Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-03-15

So"'ogeu' WnaN you nave written VIII do
. great deal Of good; and could YOU still
trouble yourself about our w%elfare, no man
10 more able to help the laboring side.'
You see. Sir, that whether we 90 for or
against Slavery, anywhere, we must follow
Southern guides. You may change your
pilots with the winds or the currents; but
we, whose nativity, reckoned under the
North Star, has rendered us somewhat
superstiticus, must be excused for constancy
tH following the guidance of those WIN
framed the national ship and gavel US the
chart for its noble voyage.
A profound respect aud friendly regard
for the Vice President Of the United Ststes
has induced me to weigh carefully the testi.
mony he has given on the subj ect of the
hostility against the South inputed to the
Republican party, as derived from the rela-
eons OF the representatives Of the two par.
ties at this capital. He says that he has
seen here In the representatives. ofthe lower
Southern States, a most r~esolute and earnest
spirit OF resistance 10 the Republican party;
that he perceives a sensible loss of that
spirit OF Brotherhood and that feeling Of 10y.
sity, together with that love for a common
country, which are at last the surest cement
OF the Union; so that. IN the present un.
happy condition Of affairs, he Is almost temp.
ted to exclaim that we are dissolvinp week
by week, and month by month; that the
threads are gradually frettirg themselves
asunder, and a stranger might suppose that
the Executive of the United States was the
PRESIDENT OF two hostile Republics. 1t is not
Tor me TO raise a doubt upon the correctness
oil this dark picture, SO far as the Southern
groups upon the canvas arc concerned, but |
must be INDUCED In the opinion that | can
pronounce as accurately concerning the
Northern or Republican representatives.
here as any one. | know their public haunts
ana their private ways: We arc not a hos
tile Republic, or representatives OF one. We
e'nfef together, but only as tho organs OF
every party do, and must do in a political
system which obligeJ us TO act sometimes
rs psrtisans, While it requires US always t,
be patriots and statesmen. Differences OF
opinion even on the subject of Slavery
WIN us are political, no. social or persona
c'uerences. There is not one disunionist
o. dis'oyalist among US all. We are alto.
together unconscious OF any process ofGissn.
,uton gong on among or around us. We
nave never been msre patient, and never
'oVed the representatives of other section.
more than now. We bear the same ies,i
mony Tor the people around US here. who
tnough IN the very center where the bolt o
dlsun'on must fall first and be most fearful
III is effects, seem never less disturbed thar
now. We bear the some testimony for al
the districts and States we represent. The
people OF the North are not enemies, bnl
friends and brethren of tho South, faithful
ana rue as in the Days when death has deal,
rs arrows Promiscuous'y among them on
common battle-felds of freedom.
we VIII not suffer ourselves here to dwell
OF any evidences of n different temper in
the south; but we shall be content with ex,
pressing our belief that hostility that is moi
deslgnediy provoked, and that cannot pro-
yoke retaliation, is an annmaly that must be
traced to casual excitemcnts, which canno,
Pcrpetuate al enation.
a canvass for a Presidential election, In
,some respects more important. perhaps
man any slnse 1900, has recently begun
Inc House Of Representatives was to be
organized by u msj)rity, while no party
could cast mere than q plurality Of votes
The gloom Of tho late tragedy in Virgins
rested on the Capitol from the day when
Congress- assembled. While the two grea,
political parties were peacefully, lawfully
ana constitutionally, though zealously con.
ductin. the great national issue between
free labor and capital labor for the Terri.
tories TO its proper solution, through the
tr'als OF the ballot. operating directly or in.
directly on the various departments Of the
government, a band Of exceptional men
contemptuous equally Of that great question
and .of the parties to tho controversy, ant
Impatient of the constitutional system
which confines the citizens of every Stat,
TO political action by suffrage in org nixe,
parties within their own borders, inspired b,
an enthusiasm peculiar to themselves, an
exasperated by grievances and wrongs tina
some Of them had suffered by inroads o
armed P~ropags1dists Of Slavery in Kansas
unlawful as their own retaliation was, ut
tempted to subvert Slavery in Virginia BY
conspiracy, ambush, Invasion and force
The method we have adopted. Of appealing
to the reason and judgment OF the people, tc
be pronounced by suffrage, is the only opt
by which free government can DO main,
tanned anywhere, and the only one az ye'
devised which is in harmony with the spiri
OF the Christian religion. While generou,
and charitable natures will probably concedt
that John Brown and HE associates acted OF
earnest though fatally erroneous convictions
yet oil good citizens. will nevertheless aeret
that this attempt to execute an unlawlu
purpose In Virginia by invasion, involving
seville war, was an act of sedition and lrea
son. and criminal to just the extent that i
Affected the public pence, and was destruc
tive Of human happiness and human lie. 1
10 . painful reflection that. after so long al
experience Of the benrficient working o
our system as we have enjoyed. VIC hav,
had these new illustrations in Kansas ant
Virginia Of the existence among Us Of elias,
Of men so misguided and 50 desperate as I,
seek to enforce their peculiar principles b,
the sword. drawing after II a need for tn,