Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-09-11
pII NO 491

u difiuse beauty over its whole countenance
Yet the lapse of few. years, and1Congres
: will have power to exterminate slavery fror
g within our borders."-(2 ssEliiot's Debate,
4S4. c sBa q e4 s,E h-.rs23
John Randolph, of Virginia, said.
}, ''Sir, know there are gentlemen, no
only from the Northern but from the South
ern States, who think that this unhapp,
E question-for such it is-of negro Slavery
!, which the Constitution has yainly attempt
ed to blink by not using the term, shoult
never be brought into public notice more
:, especially into tina. of Congress, and mos1
especially here. Sir, with every due re-
, spect for the gentlemen who think Sc, ]
differ from them toto cello. Sir, it is thing
t which cannot be hid. 1t is not dry rot
that you can cover with the carpet until the
house tumbles about your ears You might as
welltry to hide volcano in full operations,
lcannor be hid-it is cancer in your face
and must be treated secundana -artena -
James Madison, who was the Father. OF
the Constitution, said, 81 object to the word
fslaverappearing in Constitution which. |
trust. is to be the charter of Freedom to un-
born millions; nor would willingly per-
\ petuate the memory of the fact that Slavery
ever existed in our country. It is great
evil; and under the Providence of God |
look forW ard to some scheme of emancipa-
ton which shall free us from it. Do not
therefore, let US appear as if we regarded it
perpetual by using in our FREE Constitution
an odious word opposed to every sentiment
of Liberty" - IS -,
George Mason, of Virginia, in the debates
on the adoption of the Constitution said
"The Slave Trade, was one of the great
cuases of our separation from Great Britain.
Its exclusion has been principal object of
the States of this Union. AS much as
value the Union of these States would not
admit the Southern States into this Union
unless they agreed 10 the discon,inuance of
thisdisgraceful trade, because it would bring
weakness and not strength into the Union
Slavery discourages arts and manufactures.
| The poor despise labor when performed by
| slaves. They prevent the emigration of
| whites, who really enrich and strengthen
country. They produce the most 2ernicious
effect on measures. Amy master is born a
petty tyrant. They bring the judgment of
Heaven ON a country. AS nations cannot
be rewarded or punished in the next world,
they must be in this. He held it essential
in every point OF view that the general Gov
eral should have power to prevent the extern
sion of Slavery" See Debates in Federal
Convention, vol. 3, pp. 1890. Such were
the opinions OF the ancient men, who i'm
pregnated this Government with such prin-
cples of Liberty, that if maintained and
carried out will make it last forever.
WHERE STANDS THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY ON
THIS SLAVERY QUESTION:!
Let the following declaration of its prin-
ciples and purposes, as published to the
world on the 22d of February, 1856, by its
Delegates assembled at the city of Pitts.
burgh, answer. They say:
1--WE declare, in the first place, our fixed
and unallered devotion to the Constitution
of the United States--to the ends for which
it was established, and to the means which
it provided for their attainment We accept
the solemn protestation of the people of the
United States, that they ordained it 'in order
to form more perfect Union, establish jus.
tice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for
the common defence, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty
to themselves and their posterity.' We
believe that the powers which it con lers
upon the Government of the United States
are ample for the accomplishment of these
OBJECTS; and that if these powers are exer-
cised in the spirit of the Constitution itself,
they canno. lead to any other result. We
respect those great rights which the Con-
stitution declares to be inviolabeAtreedom
of speech and of the press, the free exercise
of religious belief, and the right of the people
peaceably 10 assemble and to petition the
Government for a redress Of grievances.-
We would preserve those great safeguards
of civil freedom, the habeos corpus, the right
of tral by jury, and the right of personal
liberty, unless deprived thereof for crime by
due process of law. We declare our pur-
pose to obey, in all things, the requirements
of the Constitution, and of all laws enacted
in pursuance thereof. We cherish a pro-
found reverence for the wise and patriotic
men by whom it was framed, and a lively
sense of the blessings it has conferredupo
our country and upon mankind throughout
the world. In every crisis of difficulty and
of danger we shall invoke its spirit and pro-
claim the supremacy of its authority.
"ln the next place, we declare our ardent
and unshaken attachment to this Union of,
American States, which the Constitution
created and has thus far preserved. We
revere it as the, purchase Of the blood of our
forefathers, as the condition of our national
renown, and the guardian and guarantee of
that liberty which the Constitution was de-
signed to secure. We will defend and pro-
tee: it against all its enemies. We will re-
coguise no geographical divisions, no local /
interests, no narrow or sectional prejudices,
in our endeavors to preserve the union OF
these States against foreign aggression and
domestic strife. What-we claim for our
selves we claim for all The rights, privil-
eges, and liberties, which we demand as
our inheritance, we concede as their inher-
itance to all the citizens o. this Republic"
How closely allied 10 this are the following
Resolutions OF our Platform:
Resolved, That the maintenance of the
principles promulgated IN the Declaration
o. Independence, and embodied in the Fed
efal Constitution, are essential to the pres
ervation oil Republican Institutions, and that
the Federal Constitution, the rights OF the
States, and the Union of the States, must
and shall be preserved
Resolved, That, with ourRepublican faith
ers, we hold it to be self-evident truth that
all men are endowed with the inalienable
right of life, liberty, and the pursuit OF hap
piness, and that the primary object and ul-
terror design of our Federal Government is
to grant these rights to all persons under
its exclusive jurisdiction. That, as our Re-
publican Fathers when they had abolished
slavery in all cur national territory, ordained
that no person shall be deprived of life, lib.
a.t,, ~ nroparfy uithouf dua nrnc of lau,