Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-09-12

them--people who would laugh with 10,
now TO see him suspended from galows.
have frieDds-forner rfrieDds-they are nv
enemies now, because they are the enemies
OF my country. have former friends with
whom ! may almost say have grown up
! from the very crade-with whom have
walked to school in childhood . sunny day,
men with whom have never had an un.
kind word in all the days Of my life. but 10.
day are thirsting for my blood, and dare
not venture 10 my own home where my faith.
ers have lived for hundred years--whcre
three generations Of my kindred lie burie,
| to-day. IL | should venture there TO- might.
they would assasinate me.
1t Is painful for Inc thus 10 speak Of my
own former friends and my own countrymco
but what | say is, before God, the truth.
Just here arises a question. Ii is this
Why have Americans taken such awful step,
in 40 wicked way? Why Is it? How
can you account for it? can not accoun,
for 1t except on the principle that as in the
time OF our Savior, so now, multitudes are
possessed not only OF seven devils. but of a
legion. Applause and laughter. have
lived with Secession from the first of June
last up. to the time | left my home. and |
have done nothing during that time but
fight it day and night. Applause. | Land
my friend, here, (Mr. Johnson,) NAV both
return thanks to Almighty God that we have
not perished long since at their hand..
Now, perhaps | may say things which
will sound rough to you tonight. Perhaps
| may say something which will sound m.
becoming, as falling from the lips of a cler-
gyman but the truth is, felow-ctizens-
for l regard you as my ellow-citizens-[a
voice, I'VE are, that, - that we who have
lived beneath the oppressor's yoke, have
become accustomed to saying hard things.
We have to receive hard things and 10 re.
turn hard things for them. This must be
my apology: An individual who has been
crushed to the earth, can not speak with the
same patience and kindness with which
one not SO trampled upon can speak.
generally confess my sins in advance, and
If should happen to get into bad humor
tonight, hope this assembly will keep its
temper
NOW there are many reasons assigned by
Secessionists for their present course. | beg
leave to remark that | am STAKEHOLDER.
aud so far as l can trace back my ancestors.
they have been shareholders also, therefore
1t cannot be presupposed that | am preiu-
diced against the institution. While ac.
knowledge the fact that | am STAKEHOLDER.
l. must say to you that | regard the Union OF
these States as ofininitely more value than
all the negroes in America and in Africa +.
boot Loud applause. ..L
Notwithstanding one OF your newspaper,
reports to day that l am a distinguished pol
itician from Tennessee, 1 beg leave to remark
to you that am not politician, neither an
l distinguished man. As for the first par
the politician--with all due respect anC
Difference to my honorable friend, (Mr
! Johnson) l hope it may never be my fate tc
become one. fApplallse.
will 90 further and recolect that an
speaking for myself to night, and not fol-
politicians-for some politicians are tolera
bly, wary when they express themselves up
on this question. If in course of this wal
and | say it Notwithstanding a portion OF
all l once owned in this world-for do moi
know that tonight | ownanything-if in the
progress of this war it becomes necessary for
the salvation of this Government, and for
the preservation oi'the Union of these States,
that African Slavery should die, in the name
OF high heaven | say let it perish. Loud
and long continued cheering.
L tell you honestly that the negro has, in
my estimation, nothing more to do with this
trouble in our country, except in one aspect
it has no more to do with these troubles
than the man in the moon. Applause. i
There is one aspect, and | will briefly refer
to it. 1t is this: The Southern leaders
never did have the least fear that our Gov
ernment would interfere with our vested
rights in the Slave States. They know very
well that Congress cannot do it. There are
fifteen Slave States in the Union. There
would have to be fully five Free States be-
fore the Constitution could be altered SO as
to Interfere with Slavery--twenty-s Free
States would have to be added to the Union.
While the North would be doing this the
South would make three or four States out
of Texas, and so on. No, this is not what
they fear. But there is an aspect on which
this Slavery question does influence the
Southern minds-the Southern leaders. |
will tell you what they are afraid of. They
are not afraid of this great Government in
terferlug with them, as appears from the
fact that the institution was safer when we
were all together than it is to-day. Here is
what they are afraid Of They have
learned by experience that Pro-Slavery ideas
will not travel towards the North pole, but
thai, Anti,Slavery ideas will travel South
ward. They are afraid that the people OF
ICuuCorCC anu Siiid sIukt
it into their heads to abolish Slavery in their
domain, and they want to make Govern
ment in which the people can't rid them
selves of the institution if they wish. Cries
of that so. And now, pray, what becomes
of the boasted doctrine of States, Rights
The old doctrine has been, among the poll
ticians, that every State had perfect right
to control its own domestic affairs in its own
way. Yet here is Confederacy of which
nc State can be a member unless it is a
slaveholding State. IfOhio should take a
notion to secede laughterl and go into that
Southern Contcderacy she would have to be-
come slavchoding State before she could
enter it.. ".I -H i''i
A Tcnnesseean who now lives in north
eastern Texas told me the other day that
the people of southeastern' Texas are afraid
that the people of northeastern Texas will
will make that countryfree territory. Sup
pose they do If the people of Texas want
Slavery they can have it. Ii they do not
want it, it is none of my business. They
can do with this questionju-t as they please.
1.-THE people of Ohio want Slavery they
can have it. If they do, not want it they
can do without it, In either case |, as a
citizen of Tennessee, have no'right to com
/ plain. Applause. .oiJ4ra -.
am not going TO discuss the reason for
all this trouble in our country, but there is
| one cause which may allude To Ia il IN he