Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-01-10

feet faithfulness, and 10 said the Senator fron
5 Illinois, (Mr. Douglas), and 50 understoo'
the Senator from Indiana Mr.. Fitch Il
have said. Therefore, this calamity is re
r moved from us, 30 far as the statements o
our political enemies can do it, know ou
Courts feel themselves bound to administe
, the laws just as they find them. Let me say
4 to gentlemen of the Senate on the other side
where you have lost one Slave by the un
lawfulness of legislative tribunals, VIC have
had ten men murdered by your nobs against
law. cannot take mp Southern paper bu
l read Of men who travelfor business, but
you wait upon them by some Committee ant
tell them to return. And what Is the cause
Why, sir, you come from Ohio, and they
don't inquire what party yuu- -b6soag to-
Many Of these acts have BEEN done uhde,
circumstances that would disgrace savage.
We have no security in travelling nearly one
half of this Confederacy-especially the
Gulf States. l don't care what mans
character may be, and if he never violated
any law under heaven; but if he comes from
the North, and especially if he has exercised
his political rights and voted for Lincoln in
stead of somebody else, it is an offence pun
ishabel by indignity, by stripes, and by death.
And you, whose constituents are guilty Of
oil these things, can stand up and accuse us
OF being unfaithfnl to the Constitution Of
the land l make the assertion here that
do not believe in the history Of the world
there ever was nation or people where a
law so repugnant to the general feeling was
ever executed with the same faithfulness as
has been this most repugnant Fugitive Slave
Law. You have a law in South Carolina by
which you take the free citizens Of Massa-
chusetts or any other maritime State and
lock them up in Jail under penalty. If the
poor man cannot pay the Jail fees, eternal
Slavery stares him in the face. 1t is mon
strous law, revolving to the best feelings oe
humanity, and in conflict with the Constitu.
tion of the United States don't say this
by way of recrimination. I know the excite
ment prevailing the country, and l do not
wish to adda single coal to the flame
Nevertheless, l wish the whole truth to ap-
pear. Then, what is it? You have the
whole legislation of the country you own
the Cabinet and the Senate, and l may add
you own the President Of the United States,
as much asyou own the servants on your own
plantations But can't see why Southern
men rise up and complain of the action of
this Government. / have already shown it
is-imFoaibie 10 point ouSsny xcrs- or Which.
the Republican party have been guilty of
which you cap complain. Therefore l un-
derstand tha6 Senators who justify the over
throw of this Government, who would break
it up and resolve it into its original elements,
do it on a mere suspicion that the Republi-
can party may somehow affect their rights.
Now, what doctrines do we hold detrimental
to you? Are we the settlers forth of any
new doctrine under the Constitution l tell
you, nay. There is no principle held to-day
by the great Republican party that has not
had the sanction of your Government for
more than seventy years. You have chang
ed your opinions; we stand where we used to
stand. We stand on the Slavery question in
the place formerly occupied by the most re-
verend statesmen Of this nation, every one
of them, Washington, Jefferson, Monroe,
Adams, jackson, and Polk inclusive. And
that reverend statesman, Henry Clay, Of
blessed memory, with his dying breath as
serted the doctrine we hold to-day. Why,
then, are we held up before the community
as violators Of your rightsP 1t is late in the
day to accuse us of harboring these opinions.
Then, what doctrines do we hold that are
complained of? You don't complain Of our
Liberty bills. You don't complain that Mr..
Lincoln is violent man and will probably dc
any injury to you. The Senator from Geor-
gia, Mr.. Iverson), told us he had no appre-
hension Mr.. Lincoln would do any act in
violation of the Constitution.
Mr.. Iverson said he had said no such thing.
Mr.. Wade said he understood the Senate,
to say so, and he understood the grievance
to be that the Chief Magistrate, with the
power of Government, could do away with
Slavery in ten years. 'si 2 .'
/, Mr.. Iyerson said he said the Republican
party might do injury. He thought Mr.
Lincoln would violate the Constitution, wheI
he could with impunity.
Mr.. Wade-lt is Of no great consequence
!, what the Senator said. I say that Mr. Lin
coin character, from his youth up, has beel
such that you have no right to draw any in
. ference that he will trespass on the right o
any man, and if you harbor any other sup
! position it is in consequence of unwarrante,
! prejudice, nothing else. / have listened :
arguments here for about week. They ar
in very general terms, very loosely drawn
and do not know where to meet you at al. :
a Is there anything in our platform detriment
. al to your rights, unless that in modern time
. you set upa different construction of tn
: Constitution from ours2 We follow in tn
I beaten track, but you have switched off, q
1 it were, upon another track, and assert you
n doctrine to be orthodox, that is all. A
i Mr.. Powell (Demo Ky.,) called the Ser