The so-called Cornerstone Speech, a title reflecting a figure of speech used in the address, was delivered at the Savannah Theatre on March 21, 1861. It is often cited as the most forceful analysis of the ideology of the Confederacy. It made claims for the superiority of the Confederate constitution over the U.S. Constitution, drew contrasts between the Confederacy and the Union, defended slavery, and laid out a justification for secession. In the speech, Alexander H. Stephens stated that the new government’s “foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.” Stephens declared that disagreements about slavery were the “immediate cause” of secession and that the Confederate constitution settled the issue.