Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-08-07

of the West-uncomproms hostility t
the Sub-Treasury, 20 executive usurpation
of the powers of Congress, and to all war
for conquest, and to all acquisition OF terri
tory in any manner whatever for the difiu
sion and perpetuity of Slavery, and for tn
extension and permanency OF the Slav
Power--are now, as they have been. cardi
nal principles in the policy of the Wings o
Massachusetts, and form, in their judgment
the broad and deep foundations on whicl
rest, and ever must rest, the prospective
hopes, and the true and enduring interest:
OF the whole country
Put these definitions of its attitude upor
1.-THE slave question, as made by the rank an'
FILE of the Wing party in other days, beside
ihe declarations made by their most distin
gu:shed leaders. for whose views the Clt
FLine Wing affects the profcuncest defer
erence, and we are enabled to lay line anc
plummet TO the pretended consistency o
these latter in the presence of existing is
sues. Mr. Webster, at Marshfela, few
months after this Springfield Convention
spoke thus:
81 say, as said the other day, that have
made up my mind, for one, that under III
circumstances sOu / consent to the ertsnsion
Of the area Of Save;y in The United States, OF
to the further increase Of slaue representation
in the House of Repres esentatives."
And two years later, in the heat of the
| Compromise controversy:
"Sir, wherever there is particular good
! to be done--,rhererer there is foot of land
TO ts staid back from becoming slave territory
Il am ready to assert the principle Of the er-
eIusion Of slarery."
If Mr. Clay is appealed to, let the great
speech he delivered at Lexington, in No
vember, lS47, obtain careful perusal, espe-
cially few such passages as these:
"My opinions on the su ject of Slavery
are we'll known. They have the merit, if it
be one, ef consistency, uniformity, and long
duration. have ever regarded Slavery as
a great evil, wrong, for the present, fear,
an irremediable wrong, to its unfortunate
victims | should rejoice if not single
slave breathed the air or was within the
limits OF our country. But here they are, to
be dealt with as well as we can. with due
consideration of all circumstances affecting
the security, safety. ard happiness of both
races. Every State has the supreme, un-
controlled and exclusive power to decide for
itself whether Slavery shall cease or con-
tinuc within it, limits, without any exterior
intervention from any quarter. In States
where the slaves outnumber the whites, as
is the case with several, the blacks could
not be emancipated and invested with all
the rights of ireemen, without becoming the
governing race in those States. Collisions
and conflicts, between the two races, would
be inc vitable; and, after SHOCKING scenes Of
rapine and carnage, the extinction or expul-
sion biucks wor,td- eeFtsialu Y take
place. In the State Of Kentucky, near fifty
wears ago. | thought the proportion OF slaves,
in comparison with the whites, was 50 in
considerable that we might safely adopt
system of gradual emancipation that would
ultimately eradicate this evil in our State.
That system was totally different from the
immediate abolition Of Slavery for which the
party of the Abolitionists of the present day
intend. Whether they have ntended it
or not, it is my calm and deliberate belief,
that they have done incalculable mischief
even to the very cause which thoy espoused.
to say nothing of the discord which has been
produced between different parts of the
Union. According to the system we at
tempted, near the close of the last century,
all slaves in being were to remain SUCH;
but, al! who might be born subsequent to
specified dav, were to become free at the
age of twen,y-eight, and during their SER
vice were to be taught to read, write and
cypher. Thus, instead of being thrown
ssr,n the community, ignorant and unPre-
pared, as would be the case by immediate
emancipation, they would have entered upon
the possession Of their freedom, capable, in
some degree, of enjoying it. After hard
strugs!e the system was defeated, and re-
oret i, extremely, as, if it had been then
adopted our State would be now nearl ly rid
Of that reproach.
at seems to me that it is the duty of our
country. as we'll on the score OF moderation
and magnanimi,y,as with the view of avoid
ing discord and discomfort at home, to alb
stain from seeking to conquer and annex to
the United States, Mexico or any part of it;
and, especially, to disabuse the public mind
in any quarter of the Union OF the impress
sion, if it anywhere exists, that desire for
conquest is cherished for The purpose OF
propagating or extending Slavery"
A resolution framed in accordance with
these views found place with others reported
by Mr.. Clay, and read as follows:
"Resolred, That we do positively and en-
phaticaliy disclaim and disavow any wish
or desire, on our part, to acquire any foreign
territory whatever, for the purpose of propa-
eating Slavery, or of introducing slaves from
the United States, into such foreign terri
tory"
Add to this his noble declaration in 1850
and the record of Mr.. Clay will be complete
81 have said that never could vote for il
myself; and repeat. that nerer can, ana
neuer ,siH rote, AND NO EARTHLY POWER
euer ,riW make me uote, TO spread Siouery ore,
territery uchere 1t does not erist."
Such was the posture of hostility TO Slave
propa5andism assumed By Clay and Web
ster, and by the Wing Party, who looked t(
them for guidance ten years ago. 1t was il
the midst of foreign war, or of domestic
dissension when, if ever, they might have
been fairly appealed to, to repress avowal:
of the kind, and sacrifice everything to ma
tional untv. 1t was while the discussion o
the Wimot Proyiso shook the Union, and a
the time every Wing Legislature, Conven
ton and meeting at the North insisted, b,
resolution and instruction, upon that wis,
stipulation. II was in the midst ofttat vic
lent popular agitation only aPPensed three
years later by the measures OF the Compro
mise. To be consistent, the Wing of to-day
5 must be, in the presence of Slavery agita
ton, what he was in the midst of Slavery
agitation ten years ago, else he is not al
Old Line or Straight, or Clay aud Webster
or any other sort of Wing, but false pre-
tender to the honored name. He must ap
nI,, tba sontimants he then pycentpd IN ttI