was a young man who was sickly from birth.

[John Weaver] And some of you ladies will appreciate this.

[John Weaver] Later on in life, because of his sickliness, he always wrapped himself in an abundance of coats and clothes.

[John Weaver] But later in life, he described happiness as simply to be warm.

[John Weaver] He was one of those individuals that liked a lot of coats.

[John Weaver] His sickliness was caused by various disorders.

[John Weaver] He was affected with these disorders throughout his entire life.

[John Weaver] He suffered from angina, bladder stones, colitis, migraine headaches, pneumonia, puritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and sciatica.

[John Weaver] So he was indeed a very sickly man.

[John Weaver] He was admitted to the bar in 1832 and he served as Georgia state legislator as a senator from 1836 to 1842.

[John Weaver] And then he served as a United States congressman from 1843 to 1849.

[John Weaver] And again, Of course, after the war, he was elected a United States Senator, but he was not allowed to take his seat.

[John Weaver] He served in Congress from 1873 to 1882 until he became the governor of Georgia.

[John Weaver] And he was governor of Georgia when he died in 1883.

[John Weaver] Robert Toombs, who was another famous Georgian, said this.

[John Weaver] He declared that Alexander Hamilton Stevens carried more brains and more soul for the least amount of flesh that God Almighty had ever made.

[John Weaver] So he understood very clearly that here was a man who had a great mind.

[John Weaver] It was the imperialist Yankee leader, Abraham Lincoln, who knew Little Alec from when they were in Congress together.

[John Weaver] And they met at the Hampton Roads Conference.

[John Weaver] And remember now that Little Alec always dressed extremely warmly.

[John Weaver] And at the Hampton Roads Congress, Abraham Lincoln saw Little Alec taking off coat after coat and wrap after wrap.

[John Weaver] And then he walked over to Little Alec with his hands stretched out to shake his hand and he said this, never have I seen such a small nubbin come out of so much husk.

[John Weaver] And certainly he was indeed a little man.

[John Weaver] After the War of Northern Aggression when Alec went back to Congress in his wheelchair, Someone described him as nothing but lungs and brains.

[John Weaver] On another occasion, another individual described him as that little irrepressible steam engine with a big brain and scarcely any body.

[John Weaver] One of my favorite stories about Alexander Hamilton Stevens is in 1835, he left Georgia for a while seeking to improve his health.

[John Weaver] And he went and visited an uncle that was living in Pennsylvania.

[John Weaver] And after he'd been there a while, his uncle asked him, and remember now, here's a sickly, small, frail man.

[John Weaver] And he asked Little Alec what he did for a living.

[John Weaver] And Little Alec replied, I'm a lawyer.

[John Weaver] At that point, his uncle sat very quietly for a few moments, perplexed.

[John Weaver] And then he looked at Little Alec and said, Alec, but don't you have to tell lies?

[John Weaver] Obviously, he did not know his nephew.

[John Weaver] For little Alec answered and said this, the business of a lawyer is neither to tell lies nor to defend lies, but to protect and maintain right, truth, and justice.

[John Weaver] Wouldn't it be wonderful if the American Bar Association believed that today?

[John Weaver] Wouldn't it be wonderful if the lawyers in our Congress believed that today?

[John Weaver] The business is not to tell lies nor defend lies, but to maintain truth and right and justice.

[John Weaver] His earliest course in public life foreshadowed his career, and he got the title, basically, the Great Commoner, because he was always fighting for what he believed right and for the common man.

[John Weaver] His first entry, of course, in the United States Congress was in 1843, and he served 16 years with distinction, constantly increasing, until in 1859 he returned to private life by his own choice.

[John Weaver] Now, I've said this repeatedly and I want to continue to emphasize it because you're going to see how it comes through in his life, but Alexander Hamilton Stevens had one of the brightest minds of his time.

[John Weaver] During his career in the United States Congress, he gained fame as an orator despite having a high-pitched voice.

[John Weaver] Alexander Hamilton Stevens was a noted authority of the United States Constitution.

[John Weaver] In 1843, he was nominated by the newly organized Whig Party to fill a vacated seat in Congress.

[John Weaver] And he began to campaign all around Georgia.

[John Weaver] And of course, he was campaigning against the Democrats at that particular time.

[John Weaver] And he was flipping them left and right.

[John Weaver] I mean, they could not stand up to his oratory.

[John Weaver] They could not stand up to his debating skills.

[John Weaver] And finally, the Democrats decided they were going to put Little Alec in his place.

[John Weaver] And so they called in their biggest gun, basically, to shoot him down.

[John Weaver] And that choice was Walter T.

[John Weaver] Cochran, who was a veteran debater and also a judge.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to try to picture this, because the debate took place in Noonan, Georgia.

[John Weaver] And here is Little Alec, sickly, frail, and here is Enormous Judge Walter T.

[John Weaver] Colquitt, not just in size particularly, but also in reputation and in size.

[John Weaver] Now, when that debate began, Judge Colquitt arose and he began to address the audience.

[John Weaver] And as he addressed them, he began to speak very sneeringly of the size of Lillelic, making fun of him and also saying this, I could swallow him whole and never know the difference."

[John Weaver] And then he proceeded to make out that Alexander Hamilton Stevens was unpatriotic and the fact that he made fun of his voting record.

[John Weaver] Well, although the audience erupted in laughter when he said, I could swallow him whole and never know the difference.

[John Weaver] All of a sudden, his time was ended and little Alec was on his feet.

[John Weaver] He was still sickly, that is for sure.

[John Weaver] He was still frail, that is for sure.

[John Weaver] But his eyes sparkled with brilliance.

[John Weaver] And then what Lilleloch said was this, that Georgia should not pay the debt of a nation when Georgia was already contributing to that debt as an individual state.

[John Weaver] And then as far as Judge Colquitt was concerned of making fun of his voting record, he then took the Senate Journal and showed that Judge Colquitt voted identically the way he voted in the Senate.

[John Weaver] And then he said this, If Judge Colquitt should swallow me whole, there'd be far more brains in his belly than he ever had in his hands.

[John Weaver] Well, naturally, he won the debate.

[John Weaver] He not only won the debate, by the way, he also won the election.

[John Weaver] You see, Little Alec believed that the only hope for liberty was to stand by the Constitution.

[John Weaver] He believed that it was the representative's duty to have the knowledge of the Constitution and the integrity to stand by the Constitution.

[John Weaver] Now, before the Georgia legislature in 1860, and again in that state secession convention in 1861, Alexander Hamlin Stevens did at that time oppose secession.

[John Weaver] Now, some try to say that, well, Alexander Hamlin Stevens was a strict unionist.

[John Weaver] No, he was not a strict unionist, not in the deepest sense of the word.

[John Weaver] When he opposed secession, he was not opposing the principle of secession, nor was he opposing the right of secession.

[John Weaver] What he was opposing was what was known as immediate secession.

[John Weaver] He was just simply saying, I believe in secession.

[John Weaver] I don't necessarily think it is the time to do it right now.

[John Weaver] But when Georgia went ahead and seceded, then he threw himself with the South and stood with the South and fought for the liberty and independence of the South.

[John Weaver] Now, in order to illustrate this truth, let me give you a statement that he made concerning secession.

[John Weaver] Listen carefully.

[John Weaver] Alexander Hamilton Stevens said this.

[John Weaver] The real object of those who resorted to secession, as well as those who sustained it, was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which it was founded.

[John Weaver] The object in quitting the Union was not to destroy, but to save the principles of the Constitution.

[John Weaver] Now listen to what he said.

[John Weaver] The real object of those who resorted to secession as well as those who sustained it, was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which that government was founded.

[John Weaver] He was simply saying this, since the North did not want to abide by the Constitution, and the South did, we would withdraw from the Union and then sustain those very principles upon which our country was founded.

[John Weaver] You see, Alexander Haviland Stevens, as well as other men of that time, understood that separation was sometimes necessary in order to maintain the principles upon which our union was begun.

[John Weaver] The attitude of Alexander Haviland Stevens and many others was if the northern states did not wish to fulfill their covenantal oath, fine, we will depart in peace and secure our liberties for ourselves.

[John Weaver] It's not my intention today to give a full biographical sketch of Lele.

[John Weaver] I certainly could not do that in the time I have this morning.

[John Weaver] But what I do wish to do is this.

[John Weaver] It's to demonstrate some of the principles that guided his life.

[John Weaver] And these principles not only guided his life, but also the lives of the men of his time.

[John Weaver] We've got to understand that these men were men of principle and men of character.

[John Weaver] Their lives were ruled and governed and controlled by principles.

[John Weaver] And those principles were founded upon biblical Christianity.

[John Weaver] To these men, honor, right, justice, equity, obedience and duty were just some of the principles to which they held to absolutely tenaciously.

[John Weaver] It's those principles that made these men stand out.

[John Weaver] It's those principles...

[John Weaver] that demonstrate why they were great and we do not have great men today.

[John Weaver] It's those principles that separate the men of that time from the men of this time.

[John Weaver] Listen to what Alexander Hamilton Stephen said.

[John Weaver] He said, times change and men often change with them, but principles never.

[John Weaver] Did you hear what he said?

[John Weaver] Times change.

[John Weaver] And men often change with those times, but principles never.

[John Weaver] In other words, he preferred death over compromise because the principles were not going to change.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you at least four things this morning.

[John Weaver] Very quickly, I want you to understand that he was courageous.

[John Weaver] You say, Brother Weaver, you're using the term courageous to describe a man who never weighed more than 100 pounds in his life.

[John Weaver] That's correct.

[John Weaver] Let me give you an illustration of his courage and also a demonstration and illustration of the fact of his commitment to principle.

