Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-06-14

I am quite aware that they do not state
their case precisely in this way. Most OF
them would probably say to US, Let Us
alone, do nothing to us, and say What you
please about slavery"
But we do Let them alone--hnve never
disturbed them--so that, after all, it is what
we say, which dissaiiies them. Tney will
continue to accuse US Of doing, until we
cease saving.
am also aware that they have not. us
yet, in terms, demanded the Overthrow
of our Free States Constitutions. YET
those Constitutions declare the wrong OF
slavery, with more solem" emphasis than
do all other sayings against it; and when al
these other sayings shall have been silenccd,
the overthrow Of these Constitutions will
be demanded, and nothing be ieii to resist the
demand. II is nothing to the contrary, that
they do not demand the whole Of this jut
now. Demanding what they do, and Tor
the reason they do, they can voluntarily stop
no nowhere short Of this consunmstion.
Holding, as they do, thst slavery is morally
right, and socially elevuting, they canno,
cease 10 demand full national recognition
oil il, as q legal right, and a social blessing.
Nor can we justiiably withhold this, OH
any ground save our conviction that slavery
is wrong. II slavery 10 right, all words
acts, laws, and constitutions against 1t, are
themselves wrong, and should be slencej
and swept away. II 1t is right, we cannot
justly object to its nationality, its universal
ity; II 1t Is wrong, they cannot justly insist
upon its extension--its enlargement. An
they ask, we could readily grant, II they
thought il wrong. Their thinking is right,
and our thinking it wrong. is the precise
fact upon which depends the whole contro.
versy. Thinking it right, as they do, they
are not to blame for desiring its full recog.
nition, as being right but, thinking it wrong
as we do, can yield to theml Can we cas,
our votes with their view, and against our
own! In view Of our moral, social resposl-
bities, can we do this! Wrong as we tn ink
slavery is, we cannot afford to let 1t alone
where it is, because that much is due to the
necessity arising from its actual presence ID
the nation; but can we, while our votes will
prevent it allow it to spread into the nation
al Territories, and to overrun US here il
these Free States. ..-
i Il our sense of duty forbids this, then le
us stand by our duty, fearlessly and effect
lively. Let US be diverted by none Of thns,
sophistical contrivsnces wherewlh we are
industriously piled and belabored--contr
vances such as cropping for some mddl,
ground between the right and wrong, vair
as the search for man who should be ne iih
4 er living man nor dead man--such as
: policy of "dont care" on question nbou
} which all true men do care, such as UnioI
appeals beseeching true Union men to yicl,
The Disunionists, reversing the divine rule
and calling, not the sinners, but the right
eous TO repentance --suGh as invccaiions t.
! Washington, while imploring men to unsny
what Washington said, and undo whu
Washington did
Never let US be slandered from our dut,
by false accusations against us, nor fright
ened from it b. menaces OF Obstruction to th
; Government, nor Of dungeons to ourselves
, Let us have faith that right makes might
and In that faith. let us, to the end, dare t.
.. do our duty as we understand il.