Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-01-24

'a'ueis fieoHeo sntlt nVes, tnelr fortunes
| and their honor.
In all these things our own State has a
deep and peculiar interest. Our own his.
tory furnishes the most complete vindica.
ton of the policy Of slavery prohiStion.-
We occupy, In part, the soil protected from
the blight of slavery by the Ordinance OF
1897. For more than half a century the
people Of Ohio have been accustomed to
regard that Ordinance with mingled emo
tions OF gratitude and PRIDE. Conspicuous
among its provisions and in 6t companion.
ship with its sacred guarantees OF religious
freedom, Of liberality towards immigrants,
OF the inyolobllity .f' private contracts, of
tho security of private property, and OF un-
iversal education, 5stsnds the. grest interdict
ag i 'st slavery, acknowledging and impair.
tally protecting the rights of man as man
The words 10 which we always recur when
seeking in the Ordnance the peculiar
springs of our wonderful prosperity and pro-
gross, are ttose which embody this prohb-
tim. Never did the noble pioneers who
laid the foundations, on which we now
ioyfulIy build, complain Of that inrerdct as
an abrdgement of any rights, personal or
political. On the contrary they have ever
spoken of ii as the pillar OF fire by night
and of cloud by day which guided and pro-
tected them in the wilderness. More than
any other State, Ohio, ss the first-born Of
the Ordinance, and it debted to the Or
dinance for her proud position, as the third
State lof the Confederacy, and the FIRST
among the new States, is bound TO cherish
,I,Co nJ ;,, II rip
pies. In so doing we shall be lellow-work-
ers with its illustr;ous trainers in their own
declared policy and purpose of "extending
the funoamental principles of civil and re-
ligous liberty whereon these republics,
their laws and constitutions are erected,
and fixing and establishing those principles
as the basis of all laws, constitutions and
governments which forever hereafter shall
be formed n'' American "territory."
No political duty appears TO be more ur-
gert than this.
; The question of Slavery, it is almost un-
iversally conceded, transcends in present
importance all other political questions of a
national chaiacte The repeal of the Mis-
souri, Prohibition, abrogatieg the Missouri
Compromise, opens anew the whole subject
of the relations Of slavery to the Union, to
the States, and to the Territories. 10 de-
termning the true line of duty, under these
circumstances, it seems to be the part oi
wisdom to recur to the acts Of the Found
ers of the Republic, and to the principles
Of the Constitution. To me these guides
seem to indicate a plain path. 1t leads
; back to the original national policy. That
policy have already remarked, while il
, sanctioned no outsi ide interference with
slavery in slave States, contemplated
no extension of il seySbd limits. IL re.
gurded sayery in all lis relations as suo.
jcct, exclusively, to State legislation, and
absoived the General Government from al
responsibility for its existence or con,lnu.
ance. Our return to tina policy should be
signalized by the restoration of the guaran.
ty of freednm to the Territories which have
been deprived of It by the retrograds .legis.
lation of Congress. Had the policy origin.
ally adopted been persstently pursued, the
question of slavery would have ceased long
since to vcx our -epose and disturb our
councils. Should that policy be restored,
may we not confidently expect the restora.
ton, also, of those relations of harmony and
good will which characterized the era of its
adopron, and that, through repeal Of all
national legislation in support Of slavery
) and the const. uional action OF State Gov
ernments, the ardent desire of our Fathers
for the de liverancs Of the whole country
from the great evil, nay at length be lul.
filled! No worthier objects than ''these, in
my judgment, can engage the united efforts
Of lreemeB. Frank and cordial COO 3eration
for these noble ends excludes ..all invtous
and Unjust discrimination on account OF
birth o, creed, endangers no right of any
individual or any State, but promises the
: lished upon the solid foundations Of Exac,
Justice and Equal, Rights.
I have thus submitted to you, gen,ems
my general views Lpon several topics o.
public inter est. Olher mportant matters
will doubtless engage your attention. You
need no further sssur ance of my disposi-
ton to cooperate faithfully with you in
whatever may promote the common welfare.
Let us proceed ther to the discharge OF
, our respective duties. With hearts full OF
gratitude to God for the liberty which we
/ enjoy, and the prosperity which has attend
ed US hitherto, let it be our constant en-
deavor, looking reverently to Him for guild
nnce ard direction, to ensure the transmits
ion to these who are to come after us, OF
the noble heritage of free insti, i,utions which
We have received from our father, no: only
unimpaired, but augmented and improved.
FOUNDERED
Nsw York, Jan l6,h--The ship St.
4 Dennis, hence for Havre, foundereG at sea
on the 9th. The captain, second mate, 5