[John Weaver] On September 3rd, 1848, Judge Francis Cone ran into Alexander Hamilton Stevens at the Thompson Hotel in downtown Atlanta.

[John Weaver] A feud between the two had previously erupted over a quarrel of the Clayton Compromise.

[John Weaver] Words were exchanged, name-calling ensued, and animosity boiled over.

[John Weaver] Judge Cone attacked little Alec.

[John Weaver] And he not only jumped on this little man with his fist, he attacked him with a knife.

[John Weaver] He stabbed Alexander Haviland Stevens six times, and one time the puncture wound was near the heart.

[John Weaver] Stevens was cut so terribly and was bleeding so profusely, it looked as if he was going to die.

[John Weaver] And Judge Cone had that knife and he said to Stevens, now you retract or I'll cut your throat.

[John Weaver] To which Alexander Hamlin Stevens says, never cut.

[John Weaver] And when the judge came down with that knife, little Alec took his hand and brush the blow away that saved his life, but never was he able to write with that right hand clearly again.

[John Weaver] You see, here was a man of courage.

[John Weaver] Here's a man who'd rather give his life than to compromise principle.

[John Weaver] You see, we have forgotten that there were men who believed that death was preferable to compromise.

[John Weaver] We have forgotten the fact that there are some things that are worth dying for.

[John Weaver] Now, Stevens was certainly no warmonger, and neither was President Jefferson Davis.

[John Weaver] And Stevens concurred with Jeff Davis when the President spoke to the reassembled Congress in April of 1861, and he said these words, We seek no conquest, no aggrandizement, and no concessions from the free states.

[John Weaver] All we ask is to be left alone, that none shall attempt our subjugation by arms.

[John Weaver] This we will and must resist to the direst extremity.

[John Weaver] The moment this pretension is abandoned, the sword will drop from our hands, and we shall be ready to enter into treaties of enmity and commerce mutually beneficially."

[John Weaver] Did you hear what David said?

[John Weaver] All we want to do is just simply be left alone.

[John Weaver] You drop your weapons, we'll drop our weapons.

[John Weaver] We'll be together in peace and we'll have commerce that will be mutually beneficial.

[John Weaver] But if you maintain to subjugate us by your arms, basically what he's saying, we will fight.

[John Weaver] Neither Davis nor Stevens were compromisers, especially when truth was at stake.

[John Weaver] If the North wanted to fight, then they're going to have a fight and they're going to have a handful with the South.

[John Weaver] Alexander Hamilton Stevens himself laid this out before Congress.

[John Weaver] He certainly was asking and demonstrating the necessity for peace.

[John Weaver] Yet at the same time, he was delivering a warning to the North who wished to subjugate the South by force.

[John Weaver] Listen to what he said.

[John Weaver] Here's just part of his speech to Congress.

[John Weaver] Have you formed a fixed firm and inflexible determination to carry your measures in this house by numerical strength and then to enforce them by bayonet?

[John Weaver] If so, you must be prepared to meet the consequences of whatever follows.

[John Weaver] The responsibility will rest upon your own heads.

[John Weaver] You may think that the suppression of an outbreak in the southern states will be a holiday job for a few of your northern regiments.

[John Weaver] But you may find to your cost in the end that seven million people fighting for their rights, their homes, and their hearthstones cannot be easily conquered.

[John Weaver] I submit the matter to your deliberate consideration.

[John Weaver] I have told you sincerely and honestly that I am for peace and the union upon any fair and reasonable terms.

[John Weaver] It is the most cherished sentiment of my heart.

[John Weaver] But if you deny these terms, if you continue deaf to the voice of that spirit of justice, right, and equality, which should always characterize the deliberations of statesmen, I know of no other alternative that will be left to the people of the South, but sooner or later to acquiesce in the necessity of

[John Weaver] holding you, as the rest of mankind, enemies in war and in peace, friends."

[John Weaver] Listen to what that little man said.

[John Weaver] You may think it'll be a picnic to attack the South.

[John Weaver] You may think just a few of your northern regiments will wipe us out.

[John Weaver] But, he said, you're going to be in for a real surprise.

[John Weaver] Because when you find seven million people who are going to be fighting to protect their lives, their liberties, and their homes, you're going to be in for a rude awakening.

[John Weaver] You see, the courage of Alexander Haviland Stevens is very clearly made manifest in a statement that he made in Augusta, Georgia in 1855.

[John Weaver] Listen to what this man said.

[John Weaver] He had been campaigning against all odds, and here is what he said in his campaign.

[John Weaver] I am afraid of nothing on earth or above earth or under the earth except to do wrong.

[John Weaver] I'd rather be defeated in a good cause than triumph in a bad cause.

[John Weaver] Can you imagine that?

[John Weaver] I'm afraid of nothing on earth or above the earth or under the earth except to do wrong.

[John Weaver] Would to God we had men today that had that courage.

[John Weaver] Men that would stand up to politicians and to congressmen and to presidents and everyone else and said, no, we will not do wrong.

[John Weaver] We will do what's right.

[John Weaver] Hear this sickly, pale, cadaverous man had more courage probably in his little finger than the average man has today.

[John Weaver] So he was indeed a man of courage.

[John Weaver] Secondly, he was also a man of conscience.

[John Weaver] By that I mean he was extremely conscientious.

[John Weaver] Stevens was painstakingly honest in every area of his life.

[John Weaver] After his father's death, he went to live with his uncle in Warren County.

[John Weaver] While under his uncle's charge, He met Charles C.

[John Weaver] Mills, who was a man of wealth.

[John Weaver] And after five months in school, he was offered a home in Washington, which is Wilkes County, Georgia, and also a place there in the high school that was being taught by the Reverend Alexander Hamilton Webster, who was a Presbyterian minister.

[John Weaver] And by the way, Alexander Hamilton Stevens took his middle name Hamilton from Reverend Alexander Hamilton Webster.

[John Weaver] So Mr. Mills and some of the others then were paying for young Stevens then to attend schools.

[John Weaver] He regarded this charity as a loan and afterwards he repaid the full amount.

[John Weaver] He did not just simply accept it.

[John Weaver] Later on, when the Presbyterian church wanted to send him to college with a view to enter the ministry, he accepted their loan with the understanding that if he did not enter into the ministry, that the loan would be paid back in full.

[John Weaver] When he graduated and did not enter into the ministry, he earned money by teaching and he repaid the Presbyterian board in full.

[John Weaver] He was true to Romans 13 and verse 8, owe no man anything.

[John Weaver] He made sure that he paid what he owed.

[John Weaver] Now, it is understandable and many of you know that Stevens and President Davis had their differences.

[John Weaver] But there was no personal animosity that existed between them.

[John Weaver] Stevens defended President Davis until his death.

[John Weaver] In fact, Stevens said this, these differences, that is between himself and Jefferson Davis, however wide and thorough as they were, caused no personal breach between us.

[John Weaver] And Jeff Davis, by the way, confirms that statement.

[John Weaver] There was no animosity between these men.

[John Weaver] There was no bitterness and no resentment.

[John Weaver] And it's proper to state that Alexander Hamilton Stevens defended Jeff Davis against all malicious attacks as long as he lived.

[John Weaver] One of the most cruel and vicious charges against President Davis was his treatment of prisoners.

[John Weaver] And that was promptly condemned by Alexander Hamilton Stevens as the boldest, baldest attempt at outrage upon the truth of history which has ever been essayed, not less so than the infamous attempt to fix upon him and other high officials on the Confederate side the guilt of Mr. Lincoln's assassination.

[John Weaver] So he said, if you think that Jeff Davis mistreated prisoners, if you think that Jeff Davis had anything to do with the assassination of Lincoln, you're mistaken.

[John Weaver] Here's a man who was not only courageous, he was conscientious.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, he was also constitutional.

[John Weaver] He was a constitutionalist.

[John Weaver] His policy was to preserve the constitutional government of the South.

[John Weaver] And also, while he was trying to preserve that, he was also trying to strengthen the anti-war party in the North by demonstrating the fact that the North had indeed left the Constitution.

[John Weaver] Now, one of the reasons he said that we must stick with the Constitution was because there dwells no good in the human heart.

[John Weaver] In other words, Alexander Haviland Stevens believed in total depravity.

[John Weaver] And what he was saying is this, it's absolutely necessary that we have the rule of law rather than the rule of men.

[John Weaver] And by the way, I hope you see what we have today under the rule of men.

[John Weaver] But he knew that a good statesman must understand the fallen nature of mankind.

[John Weaver] And he attempted to stand by the principles of the Constitution and stand by the law of the land, even when he understood that most people in the North had left those principles and basically had left the Word of God.

[John Weaver] He was one of the authors of the Georgia Platform of 1850.

[John Weaver] And I want you to listen carefully to his first resolve.

[John Weaver] Here's what he said.

[John Weaver] That we hold the American Union secondary in importance only to the rights and principles it was designed to perpetuate.

[John Weaver] Now did Alexander Hamilton Stevens love the Union?

[John Weaver] Yes he did.

[John Weaver] But he said it is not the Union first.

[John Weaver] We hold first those principles that that union was set up to perpetuate, those principles of liberty and freedom.

[John Weaver] Stevens understood that if those principles were denied, it would be only a matter of time before the North was under the tyrant's heel as well as the South.

[John Weaver] Hence he said this, it is our true policy while struggling for our own independence, to use every possible means of impressing upon the minds of the real friends of liberty in the North the truth that if we should be overpowered and put under the heel of centralism, that the same fate would await

[John Weaver] them sooner or later."

[John Weaver] He was prophetic, folks.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something.

