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

ne suppO>ed IiidL dll pSLatStI. -LitC C4StOOu
the object of the meeting, and ;hat be con-
CURED fully and entirely in the public senti-
ment which deemed such meeting neces-
sary. The occurrence which happened IN
this town last evening, in whste.er light il
could be viewed, was al outrage Oh the in
dividuals of this town, upon the public sen
timent and reputation of the town, an1 a
still greater outrage upon our cause. That
cause was one which sought no aid or coun-
teHanre at the hands of a-sisSins, for it was
too holy. too strong, too just to no ed such as
sistance IN which they wanted the help Of
The Lord, and not of the devil; the help oi
| honest, well-meaning men, not OF murdereE'
and lssassins; the help of orderly, lsw-abid-
| inr, though determined men, and not O! out
laws and murderers. They wanted the
sympathies OF their friends III the Free
States, who have stoud up AID justified them
and that sympathy they must obtain 10y
pursuing such a course as would no. give
any one cause to chlrre :hem with wrong
doing and injustice The sincere and h ,rt-
felt sympathy that they have always had
has been given because they were alway, in
the right--that the blood upon our soil, that
cried for vengeance, has been that IF our
friends that those whose hands have bcen
stained by murder and asSasSlnations have
been our enemies and oppressors. 1t was
a matter of pride and congratulation, that
in cur ranks there Tere men who denounced
crime. murder and ass :ssination, though
they were ready and willing, on all occasio as
to shed their blood for their political rights
and the cause in which they werc engaged.
1t was high and proud position they occu-
py before the people OF the United States,
and one they should always seek to main-
tain. He had styod up in the capitol of the
nation, when last d cember the telegraph
was loaded down with the lies OF their enc
mics, charging them with arson, murder,
plunder and all that could disgrace a man
and this community; and had pledged his
honor that was untrue, and that they were a
aw-abiding, peaceful, though determined
people, Subsequent events showed he was
right, and that all the weight o. out'awry
and blood were with their enemies, as it al
ways had been. An entirely new phase has
come over the state of things. The demon
of murder. bloud-shcJ and crime seems to
be struggling to get out OF the ranks,oi the
enemy and enter ours-to ehier this para
disc to poison the foundations that underlay
the reputation of the Free State party, of
staining the flag of Freedom, blackening
our character, and undermining our cause
In Gods name, let it be driven out, and keep
our banner unstain,d. Let Us preserve our
reputation, and maintain the ttowcr OF
strength in which we have So far maintain
ed our position We have suffered wrongs
almost unparalleled and unknown TO any
people since the days Of the Revolution;
YOUR right, have been trampled upon, your
Territory invaded, your ballot-boX riiied,
robbed of those privileges (which constitute
the life Of Republic. Outrage upon out
rage followed quick upon each other, and
you have been wrongrd until your wrongs
have become the theme of the tireside, the
newspaper and the Legislature o! this coun-
try. Throughout the States the tale OF
vour wrongs goes upon every breeze. All
these things have happened among you until
you have been provoked almost beyond en-
durance. The blood of your brothers have
cried from the soil for vengeance. Invaders
have been brought here ready: with arms in
their hanos to destr,.y your property, your
selves. and all you hold dear, and for The
destruction of this entire community. Your
good sense, prudence, and bravery, averted
the blow Your sufftrings have brought
you much good, in sympathy, emigration.
material aid, which could nots have been OBJ
tained in any other way; and there is no
outrage which these invaders can perpetrate
upon you, which will not return to you ten
fold, like. seed sown in good soil. Shall all
sympatliIes Of good, true, order-loving men,
now rallying by thousands and tens of thou
sands in the Northern States for your benefit
be cast away Shall we take away from
them the arguments with which they have
moved the masses of the people-the entire
of the States for our relief, and
strike oul of their hands the very weapons
they are using for orr cause. and give them
10 our enemies 10 be used against us? Are
we SO tired of success-so tired of our re-
putation IS peaceful, law-abiding people
that we should depreciate our character and
defeat the object we have in viewl 1t woult
be worse than madness, after having enjoy
ed for months the fruits of such a reputa-
ton, to exchange it for that of rowdyism,
assassination, and the Paltry. miserable sa-
tisfaction of sending man who has injured
us to his last account with all his sins upon
his head. 1t is useless to ask these ques
tions here. All must be satisfied since this
event has taken place, that the
entire sentiment of the community teno-
unces and condemns it. The community
has too high regard for its own reputation
for justice, aye, and for the safety OF tier
town, and for the final success of the great
and glorious cause in which they are engag
ed, to peril all for such poor qualification
such an event as last night can afford to all
man. Such a course can re-
ceive no SYM at'y from this people, and
they will cut themselves of from I'll respon-
sibiIity for the deed. The doer of'the deed
may have been citizen of This town, or he |
indG llOl- NE lndy nave UUlIe IL lIOln I'O- |
li.ical motives or personal enmity. How
ever that may be, it is sti an assassination.
| am not here to justify Mr. Jones or his
course during the past Winter, when, by his
i'll will toward the people here, his alleged
misrepreseRtations TO Gov. Shannon, Re
brought upon you force likely TO destroy
you. | am not here to justify the motives
that induced him to come here on Saturday,
and of doing what he did on Saturday last,
OF bringing yesterday these United States
troops here, and his arrest of yeur citizens.
condemn as heartily as any ether man in
this meeting all his proceedings, from first
to last. Yet feel revolted and shocked at
the event of last night, and ssdeem tha: the
of that assassination is deserv-
ing of punishment. | do not hold that anv
man should consider that he had "a right to
roam about this community and take The life
of any one secretly and by assassination,
.hom he deems to have improperly taken