Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-11-29

itlt w % compiete ConIof OttnelF own a.
fairs. respectively, and at as perfect liberty
to choose and employ their own means ofI
protecting property and preserving peace
and order within their respective limits, as
they have ever been under any administra-
tra,ion. Those who have voted for Mr.. Lin
coin have expected, and still expect ,his;
and they would not have voted Tor him had
they expected otherwise. Iregard it as ex-
tremely fortunate FOR the peace Of the
whols country. that this point upon which
the Republicans have so long and so per.
sistently smisrepresented, is n,w to be
brought tsAn Srsctical test, and pi,ced be-
yond the possibility Of doubt. 1t shou d be
a matter OF rejoicing to all true Ropubli.
cons that they will row have anioppor,unity
Of demonstretng to their political adver.
saries and the world. that they are not for
interfering with the domestic Institutions of
any Of the States, nor the advocates Of
negro negro equality nor smaIgumstioD.
with which political demagogues have SO
often charged them. When this is shown,
a reaction will assuredly take place n favor
OF Repubicanism The Southern mind even
will be satisfied, the rights ol Northern men
will be respected, and the irafernsl feeling
existing in olden times, when men from all
parts oi the country went forth together to
battle for common cause against common
enemy, will be restored. Disunic nists, per
Sc, of whom unfortunately there have been
few in the country fer some years, under
stand this, and are now in hot haste to get
out Of the Union, precisely because they
perpeiye they ssnpo, much longer maintain
an appreh4nsion among the Southern people
that their homes and fresides and lives are
10 be endangered by the action Of the Fed
eral Government. With such, 'Now or
never is their maxim; and hence they seek
to infame the public mind by misrepresen.
tating the objects and purposes of the Re-
publican, party. with the hope of p-ecipita-
ting the Southern States into a position
from which they cannot, without dshonor
afterwards recede, well knowing If they de
lay till after the new Administration is
inaugurated and tested, il will furnish nc
cause for their com aint. Secession s an
mprocticabiity -or rather, an impossibility
The Constitution provides no way by which
State may withdraw from the Union; nc
way for the dissolution Of the Governms mt
it creates. The General Government inter.
ieres hut little with the individual rights o
the citizen, except for protection 1t !:
chiefly felt in its benefits and its bless ings
nor IN its exactions. IT every Federal Officer
in South S>ssiina wsrcto resign, theiI Of
fees remain vacant, and the Legislature de-
clare the State out OF the Union, It woult
amount to little except TO inconvenience the
citizens of that State. So long as the State
did not interfere with the collection Of rev
enue on the seab,arl, the people IN other
portions of The Union wonld not b., in the
least incommoded. What is the South
Carolina army 10 do when raisedl Whom /,
it to fightl Manlfesty if it commenced
war or the United States officers engaged
in collecting the revenue, il becomes the az.
gresaor. This would be revolution, ant
making war without a cause; for South
Carolina makes no complaint against the
present revenue laws. Is she prepared Il
thus become the oggressori The only use
can see for her Minute M,n il, that the,
will enable the people the more readily "a
suppress any-rprising in their midst, which
their Interpretations of the Purposes o.
the Republicnns,,m may have encouraged. Sht
complains that the Fugitive Slave Law !,
not executed 10 some OF the States. This
If true, the whole country knows to be
sham, so far as South Carolina is concerned
She 10 SO situated that no slave can escape
from her limits in!o Frea States. Howeve,
much Gauss the border Slave States may
have to complain Of the escape of ihei
negroes into the Free States, it is clear
South Carolina can have no such complaint
In her resolve she professes to be preparing
to eefend herself against encroachmen nls on
her rights. Let her adhere to this policy
and not attempt to dictate to other State,
what they saall do, aad no collision will
occur, for no encrouchmen;s will be made
The disunion feeling in the South |.
doubtless greatly exaggerated. A sort ol
terrorism ssessa to prevail in some places
which for the tim, appears to have crushed
out any manifestation Of Union sentiment.
but as the causes for this excitement are al
Imaginary, the election of a Republican
President in the constitutional mode scr
tainly affording no excuse, it is reasonable
TO suppose that reaction will soon take
place among the Southern people them,
felves, which will overthrow the Disuniou.
lists at home. 1t is great mistake TO class
the supporters Of Mr. Breckinridge as Dis.
unionis. HIS supporters as a class, are,
doubt not, as sincerely devoted to the Union
as many of those who, for political purposes
during the recent excited contest, sought to
fasten upon them the stigma OF dsunion.-
Should the conservative and Un on men In
an, particular locality be enabled to cope
with their adversaries, and South Gu, olina
or any other State under the lead of nulli.
iiers and dsunlonists, who have Cor years
been seeking pretext for breaking up tie
government, plhngs into rebellion, and
W thout cause, assail by force Of arms the
constitutional authcrties Of the Union,
there will be hut one sentiment rmono the
great mass Of the people OF all PARTIES. The
Uaion--it must and shall be preseroed,' and
woe to the traitors VINO are marshs led
IA