[John Weaver] When the South lost, the North lost.

[John Weaver] When the South lost, the East and West lost.

[John Weaver] He said it would be only a matter of time before every section of the country would be subjugated by centralism and we would not have our independence.

[John Weaver] We would be controlled from a centralized bureaucracy.

[John Weaver] Here was a man who was a constitutionalist.

[John Weaver] In the formation of the Confederate Constitution, his statesmanship and profound acquaintance with the principles of government were indeed of great value.

[John Weaver] he believed that the confederate constitution was a great improvement over the constitution united states and here's what he said concerning confederate constitution the whole document that is the confederate constitution now the whole document utterly negatives the idea which so many of the active in endeavoring to put in the enduring form of history

[John Weaver] that the convention in montgomery was nothing but a set of conspirators whose object was to overthrow the principles of the Constitution of the United States and the erection of a great slave oligarchy instead of the free institution thereby secured and guaranteed.

[John Weaver] This work of the Montgomery Convention and that of the Constitution for a provisional government will ever remain not only as a monument of the wisdom, foresight, and statesmanship of the men who constituted it, but an everlasting refutation of the charges that have been brought against them.

[John Weaver] What does he say?

[John Weaver] The Confederate Constitution, if you will read it, demonstrates that we were not trying to set up some type of oligarchy, but we were trying to secure our liberty and our freedom.

[John Weaver] So here was a man who was a man of courage.

[John Weaver] Here was a man who was a man of conscience.

[John Weaver] Here was a man who was a constitutionalist.

[John Weaver] And fourthly today, let me point out that he was a Christian.

[John Weaver] It is an undisputed truth that Stevens professed to be a Christian.

[John Weaver] His world and life view was steeped in the Scriptures.

[John Weaver] Truth was the starting point for Alexander Hamilton Stevens.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you what a world and life view is.

[John Weaver] A world and life view means just simply this, that everything that you see, everything that you perceive, everything that you understand is guided by and directed by the principles of the Word of God.

[John Weaver] So here was a man who was a genuine Christian, and he sought to govern his life by those principles.

[John Weaver] Not only did he live by those principles, he died by those principles as well.

[John Weaver] By the way, his death came in the performance of his duties for the South.

[John Weaver] Believe it or not, Governor Stevens had attended and addressed the sesquicentennial celebration here in Savannah.

[John Weaver] It was this commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the landing of Oglethorpe.

[John Weaver] He was here, he took sick, this was the last public duty he was ready to perform for the people of Georgia.

[John Weaver] After he took sick here in Savannah, he went back home and of course he worked in his own bedroom as a makeshift office there for the state of Georgia.

[John Weaver] And while he was sick for those two weeks, he basically did not lose contact with the affairs of the governor's office until a little later on, he became delirious.

[John Weaver] For 70 years, his mind had been clear and sharp and distinct.

[John Weaver] But now his mind slipped back to that era prior to the war.

[John Weaver] Maybe it was this way that he was to die indeed in peace.

[John Weaver] The doctor had told his family and his friends that he could not last long, and certainly his death led to an eternal beginning.

[John Weaver] Toward the dying days, Alexander Hamilton Stevens said this, I've made it the rule of my life to live each day as if it were to be my last.

[John Weaver] I have no special preparations to make.

[John Weaver] and no special pleas to offer."

[John Weaver] Isn't that an amazing statement?

[John Weaver] He said, I've lived every day just like I was going to die.

[John Weaver] And now that I'm dying, I have no special preparations to make.

[John Weaver] I have no special pleas to offer.

[John Weaver] Everything was settled between Him and Christ.

[John Weaver] He lived in obedience and He was going to die in obedience.

[John Weaver] When the doctor saw that His death was imminent, He prompted his family and friends to draw closer to his bedside in order that they might hear the words of the dying man.

[John Weaver] And finally, he uttered his dying words, and they were, Get ready, we're nearly home.

[John Weaver] And soon he was there.

[John Weaver] It was the year of our Lord, March the 4th, 1883.

[John Weaver] Alexander Hamilton Stevens could say with Job, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God.

[John Weaver] We must remember his final words.

[John Weaver] Get ready.

[John Weaver] You know something, folks?

[John Weaver] It be my desire that God would be pleased to raise up men like Alexander, Hamilton, Stephen.

[John Weaver] He was a man, small in stature, weak in constitution, sickly by frame.

[John Weaver] And yet, he was a man.

[John Weaver] He was a man of courage and conviction, a constitutionalist.

[John Weaver] He was a man who was a thoroughgoing Christian.

[John Weaver] And let me tell you, I had much rather be saddled with the body of Alexander Hamilton Stevens and have his character and have his faith than to have the body of a he-man and no character and no faith.

[John Weaver] You remember what God said of John the Baptist in John 1 and verse 6?

[John Weaver] He says, There was a man.

[John Weaver] And when you look at Alexander Hamel and Stephens, you can say, would the Lord, in reference to John the Baptist, there was a man.

[John Weaver] He was a man of integrity.

[John Weaver] a man of truth and principle and right.

[John Weaver] And may God give us men like that.

[John Weaver] May we be men like that.

[John Weaver] May we get ready because, folks, our time is coming, not just to die, but to live and to stand and to do what's right for God's honor and God's glory and for our Southern heritage and for our Southern culture.

[John Weaver] Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Our Father, we are so thankful today for Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] We're so thankful for men like Alexander Hamilton Stevens.

[John Weaver] Who were indeed men of courage?

[John Weaver] Men of conscience.

[John Weaver] Men of the Constitution.

[John Weaver] And yet Christian men who held truth preeminent.

[John Weaver] Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

[John Weaver] In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

[John Weaver] Amen.

Little Aleck - Confederate Memorial Day

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	42805171746
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-04-24
Dictation Name
Book	Book 136: Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations - Volume 1 — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	324

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver opens with 1 Corinthians 16:13 and introduces the message on Alexander Hamilton Stephens, a notable figure in Southern history.

1 Corinthians 16 and verse 13, the Word of God simply says, "Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong." We certainly welcome you here to historic Fort Jackson on this Confederate Memorial Day in April 2005, and let's bow for prayer, shall we? Father, we're so thankful today for the Lord Jesus Christ. We're thankful for His grace and mercy, for the history and the heritage that you've given unto us, and we ask your blessings, Lord, upon this day and upon the services that are to follow. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Now, the reason I read 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 13, a very simple passage, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong," is because the message today is on what I would call one of the most notable men in our southern history.

Biographical Sketch of Alexander Hamilton Stephens

Weaver provides an overview of Stephens' life: his birth, education, physical frailty, political career, and nickname 'Little Aleck.'

The message is on Little Aleck. If those of you who have studied history, you would automatically understand that Little Aleck is the nickname for Alexander Hamilton Stephens, who is the vice president of the Confederacy. It was Congressman Abraham Lincoln who said this, "A little, slim, pale-faced, consumptive man just concluded the very best speech of an hour's length I've ever heard in my life." And he was referring to Alexander Hamilton Stephens. Of course, most of you know that he's written not only a history of the United States, but also he wrote a two-volume set of the Constitutional View of the Late War Between the States.

So Alexander Hamilton Stephens was Vice President of the Confederate States. He was a man of eminent natural abilities, intellectual training, statesmanship, and moral virtues. He was also the grandson of a soldier that was under General George Washington. He was one of that body of men who stood very firmly for the independence of the South in 1861. Little Aleck was born in a log cabin on February 11, 1812. He was the son of Andrew B. and Margaret Grier Stephens, and they were basically what you and I would classify as a poor farm family.

Shortly after his birth, his mother died. His father continued to be a farmer and a school teacher, and at age 14, his father died as well. But Alexander Hamilton Stephens had a very brilliant mind, and that mind was recognized by a handful of mentors who paid for his education at Franklin College, which was to become, and now is, the University of Georgia. And by the way, he graduated from the very top of his class. He became an attorney, a lawyer, and he eventually owned the plantation here in Georgia that he named Liberty Hall. Alexander Hamilton Stephens was five feet, seven inches tall, which was about the average height for a man in his time.

But he never weighed more than a hundred pounds his entire life. Hence, he got the nickname Little Aleck. The word which was most usually used to describe him was the word "cadaverous." That is, he almost looked like a dead body. And so the word "cadaverous" then was used to describe this pale, odd-bodied man with dark, lustrous eyes. He was a young man who was sickly from birth. And some of you ladies will appreciate this.

Later on in life, because of his sickliness, he always wrapped himself in an abundance of coats and clothes. But later in life, he described happiness as simply to be warm. He was one of those individuals that liked a lot of coats. His sickliness was caused by various disorders. He was affected with these disorders throughout his entire life. He suffered from angina, bladder stones, colitis, migraine headaches, pneumonia, pruritus, rheumatoid arthritis, and sciatica.

So he was indeed a very sickly man. He was admitted to the bar in 1832 and he served as Georgia state legislator as a senator from 1836 to 1842. And then he served as a United States congressman from 1843 to 1849. And again, of course, after the war, he was elected a United States Senator, but he was not allowed to take his seat. He served in Congress from 1873 to 1882 until he became the governor of Georgia. And he was governor of Georgia when he died in 1883. Robert Toombs, who was another famous Georgian, said this.

Stephens' Courage and Commitment to Principle

Weaver illustrates Stephens' courage through the knife attack by Judge Cone and his refusal to retract, demonstrating that death was preferable to compromise.

