Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-06-20
BosToN, May Is, 1861.

been furnished by request, for insertion in
our columns:
BosToN, May Is, 1861.
My DEAR Mn. -: ......,,..
Your letter of the 9th reached me yester-
day. read it with mingled feelings; gratif-
ed that your friendly regard had as yet sur
vived the shock Of the times, and deeply
grieved at the different view we take Of the
existing crisis.
1t is well known to you that I sustained
the South, at the almost total sacrifice Of in
fluence and favor at home, as long as
thought she was pursuing constitutional OBJ
jects. This did, although the South had
placed the conservative North in false and
indefensible position, by the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise, and the persevering
attempts to force Slavery into the territory
Of Kansas, by surprise, fraud and violence, |
against the known wish of an overwhelming
majority of the people. 1pursued this course
for the sake OF strengthening the hands of
patriotic Union men at the South; although |
was well aware, partly from facts within
my personal knowledge, that leading South
ern politicians had for thirty years been re-
solved to break up the Union, as soon as
they ceased to control the United States
Government, and that the Slavery question
was but pretcxt for keeping up agitation
and rallying the South
Notwithstanding this state of things and
the wholly unwarrantable manner in which
the policy OF secession was initiated by South
Carolina and followed up by the other Cot
ton States and in spite of the seizure of the
public establishments and the public pro-
pcrty,-which in the absence OF any Joint
act of partition was sheer plunder-it was
my opinion that, if they would abstain from
further aggression and were determined to
separate, we had better part in peace. But
the wanton attack on Fort Sumter, (which
took place, not from any military necessity,
for what harm was a single company coop
ed up in Charleston harbor, able to do to
South Carolina? but for the avowed pur-
pose Of stirring the blood of the South,
and thus bringing in the border States) and
the subsequent proceedings at Montgomery,
have wholly changed the state of affairs. =
The South has levied an unprovoked war
against the Government of the United
States, the mildest and most benefcent in
the world, and has made it the duty of every
good citizen to rally to its support.
perceive that my having publicly ex-
pressed that sentiment, and contributed my
mite toward the regiment Of Mr.. Webster
lwho lnherlts the conservative opinions OF
illustrious tather,) has caused surprise on
the part OF some of my Southern friends
yourself among the most valued of them
as If my so doing was inconsistent with the
friendly feelings have ever cherished to.
f ward the South. But these friends forget
t that as early as the 18th of April, that is,
before the Proclamation of President Lin.
t coin, the Secretary of War at Montgomery
had threatened that by the lst of May, the
Confederate flag should float over the capito
! at Washington, and in due time over Faneui
I Hall. When General Beauregard proceed.
Y to execute this threat, his red hot cannon
: balls and shells will not spare the roof tha
c shelters my daughter and four little children
g at Washington, nor my own roof in Boston
Must |, because L have been the stead,
: friend Of the South, sit still while he is bat
= terlng my house about my ears?
y L certainly deprecated the choice of
a President, exclusively by the electoral vote
t Of one section of the country, though con
: senting with the greatest reluctance to b,
5 myself upon one of the opposing tickets. -
& 1t was, however, fully in the power of tn
: South to have produced u different result
C But the Disunionists were determined t
:, have their own candidate, though mistaken
d trust, in the belief that he shared thei
/, dis!oyal views. | make this charge agans
= them without scruple, justified by sub2equcn
C events, as well As by the language of tn
C entire Union press ut the South during tn
e canvass.
: After the election was decided, the Di,
:. unionlsts would not wait for overt acts, be
l. cause they knew none could or would be con
d mitted. They knew that there was an ant
n Republican majority in the Senate, aud tina
l. there would be one in the present House,
d They 'precipitated' the rupture of tn
/, Union, because they knew that if they wal
r ed, even the pretext for it would fail
10 After the cotton States had seeded, an
n although that circumstance greatly increa
r, ed the difficulty Of compromise, measure
c. We're nevertheless adopted Or proposed i
le Congress, which must have removed all sil
le cere alarm on the part Of the South, tn;
N their constitutional rights were threatened
e, The accredited leaders of the Republica
t. party, including the President elect, uniform
n y pledged themselves to that effect Tf
G. TWO Houses by constitutional majori
t, pledged themselves in like manner again
70 any future amendment to the Constitute
j. Der from Massachusetts, (Mr. Adams) DO
is sessing the entire confidence of the ir.con
s. ing Administration, proposed to admit Ne
in Mexico as State, and three new territori
s. were organized without any Anti Slave
M restriction. While this was done in Coz
n, gress, the States repealed or modified Il
IL laws throwing obstacles in the way of reco
m ering fugitive slaves-laws which have ne
n er been of any practical injury to the cottc
States. These conciliatory demonstration
had no effect in staying the progress of S
cession, because the leaders of that revol,
tiOn were determined not to be satisfied
~ and to maintain their policy, which in Il
~ light of the Constitution is simple rebellit
IN and treason, they have appealed to Il
u sword. r'r
or You say that the South desires nothir
x but peace, and ask whether the North W
as not ''let you alone 2" But, my good frien
CT the South demands great deal more ths
peace" She claims the Capital of Il
.. country, although she has but a third of
or population. She claims the control of Il
H. outlet of Chesapeake Bay and its tributarie
u u the right to command the most direct rou
oi to the Atlantic from Ohio, Indiana and IL
x. * nois-States whose population amounts
az five and u half millions lthe Baltimore al
re Ohio Railroad j the right to dragoon Il
ot State Of Maryland aud the western part
IA your own State, with Kentucky, Missouri al
2. e. Tennessee into joining the Southern Confe
d eracy the right to occupy the fortress
hg which protect the trade ofthe Gulf of Mex