Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-02-26
The Gmancip ition Question in Mis-.
souri,.
From the Missouri Democrat. !

The resolution declaring the emancipa-
ton movement "inexpedient, impoltic, un-
wise, and UNJUST" has passed the House OF
Representatives, and must now be accepted
as the accredited opinion Of the General
Assembly of Missouri. In the Senate four
members voted against it, Messrs. Blow,
Rannels, Holmes and Stevenson, and in
the House twelve voted against it, all 'ol
whum belong to the ST. Louis elcgation.
Three of the four Senators who had The sa,
gacity and pluck TO record their votes in the
negative are also from st. Louis, and, 10
gether with the delegation in the other
branch, represent a constituency Of hun
dred ard forty thoussnd freemen, for it will
not be pretended that Frost and Rodgers rep
resent ed their constituents on this occasion,
any more than on previous occasions. The
Representatives and Senators from ST.
Louis have acted m=nfully and we'll. and
with fidelity to The popular sentiment OF
this city and with prescience of coming
eve ITS. These men are true to the St.
Louis of the present, but still more true, il
possible, to The St. Louis of the future, and
we hazard the conjecture that henceforwnrd
they will exercise commanding pulitical
infinencP, and wear the laGreis which rake
root and bourgeOn so luxuriantly in free
soil. The great political movements of our
time originate in the cities. The angry
genius of the French Revolution first re-
yealed herself 10 the eyes of merchants and
mechanics in the streets of Paris. The be-
nignant genius OF the American Revolution
first appeared N Boston. The parliamentary
reform, and free trade movements in Eng
land, were born and nurtured in Birming
ham and Manchester; and Whatever Of Dem
ocracy now exists in Europe is to be found
among the merchants. manufacturers and
artisans in the large cities. and when these
classes combine it is worthy of remark that
gentle reformation lakes the place of vio-
lent revolution. According to all the laws
which govern the genesis of such things,
St. Louis should be the cradle of the eman-
cipation movement in This State, and her
delegation in tie Legislature asserted their
courage and sagacity; as we'll as their pa
triotism, in recognizing aid avuwing the
fact.
We confess we are somewhat jnalo1s of
the position which the St. Louis Senators
Of the American party occupy, when we re-
member that Frost and Rodgers We're elect
ell by the party with which we are ident;fi-
ed. IL is r, ally too bad that the men who
should be foremost m expressing the free
soil feeling Of this city, are open and shame
less advocates for the perpetustion and ex-
tension of slavery, and the bitterness Of the
feeling is aggravated, when we remember
by what agency they were empowered to
assail the interests, and outrage the prn-
eiples of our citizens. Having spoken of
the St. Louis delegation, it would be anl
omission to say nothing of
Senator Stephenson the only representa-
live of a country constituency, who has de-
clared bv speech and vote for emancipation
but in stating the fact, we pronounce q
which every reader will para
phraze FOR himself.
A high authority has said that he who
can define accurately is TO be regarded as
MOI C than human. We should willingly /
concede he claim to any who could accu-
rately define the position of the "National
Democrats" in the General Assembly upon
the question of emancipation. They elect
ed an emancipationjst to political Office
accompanied by the statement that not
emancipation opinions, but opposition to
Benton and Blair, was the genuine test
They subsequently proclaimed through their
orgsn, the Leader, that emancipation was
tolerated as a non-essential in their Sanhe-
Trim. When Darnes offered his rrso luton
against emancipation, it was laid on the ta-
Die on motion Of Captr in Reid, the leader |
,f the National Democrats. and Darnes
himself was laid under the table on another
notion of the same individual, Darnes thus
becoming the promartyr of slavery in this
State. Those very National Democrats,
Tho made holocaust of Darnes and his
resolution, which Gutlered like Il banner in
ais hand; who proclaimed liberation for
Emancipation, and who elected an emanci-
,aiionist in convention, now vote that eman-
;ipation is "unwise,' &c. Who will define
he position OF the National Democracy
lpon emancipation!
We confess our inability TO do it. They
,av kicked i: higher and higher ike foot
,sll; agitating day after day while protest
ug against agitation, just like the Pierce
ldmin is,ration. protesting obedience to the
Baltimore platform, which declared agans:
he agitation Of the slavery question in or
,ut of Congress, while it was engaged in
omenting one of the most bitter slavery
Igitalions which has yet occurred. TO
Igitate the slavery question, and-at the same
ime to protest against its agitation. seems
o be the two.edged sword ef :he National
Democracy, and as the strife progresses,
hey will find it dangerous weapon.