You say, "Brother Weaver, you're using the term courageous to describe a man who never weighed more than 100 pounds in his life." That's correct. Let me give you an illustration of his courage and also a demonstration and illustration of the fact of his commitment to principle. On September 3rd, 1848, Judge Francis Cone ran into Alexander Hamilton Stephens at the Thompson Hotel in downtown Atlanta. A feud between the two had previously erupted over a quarrel of the Clayton Compromise. Words were exchanged, name-calling ensued, and animosity boiled over. Judge Cone attacked Little Aleck.

And he not only jumped on this little man with his fist, he attacked him with a knife. He stabbed Alexander Hamilton Stephens six times, and one time the puncture wound was near the heart. Stephens was cut so terribly and was bleeding so profusely, it looked as if he was going to die. And Judge Cone had that knife and he said to Stephens, "Now you retract or I'll cut your throat." To which Alexander Hamilton Stephens says, "Never cut." And when the judge came down with that knife, Little Aleck took his hand and brushed the blow away that saved his life, but never was he able to write with that right hand clearly again. You see, here was a man of courage.

Here's a man who'd rather give his life than to compromise principle. You see, we have forgotten that there were men who believed that death was preferable to compromise.

Stephens' Conscience and Honesty

Weaver emphasizes Stephens' conscientiousness, shown by repaying educational loans and defending Jefferson Davis against false charges.

Secondly, he was also a man of conscience. By that I mean he was extremely conscientious. Stephens was painstakingly honest in every area of his life. After his father's death, he went to live with his uncle in Warren County. While under his uncle's charge, he met Charles C. Mills, who was a man of wealth. And after five months in school, he was offered a home in Washington, which is Wilkes County, Georgia, and also a place there in the high school that was being taught by the Reverend Alexander Hamilton Webster, who was a Presbyterian minister.

And by the way, Alexander Hamilton Stephens took his middle name Hamilton from Reverend Alexander Hamilton Webster. So Mr. Mills and some of the others then were paying for young Stephens then to attend schools. He regarded this charity as a loan and afterwards he repaid the full amount. He did not just simply accept it. Later on, when the Presbyterian church wanted to send him to college with a view to enter the ministry, he accepted their loan with the understanding that if he did not enter into the ministry, that the loan would be paid back in full.

When he graduated and did not enter into the ministry, he earned money by teaching and he repaid the Presbyterian board in full. He was true to Romans 13:8, "Owe no man anything." He made sure that he paid what he owed. Now, it is understandable and many of you know that Stephens and President Davis had their differences.

But there was no personal animosity that existed between them. Stephens defended President Davis until his death. In fact, Stephens said this, "These differences, that is between himself and Jefferson Davis, however wide and thorough as they were, caused no personal breach between us." And Jeff Davis, by the way, confirms that statement.

There was no animosity between these men. There was no bitterness and no resentment. And it's proper to state that Alexander Hamilton Stephens defended Jeff Davis against all malicious attacks as long as he lived. One of the most cruel and vicious charges against President Davis was his treatment of prisoners. And that was promptly condemned by Alexander Hamilton Stephens as "the boldest, baldest attempt at outrage upon the truth of history which has ever been essayed, not less so than the infamous attempt to fix upon him and other high officials on the Confederate side the guilt of Mr. Lincoln's assassination."

So he said, if you think that Jeff Davis mistreated prisoners, if you think that Jeff Davis had anything to do with the assassination of Lincoln, you're mistaken. Here's a man who was not only courageous, he was conscientious.

Stephens' Constitutionalism

Weaver explains Stephens' dedication to the Constitution, his belief in the rule of law over the rule of men, and his role in the Georgia Platform and Confederate Constitution.

He was a constitutionalist. His policy was to preserve the constitutional government of the South. And also, while he was trying to preserve that, he was also trying to strengthen the anti-war party in the North by demonstrating the fact that the North had indeed left the Constitution. Now, one of the reasons he said that we must stick with the Constitution was because there dwells no good in the human heart. In other words, Alexander Hamilton Stephens believed in total depravity. And what he was saying is this, it's absolutely necessary that we have the rule of law rather than the rule of men. And by the way, I hope you see what we have today under the rule of men.

But he knew that a good statesman must understand the fallen nature of mankind. And he attempted to stand by the principles of the Constitution and stand by the law of the land, even when he understood that most people in the North had left those principles and basically had left the Word of God. He was one of the authors of the Georgia Platform of 1850. And I want you to listen carefully to his first resolve. Here's what he said. "That we hold the American Union secondary in importance only to the rights and principles it was designed to perpetuate."

Now did Alexander Hamilton Stephens love the Union? Yes he did. But he said it is not the Union first. We hold first those principles that that union was set up to perpetuate, those principles of liberty and freedom. Stephens understood that if those principles were denied, it would be only a matter of time before the North was under the tyrant's heel as well as the South. Hence he said this, "It is our true policy while struggling for our own independence, to use every possible means of impressing upon the minds of the real friends of liberty in the North the truth that if we should be overpowered and put under the heel of centralism, that the same fate would await them sooner or later."

He was prophetic, folks. Let me tell you something. When the South lost, the North lost. When the South lost, the East and West lost. He said it would be only a matter of time before every section of the country would be subjugated by centralism and we would not have our independence. We would be controlled from a centralized bureaucracy. Here was a man who was a constitutionalist.

In the formation of the Confederate Constitution, his statesmanship and profound acquaintance with the principles of government were indeed of great value. He believed that the Confederate Constitution was a great improvement over the Constitution of the United States and here's what he said concerning the Confederate Constitution: "The whole document, that is the Confederate Constitution, now the whole document utterly negatives the idea which so many of the active in endeavoring to put in the enduring form of history that the convention in Montgomery was nothing but a set of conspirators whose object was to overthrow the principles of the Constitution of the United States and the erection of a great slave oligarchy instead of the free institution thereby secured and guaranteed. This work of the Montgomery Convention and that of the Constitution for a provisional government will ever remain not only as a monument of the wisdom, foresight, and statesmanship of the men who constituted it, but an everlasting refutation of the charges that have been brought against them."

What does he say? The Confederate Constitution, if you will read it, demonstrates that we were not trying to set up some type of oligarchy, but we were trying to secure our liberty and our freedom. So here was a man who was a man of courage.

Stephens' Christian Faith and Death

Weaver describes Stephens' Christian worldview, his peaceful death with the words 'Get ready, we're nearly home,' and his hope in the Redeemer.

It is an undisputed truth that Stephens professed to be a Christian. His world and life view was steeped in the Scriptures. Truth was the starting point for Alexander Hamilton Stephens. Let me tell you what a world and life view is. A world and life view means just simply this, that everything that you see, everything that you perceive, everything that you understand is guided by and directed by the principles of the Word of God.

So here was a man who was a genuine Christian, and he sought to govern his life by those principles. Not only did he live by those principles, he died by those principles as well. By the way, his death came in the performance of his duties for the South. Believe it or not, Governor Stephens had attended and addressed the sesquicentennial celebration here in Savannah. It was this commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the landing of Oglethorpe. He was here, he took sick, this was the last public duty he was ready to perform for the people of Georgia.

After he took sick here in Savannah, he went back home and of course he worked in his own bedroom as a makeshift office there for the state of Georgia. And while he was sick for those two weeks, he basically did not lose contact with the affairs of the governor's office until a little later on, he became delirious. For 70 years, his mind had been clear and sharp and distinct. But now his mind slipped back to that era prior to the war. Maybe it was this way that he was to die indeed in peace. The doctor had told his family and his friends that he could not last long, and certainly his death led to an eternal beginning. Toward the dying days, Alexander Hamilton Stephens said this, "I've made it the rule of my life to live each day as if it were to be my last.

I have no special preparations to make. and no special pleas to offer." Isn't that an amazing statement? He said, "I've lived every day just like I was going to die. And now that I'm dying, I have no special preparations to make. I have no special pleas to offer." Everything was settled between him and Christ.

He lived in obedience and he was going to die in obedience. When the doctor saw that his death was imminent, he prompted his family and friends to draw closer to his bedside in order that they might hear the words of the dying man. And finally, he uttered his dying words, and they were, "Get ready, we're nearly home." And soon he was there. It was the year of our Lord, March the 4th, 1883. Alexander Hamilton Stephens could say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." We must remember his final words.

Application and Call for Men of Character

Weaver applies Stephens' example, urging the raising up of men of courage, conscience, constitutionalism, and Christian faith, and calls for readiness to stand for truth.

It be my desire that God would be pleased to raise up men like Alexander Hamilton Stephens. He was a man, small in stature, weak in constitution, sickly by frame. And yet, he was a man. He was a man of courage and conviction, a constitutionalist. He was a man who was a thoroughgoing Christian. And let me tell you, I had much rather be saddled with the body of Alexander Hamilton Stephens and have his character and have his faith than to have the body of a he-man and no character and no faith. You remember what God said of John the Baptist in John 1:6?

Scripture Reading — John 1:6

He says, "There was a man." And when you look at Alexander Hamilton Stephens, you can say, would the Lord, in reference to John the Baptist, "There was a man." He was a man of integrity. a man of truth and principle and right. And may God give us men like that. May we be men like that. May we get ready because, folks, our time is coming, not just to die, but to live and to stand and to do what's right for God's honor and God's glory and for our Southern heritage and for our Southern culture.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Courage and Principle

Summary: Stephens exemplified courage by refusing to compromise his principles even when threatened with death, demonstrating that some things are worth dying for.

Evidence: Weaver recounts the knife attack by Judge Cone and Stephens' response 'Never cut,' and quotes Stephens: 'I am afraid of nothing on earth or above earth or under the earth except to do wrong.'

Conscience and Integrity

Summary: Stephens was painstakingly honest, repaying all debts and defending truth even when it was unpopular, showing a life governed by conscience.

