Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-08-09
Letter from the Hon. james 0.
.I Putnam.
FREnoNfA. July 10, 1860

mass meeting at Union Park on the 10th
inst, Of citizens, irrespective Of party. who
believe tbs. the prosperity Of our Union will
be advanced by the election Of Mr.. Lincoln
To the Presidency.
Yo1 say il is to be more particularly und-
er the auspices OF gentlemen, "many OF
whom have heretofore supported Henry Clay
s. Millord Fillmore, ,& GRE not new connect
ed with any political organization"
To meet with and confer with those who
have always acted as have, with the con-
servstve school, prepared to follow where
duiy 5nd patriotism lead. whether under n
Clay, Fillmore, or n Lincoln, or whomso.
ever the times shall designate, would afford
me great pleasure.
You will allow me to refer briefly to our
pact political history.
The friends Of Mr.. Clay, who sustained
the Compromise measures Of 1850. naturally
yielded their support to Mr. FiIlmop in
1856, whose Administration was distinguish
ed for its fidelity to those measures. Not
that they necessarily preferred the disposi.
tion made Of that series OF questions to
some other, had such other been possible;
but they accepted them as, under the cir
cums:ances, best calculated to give repose
10 distracted country. They believed it
was best TO give and take-to win peace
pmong brethren by concession, rather than
10 force it by conquest.
We saw the storm Of opposition to that
settlement iast yielding to the general con-
viction that, on the whole, it was wisest and
best, and the country congratulated itself on
a"hnal settlement" Of the Slavery question.
10 an evil hour, Stephen A. Douglas OPP
ened the question afresh, and plunged US
into that sea OF troubles in which we have
been wandering, rayless and painless, and
at times hop pe!ess, for the past six years.
The Missouri Compromise, the great
ACHE, ement Of Mr.. Clay's life-a compact
which had all the sacredness of Constitu.
tiona! obligation-a compact cherished in
the hearts of twenty millions Of American
citizens as a new charter of humanty-was
trodden under foot as a worthless thing, and
civil war invoked to settle nnew the question
Of free or servile labor in the Territories.
And now the author Of all this harvest OF
mischief asks grateful country to reward
him with the highest trust in lis gift!
"Conservative" men must find relations In
some Of the organizations which now ask
their alliance, and there is wide latitude
for choice. know nothing in the Repub.
1icsn party which turns "Conservative, )"
whether he be such from temperament or
education, into an Aboitionist. Disunion-
lat, or a hater Of his brethren. Friends of
Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Fillmore" to use the Ian.
guage of your letter, have never had much
sympathy with any branch Of the Democra
tic party. They saw It calumniate Mr. Clay
down to the grave frcm the time OF the cleo
tion in 1894. He WIS ever the target for
all their hunters, and he went into his grave
covered with their poisoned arrows. lie
was hardly at rest in his tomb before il undid
the most glorious act Of his life.
From my s.and. point, cunn:t see how
any friend OF Mr.. Clay can vote for either
Of the Democratic candidates.
Where then shall we go! Two paths are
open before US. We can support Mr.. Lin
coin, and seek TO inauguurate Il Republican
policy in the Governmen Mt under his auspices
or We can support Mr.. Bell. Now, gentle.
men. yield my unqualified assent to every
enlogium that has been pronounced on Mr..
Bell and Mr.. Everett. Their names are
synonyms of every public and private virtue.
The republic has no worihier men. But this
fact stnres US in the face. In them, able
and worthy os they are, tho hour and the
men for success do not meet. Nobody be-
lieyes, no sane or insnne man pretencs ,tha,
in the State OF New York they can com
mand tenth Of the popular vote. A vote
for them in any Northern State ia u vote
thrown away. If lived in a Southern
State, where a Lincoln ticket 10 not in the
field, would give my best energies to tho
Baltimore Union ticket. And II n Lincoln
iiCket were in the field, but only nominay
50, where to support Il would be practical
neutrality in the contest, hen I would vote
for Bell and Everett, as the best thing II
could do to defeat tho Democracy, and as
eminently fitting and proper in itself
But here we can do an efficient, and
fitting and proper service, only by a support
Of Lincoln. And yet, arrange to say, there
are men once friends Of Clay and Fillmore
who advise q support OF Douglas, IL neces.
sary TO defeat Lincoln In New York-not TO
do Douglas any service, but to defeat an
election by the College, and throw it into
Congress.
Tho frisnds Of Breckenridge are looking
to the same result to take the election over
the House to the Senate, where less than
fifty men may make President OF Lane for
thirty millions.
All interests are proposing TO make com.
mon fight against Lincoln. that tho Presi.
dency may DO scrambled for in the Con.
gressional ring.
II our "Unioh" friends shall succeed, and
catch President In Lane by their pains.
they will learn by experience lesson | will!
learn at cheaper rate.
Now, let me ask, why should we not vote
for Lincoln, and sustain tho Republican pol.
icyi first-What is that policy in regard
to the leading issue Of the day! This and
nothing more, as understand II: To pre.
serve to freedom Territories now free
loud and continued npplause.) In other
words, TO adhere TO ,he principles Of Mr..
Clay, as declared by him IN HE memorable
speech In 1859. II makes no retr,prade