Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-12-13
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
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plenty enties throuEhout tue hnd. our GO nmerce
and mshuf cturss have been prosecuted with energy
and industry, and have yielded fair and ample re-
turns In short, nation inlhe tide OF time has
psfi.y ,S.n wsS.ss done until xi,h'n very re-
,!, Sl:ys s ana s s: ' Sss IL: %s. s e ;,;s .S:
II ihs source Of all these bIesalnss. is threstened
with dssuutiont The iong.eon,lnusd and in,eI.
question OF slavery In the Southern States has at
length produced It's natural effects. The different
sections OF the Union are now srrayed against
each other, and the time has arrived. so much
geographical parties have been formed. l have
long fofeseen and oftsn iorswarned my country
men Of ths now impending danger Tbs does not
proceed solely from tbs clalfifSN the parf Of cou
eress or the territorial Legislatures 10 skc lude sa
very from the territories, nsr from hseffssis ri
different States 10 defeat the execution Of the
fugitive. slave law. All or any OF tnese et1is
might have been endured BY the South wfgAont
danger 70 .hs Onion. ses o.hsTs have been, "a
remedy. The Immediate peril srisss not 10 mueh
from these causes as from tho tact that the in
cessan, and violent agitation Of the slavery ques.
tiou throughout the North for the last qnerter OF
a century, has At length produced its malign in-
fluence on tha slaves and inspired them with
vague noiiops Of freedom. Hence sense OF So
.curity no longer exists around the family altar.
This feeling Of peace at homo has given place
70 apprehensons oi serviis EN-, ihsur,?suon' a. MANY
dread oil what n,y bcfall herself and her child
rem before the morning. Should this apprehen-
sion Of domessic danger. whether real or imagii;,
nary, extend and intensity itself until II shall
disunion will become inevitable. Self-Preserva
tion IL the fret law Of nature, and has been i'm
planted in the heart oi man by his creator for the
wisest purpose; and no political union, however
fraught with blessings and henehs IN all other ro'
srects, can long continue, II the necessary con.
vtHucnce be to render the homes and the hreside:
Of nessiy half the paides TO II haoituaiiy and
hopeleseiy Insecure. Sooner or lner the bonds
OF such Union must be severed. II is my convi,'
tion that this fatal period hes not yee, arrived;
and INV prayer to q, is that He would preserve
the constitution and the Union throughout oil
generations.
:, But let us take, warning In time, and
remove the cause rf danger. 1t cannot be
Ssnisa That, for 6ye and twenty years. the
agitation. ,st the North against slavery in
the Soath has been incessaut. In 1895
pictorial hand bills, ,aSid inhammatory ap.
pesls, we're circulated. extensively through
out the South, Of character to excite the
passions Of the slaves; and. in the language
Of General Jackson, ',to stimulate them u
insurrection, and produce all tho horrors, ol
4 ssrvile war" Thia sgitation has eyss
since been continued by the public press, bS
the proceedings Of State and county, con
ittions, and BY abolition sermons andtleo'
The time Of Congress has beenVoc.
cu,;ed ii violent speeches on this never
.naius subietc; and sppeals in pamphlet ana
-Sser forms, endorsed BY distinguished
r..,s.. have been sent forth from this cen
trail ,eiat, and spread brOedcast over the
.Unioa.
How sssy would It be for the American
.,.olt to settle the slavery question forever
sna "a re store peace and harmony to thi'
distracted country. 4,
Th.v and they alone, can do 1t. All
thitiits scessar,. to accomplish the object
..d.,, for which tho slave States have eve
..oS..saed. isto be l.,t alone, and permitte'
10 manage their domestic institutions y
sbsk.s ~ way. As sovereign Sta.es' '@ey
and thsv .yehe, are resp onsible before Go'
ana me world for the sisve,y existing amonI
chem. ,Forthis, the people o. the Nof'n az
NOT more responsible. and have no NOR
lright 10 Interfere, than with sim,'ar ins'.
y&S.iops Ia Russia orin B-azil. Upoc 'he'
sSood sense and patriotic forbearance c'"'
sess s,iil greatly rely. Without their sit
Il is beyoud .hs power Of any President, nc
matter what may be his own political pro-
cliyitiss, to restore peace and haraeny a.
uose The Stsss. Wisely limited and re-
s,rsined az isshis power, under our Consi
tutien aud lsws, he alone can aIcohP"s'
a., i;,tle for vsod or for evil, on such q mo-
49, mss ''slt @ re-
mentous enesuo"' .,.,.,
And this brings me 10 observe hat .ne esecao y
oSsny one ot our fellow citizens 70 tne once = =
President does NOT Of itself anord Just cause 70
/ .dissolving the .Unien. This is mere cspecan
/ Srue n his election has been enectea Dy mer
plurality, and not majority, ol the people, On
has resulted from transient ana temporary cesse'
| which may probably never again occur. IN ofae
4 ojuslify resort to revolutionary resis!sncs, ~
II Fedora Government !must be guiity oI osIi.
crate pslpshle, and dangerous exeIciss ~, q. p1w
n a. moi efnuscd by <he Constitution. ahe 10!
III nresidenisl election, hcweyer, has been held
4 strct conformity with its express provisions. ns'
ths can he ressl. rsss;uHIa ;,sscs y yessi
" ysy CShso'l is",ios III resu;rs hat We shall wa
/ - sosns 81 over, sai dsnsescas act On ,hs part
ths Prssidsns elect before res0'''ne 70 'uea ''''
II s.s1 hovsvssr. ,h.. the an,scedsnu Of Il
Pisdsss sisc. have been suiicen. 70 iastiiiy u
shs sSs,n 'nss 1,sss, ns arc sSes spprshs
% en. II continssns danger In he taiuse safscie
- ;,sss;c, shs immedl 70 destruction Of the noble