Evidence: Weaver notes Stephens repaid educational loans and defended Jefferson Davis against false charges, calling him 'painstakingly honest in every area of his life.'

Constitutionalism and Rule of Law

Summary: Stephens believed in preserving constitutional government and the principles of liberty, warning that abandoning the Constitution would lead to tyranny for all.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Stephens on the Georgia Platform: 'We hold the American Union secondary in importance only to the rights and principles it was designed to perpetuate.'

Christian Worldview

Summary: Stephens' life was guided by biblical principles; he professed Christianity and his worldview was steeped in Scripture, leading to a peaceful death.

Evidence: Weaver states Stephens' 'world and life view was steeped in the Scriptures' and quotes his dying words: 'Get ready, we're nearly home.'

The Necessity of Principled Manhood

Summary: Weaver contrasts the men of Stephens' era with modern men, lamenting the lack of courage and principle today and calling for a return to biblical manhood.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It's those principles that separate the men of that time from the men of this time' and 'Would to God we had men today that had that courage.'

Key Arguments

Stephens' physical frailty did not diminish his courage or impact.

Summary: Despite being sickly and weighing less than 100 pounds, Stephens displayed immense courage, proving that character, not physical strength, defines a man.

Evidence: Weaver describes Stephens' many ailments and quotes Robert Toombs: 'carried more brains and more soul for the least amount of flesh that God Almighty had ever made.'

Secession was about preserving constitutional principles, not destroying the Union.

Summary: Stephens argued that the South seceded to perpetuate the principles of the Constitution, which the North had abandoned.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Stephens: 'The real object of those who resorted to secession... was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which it was founded.'

Compromise of principle is worse than death.

Summary: Stephens believed that principles never change and that death is preferable to compromising truth.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Stephens: 'Times change and men often change with them, but principles never.'

The rule of law must be upheld because of human depravity.

Summary: Stephens' constitutionalism was rooted in the belief in total depravity, necessitating the rule of law over the rule of men.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Alexander Hamilton Stephens believed in total depravity... it's absolutely necessary that we have the rule of law rather than the rule of men.'

Stephens' Christian faith was the foundation of his life and death.

Summary: Stephens lived each day as if it were his last, with no special preparations needed at death because his life was already aligned with Christ.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Stephens: 'I've made it the rule of my life to live each day as if it were to be my last. I have no special preparations to make.'

Scripture References

1 Corinthians 16:13

Context: Weaver reads this verse at the opening of the sermon as the foundational text for the message on manly courage and steadfastness.

Romans 13:8

Context: Weaver cites this verse to illustrate Stephens' commitment to repaying debts, showing his conscientiousness.

Job 19:25-26

Context: Weaver paraphrases Job's declaration of faith in the Redeemer to describe Stephens' hope in resurrection.

John 1:6

Context: Weaver references this verse to emphasize that Stephens was a man of integrity, paralleling the description of John the Baptist.

Historical References

Alexander Hamilton Stephens (1812-1883)

Context: Vice President of the Confederacy, subject of the sermon; Weaver details his life, career, and character.

Abraham Lincoln

Context: Mentioned as knowing Stephens from Congress and making remarks about his small size at the Hampton Roads Conference.

Jefferson Davis

Context: President of the Confederacy; Weaver notes Stephens' defense of Davis and their lack of personal animosity.

Judge Francis Cone attack (1848)

Context: Weaver recounts the knife attack on Stephens by Judge Cone over a political quarrel, illustrating Stephens' courage.

Georgia Platform of 1850

Context: Stephens was an author; Weaver quotes its first resolve to show Stephens' constitutional priorities.

Confederate Constitution

Context: Weaver notes Stephens' role in its formation and his defense of it as an improvement over the U.S. Constitution.

Hampton Roads Conference

Context: Peace conference where Lincoln met Stephens; Weaver uses it to illustrate Lincoln's remark about Stephens' size.

Robert Toombs

Context: Famous Georgian who commented on Stephens' intellect relative to his physical size.

Important Quotes

Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong.

Significance: Opening Scripture that sets the theme of manly courage and steadfastness for the sermon.

Times change and men often change with them, but principles never.

Significance: Encapsulates Stephens' unwavering commitment to principle over compromise.

I am afraid of nothing on earth or above earth or under the earth except to do wrong.

Significance: Demonstrates Stephens' profound courage and moral conviction.

The real object of those who resorted to secession, as well as those who sustained it, was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which it was founded.

Significance: Key statement clarifying the Southern motivation for secession as preservation of constitutional principles.

Get ready, we're nearly home.

Significance: Stephens' dying words, reflecting his hope in heaven and urging preparedness.

We hold the American Union secondary in importance only to the rights and principles it was designed to perpetuate.

Significance: From the Georgia Platform, showing Stephens' prioritization of principles over mere union.

Discussion Questions

How does Stephens' physical frailty challenge modern notions of strength and courage?

Context: Weaver emphasizes Stephens' sickliness and small stature yet great courage.

In what ways did Stephens' Christian faith shape his political and personal decisions?

Context: Weaver describes Stephens' worldview as steeped in Scripture and his life governed by biblical principles.

What does Stephens' statement 'principles never' mean for Christians facing cultural pressure today?

Context: Weaver quotes Stephens on the unchanging nature of principles and applies it to the need for modern men of character.

How does the concept of 'rule of law rather than rule of men' relate to biblical teaching on human nature?

Context: Weaver connects Stephens' constitutionalism to the doctrine of total depravity.

What can we learn from Stephens' approach to death, and how should it affect the way we live?

Context: Weaver highlights Stephens' daily readiness for death and his peaceful passing.

Applications

Cultivate courage rooted in principle, not physical strength.

Summary: Believers should emulate Stephens' courage by standing for truth regardless of personal cost or physical limitations.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I had much rather be saddled with the body of Alexander Hamilton Stephens and have his character and have his faith than to have the body of a he-man and no character and no faith.'

Live with integrity and repay all debts.

Summary: Stephens' example of repaying loans and being honest in all dealings is a model for Christian conduct.

Evidence: Weaver notes Stephens repaid educational loans and quotes Romans 13:8.

Uphold constitutional principles and the rule of law.

Summary: Christians should advocate for governance based on fixed principles rather than arbitrary human rule, recognizing human depravity.

Evidence: Weaver states Stephens believed in total depravity and the necessity of the rule of law.

Prepare for death by living each day in obedience to Christ.

Summary: Stephens' daily readiness for death challenges believers to live with eternal perspective and settled accounts with God.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Stephens: 'I've made it the rule of my life to live each day as if it were to be my last.'

Raise up men of character and faith.

Summary: Weaver calls for God to raise up men like Stephens who combine courage, conscience, constitutionalism, and Christian faith.

Evidence: Weaver prays, 'It be my desire that God would be pleased to raise up men like Alexander Hamilton Stephens.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T13:49:45Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T18:04:58Z

