Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-08-08
Brave ANDY Johnson I

| SsNe p'"V0o ioI SURPRISING lnSulTectlOn
and rebellion" was under consideration,
Senator Andrew johnson, ofTennessec, made
a glorious speech. Mr.. johnson severely
rebuked the traitor, Breckenridge, for his
speech made few days previous. The fol-
lowing is the concluding portion of Mr..
Johnson's effort. We quote from the Globe:
Since left my home, having only one way
to leave the State through two or three
tpasses coming out through Cumberland Gan.
nave been advised that they had even sent
their armies to blockade these passes in the
mountains, as they say, to prevent johnson
from returning with arms and munitions to
place in the hands of the people to vindcate
their rights, ropel invasion, and nut down
domestic insurrection and rebellion. Yes,
sir, there they stand in arms environing a
a population of three hundred and twenty
live thousand loyal, brave, patriotic, and un-
subdned people but yet powerless, and not
in condition to vindicate their rights
Hence l come to the Government, and do
not ask it as suppliant, but | demand it as
a constitutional right, that you give us pro-
lection, give us arms and munitions; and
II they cannot be got there in any other way,
to take them there with an invading Army,
and deliver the people from the oppression
to which they are now subjected. We claim
to be the State. The other division NAV
have seeded and gone off and if this Gov
eminent will stand by and permit those por-
tons of the State to go off, and not enforce
the laws and protect the loyal alctizens there,
we cannot hel p it; but we still claim to be
the state, and If two-thirds have fallen off,
or have been sunk by an earthquake, it
/ docs oh pn1, Al. ~
ment 1T the Government will let them go.
and not give us protection the fault is not
ours but II you will give US protection we
intend to stand as State, as q part of this
Contederacy, holding to the flag that was
borne by Washington through seven years
struggle for independence & separation from
the mother country. We demand it accor-
ding to law; we demand it upon the guaran-
ty to us ola republican form of Government,
and we ask it as constitutional right. We
do not ask you to interfere as party, as
your feelings or prejudices may be one way
or another IN reference to the parties of the
country; but we ask you to interfere as a
Government according to the Constitution.
VI coui Sc we want your sympathy, and your
regard, and your respect but We ask your
interference on constitutional grounds.
The amendments to the Constitution.
which constitute the bill of right, declare
that "a well regulated militia being neces-
sary to the security of free State, the right
Of the people to keep and bear arms shall
not be infringed.' Our people are denied
:. this right secured to them in their own con.
stitution and the Constitution of the United
I States; yet we hear 10 complaints here of
violations Of the Constitution in thisrcspect.
We ask the Government to interpo5e tn
secure us this CON titutional right. We
want the passes IN our mountains opened.
we want deliverence and protection for a
down-trodden and oppressed people who are
struggling for their independence without
arms. II we had had ten thousand stand of
arms and ammunition when the contest COM
menced, we should have asked no further
assistance; We have not got them. We
are a rural people; we have villages and
small towns-no large cities. Our popula-
tlon Is homogeneous, industrious. frugal,
brave, independent; but harmless and pow
e9rless, aud rode over by usurpers. You may
be too late in coming to our relief or you
may not come at all, though do not doubt
that you VIII come; they may tramplc us
under foot; they may convert our plains
into graveyard', and the caves of onr noun.
talns into scpulchers; but they will never
take us out Of this Union, or make us a
land OF saves-no, never We intend ia
stand Us firm rs adamant and as unyeline
as our own majestic mountains that sur.
round us. Yes, we will profit by their ex-
ample, resting immovably upon their basis.
We viii stand aS long as we can; and if We
are overpowered, and liberty shall be driven
from the land, we intend before she departs.
to take the flag OF our country, with a stal.
wart arm. and a patriotic heart, and an
honest tread, and place it upon the summit
OF the loftiest and most majestic mountain.
We intend to plant it there, and leave it, to
indicate to the inquirer who may come il,
| after times, the spot where the Gollcss of
Liberty fingered and wept for the last time.
before she took het flight from a people once
prosperous, free, and happy.
| We ask the Government to come TO our
aid. We love the Constitution as made by
our fathers. We have confidence in the
! integrity and capacity of the people to gov
ern themselves. We have lived entertain
/ ing these opinions; we intend to die enter,
tanning them. The battle has commenced.
The President has placed it upon the true
| ground. 1t Is an issue on the one hand for
the peoples Government, and its overthrow
on the other. We have commenced the
battle ct freedom. 1t is freedoms cause.
we are resisting usurpation and oppression.
We will triumph; we must triumph. Right
Is with Us. A great and fundamental prin-
ciple of right, that lies at the foundation of
all things, is with US. We may meet with
impediments, and may meet with disasters,
and here and there a defeat; but ultimately
freedoms cause must triumph, for
"Frcrdom's battle once begun,
Beque.thed from bleeding sire to son,
1housh baffied OF, is ever woI.n
Yes, we must triumph. Though some
tunes can rot sec my way clear in mat
tiers of this kind, as in matters of reli
glon, when my facts give out, when my rea-
son fails me, | draw largely upon my faith
My faith is strong, based on the eternal prin.
ciples OF right, that thing so monstrouslv
wrong as this rebellion is, cannot triumph,
Can we submit to itY Can bleeding Justice
submit to itt Is the Senate, are the Ameri
can people, prepared to give up the graves
OF Washington and Jackson, to be encircled
and governed and controlled by combina-
tion of traitors aud rebels? / say let the
battle 20 OMIT is freedoms cause--unti
the stars and stripes (God bless them) shall
again be unfured upon every cross road, and
from every house top throughout tie Con.
tederacy, North and South Let the Union
be reinstated let the law be enforced; let
the Constitution be supreme.
If the Congress OF the United States
vyara IN ,riya m ha ta,,,ha 90 W.