Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-06-26

purpose, triamriri dd coloaos dedHcendOs.--
(Livy, xxxyii, 46.) Naturally it has been
accepted in N 'Jern times By every civil
ized State. With the sanction of Spain
an association Of Genoese merchants first
introduced slaves to this continent. With
the sanction Of France, the Society of Jesu-
its stretched their labors over Canada and
the Great Lakes to the Mississippi. IL was
under the auspices of Emigrant Aid Com
panies, that our country was originally set
lied, by the Pilgrim Fathers ofPlymosth.b by
the adyenturers of Virginia, and by the
philanthropic Ogiei borpe, whose "benevo-
lence of soul'' commemorated by Pope,
sought to plant Free State in Georgia.
AT this day, such ssociations, of humble
character, are found in Europe. with Offices
in the great capitals, through whose activity
emigrants are directed here
For long time, emigratiOns 10 tie West.
form the Northern and Middle States, but
particularly from New England, has been Of
marked significance. In quest of better
homes. ashually it has pressed to the unset
lied lands, in numbers t1 be counted by tens
Of thousands; but this has been done hereto =
fore with little knnwlrdse, and without
guide or co, sci. Finally, when, by the
establishment Of a GUverDm mt in Kansas
the tempting fields of that central region
were opened to the competition Of peaceful
colonization, and especially when it was
declared that the question of Freedom or
Slavery there was to be determined by the
votes of actual settlers, then at once was
organization enlisted as an effective agency
in guickening and conducting the emigra-
tiun imDeled thither, and, more than all, in
providing homes for it on arrival there.
The Company was first constituted under
an act of the Legislature OF Massachusetts,.
4th of May, 1854, some weeks prior TO the
passage Of the Nebraska bill. The orig nal
act of incorporation was subsequently aban-
doned. and new charter received in Febru-
ary, 1855, in which the objects of the Soci-
ETY. are thus declared:
For the purposes of directing emigration West
ward, and AIDING IN. N.PRov!DIyi ACCOMMODATIONS FOE
THE EMIGRANrs AFTER ARRIVING At THEIR PLACES oT
DE<TISkTIoN."
At any other moment, an association for
these purpose would have taken its place.
BY general consent, among the phlanthropc
experiments of the age; but Crime is always
suspicious, and shakes, like sick man.
merely at the pointing of finger. The
conspiraiors against Freedom in Kansas
now shook with tfemor, real or affected
Their wicked plot was about TO fail. To
help themselves, they denounced the Emi-
grant Aid Company; and their denuncia-
tons. after finding an echo in the Presi-
dent, have been repeated, with much par
ticrlarity, on this floor, in the formal report
of your committee.
The falsehood OF the whole accusation
will appear in Illustrative specimens.
charter is set out. section by section.
which, though originally granted, was sub
sequently abandoned, and is not in reality
the charter ofthe Company, but is ma: :eria.ly
unlike it.
The Company is represented as 'a pow
erful corporation, with capital of FIVE mil
lions;" when, by lis actual charter, it is not
allowed to ho'd property above one million,
and. in point of fact, its capital has not ex.
ceeded 100000.
Then, again, it is suggested, if not alleg-
ed, that this enormous capital, which have
already said does not exist, is invested in
"cannon and rifles, 10 powder and lead, i'm
p!cments of war''-all of which. whether
alleged or suggested, is absolutely false
the officers of the Company authorize me to
give to this whole pretenSion point-biank
denial.
All these allegations are of small impor-
tance, and / mention them because they
show the character of the report, and
also 81 meihing of the quicksand on which
the Senator from Illinois has chosen to plant
himself. But these are all capped by the
unblushihg assertion that the proceedings
of the Company sin pervers ion of the plain
provisions of an Act of Congress-" and also,
another unblushing assertion, as scertain
and undeniable,'' that the Company was
formed TO promote certain objects, @regard-
less Of the rights and wishes of the people,
as guaranteed by The Constitution of the
United States, and secured by their organic
laws" when it is certain and undeniable
that the Company has done nothing in per-
version of any Act Of Congress, while to The
extent Of its power it h1s sought to protect
the rights and wishes of the actual people
in the Territory.
Sir. this Company has violated in no re-
spect the Constitution or laws of the land;
not in the seyerest letter or the slightest
spirit. But every other imputation is equally
Ia. IL 81
from Illinois has alleged, in order in some
way to compromise the Company. that it
was Informed before the public of the date
fixed for the election of the Legislature
This statement is pronounced by the Secre-
tary, in a letter now before me, "uaqualilied
fasehood, not having even the shadow of a
shade of truth for its basis" 1t is not true
that men have been hired by the Company
to go to Kansas; for every emigrant, who
has gone under its direction, has himself
provided the meas for his journey. OF
course, sir, It is not true, as has been com.
planned by the Senator from s SIuth Carolina
with that proclivity to error which marks
al HE utterances, that men have been sent
by the Company "with one uniform gun.
Sharpe's rihe;' for it has supplied no arms
OF any kind to anybody. 1t is not true
that the Company has encouraged any
fanatical aggression upon the people OF
Missouri; fer it has counselled order, peace,
forbearance. II is not true that the Com
pany has chosen its emigrants on accoun,
of their political opiniens; for it has asked
no questions with regard to the opinions ui
any whom it aids, and at this moment stands
ready to forward tn Sc from the South as
well as tie North, while, in the Teri itory,
all, from whatever quarter, are admitted to
an equal enjoyment of It's tempting advan-
tages. 1t is not true that the Company
las chosen its emigrants on account lheil
political opinions; for it has asked no ques.
iions with regard to the opinions OF any
whom il aids, and at this moment stand,
ready to forward those from the South a:
well Us the North, while, in the Territory