Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-09-06

! we mean to avail ourselves ,f your treachery
in building up the very caue you have souph
to destroy. You have tranpled upon you
plighted faith to US, that Kmsas and Nebros
ka shal be free, by ruthlessy breaking dowr
the wall which guarded then, and now, by
way of redressing the wrong you have done
US, and as some atonement br it, we not onl,
demand that these Territories shall be preserv
ed free by law, but that'sn territory shull b,
60 preserved, whether at present owned o
hereafter to be acquired by .he Government
that not another slave State shall ever be add
! ed to this Union, either from Utah, New Mexi
CO, the State of Texas, or elsewhere, that tn,
Fugitive Slave Act shall be unc ncondi;ionally
repealed; that Slavery in cur National Distric
shall be abolished; and, infne, that the curst
shat be hurled back upon the States which il
scourges, to live if it can, or die if it must by
its own local enactments. You have made
manitestyour purpose to naonaIize Slavery in
this Republic; we now pioclaim our fixed
purpose to denationalize it. You have broken
tme-honored compact, when you can nc
longer use it to your advantage; we now
make your breach the exodus of our people
from the bondage of all compromises"
This, sir, would have been our position,
had we been in earnest, The Nebraska in.
iquity was only single link in a great chain
OF measures aiming at the absolute supre macy
Of Slavery in this Government, and THIS in
viting resistance commensurate with that
policy; and to cut down the issue between
Slavery and Freedom TO so narrow, equivocal
and half-hearted measure at time when
every consideration plead for radical and
thorough work, was practical infidelity to the
cause and the crisis. 1t was sporting with
humanity, and giving to the winds glorious
victory Cor the right, when it was almost
within our grasp. 1t was, in fact, stabbng
Freedom in its vitals, and closing up an art
cry in the Slave Power, madly opened by its
own hand, which threatened to bleed it to
death.
Mr.. Chairman, the view have been en-
forcing is confirmed by the general course of
political action against Slavery. l refer,
more particularly, to the party styling itself
the Free Democracy. certainly would not
speak of this organization in any terms of un-
due dsaparagement. have myself been re-
cognised as member of il, ard have trusted
in it as an nstrumentalty likely to accomp-
lIsh great good for the Anti-Slavery cause.
Its existence was necessity, springing out
OF the pro-slavery serviity Of the old parties,
and it promised to destroy them, as an indis
Penslble preliminary to any effective help for
the slave. In this needed work OF destruc-
tion it has been successful to very consider
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gratitude. 1t has done excellent service in
forcing the Slavery question into general dis
cussion, and sending to our National Legis-
lature some noble representatives of its prin.
ciples, who gave it an influence it could not
otherwise have expected. The controlling
purpose OF the party at its formation was the
divorce Of the Federal Government from
Slavery, by keeping it actually and perpetu-
ally on the side of Freedom; and its members
pledged themselves to fight on, and fgh, ever
till triumphant victory should reward their
exeriions. Young, vigorous, and without
claiming to be "hea!thy," it went forth for a
Sc ison upon its mission, striking terror into
the Slave Power ami its abettors, kindling
the fires Of agitation, drawing to its standard
tions, and wanting only faith, patience, and
fiC { lity, to insure it glorious triumph, in
the fulness ct time appointed by Providence
for all great moral achievements.
But, sir, where now is the Free Democracy!
Is it dead, or only sleeping! Has its mission
been abruptly terminated, or has it yet a
future! Perhaps it still lives, but it has, |
know, received some terrible shocks from
the combined assaults of Anti-N ebraskaism
and Know NJthngism; and if a competent
political doctor were called in, he would pro-
badly find the patien, in a state of great pros
tration, accompanied by painful difficulty of
breathing. Sir, why is this! How comes it
to pass that men who had braved the pros
cription of the old parties and dared to stand
for the right for six or seven years, should SO
suddenly grow weary, and exhibit such eager
ness for new associations! Whence came
the strange iufatuaton that has invested
fuSionism with such charms, despoiIing many
Of the leaders of the Independent Democracy
of their courage and strength, and causing
its rank and file to skulk like towards into
the dark camp of Know No,hingism. and
Identity their fortunes with the mongrel and
invisible hordes that rally under its banner
And why should the Free Democracy die
with .he Wing and Democratic parties! II
was delightful, admit, to see the end of these
organizations approaching, after they had SC
long numbered the ground anI cursed the
cause of Freedom, and can readily pardon
some acts of indsCreton, even some de-
gree of Anti-Slavery delirium, in the neal
prospect of an event SO very prophetic Of th'
"good time coming" But our singular mis-
fortune was, that instead of borrowing new
life from the death of these parties, INSTEAD o
absorbing their vitality as i, ebbed away, ant
thus reinvigorating our organization by ap
proprating it to our own life, we determined
that our time to die had come also. Certain
ly! Why should not Free-Soilers "folow il
the footsteps Of their ilustrous predeces
sors!"
To say that we would eight on, and fgh
ever" was a mere phlanthropical flourish
Was not our organization got up purely T.
worry and bedevil the old ones to death, an
not as permanent movement, designed t
displace them! Why should we struggle a
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