Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-08-29
Mr.. Everett's Letter.

The lines between loyalty and treason to
the Government. are daily narrowing down.
And we are glad of it. We point to the
admirable letter Of Hon. Edward Everett,
published this morning, rs proof of the fact.
That distinguished man has never been ac-
cused-even by his enemies--of unnecessary
harshness. Indeed, his failing has rather
been lack of the positive element. Yet
even he, the mildest hammered statesman OF
the country, has felt himself called upon in
this dire and dreadful emergency, to which
the traitors have reduced the nation, to ad-
wise the people Of every loyal community to
see to 1t, that secession emissaries, whether
in the shape of treacherous newspapers or
public babblers, be no longer tolerated in
their midst. We approve most heartily OF
these suggestions. ...l .,...
In the course of some remarks which we
had the honor to submit to portion Of the
people of Belmont county, Ohio, at late
public gathering, we took occasion to call
their attention to the course of paper pub
lished at st. ClaiYsville, and to advise them
to urge their county government to bring
the weight Of their authority to bear on it,
and restrain it, by injunction, from ever is
suing another sheet, such as it has been pub
fishing. Like its compeers, the Dayton EN-
pire and the Cincinnati Enquirer, it was.
under the pretence of Union, secession
sheet, and every week it was disaffecting and
demoralizing portion OF the public mind
OF that county. Of course it was not an
open and avowed secession sheet, for it dare
not be, There is not one such sheet pub
lished in all the loyal States. But when the
time came, when it had poisoned and pois-
oned. by slow degrees and easy stages, enough
anf 10 nty Il
in the county, when the loyal feeling had
been sufficiently demoralized to insure It i'm
nunity FROM public indignation, then the
mask which it was wearing would be thrown
off, and the genuine features appear.
The duty Of the authorities was not to
wait for the announcement Of the plot. Ii
they did, they would wait fatally. They
would then, Us we fear they would even now,
encounter the demoralized element of opiu-
ion. Already the effects had shown them
selves in the aid and comfort that had been
sent on to the traitor, Vallandigham, from
that county. Forbearance was becoming
each day more aud more a vital matter with
them. u, ~, ..l,... -, .,. .t,., ssl 4y q.
This was our Argument to those people
then. 1t is our argument now. 1t was not
an argument of mob law, for We believe in
nothing Of the kind. 1t was plea to tn Q
lawfully constituted powers Of the communi-
ty to interfere in behalf of all that that was
dear and sacred TO the people-the preserva-
ton Of their liberties and of the Union and
the Constitution oftheir fathers. This is
Mr.. Everett argument. We submit it al,
SO to those same authorities, and to the au-
thorities Of Washington county, Pa, and OF
all the communities where in disguised en-
missaries Of treason are stealthily operating
on the public sentiment lfthe people fail
to respond to this earnest and patriotic argu-
ment Of Mr.. Everett's, and do not at once
let 60 all sustenance and countenance Of the
deadly emissaries, and, by the power Of law,
rid them out from their midst, the historian
will Justly account them unworthy to have
been saved from the great conspiracy now
beleaguering the capital Of the nation. =
Wheeling .Intelligencer. itl. U..l.a.,