Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-02-24

| first able speech in favor of human rights
The countenance of the sold man eloquent
seemed radiant with hope as he exc claimed
"thsnk God, the seal is broken; the seal is
broken; Massachusetts is no louger silent p
The lovers of Liberty in this body saw al
that period, most clearly. that men holding
the doctrine of the Republican fathers
would never seek TO wieid the power OF
! Congress, or of the Federal Government
to enslave mankind. or to deprive them Of
those rights with which the God Of nature
had endowed them. They well understood
that the real issue was based upon pri-
NAL truths, although Southern men would
not-nay, dared dnot-acknowledge it. Mr..
Adams labored through life to bring out the
real facts to the public view. 1t was his
ruling principle, which exhibited itself
! strong in death. Twisted him while PROS
trate upon wha: was then supposed his
death-bed. In the silent chamber, sat
beside the dying patriot. His lamp of lite
seemed Achering in its socket. His voice
was feeble, 5ut his words were earnest.
told him that his physicians feared to have
him converse upon any subject likely TO
excite emotion. Looking me full in the
face, said be, 81 am on the rerge of eternity;
shall never meet you again in this world;
| must talk" and he proceeded to say that
he had no hope for the perpetuity of our
Government. or for the liberty Of our peo-
! pie, except that which was based upon its
y To tha oh ho1
been originally founded; End he exhorted
! me 10 exert whatever influence could for
the attainment of that object. He subse
quently fingered awhile between this and
the spirit world, until the kind angel whis-
pered his release to higher sphere.
Mr. Chairmai, | an at times le3, in nv
own mind, to compare ;he anx ety of the
diving Adams TO form The pr sent issue
with that of some living politicians to
abandon it. He, however. had the benefit
of gres, experience. lie saw and knew
that the slave power welded the Cove, n
ment; that the interests of the inst tu: o
guided the legislation of Congress and con
lrolied the Executive action it made and
unmade our United States Bank it fCs cred
our domestic manufactures, and then made
war upon our manufacturing interests il
dictated protective tariff, and then repu.
dated The policy it enc, uraged. then aban.
duned, the iron interest, just as the prosper
ity of slsye labor seemed 10 require. And
when from this forum mem ,ers endeavored
to give information to the people, their lips
were sealed by gag rules ; the freedom o!
debate was stricken down, and the right oi
petition denied, that Slavery might be en-
coursged. Every measure and policy OF
Government was made to bend to the inter.
est OF that institution. These things were
clearly seen 5y Mr.. Adams and his cotem.
poraries. and their effjrts to bring out those e
important facts 10 the understanding of the
people were constant and unyie lding. To
me it was then incomprehensible how any
man cou exrect ih.t Government would
do justice 10 the aborers of our free States
while its whols patronage and influence
were exerted ia iaver of the most arrant
despotism towards the laborers OF .e South.
Some Southern members were more con-
sistent. They boldly asser ed that labor
must everywF ere be compulsory ; that both
North and South the capitalists owned the
laborers that the influence and powers OF
the Government should therefore be exert
ed for the protection of capitalists, and leave
them to take care of the laborerS and they
welded lis powers FOR that object. was
then, as now, incapable of com pretending
how an issue, in regard to tlriff, or upon
any other collateral question, could effect a
radical reform in our Government. The
necessity for basing our political efforts
upon the essential truths avowed by our
Republican fathers, was TO me most obvious.
had assisted in trying lhe experiment
of uniting men of conflicting principles for
the purpose of carrying the election in lS40
and driving the Democratic party from pow
er. labdted earnestly for Ike election Of
Harrison ald Tyler. believing that if We
succeeded, we should, among other reforms.
regain the freedom of debate in this body.
After the resu was known, and while the
President-elect was on his way TO this city,
| made an effort to speak on the subject ol
Slavery was met at every step BY slave
bolders and by gag rules, but succeeded
Ny friends regarded my effort as successful
as an achievement. But the President
whom had assisted to elect, expressed his
abhorance of all attempts to agitale The
question of human rights ; AMI when, aitel
bis arrival, called at his quarters to pay
him the customary respect, he gave me such
uneouvocal evidence OF his Indignation
that | was constrained to surrender my OWL
selt-respect, or to withhold ull further man
ifsstations of respect for him. While ht
lived, his influence was exerted in favor o.
the gag rules-iH favor cI Slavery and the
next year ! vas publicly censured and driv
en- from my seat in this body, for avowing
doctrines which no STAKEHOLDER dared deny
but they united with Northern serviles tt
censure me for uttering truths on which nj
man of reputation presumed to take issue
This occurred under Wing Administra
tion, for whose election had labored mos
earnestly; and by House, a large maiorit.
of whose members belonged TO the part,
with whom had always acted. Thes
, facts illustrate the iallacy' of uniting con
ficting elements merely to carry an elec
} tion. They show that when the Executiv
thus elected assumes any definite policy, tn
party at once dissolves into its original ele
ments, and the various factions turn thei
; weapons against each other. The disband
ment of the Wing party in lS4i, left no re
naming doubt on the minds of ,hinkin
j.. men, that, political party, to become pei