Clean Transcript

Little Aleck - Confederate Memorial Day

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

1 Corinthians 16 and verse 13, the Word of God simply says, "Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong."
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We certainly welcome you here to historic Fort Jackson on this Confederate Memorial Day in April 2005, and let's bow for prayer, shall we?
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Father, we're so thankful today for the Lord Jesus Christ.
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We're thankful for His grace and mercy, for the history and the heritage that you've given unto us, and we ask your blessings, Lord, upon this day and upon the services that are to follow.
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In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
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Amen.
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Now, the reason I read 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 13, a very simple passage, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong," is because the message today is on what I would call one of the most notable men in our southern history.
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The message is on Little Aleck.
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If those of you who have studied history, you would automatically understand that Little Aleck is the nickname for Alexander Hamilton Stephens, who is the vice president of the Confederacy.
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It was Congressman Abraham Lincoln who said this, "A little, slim, pale-faced, consumptive man just concluded the very best speech of an hour's length I've ever heard in my life."
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And he was referring to Alexander Hamilton Stephens.
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Of course, most of you know that he's written not only a history of the United States, but also he wrote a two-volume set of the Constitutional View of the Late War Between the States.
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So Alexander Hamilton Stephens was Vice President of the Confederate States.
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He was a man of eminent natural abilities, intellectual training, statesmanship, and moral virtues.
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He was also the grandson of a soldier that was under General George Washington.
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He was one of that body of men who stood very firmly for the independence of the South in 1861.
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Little Aleck was born in a log cabin on February 11, 1812.
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He was the son of Andrew B.
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and Margaret Grier Stephens, and they were basically what you and I would classify as a poor farm family.
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Shortly after his birth, his mother died.
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His father continued to be a farmer and a school teacher, and at age 14, his father died as well.
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But Alexander Hamilton Stephens had a very brilliant mind, and that mind was recognized by a handful of mentors who paid for his education at Franklin College, which was to become, and now is, the University of Georgia.
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And by the way, he graduated from the very top of his class.
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He became an attorney, a lawyer, and he eventually owned the plantation here in Georgia that he named Liberty Hall.
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Alexander Hamilton Stephens was five feet, seven inches tall, which was about the average height for a man in his time.
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But he never weighed more than a hundred pounds his entire life.
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Hence, he got the nickname Little Aleck.
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The word which was most usually used to describe him was the word "cadaverous."
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That is, he almost looked like a dead body.
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And so the word "cadaverous" then was used to describe this pale, odd-bodied man with dark, lustrous eyes.
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He was a young man who was sickly from birth.
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And some of you ladies will appreciate this.
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Later on in life, because of his sickliness, he always wrapped himself in an abundance of coats and clothes.
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But later in life, he described happiness as simply to be warm.
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He was one of those individuals that liked a lot of coats.
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His sickliness was caused by various disorders.
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He was affected with these disorders throughout his entire life.
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He suffered from angina, bladder stones, colitis, migraine headaches, pneumonia, pruritus, rheumatoid arthritis, and sciatica.
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So he was indeed a very sickly man.
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He was admitted to the bar in 1832 and he served as Georgia state legislator as a senator from 1836 to 1842.
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And then he served as a United States congressman from 1843 to 1849.
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And again, of course, after the war, he was elected a United States Senator, but he was not allowed to take his seat.
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He served in Congress from 1873 to 1882 until he became the governor of Georgia.
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And he was governor of Georgia when he died in 1883.
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Robert Toombs, who was another famous Georgian, said this.
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He declared that Alexander Hamilton Stephens carried more brains and more soul for the least amount of flesh that God Almighty had ever made.
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So he understood very clearly that here was a man who had a great mind.
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It was the imperialist Yankee leader, Abraham Lincoln, who knew Little Aleck from when they were in Congress together.
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And they met at the Hampton Roads Conference.
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And remember now that Little Aleck always dressed extremely warmly.
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And at the Hampton Roads Conference, Abraham Lincoln saw Little Aleck taking off coat after coat and wrap after wrap.
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And then he walked over to Little Aleck with his hands stretched out to shake his hand and he said this, "Never have I seen such a small nubbin come out of so much husk."
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And certainly he was indeed a little man.
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After the War of Northern Aggression when Aleck went back to Congress in his wheelchair, someone described him as nothing but lungs and brains.
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On another occasion, another individual described him as that little irrepressible steam engine with a big brain and scarcely any body.
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One of my favorite stories about Alexander Hamilton Stephens is in 1835, he left Georgia for a while seeking to improve his health.
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And he went and visited an uncle that was living in Pennsylvania.
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And after he'd been there a while, his uncle asked him, and remember now, here's a sickly, small, frail man.
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And he asked Little Aleck what he did for a living.
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And Little Aleck replied, "I'm a lawyer."
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At that point, his uncle sat very quietly for a few moments, perplexed.
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And then he looked at Little Aleck and said, "Aleck, but don't you have to tell lies?"
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Obviously, he did not know his nephew.
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For Little Aleck answered and said this, "The business of a lawyer is neither to tell lies nor to defend lies, but to protect and maintain right, truth, and justice."
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Wouldn't it be wonderful if the American Bar Association believed that today?
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Wouldn't it be wonderful if the lawyers in our Congress believed that today?
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The business is not to tell lies nor defend lies, but to maintain truth and right and justice.
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His earliest course in public life foreshadowed his career, and he got the title, basically, the Great Commoner, because he was always fighting for what he believed right and for the common man.
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His first entry, of course, in the United States Congress was in 1843, and he served 16 years with distinction, constantly increasing, until in 1859 he returned to private life by his own choice.
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Now, I've said this repeatedly and I want to continue to emphasize it because you're going to see how it comes through in his life, but Alexander Hamilton Stephens had one of the brightest minds of his time.
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During his career in the United States Congress, he gained fame as an orator despite having a high-pitched voice.
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Alexander Hamilton Stephens was a noted authority of the United States Constitution.
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In 1843, he was nominated by the newly organized Whig Party to fill a vacated seat in Congress.
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And he began to campaign all around Georgia.
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And of course, he was campaigning against the Democrats at that particular time.
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And he was flipping them left and right.
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I mean, they could not stand up to his oratory.
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They could not stand up to his debating skills.
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And finally, the Democrats decided they were going to put Little Aleck in his place.
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And so they called in their biggest gun, basically, to shoot him down.
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And that choice was Walter T.
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Colquitt, who was a veteran debater and also a judge.
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Now, I want you to try to picture this, because the debate took place in Noonan, Georgia.
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And here is Little Aleck, sickly, frail, and here is enormous Judge Walter T.
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Colquitt, not just in size particularly, but also in reputation and in size.
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Now, when that debate began, Judge Colquitt arose and he began to address the audience.
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And as he addressed them, he began to speak very sneeringly of the size of Little Aleck, making fun of him and also saying this, "I could swallow him whole and never know the difference."
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And then he proceeded to make out that Alexander Hamilton Stephens was unpatriotic and the fact that he made fun of his voting record.
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Well, although the audience erupted in laughter when he said, "I could swallow him whole and never know the difference."
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All of a sudden, his time was ended and Little Aleck was on his feet.
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He was still sickly, that is for sure.
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He was still frail, that is for sure.
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But his eyes sparkled with brilliance.
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And then what Little Aleck said was this, that Georgia should not pay the debt of a nation when Georgia was already contributing to that debt as an individual state.
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And then as far as Judge Colquitt was concerned of making fun of his voting record, he then took the Senate Journal and showed that Judge Colquitt voted identically the way he voted in the Senate.
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And then he said this, "If Judge Colquitt should swallow me whole, there'd be far more brains in his belly than he ever had in his head."
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Well, naturally, he won the debate.
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He not only won the debate, by the way, he also won the election.
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You see, Little Aleck believed that the only hope for liberty was to stand by the Constitution.
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He believed that it was the representative's duty to have the knowledge of the Constitution and the integrity to stand by the Constitution.
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Now, before the Georgia legislature in 1860, and again in that state secession convention in 1861, Alexander Hamilton Stephens did at that time oppose secession.
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Now, some try to say that, well, Alexander Hamilton Stephens was a strict unionist.
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No, he was not a strict unionist, not in the deepest sense of the word.
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When he opposed secession, he was not opposing the principle of secession, nor was he opposing the right of secession.
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What he was opposing was what was known as immediate secession.
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He was just simply saying, "I believe in secession.
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I don't necessarily think it is the time to do it right now."
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But when Georgia went ahead and seceded, then he threw himself with the South and stood with the South and fought for the liberty and independence of the South.
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Now, in order to illustrate this truth, let me give you a statement that he made concerning secession.
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Listen carefully.
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Alexander Hamilton Stephens said this.
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"The real object of those who resorted to secession, as well as those who sustained it, was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which it was founded."
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"The object in quitting the Union was not to destroy, but to save the principles of the Constitution."
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Now listen to what he said.
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"The real object of those who resorted to secession as well as those who sustained it, was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which that government was founded."
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He was simply saying this, since the North did not want to abide by the Constitution, and the South did, we would withdraw from the Union and then sustain those very principles upon which our country was founded.
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You see, Alexander Hamilton Stephens, as well as other men of that time, understood that separation was sometimes necessary in order to maintain the principles upon which our union was begun.
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The attitude of Alexander Hamilton Stephens and many others was if the northern states did not wish to fulfill their covenantal oath, fine, we will depart in peace and secure our liberties for ourselves.
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It's not my intention today to give a full biographical sketch of Little Aleck.
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I certainly could not do that in the time I have this morning.
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But what I do wish to do is this.
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It's to demonstrate some of the principles that guided his life.
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And these principles not only guided his life, but also the lives of the men of his time.
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We've got to understand that these men were men of principle and men of character.
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Their lives were ruled and governed and controlled by principles.
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And those principles were founded upon biblical Christianity.
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To these men, honor, right, justice, equity, obedience and duty were just some of the principles to which they held to absolutely tenaciously.
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It's those principles that made these men stand out.
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It's those principles...
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that demonstrate why they were great and we do not have great men today.
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It's those principles that separate the men of that time from the men of this time.
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Listen to what Alexander Hamilton Stephens said.
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He said, "Times change and men often change with them, but principles never."
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Did you hear what he said?
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"Times change.
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And men often change with those times, but principles never."
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In other words, he preferred death over compromise because the principles were not going to change.
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Now, let me give you at least four things this morning.
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Very quickly, I want you to understand that he was courageous.
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You say, "Brother Weaver, you're using the term courageous to describe a man who never weighed more than 100 pounds in his life."
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That's correct.
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Let me give you an illustration of his courage and also a demonstration and illustration of the fact of his commitment to principle.
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On September 3rd, 1848, Judge Francis Cone ran into Alexander Hamilton Stephens at the Thompson Hotel in downtown Atlanta.
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A feud between the two had previously erupted over a quarrel of the Clayton Compromise.
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Words were exchanged, name-calling ensued, and animosity boiled over.
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Judge Cone attacked Little Aleck.
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And he not only jumped on this little man with his fist, he attacked him with a knife.
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He stabbed Alexander Hamilton Stephens six times, and one time the puncture wound was near the heart.
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Stephens was cut so terribly and was bleeding so profusely, it looked as if he was going to die.
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And Judge Cone had that knife and he said to Stephens, "Now you retract or I'll cut your throat."
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To which Alexander Hamilton Stephens says, "Never cut."
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And when the judge came down with that knife, Little Aleck took his hand and brushed the blow away that saved his life, but never was he able to write with that right hand clearly again.
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You see, here was a man of courage.
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Here's a man who'd rather give his life than to compromise principle.
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You see, we have forgotten that there were men who believed that death was preferable to compromise.
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We have forgotten the fact that there are some things that are worth dying for.
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Now, Stephens was certainly no warmonger, and neither was President Jefferson Davis.
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And Stephens concurred with Jeff Davis when the President spoke to the reassembled Congress in April of 1861, and he said these words, "We seek no conquest, no aggrandizement, and no concessions from the free states.
