Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-12-01

! within the bounds of peaceful State, an
| jeopardizing the lives not only OF men, bu
I of women and children, disturbing thei
; quietness which in civilized life we boas
above the savage in the swamp. was fear
full crime and most fear.ully, no doubt, WI
the misguided men answer for ii. Deep an
dark as the shades are, am not disposed Z
draw the pencil of light across the dark pic
!. tture, bot mark me how, what Edo say, an,
that which come here tonight especial
10 say, that as much as condemn thos
men, even so much do condemn those wh
would site,npt TO take away from me tn
freedom Of speech snd the liberty Of th
press. (ApP:ause.) Why. gentlemen, ths
whole project fell through; why, men Q
Coyington, did it fall through, 1t fel! :hro
because among thu race of hereditary bonds
4 4 men me desraded BY long gsnersrions Of stsverl
the manhood was wanting when the occa
sion presented itself to svail themselves o
the liberty offered.
To me it is a melancholy picture to Sc,
men in the form AMI nature of men, will
Iall the spirit and soul of manhood gone.
The slaves of Virginia could not avail them
selves of the opportunity, in consequence,
Of this.
God Almighty has determined when We
shall SO forget him as to cast our eyes dowr
in the debasing subserviency of :he slave
THAT long generations only shall appease
This anger for The crime We have committed
Therefore it is that stand before you, and
proc lam to you, that greater crime is thai
which the man attempts 10 perpe,rate
against me, when We would attempt to sti-
e. the voice Of the press, and crush out my
freedom OF speech, (Applause.) How can
you get it back when it has once gone! Is
not your original act seal which is placed
upon you for untold generations!
EFFECT OF SLAVERY on WHITE MEN.
Gentlemen, there is another attitude in
which that aifair presents itself to my mind
and that is the melancholy spectacle the
people present. When Gov. Wise arrived
at the seat of this affair, and saw that but
five or eight were ell that had taken posses
sion Of a city of two thousand inhabitants,
the United Ststes Arsenal, and had impris-
oned from eighty TO one hundred of the
principsliciiizens Of old Virginia, spreading
terror aud intimidation through Virginia
and Maryland, reaching the very confines of
their poyulous cities, the people standing
paralyzed, until a lt;le crowd Of the United
States Marines came into the action and
siormed the place. he, in great indignation,
exclaimed that 81 had rather both arms and
both legs should be severed from my body,
than this disgrace had come upon old Vir-
ginia."a There IN the rub! There is the
m,ral of the whole tale told at once. Vir-
gina does not lack courage. There did not
fail to be gallant spirit in town. The
blood Of l776 had not run out in Virginia.
She is'not wanting in courage, but there
was this universal cause of all our weak
ness lying beneath end around her. The
man was paralyzed because he had to look
to his own wife and children before he cod
think oi Hafper,s Ferry and the public good
That is the rea. on why ! have. again and
osain, in season, and. as II were, out of
season, at all hazards of reputation and life,
destruction of property and family. cried out
against this institution, it being the only
cloud hanging over our prosperity; the only
dark spot, the expansion of which may end
10 the destruction of our people. Again
and again L have said that it was cnuse of
weakness in the State, that all history had
proven it. I have called attention to the
fact, that iniihe Roman empire, infected
with the same kind of institution, as Glib
bon tells us, the barbarians came down and
sacked the principal cities. and took poses
sion Of their lard, even while it was held
by the most gallant people the world had
seen, people who had spread the glory of
the arms from the East TO the West, from
the North to the South, holding dominion
BY land as we'll as by sea. These barbarian
forces made war upon them, and took them
captive, without single effort at resist
anee. That is the way history rules, is it
not,. Mr.. Harrisl (Laughter.) You are
somewhat of historian, am told
r. I, -.I..l,A WEAK INSTITUTION. nah
Thissis the same old weak institution,
existing to-day. The same institution de-
lstroy2d Rome and pain; the same one, if
not ithfown off as1 should say, in peace
full nd legal, and constitutional way, by
our ow n authorities, without Interference
ffom7thc Republics n N Na,ional'o Committee,
OF any natisnai party, destines us to the
same ultimate ruin: don't say il will be
during my day, or during the days of my
friend on the left, ,ut it is just as certain
as that God sits supreme in the 6rmamen.
above. You may not like it, but, it is new
ertheless true. - S"'-i &" .-Hf4.-"f #-
LYcURGUs IN AMERICA.
Il recollect something Of the same kind
which may relate, as we nave a historian
here, 1t is circumstance that occurred
when Ly curgus was marching against one
of the Eastern tyrants, who was in the
habit of having his own way pretty much.
He heard from herald that the Romans
were marching toward him, with legion or
two. For bringing this i'll news, his head
wns taken of. Again another told this
king, that the Romans were approaching
he ordered his head to be taken off, This
continued until, at last, none were to be
found so bold as to tell him of the coming
event. Then the king looked out himself
and be saw the legions of Rome following
Lycurgus. "Why," sad he, "who are they
| If they are ambassadors, they are too many
and il soldiers, too few;" but sovn TO his