Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-08-14
For the Delta Press.
SARATOGA SPE1Nes, July 9, 1856.

For the Delta Press.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, July 9, 1856.
EditorDeHa Press:-On the eve of my
leaving home, | was informed that by the
partiality of some of my Democratic friends
o. Fulton county, and other portions Of our
Congressional District, my name had been
announced in your paper and others, as a
candidate for Congress; subject to the ap-
proVal of the Democratic Convention
While feel grateful to the Democracy Of
Fulton county, "a more intelligent and pa
trctic Democracy mo county in the State can
boast,) and other portions of the District, for
their confidence, the present attitude OF
political parties in the United States, forces
upon me the convict loo of the improperly
of my being candidate for Congress, as
proposed. Although am satisfied that
majority OF the Democracy Of the Fifth Con
gressional District agree with me in senti-
ment on the all-absorbing subject of Slavery
Extension. ye, am equally satisfied, that
there is minority who would expect a
candidate SO noni lated: to approve and de-
fend all the m casures of the present Admin
istration and the Cincinnati platform on the
subject o. Slavery, and also the Inconsistent
and un norincipled course of Mr.. Douglas,
backed up by the U. S. Senate; and to vote
for the admission Of Kansas as Slave
State, should she present Constitution
recognizing it, even though such result
was brought about by fraud and violence, as
it now appears will be the case. These
things | could not otconscentiously do.
| have become satisfied beyond all doubt,
that the Democratic organ ization IL now
used by ambitious and unprincipled men, for
thel own aggrandizemeut, and to effect
their object, they have (as FAR as in their
powerl thrown the Democratic party into
the hands of the Slave Power, to be used rs
they may direct. Believing as dc, that
their measures are calculated AM Intended
to make Kansas Slaue State, connot sus-
tain them without doing violence to my own
principles.
The late acts of Mr.. Douglas, sanctioned
by the U. S Senate, have removed every
REM lining doubt and hope upon which ] rest
ed my Justification IN adhering to an organ
ization claiming to represent the Democrat
ic party OF the county, the only party to
which | have ever for single IN m)ment OF
nv lie been attached, and an organization
from which I could never be separated,
while il represented Jeffersonan Democrat
ic principles.
What has been and what is now tbs. -as-
pect of the Kansas question: Mr.. Dougius
and his followers, after claiming popular
sovereignty as the great virtue Of the Kan
sas-Nebraska act, and the justiicati IN for
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, IRE.
tended to adhere to that principle, while all
the fraud and violence was being committed
by the Border Ruffians. By such means
they forced upon the actual settlers an lille
gal Legislature, which passed laws not only
unconstitutional, but ofthe most unjust, op-
pressive and cruel description, ten-folds
worse than all the enactments Of the British
Parliament, from which the fathers of the
revolution revolted; and so odiou5 that even
q Southern Senator declared they would
justify revolution. and General Cass char
acterized them as disgraceful TO the present
age Yet, the Senate, of which those gen.
tlemen are members, has been in session
seven or eight months, without doing any
thing to relieve the actual settlers from
those cruel grievances, but on the contrary
sat silent and saw the President prociaimDg
that those laws should be obeyed, and to
that end he would use ali the means at his
disposal, while Mr.. Douglas was asserting
that the Free State men "must be subdued.' .
All this was done under the plea of carrying
out popular sovereignty.
But now differen. card is to be played
for the benefit Of Slavery. Popular sover-
eighty is to be abandoned. 1t appears to
have served the purpose of those who used
It as their just tfication for the repeal OF the
Missouri Compro mise.
Under the pretence of carrying out it's
principles, the U. S. troops we're allowed
to disarm the Free State men, aad the Bor-
der Rufians permitted to drive them out of
the Territory. destroy their presses, burn
their houses, steal their property, murder
their men, indi CT & imprison their leaders.
and now when all the practical avenues into
Kansas are guarded by Missourians to pre-
vent the entrance of Free State men into
The Territory, and after Atchison, String
fellow & Co, have got everything prspafed
to have majority of pro slavery men in
Kansas, on the 4th day of uly, Mr.. Toombs,
an Ultra pro-slavery Senat or (who boasted
upon the fl oor of the Serate, that he would
vet call the roll of his slaves at the foot of
Bunker Hill snonumenD introduces a bill
into the Senate. Mr.. Douglas adopts it,
and the Senate passes it with Geyer's and
Adams amendment, which abandon and
override the principle of squatter sovereign
ty and contrary to all former precedent in
the government Territories, deprive all
foreigners ,uho hGue declared their intention 10
become citizens from voting, although the or
ganic act organizing the Territory secures
the foreigners the right.
This bill, however. is made to appear
plausible upon its face, but when closely
examined in connection the circumstances,
its design is apparent, though it-even at this
late dey nulifies portion of the Border
Ruffian Legislature, the attempted enforce
nent of which has caused all the anarchy
ind blood shed in the Territory. The pas
,age of this bill would make Kansas Slave
State beyond all question. This the Pro:
Slavery men well know. It provides that at
in election to be held November next, Tor
he election of members to Convention to
o.m a State Constitution, no one sha II vote
lnless he "shall have been an inhabitant of
he Territory on the 4th of July, 1885," ex-
,ept those who shall have absented them
elves in consequence of the distur Dances
herein, and who shall return before the
irst day of October next, and prove to the
abstraction Of the Government Commission