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All we ask is to be left alone, that none shall attempt our subjugation by arms.
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This we will and must resist to the direst extremity.
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The moment this pretension is abandoned, the sword will drop from our hands, and we shall be ready to enter into treaties of amity and commerce mutually beneficial."
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Did you hear what Davis said?
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All we want to do is just simply be left alone.
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You drop your weapons, we'll drop our weapons.
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We'll be together in peace and we'll have commerce that will be mutually beneficial.
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But if you maintain to subjugate us by your arms, basically what he's saying, we will fight.
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Neither Davis nor Stephens were compromisers, especially when truth was at stake.
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If the North wanted to fight, then they're going to have a fight and they're going to have a handful with the South.
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Alexander Hamilton Stephens himself laid this out before Congress.
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He certainly was asking and demonstrating the necessity for peace.
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Yet at the same time, he was delivering a warning to the North who wished to subjugate the South by force.
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Listen to what he said.
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Here's just part of his speech to Congress.
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"Have you formed a fixed, firm, and inflexible determination to carry your measures in this house by numerical strength and then to enforce them by bayonet?
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If so, you must be prepared to meet the consequences of whatever follows.
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The responsibility will rest upon your own heads.
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You may think that the suppression of an outbreak in the southern states will be a holiday job for a few of your northern regiments.
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But you may find to your cost in the end that seven million people fighting for their rights, their homes, and their hearthstones cannot be easily conquered.
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I submit the matter to your deliberate consideration.
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I have told you sincerely and honestly that I am for peace and the union upon any fair and reasonable terms.
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It is the most cherished sentiment of my heart.
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But if you deny these terms, if you continue deaf to the voice of that spirit of justice, right, and equality, which should always characterize the deliberations of statesmen, I know of no other alternative that will be left to the people of the South, but sooner or later to acquiesce in the necessity of
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holding you, as the rest of mankind, enemies in war and in peace, friends."
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Listen to what that little man said.
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You may think it'll be a picnic to attack the South.
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You may think just a few of your northern regiments will wipe us out.
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But, he said, you're going to be in for a real surprise.
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Because when you find seven million people who are going to be fighting to protect their lives, their liberties, and their homes, you're going to be in for a rude awakening.
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You see, the courage of Alexander Hamilton Stephens is very clearly made manifest in a statement that he made in Augusta, Georgia in 1855.
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Listen to what this man said.
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He had been campaigning against all odds, and here is what he said in his campaign.
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"I am afraid of nothing on earth or above earth or under the earth except to do wrong.
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I'd rather be defeated in a good cause than triumph in a bad cause."
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Can you imagine that?
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"I'm afraid of nothing on earth or above the earth or under the earth except to do wrong."
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Would to God we had men today that had that courage.
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Men that would stand up to politicians and to congressmen and to presidents and everyone else and said, "No, we will not do wrong.
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We will do what's right."
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Here this sickly, pale, cadaverous man had more courage probably in his little finger than the average man has today.
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So he was indeed a man of courage.
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Secondly, he was also a man of conscience.
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By that I mean he was extremely conscientious.
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Stephens was painstakingly honest in every area of his life.
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After his father's death, he went to live with his uncle in Warren County.
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While under his uncle's charge, he met Charles C.
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Mills, who was a man of wealth.
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And after five months in school, he was offered a home in Washington, which is Wilkes County, Georgia, and also a place there in the high school that was being taught by the Reverend Alexander Hamilton Webster, who was a Presbyterian minister.
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And by the way, Alexander Hamilton Stephens took his middle name Hamilton from Reverend Alexander Hamilton Webster.
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So Mr. Mills and some of the others then were paying for young Stephens then to attend schools.
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He regarded this charity as a loan and afterwards he repaid the full amount.
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He did not just simply accept it.
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Later on, when the Presbyterian church wanted to send him to college with a view to enter the ministry, he accepted their loan with the understanding that if he did not enter into the ministry, that the loan would be paid back in full.
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When he graduated and did not enter into the ministry, he earned money by teaching and he repaid the Presbyterian board in full.
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He was true to Romans 13:8, "Owe no man anything."
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He made sure that he paid what he owed.
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Now, it is understandable and many of you know that Stephens and President Davis had their differences.
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But there was no personal animosity that existed between them.
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Stephens defended President Davis until his death.
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In fact, Stephens said this, "These differences, that is between himself and Jefferson Davis, however wide and thorough as they were, caused no personal breach between us."
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And Jeff Davis, by the way, confirms that statement.
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There was no animosity between these men.
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There was no bitterness and no resentment.
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And it's proper to state that Alexander Hamilton Stephens defended Jeff Davis against all malicious attacks as long as he lived.
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One of the most cruel and vicious charges against President Davis was his treatment of prisoners.
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And that was promptly condemned by Alexander Hamilton Stephens as "the boldest, baldest attempt at outrage upon the truth of history which has ever been essayed, not less so than the infamous attempt to fix upon him and other high officials on the Confederate side the guilt of Mr. Lincoln's assassination."
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So he said, if you think that Jeff Davis mistreated prisoners, if you think that Jeff Davis had anything to do with the assassination of Lincoln, you're mistaken.
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Here's a man who was not only courageous, he was conscientious.
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Thirdly, he was also constitutional.
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He was a constitutionalist.
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His policy was to preserve the constitutional government of the South.
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And also, while he was trying to preserve that, he was also trying to strengthen the anti-war party in the North by demonstrating the fact that the North had indeed left the Constitution.
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Now, one of the reasons he said that we must stick with the Constitution was because there dwells no good in the human heart.
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In other words, Alexander Hamilton Stephens believed in total depravity.
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And what he was saying is this, it's absolutely necessary that we have the rule of law rather than the rule of men.
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And by the way, I hope you see what we have today under the rule of men.
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But he knew that a good statesman must understand the fallen nature of mankind.
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And he attempted to stand by the principles of the Constitution and stand by the law of the land, even when he understood that most people in the North had left those principles and basically had left the Word of God.
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He was one of the authors of the Georgia Platform of 1850.
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And I want you to listen carefully to his first resolve.
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Here's what he said.
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"That we hold the American Union secondary in importance only to the rights and principles it was designed to perpetuate."
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Now did Alexander Hamilton Stephens love the Union?
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Yes he did.
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But he said it is not the Union first.
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We hold first those principles that that union was set up to perpetuate, those principles of liberty and freedom.
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Stephens understood that if those principles were denied, it would be only a matter of time before the North was under the tyrant's heel as well as the South.
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Hence he said this, "It is our true policy while struggling for our own independence, to use every possible means of impressing upon the minds of the real friends of liberty in the North the truth that if we should be overpowered and put under the heel of centralism, that the same fate would await
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them sooner or later."
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He was prophetic, folks.
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Let me tell you something.
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When the South lost, the North lost.
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When the South lost, the East and West lost.
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He said it would be only a matter of time before every section of the country would be subjugated by centralism and we would not have our independence.
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We would be controlled from a centralized bureaucracy.
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Here was a man who was a constitutionalist.
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In the formation of the Confederate Constitution, his statesmanship and profound acquaintance with the principles of government were indeed of great value.
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He believed that the Confederate Constitution was a great improvement over the Constitution of the United States and here's what he said concerning the Confederate Constitution: "The whole document, that is the Confederate Constitution, now the whole document utterly negatives the idea which so many of the active in endeavoring to put in the enduring form of history
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that the convention in Montgomery was nothing but a set of conspirators whose object was to overthrow the principles of the Constitution of the United States and the erection of a great slave oligarchy instead of the free institution thereby secured and guaranteed.
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This work of the Montgomery Convention and that of the Constitution for a provisional government will ever remain not only as a monument of the wisdom, foresight, and statesmanship of the men who constituted it, but an everlasting refutation of the charges that have been brought against them."
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What does he say?
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The Confederate Constitution, if you will read it, demonstrates that we were not trying to set up some type of oligarchy, but we were trying to secure our liberty and our freedom.
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So here was a man who was a man of courage.
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Here was a man who was a man of conscience.
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Here was a man who was a constitutionalist.
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And fourthly today, let me point out that he was a Christian.
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It is an undisputed truth that Stephens professed to be a Christian.
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His world and life view was steeped in the Scriptures.
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Truth was the starting point for Alexander Hamilton Stephens.
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Let me tell you what a world and life view is.
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A world and life view means just simply this, that everything that you see, everything that you perceive, everything that you understand is guided by and directed by the principles of the Word of God.
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So here was a man who was a genuine Christian, and he sought to govern his life by those principles.
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Not only did he live by those principles, he died by those principles as well.
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By the way, his death came in the performance of his duties for the South.
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Believe it or not, Governor Stephens had attended and addressed the sesquicentennial celebration here in Savannah.
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It was this commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the landing of Oglethorpe.
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He was here, he took sick, this was the last public duty he was ready to perform for the people of Georgia.
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After he took sick here in Savannah, he went back home and of course he worked in his own bedroom as a makeshift office there for the state of Georgia.
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And while he was sick for those two weeks, he basically did not lose contact with the affairs of the governor's office until a little later on, he became delirious.
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For 70 years, his mind had been clear and sharp and distinct.
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But now his mind slipped back to that era prior to the war.
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Maybe it was this way that he was to die indeed in peace.
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The doctor had told his family and his friends that he could not last long, and certainly his death led to an eternal beginning.
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Toward the dying days, Alexander Hamilton Stephens said this, "I've made it the rule of my life to live each day as if it were to be my last.
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I have no special preparations to make.
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and no special pleas to offer."
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Isn't that an amazing statement?
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He said, "I've lived every day just like I was going to die.
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And now that I'm dying, I have no special preparations to make.
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I have no special pleas to offer."
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Everything was settled between him and Christ.
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He lived in obedience and he was going to die in obedience.
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When the doctor saw that his death was imminent, he prompted his family and friends to draw closer to his bedside in order that they might hear the words of the dying man.
#292 | 32:37 to 32:49 | cleaned
And finally, he uttered his dying words, and they were, "Get ready, we're nearly home."
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And soon he was there.
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It was the year of our Lord, March the 4th, 1883.
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Alexander Hamilton Stephens could say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."
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We must remember his final words.
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"Get ready."
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"Get ready."
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You know something, folks?
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It be my desire that God would be pleased to raise up men like Alexander Hamilton Stephens.
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He was a man, small in stature, weak in constitution, sickly by frame.
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And yet, he was a man.
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He was a man of courage and conviction, a constitutionalist.
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He was a man who was a thoroughgoing Christian.
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And let me tell you, I had much rather be saddled with the body of Alexander Hamilton Stephens and have his character and have his faith than to have the body of a he-man and no character and no faith.
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You remember what God said of John the Baptist in John 1:6?
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He says, "There was a man."
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And when you look at Alexander Hamilton Stephens, you can say, would the Lord, in reference to John the Baptist, "There was a man."
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He was a man of integrity.
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a man of truth and principle and right.
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And may God give us men like that.
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May we be men like that.
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May we get ready because, folks, our time is coming, not just to die, but to live and to stand and to do what's right for God's honor and God's glory and for our Southern heritage and for our Southern culture.
#314 | 34:43 to 35:00 | cleaned
Let's pray.
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Our Father, we are so thankful today for Jesus Christ.
#316 | 35:03 to 35:06 | cleaned
We're so thankful for men like Alexander Hamilton Stephens.
#317 | 35:08 to 35:11 | cleaned
Who were indeed men of courage?
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Men of conscience.
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Men of the Constitution.
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And yet Christian men who held truth preeminent.
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Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
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In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
#323 | 35:32 to 35:36 | cleaned
Amen.
#324 | 35:37 to 35:37 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T13:49:45Z

