Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-04-11


ment. The recent defeat Of the Democratic
party in their efforts to fasten the curse Of
Slavery upon tho Constition Of the country,
and spread its blightipg influence all over
our broad land, has been sufficient cause,
in the opinion Of this party, to break up and
destroy tho Government; and the Crisis
thus commcnds the hasty action Of South
Carolina in withdrawing from the Union:
Gas this conflict therefore, hadto come we
may bo inclined to think with our fair cor.
respondent CLAUDIA, that 1ie prompt and
'hdstg action of South Carolina after all has
saved us from the worst of all calamites, o
wicked, barbarous and inhuman civil war. "
Why had this conflict to come? Simply
because the people of this country had seen
it to elect Republican President. What
has this President done to the injury of any
State in the Union? Hear what Mr.. Doug
las, the great idol of Democracy, says about
Mr.. Lincoln and the Republican party:
''He declared it to be his belief that the
Administration Is not going to adopt war
policy SO long as Congress is not in session,
and, when Congress shall be convened, will
not ask Congress for new war power He
declared the legislation Of the Republicans
US now liberal to the South, and said that
the South had never before stood in posscs-
sion Of 80 many rights and privileges as she
does to-day by reason Of the liberal and
magnanimous course Of the Republican par
| ty. The Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
Brockinridge) had said the South would
stay in the Union only OH condition of Rct-
ting all her rights; but he NIr. d. thought
the Senator was unjust in this, and he would
say to him that the South Is this day in
possession Of all the rights they claim. y
The Republican party had given
two great pledges Of their disposition to con-
duct the affairs Of this country in q spirit OF
harmony and peace they had agreed, by
the requisite two-thirds vote in both Houses,
| 80 to amend the Constitution that the rights
of the South shall not be intcrfered with in
the States; and they have, by their Terri.
torial policy since the election Of Mr.. lin
coin, shown that the rights of tho South
shall not suffer violation in the Territories.
Why, then, should the Government Of the
country be broken up2 Upon what grounds
could such a course as that be justiAodf
1.-THE Border States, thanks to the pa-
triotic and magnanimous legislation of The
Republicans, had now equality In the Tor.
ritories; not only legal equality, but equali
ty in point Of fact by the passage Of the bill,
70 organize Colorado, Nevada, and Dacotaf
Territories" ! II -'s'i i','''~7
But this will not satisfy the Pro- Slavery
Breckenridge element Of the Democrat,
party They had asserted that the election
Of Lincoln would be a sufficient cause for
dissolution of the Government, and on tn,
defeat Of their party and the success of Mr.
Lincoln they. go to work to accomplish tn,
fulfllment Of their prophecy by the destruc
ton Of tho Government They are moi
willing TO wait until an efficient Governmen
shall have made an effort to bring into sub
mission to its laws the seven States that ar,
now in armed rebellion against its authority
but are attempting to hasten by their oounse
and advice the withdrawal of the Borde
States. The Crisis oncouragingly says
i Virginia secedes and Joins the Souther,
4 Confederacy, Maryland will undoubtedly d
the saine, and then Washington city be
comcs tho property Of the Gonfsderatcs
States, and President Davis and Vice Iresi
dent Stephens will occupy the places Of Lin
coin and Hamlin. ~.
Their prophecy on paper has now place,
the President of the rebel Confectionery, j,
the Capitol Of the nation. We shall max,
one other quotation from the Crisis, to shoy
what they next propose FaI7
"Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee ant
Missouri will elect to go with the South. -
Will that be satisfactory? Not at all fo
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois will then rcfus,
to be tackled on to Now England, and will
follow the Border slave States from botl
interest and inclination. What then be
comes Of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota
and Iowa2 Necessity will stare them In the
face at once, and they will be compelled te
go too. What then Of Kansas? Cut of
| from all communication with the East she
cannot live alone from her present position
and State boundaries. She stubbornly re.
fused to prepare for the event. We testet
her early on that very point, long before, il
pl is true, my one would believe the present
state of things possible! Then where will
be the Territories and Pacifc States? All
all must be consulted, What of New York;
How long would she hesitate TO which con.
federacy she would look to support her rreat
commercial interests? And tariffs or nc
tariffs the sturdy old German farmers Of
Pennsylvania, who have an instructive pre-.
judioe against the Yankees, would raise ur
in arms against any such wooden nutmea
connection. And New England herself, with
o. large and growing minority of as fru,
Democrats, ,oho lore their phole country, a,
can DO found anywhere, would raise such OBJ
position to being left alone to be Transferred;
| to Old England and Canada an would reyo
lutionize that abolition region.
There we have tho whole matter in nu,
shell. The Democratic party, having over
whelmingly filled in the Inst contest to carry
Slavery all over the country, have broker
up the Government established .a,Consti
tuition founded upon 6lsvery, -and are nov
arraying themselves In favor Of the adoption
!, Of that Constitution by all the States Of the
Union. Tho Crisis and Gazette arc moi
alone in the advocacy of this policy. W.
make the following quotation from the
Albany IN. W Atlas on tins subject, and
in point Of candor and honesty Il Is all thai
could be asked for; ,r. lr.l. 81
whenever the Southern States arrange
their Government and Constitution exactly