Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-01-31

authority in France, OF England, o. n De
Northsfn ststss, or any where olss bsyosd
her own territory. Whether this reasoning
be correct or not, yet since the doctrine thst
slavery is a municipal institution was the
common faith Of the country when the Con-
stitution was adopted, and when the South
ern states entered the Union, as il was held,
by all our presidents and statesman until the
time of Mr. Calhoun, with few, IL any ex-
cepdons, it can not now be Justly regarded
as grievance. 3. II may be further an
swered to this complaint, that all difficulty
on this score was avoided by the Missouri
Compromise, and might be removed by o
restoration Of that agreement.
The South, by throwing her weight into
one party or the other, has hitherto secured
the ascendcncy. A protective tariff, ma
tional bank, internal Improvements, wore
the policy of the country, so long as the
South was in their favor; when she turned
against them they were abandoned. This
statc Of things ispkssins Awsy. By ths n
evitable progress of events, the sceptre is
changing hands. The more rapid increase
of the free States in number and in popula-
ton, is more and more reducing the relative
importance and power Of the South. This
result has been long foreseen. Southern
statesmen have predictedthat this must come
when the South could no longer control the
policy of the country. Not to command,
however is in their estimation to submit
Not to be masters, in the logic Of the ex
tremists, is to be slaves. They require that
the Constitution should be changed in order
to secure the equality demanded. Thus it
has been proposed that the number of slave
holding States shall always be equal to that
Of the free States that every new free
State admitted into tho Union should be
counterbalanced by new slave State. An
other proposal is, that there should be two
Presidents-one chosen by the North, and
that their concurrence should be necessary 10
the validity of any Presidential action. Still
another proposition is, that the Constitution
should be so altered as to make majority
of the whole of the slaveholding States, and
a majority of the free States necessary to
the election of President; and further,
that no law should take effect unless sane
toned by majority of the Representatives
from both sections Of the country. These
are so many devices TO make one equal to
three. They amount to an avowal on the
part of their advocates, that stakeholder
cannot live in any political community which
they do not control The propositions abovt
referred to all assume that the slave interes
must be dominant; that nothing shall b
without its consent; no officer, whether civi
I0r military, judicial or executive, shal b
appointed; no law enacted, no measur
sdopted, without its appreciation, and con
sequently for its benefit. This supposes tha
the interest of the shareholders is antagon
istic to all others, and is so important that j
may rightfdlly be dominant, or at least 90
ordinate and limiting. 1t assumes tha
three hundred and fifty thousand shall equa
twenty millions. As this is physical IN,
moral.impossibility under our present Con
stitution, it is proposed to alter it, or failin
in thst, 70 dissolve the Union. 1t is an un
righteous and unreasonable demand. It |
demanding far more than the Constitution
which we have all sworn to support, eve
contemplated. Equality of all classes, i
the eyes of the law, equality of the States q
. to rights and privileges, equal protection
equal liberty, equal facilities ofadvancemen
|. eqssl sccess to ell places Of honor and pov
erin short, constitutional equality in i
!; fullest extent, is what all are willing to col
cede. But that one particular interest, Oh
: special class of the community, should hay
. equal weight and influence with oil the otl
ers combined-that three hundred tAousaI
. should equal twenty millions s--is, at least u
:, der our present Consultation. an impossibi
: lity. And if this is the ultimatum Of u
: extreme South, disunion is. inevitable"
:. 1--WE have thus endeavored calmly al
:. fairly to estimate the grievances Of o.
I, Southern brethren. We have endeayored
! show that the people Of the North are n
!. responsible for the defamatory language
~ the abolitionists; nor for any attempts
= create dissatisfaction among the slaves. '
!. have endeavored to prove that the Constii
= !. tional compact with regard to the restorati
= !. of fugitive slaves has not been violate
~ bscguse the Federal Government, the OF
:. constitutional organ for the performance
= !. that duty, has never refused or failed to p
- form it to the extent Of its ability; and
~ cause, even if any State attempted to null
!. ~ the fugitive slave law, the Constitution ?
~ vides redress, first in thejudicial, and Il
in the military power Of the Governme
=. And, ,finally,we endeavored 70 show that
=" complaint of the want Of equality has
national foundation"
"It is however assumed that any s,
=. - has the right to secede from the Ur
80 -. whenever it sees fit. 1t matters not, tn