Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-05-15

permanent INSTITUTION, but would set tneIl-
selves about obtaining remedies for the pur-
pose of getting rid of them, that the. ballot
box and the Courts, and al peaceful reme-
| dies should be resorted to, and after those
remedies had been exhausted, and they had
no choice but 10 sit down under these laws
permanently, or resist them by force, they
would resist them without regard TO con-
sequences. The people Of this town have
been going on quietly, refusing to recognize
the Territorial authorities, avoiding conflict
with the authorities of the United States,
which must be destructive, thus keeping
precisely in the right path, and in position
where yuur friends at home and abroad could
defend and justify you. The courts have
/ been sought, and, am sorry TO say, that
/ little hope of redress is TO be found there
/ The Sherifs OF the counties are Partisans,
care fully selected for their work, and they
select the Jurors who are partisans. The
! conduct Of any of these Judges, and the
/ lengths they are disposed to 60 for the pur-
/ pose of pleasing their oxn friends, needs 10
comment from me. You al know what took
7
been demonstrated that the courts of this
| Territory are hopeless place in winch to
obtain anything like law or justice. We
have Appealed to another tribunal, the bal
! iot-box. and have gone to the assembled re-
pre-, entatives of the nation. You sent me
! there yuur representative, to go 10 the
bar of that great tribunal, and there, in the
| face of the entire nation, to ask for tha.
/ justice we would not obtain from any otter
tribunal. and which we have declared we
are Us yet unwilling TO take into our own
hands. That appeal is yet pending, is uI
/ tried and upon it there has been no decision.
! A committee of the representatives OF the
nation Is noz- among You, upon the very
spot where these outrages have-heen per-
petrated. They can examine the very forti-
| fications erected here in the dead OF Winter
for the defense of your rights. They Can
60 where your ballot-boXes have been rified
and your polls invaded; TO the very spots
stained by the blood of your friends, murd
cred upon the altar of Slavery. They can
go through your entire Territory, and hear
your complaints, and report the facts to the
Representatives of the Nation. where justice
must be done. In the midst of this progress
where everything was going on smoothly,
peaceably and satisiac' orily, and all good
citizens were congratulting themselves upon
the successful progress OF this appeal, the
hand of some malicious, insane, evl-dispos-
ed individual undertakes to throw down this
superstructure we have so carefully built up,
and mar our entire prospects by this unjus-
tiiiable and atrociUus act. Ii the man who
struck that blow did it to help our case, he
must have been blind and insane in his rea-
soninCs, and ignorant of the very first idea
OF the position and character of the Free
State cause. He must bear the consequen-
ces Of his deed | have 10 sympathy
with one who would triile with the lives and
property of the people here. We are not
bound to let any man, no matter what NAV
be the cause Of his actions, So act us to mar
The prospects of future success. We have
two alternatives presented to us-whiCh we
cannot evade if we would-that Of stabbing
our own cause. destroying Our own prospects
and doing violence to our own opinions: or,
on the other hand, denouncing the author
Of this act. | am happy to find such entire
expression Of opinion in this community
| expected it to some extent, but | am sur
prised. agreeably SO, to find how unanimous
" outspokcn and sincere is the denuncia-
ton of this act. If knew the man,
would name him here suow. should con-
slider j; sacred duty which owed to each
man Of you, and to the cause in which we
are engaged, to the cause of i stcc and
honor, o name before this whole communi-
ty, and let hin take the consequences of
this i'll advised and SelEadvlsed act upon his
own head. What you will do in relation to
this matter is not for me to dictate. This
meeting must decide for them selves thank
you for the distinction you have conferred
upon me in calling upon ME to preside over
this meeting. | am pleased that so large
a: d respectable an assemblage have taken
this matter info consideration, and feel that
there can be no risk in committing this
subject into your hands.
The honorable gentlemIn was frequently |
interrupted by bursts of applause, and re-
summed his seat amid long continued cheer
ing ana applause. Mr.. G. P. L .wrey stated
that he agreed fully with the opinions Of
fered by tie President of the meeting in
regard to the Outrage perpetrated here. Be-
fore he took his seat, he would offer some |
resolutions which he thought " ou embody |
the sentiment of the meeting. All present
u-or hot
offensive and defensive, allowed, under
code peculiar to the border States, which, in
other communities and in another state of
things, would not be tolerated. But murd.
e. Wis no more justified by that. code than
by any other. The act perpetrated last
night he characterized as cowardly assas-
sinat;on, to shoot in the back, in the dead of
night, an unsrs3ecting man, against whom
the feelings of the community were aroused.
who was almost unprotected, and who, There
fore, should have been treated with more Of
courtesy and maniness. He offered series
of resolutions, which were read, as follows:
Resolved, That the attempt made in our
town last evening upon the life of S. J.
Jones, Esq, while claiming to act US the
Sheriff OF the county. was the isolated act
of some malicious and evil-disposed indi-
Vidual, unexpected and unlocked for by cur
community, and unsustaned by any portion
of them.
ResoIued, That in the opinion of this
community it was a cowardly and atrocious
outrage upon Mr.. Jones, an insult and injury
to the public sentiment and reputation of
oar town, and d crime deserving condign
punishment.
Resoired, That notwithstanding the un-
pleasant elation which existed between Mr..
Jones and our citizens, if the attack could
have been foreseen, or considered at all pro-
bable, we would have neglected no means
t. prevent or defeat it; we deeply sympa-
thise with the wounded man, and will afford
him all the aid and comfort in our power.
Reso'red, That we deeply regret that the
perpetrator Of this deed is unknown; and if