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


ted more faithfully and success fully than it
had been during the preceding ten years. -
Since the installation Of President Lincoln,
not case has arose in which the fugitive
has not been returned and that too, without
any opposition from the people. Indeed,
the fidelity with which it was understood to
be the policy Of the present Alminigtration
tn enforce the provisions OF this law, has
caused perfect panic among the runaway
slaves in the free States, and they have been
escaping in mulitulcs to Canada, unpur-
sued and unreclaimed by their masters. Is
there found in this reason for dissolution
Of the Union?
That the slave States are not recognized
as equal in the Confederacy, has for several
years, been the cry Of demagogIes and con
.spirators. But what is the truth? No. only
according TO the theory, but the actual prac-
I tice Of the Government, the slave States
have ever been, and still are, in all respects,
the peers Of the free Ofthe fourteen Pres
idcnts who have been elected, seven were
citizens Of slave States, and Of the seven re-
naming, three represented Southern prin-
ciples, and received the votes Of the South
ern people; SO that, in our whole history,
but four Presidents have been chosen who
can be claimed as the special champions Of
the policy and principles Of the free States,
and even these so only in modified sense.
Does this look as if the South has ever been
deprived of her equal shlre Of the honors
and powers of the Government? The Su-
prcme Court has decided that the citizens
of the slave States can, at will, take their
slaves into all the Territories Of the United
States; and this decision. which has never
been resisted or interfered with in single
case, is the law Of the land, and the whole
power Of the Government is pledged to en-
force it. That it will be Loyalty enforced by
the present Administration, l entertain no
session, organized three new Territories. and
in the organic law of neither was there in
troduced, or attempted to be introduced, , the
slightest restriction upon the rights Of the
Southern cmigrant to bring his slaves with
him. At this moment, therefore-and
state it without qualifcation-there is net a
Territory belonging to the United States in
to which the Southern people may not in
troduce their slaves at pleasure, and enjoy
there complete protection. Kentucky should
consider this great and undeniable fact, be-
fore which all the frothy rant of demagogues
and disunionists must disappear as a bank
of fog before the wind. But were it other
wise. and did defect exist in our organic
law, Or in the practical administration ofthe
Government, in reference to the rights OF
Southern shareholders in the Territories,
still the question would be a mere abstraction
since the laws of climate forbid the establish
ment of slavery in such lattitudes; and TO
destroy such institutions as ours for such 4
cause, instead of patiently trying to remove
It, would be little short of an act of national
. insanity. 1t would be to burn the house
down over our heads, merely because there
is leak in the roof; to scuttle the ship in
mid ocean, merely because there is differ
ence of opinion among the crew as to the
point Of the compass to which the vessel
should be steered it would be, in fact. TO
apply the knife to the throat instead Of to
the cancer Of the patient,
But what remains? Though, say the dis
unionists, the Fugitive Slave laws is honest
ly enforced, and though, under the shelter
of the Supreme Court, We can take our
slaves into the territories, yet the Northern
people will persist in discussing the in;titu-
ton of slavery, and therefore we will break
. up the Government. 1t is true that slavery
has been very intemperately discussed in the
North, and it is equally true that until We
!, have an Asiatic deapotisnl, crushing out al
freedom of speech and OF the press, this
are and country all institutions human and
divine, are discussed, and SO they are dis
cussed and so they ought to be; and all
that cannot bear discussion must go to the
, wall, where they ought to go. Its not pre-
, tended however, that the discussion Of slave
, ry, which has been continued in the coun
, try for more than forty years, has in any
manner disturbed or weakened the founda
, ton of the institution. On the contrary, We
learn from the press of the seeded State
their slaves were never more Tranquil OF
obedient. There are zealots-happily few
, in number-both North and South, whosl
language upon this question is alike extrav
agant and alike deserving our condemna.
ton. Those who assert that slavery should
be extirpated by the sword, and those who
maintain that the great mission of the white
man on earth is to enslave the black, are not
/ far apart in the folly and atroaity Of theil
sentiments.
r Before proceeding farther, Kentucky
, should measure well the depth of the gull
: she is approaching, and look well to the feet
! of her guides. Before forsaking Union il
r which her people have enjoyed such uninter
> rupted and such bouniess prosperity, She
5 should ask herself not once, but many times
WHY do l go, and WHERE am l going? l.
: view of what has been said, it would be diff
1 ficult to answer the first branch of the en-
0 ouiry, but to answer the second part i
0 patent 10 all as are the consequence which
S would follow the movement. In giving he
: great material and moral resources to th'
I support of the Southern Contedoracy, Ken
|, tucky might prolong the desolating struggle
5 that rebollious States are making TO over
throw Government which they have only
a known in its blessings; but the triumph o
:. the Government would nevertheless be Ger
. tain in the end. She would abandon Gov
e ernment strong and able to project her, TO
n one that is weak, and that contains in th
n very clements of its life, the seeds of distrac
/ ton and early dissolution. She would adopt
J. as the law Of her existence, the right q
G secession-a right which has no toundatio
: in iursprudence, or logic, or in our politics
l. history; which Madison, the father of th
n Federal Constitution, denounced which lIa
: been denounced by most of the States an
d prominent Statesmen now insisting upon II
n exercise. which, in introducing prncpl
e OF indefinite disintegration, cuts up all con
d federate governments by the roots, and give
" them over prey to the canrices, and pas
it sons, and transient interests, OF their men
Q bers, as autumnal leaves are TO the wind
e which blow upon thom In 1914, the Ricf
l. mond Enquirer, then, as now, the organ {
e public opinion in the South, pronounce
lie secession to be treason and nothing else, an
A. such was then the doctrine Of Souther
: | What xraS tr,,a than is anu oil