Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-09-13


minority Of the grea, Republican party, snd
even should sb' y attempt 20 snersh any o
their peculiar views into any of our kgisla
tiop, the great mass Of The party would be
found ready at all times to crush out such
ultra sent ntiments. &aase
II party IL to be made responsible for
the isolated expressions Of few indiscfect
members, then we could convict the Douglas
party Of rank ttesson--the Breckinridge
parry as the mos, revolving cisunioni.ts, snd
the Union party as the most ultra Of Slavery
propagnndis's. and all this too with The
same--yes tenfuld more show Of reason tn a h,
the Republican party, as before stated, can
BIZ charged with hostility to the South.
There is one principle, however. on which
Republicans all agree, and this, SO far as
the Slavery question is concerned, may be
called their cardinal principle. This is re-
sisisnce Qn leea' way, Of course) to the
further extension or Slavery. On this, we
believe. there is NJ difF.rems Of opinion.--
They further believe III t,he people Of the
United States, through their chosen repre-.
sentsiives in Congress have the power under
the Constitution to fix the status OF their
common proper'y--the territories, whh. h.ref.
erencc to Slavery or freedom; ami this being
true they demand that Congress shall exer-
else that power to preserve that property 10
ito "normai condition." which Is FREEDOM.
These things being true, aud the Repub-
lican party being on the very eve, in all
probability. Of achieving their first national
success, it may be well to inquire whether
the action ofa party in power entertaining
the views stated q owe, wonld, as a ustural
consequence, be Of such n1ture as to give
the South any excuse for secession, or even
Of serious opposition to its policy.
From the time Of the organisation Of this
government, under the old Continental Con-
gess. down through period Of nearly three
fourths Of century--down to = time within
the mrmcry oftbe v,ry youngest voter In
our county, every act Of OUT rstjonsl Leg
isla,ure--every decision Of our Supreme
Court. and almost every expression from
our prominen, public men were In accord
ance with the itea and founded on the BELLE
that Congress, and Congress alone, hat
power over ths question Of Slavery In the
territories of the Uritrd sta,es. 10 al THU
time did the South evo make any seriou.
attsmp. to disrupt the Union on secount ol
the assertion and the exercise Of this rieht,
Never! Why then will she now! II |,
because in the last decade the policy Of The
government with reference 10 this matter
has been totally changed. snd under Tie
Dred Scott decision Il is said that the Con.
sti'ution carries Slavery wherever IL gocs
and no power lneither Congress nor the
people) hsssany right to interfere with the
m9tter, IN any shape whstcvsr. This TysI.
tion msy be truly said to be extreme South.
ern ground, inasmuch as the Dred Scott case
was manufactured on purpose to msks this
decision, which had been sgreed en- as the
Southern policy which should hereafter rule
and govern this country.
The Republican party propose to change
this policy--to bring back the government
to whs, /, was In the good old days Of Was
hington, Jefferson, the Continental Congress
and the ordinnnre Of 's7; II these were sec
tional and hostile then 10 the Republican
party the same. II these are ca leu lated TO
array the North against the Suuth-lhe o
also will the action OF the Republican party.
1t is not because we are acting contrary TO
precedent that we are opposed by the south
but because we merely seek to win back
what they gained during the mal-adminis.
tra,ion If James Buchanan in procuring the
Dred Scott decision and kindred Judicial leg.
isintion. go to speak.
This, we believe, comprises the entire
ac,io" which the Republican party contem-
plate on the vexed question of African Sla
very in National point Of view.
Many Of our Sou hern brethren talk open.
ly Of some means for the gradual extinction
OF Slavery this. however, they do as in Con.
nec,ion with the policy Of their own States,
which they have an undoub,ed right to. but
not as proper or legal subject for Con.
gressionai action. It 10 a State regulation.
which we Of the North have no more rieh,
to interfere with Than We have with the
seridcm oi Russis. but which any Republi
e"n Of any southern State has the rieh, to
denounce, oppose Or eradicate 10 q Consti.
futionsl wsy. ~. .r,.. -.
n The O. s. Journal on Theaker.
The gssts tIa,,rrs III ~ A.. tstl. ,..t ~.