Little Aleck - Confederate Memorial Day

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver delivers a Confederate Memorial Day address at Fort Jackson, focusing on Alexander Hamilton Stephens ('Little Aleck'), Vice President of the Confederacy. Weaver highlights Stephens' courage, conscience, constitutionalism, and Christian faith, using his life to exemplify principled manhood rooted in biblical Christianity. The sermon calls for modern men to emulate Stephens' unwavering commitment to truth and principle.

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver opens with 1 Corinthians 16:13 and introduces the message on Alexander Hamilton Stephens, a notable figure in Southern history.

Biographical Sketch of Alexander Hamilton Stephens

Weaver provides an overview of Stephens' life: his birth, education, physical frailty, political career, and nickname 'Little Aleck.'

Stephens' Courage and Commitment to Principle

Weaver illustrates Stephens' courage through the knife attack by Judge Cone and his refusal to retract, demonstrating that death was preferable to compromise.

Here's a man who'd rather give his life than to compromise principle. You see, we have forgotten that there were men who believed that death was preferable to compromise.

Stephens' Conscience and Honesty

Weaver emphasizes Stephens' conscientiousness, shown by repaying educational loans and defending Jefferson Davis against false charges.

Stephens' Constitutionalism

Weaver explains Stephens' dedication to the Constitution, his belief in the rule of law over the rule of men, and his role in the Georgia Platform and Confederate Constitution.

Stephens' Christian Faith and Death

Weaver describes Stephens' Christian worldview, his peaceful death with the words 'Get ready, we're nearly home,' and his hope in the Redeemer.

Application and Call for Men of Character

Weaver applies Stephens' example, urging the raising up of men of courage, conscience, constitutionalism, and Christian faith, and calls for readiness to stand for truth.

Scripture Reading — John 1:6

He says, "There was a man." And when you look at Alexander Hamilton Stephens, you can say, would the Lord, in reference to John the Baptist, "There was a man." He was a man of integrity. a man of truth and principle and right. And may God give us men like that. May we be men like that. May we get ready because, folks, our time is coming, not just to die, but to live and to stand and to do what's right for God's honor and God's glory and for our Southern heritage and for our Southern culture.

Little Aleck - Confederate Memorial Day

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	42805171746
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-04-24
Dictation Name
Book	Book 136: Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations - Volume 1 — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	324

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Scripture Reading: Weaver opens with 1 Corinthians 16:13 and introduces the message on Alexander Hamilton Stephens, a notable figure in Southern history.
Biographical Sketch of Alexander Hamilton Stephens: Weaver provides an overview of Stephens' life: his birth, education, physical frailty, political career, and nickname 'Little Aleck.'
Stephens' Courage and Commitment to Principle: Weaver illustrates Stephens' courage through the knife attack by Judge Cone and his refusal to retract, demonstrating that death was preferable to compromise.
Stephens' Conscience and Honesty: Weaver emphasizes Stephens' conscientiousness, shown by repaying educational loans and defending Jefferson Davis against false charges.
Stephens' Constitutionalism: Weaver explains Stephens' dedication to the Constitution, his belief in the rule of law over the rule of men, and his role in the Georgia Platform and Confederate Constitution.
Stephens' Christian Faith and Death: Weaver describes Stephens' Christian worldview, his peaceful death with the words 'Get ready, we're nearly home,' and his hope in the Redeemer.
Application and Call for Men of Character: Weaver applies Stephens' example, urging the raising up of men of courage, conscience, constitutionalism, and Christian faith, and calls for readiness to stand for truth.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Stephens' physical frailty did not diminish his courage or impact.

Despite being sickly and weighing less than 100 pounds, Stephens displayed immense courage, proving that character, not physical strength, defines a man.

Weaver describes Stephens' many ailments and quotes Robert Toombs: 'carried more brains and more soul for the least amount of flesh that God Almighty had ever made.'

Secession was about preserving constitutional principles, not destroying the Union.

Stephens argued that the South seceded to perpetuate the principles of the Constitution, which the North had abandoned.

Weaver quotes Stephens: 'The real object of those who resorted to secession... was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which it was founded.'

Compromise of principle is worse than death.

Stephens believed that principles never change and that death is preferable to compromising truth.

Weaver quotes Stephens: 'Times change and men often change with them, but principles never.'

The rule of law must be upheld because of human depravity.

Stephens' constitutionalism was rooted in the belief in total depravity, necessitating the rule of law over the rule of men.

Weaver states: 'Alexander Hamilton Stephens believed in total depravity... it's absolutely necessary that we have the rule of law rather than the rule of men.'

Stephens' Christian faith was the foundation of his life and death.

Stephens lived each day as if it were his last, with no special preparations needed at death because his life was already aligned with Christ.

Weaver quotes Stephens: 'I've made it the rule of my life to live each day as if it were to be my last. I have no special preparations to make.'

Scripture References

1 Corinthians 16:13: Weaver reads this verse at the opening of the sermon as the foundational text for the message on manly courage and steadfastness.
Romans 13:8: Weaver cites this verse to illustrate Stephens' commitment to repaying debts, showing his conscientiousness.
Job 19:25-26: Weaver paraphrases Job's declaration of faith in the Redeemer to describe Stephens' hope in resurrection.
John 1:6: Weaver references this verse to emphasize that Stephens was a man of integrity, paralleling the description of John the Baptist.

Historical References

Alexander Hamilton Stephens (1812-1883): Vice President of the Confederacy, subject of the sermon; Weaver details his life, career, and character.
Abraham Lincoln: Mentioned as knowing Stephens from Congress and making remarks about his small size at the Hampton Roads Conference.
Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederacy; Weaver notes Stephens' defense of Davis and their lack of personal animosity.
Judge Francis Cone attack (1848): Weaver recounts the knife attack on Stephens by Judge Cone over a political quarrel, illustrating Stephens' courage.
Georgia Platform of 1850: Stephens was an author; Weaver quotes its first resolve to show Stephens' constitutional priorities.
Confederate Constitution: Weaver notes Stephens' role in its formation and his defense of it as an improvement over the U.S. Constitution.
Hampton Roads Conference: Peace conference where Lincoln met Stephens; Weaver uses it to illustrate Lincoln's remark about Stephens' size.
Robert Toombs: Famous Georgian who commented on Stephens' intellect relative to his physical size.

Important Quotes

Watch ye, stand ye fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong.

Opening Scripture that sets the theme of manly courage and steadfastness for the sermon.

Times change and men often change with them, but principles never.

Encapsulates Stephens' unwavering commitment to principle over compromise.

I am afraid of nothing on earth or above earth or under the earth except to do wrong.

Demonstrates Stephens' profound courage and moral conviction.

The real object of those who resorted to secession, as well as those who sustained it, was not the overthrow of the government of the United States, but to perpetuate the principles upon which it was founded.

Key statement clarifying the Southern motivation for secession as preservation of constitutional principles.

Get ready, we're nearly home.

Stephens' dying words, reflecting his hope in heaven and urging preparedness.

We hold the American Union secondary in importance only to the rights and principles it was designed to perpetuate.

From the Georgia Platform, showing Stephens' prioritization of principles over mere union.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does Stephens' physical frailty challenge modern notions of strength and courage?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes Stephens' sickliness and small stature yet great courage.

[Question]

In what ways did Stephens' Christian faith shape his political and personal decisions?

[Context]

Weaver describes Stephens' worldview as steeped in Scripture and his life governed by biblical principles.

[Question]

What does Stephens' statement 'principles never' mean for Christians facing cultural pressure today?

[Context]

Weaver quotes Stephens on the unchanging nature of principles and applies it to the need for modern men of character.

[Question]

How does the concept of 'rule of law rather than rule of men' relate to biblical teaching on human nature?

[Context]

Weaver connects Stephens' constitutionalism to the doctrine of total depravity.

[Question]

What can we learn from Stephens' approach to death, and how should it affect the way we live?

[Context]

Weaver highlights Stephens' daily readiness for death and his peaceful passing.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T18:04:58Z