Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-12-04

erument, with just compensation made
! Under circumstances far less urgent than
those, the law or custom of civilized ma
tions, based on considerations Of public util-
ity, authorizes such taking of private prop
erty for public use. We ourselves are "a
milar with its operation. When couda-
grafton in city threatens tospread far, hous.
es in the line Of its progress may legally be
seized and destroyed by the authorities in
order to arrest it; and the owners are not
held to have been wronged il they are paid
for such losses under an equitsble appraise.
ment. But it is not the existence ofpart Of
. city that is now endangered, it 10 the in.
tegrity of one among the first Powers 10 the
world that is menaced with destruction.
The truth ofthe preamble suggested has
become, 10 my judgment, incontrovertible.
II will receive the ssseIt a a ;cye,.helm-
Ing majority OF the peoplssaf Tie loyal states
The public sentiment Of Europe will admit
its truth. ..
Let US confess that such preamble, as
have commanded the assent OF more than q
small fraction Of our people, only two short
years ago-two years, az We reckon time; q
generation, il we calculate by the stirring
events and far-reaching uphesvals that hav e
been crowded into the eventful months. In
such days as these abuses ripcn rapidly.-
Their consequences mature. Their ultimate
tendencies become apparent. We are re-
minded Of their ira history character. We
are reminded that although for the time,
and in a certain stage Of human progress,
some abuses may have their temporary use,
and for this, under Gods economy, may
have been suffered to continue; yet all abus.
es have but limited life. The Right only
is eternal. ....
The rebellion, teacher and creator as we'll
as scourge and destroyer, by sternly laying
bare the imminent dangers Of Slavery, has
created the constitutionality Of Emancipa-
ton. It has done more. Il has made
Emancipation bounden political duty, %
well as strictly constitutional right
Can we, declaring Emancipation. legally
avoid the payment, say Of 5000, ,00O, 900, in
the shape Of compensation to loyal slave
holders2
Not if slaveholders s right to service and
labor from his slaves, when not forfeited by
treason, is legal. On humanitarian grounds
the legality Of that right has been denied.
But construction of the Constitution ad-
verse to such denial, and acquiesced in by
the nation throughout more than two gen.
erations, is held by most men to be reason
sufficient why the rights in question should
be regarded As private property. fit be
private property, then, except by violating
the fifth article Of the amendments to the
Constitution, it cannot be taken for public
use without just compensation. To violate
any article of the Constitution is arevolu.
1 tionary act, but such acts cost nation more
than few hundred millions Of dollars.
The risk that future decision of the Su-
prenle, Court might .dsslsse Enanoipstioa
without compensation to be unconstitution-
al is, Of itself, sufficient justification Of the
Presidents policy, corresponding to the
suggestions, in this matter. ,.
Such compensation will be unpopular with
many. Wise and just acts, when they in.
volve sacrifices, frequently are. A wrong
long tolerated commonly entails penalty,
which is seldom cheerfuly paid. Yet, even
on other grounds, we ought not, in this case,
to begradge the money. Who deserve bet
ter OF their country than those brave men
who, in the border and other Slave States,
have ,clung to their loyalty through all the
dark hours Of peril even to life2
Precautions naturally suggest themselves
against false pretenoes of loyalty. 1t seems
expedient that he who shall have proved
that he is the legal owner of certain slaves,
and also that he has ever been loyal TO the
Union, should receive a certificate of indebt
edness by the Government, not transferable
to be paid at some fixed time subsequent tC
the termination of the war: payment being
made contingent on the fact that the claim
ant shal! not, meanwhile, have hpsed from
bis loyalty. .'1 no
Every such claimant, once recognized
would feel himselfto be, by his own act, the
citizen Of free State; one of us, detached
forever from the Southern league. A Gov.
ernment stockholder, he would become Pc
cuniariy interested in the support Of the
Government and the restoration Of peace.
! Even if the Legislature of the Border
States should not initiate such policy,
the loyal men Of these States will accept it
Such measure does not involve expense
in conveying the liberated negro to Other
countries. 1t has hitherto, indeed, been thu
} usual policy in slave States to discourage
Is dangerous, the residence there of free
blacks; and hence an idea that colonization
should be the concomitant of Emancipation
Of general Emancipation, there is no need
whatever that it should be. Those wht
, take up such an idea forget that tho jeal
/ ousy with which Shareholders regard th,
Q presence Of free negroes springs ont of th'
0 dread that these may infect with desire
r for freedom the slaves around them, thu.
: rendering them insubordinate. But whel
all are free there will be no slaves to incite
r nor any chains to be broken by resort to in
y surrection.
It is no business Of ours either to decide
: for the liberated negro, where be shall dwell
o or to furnish his travelling expenses. Free
!. men, black or white, should select their owl
Q dwelling place and pay their own way.
v As to the fears Of competition in labor
Il sought to be excited in the minds of tb
Northern workingman, they have founda
a ton only in case Emancipation be refused
j. for such refusal would food the North will
! fugitives. II, on the contrary, Emancipa
I tion be carried out, the strong local attach
]. ments Of the negro will induce him, Wit
h rarest exceptions, TO remain as hired Ia
q borer where he worked as . slave. Thu
q humane masters >will not lack suficien
n working hands, Of which Colonization woul
}. deprive them. And If, notwithstanding til
y probable rise Of Southern staples, profits, .
1 first, should be loss, the security OF the plal
" ter will be greater, He will no longer Ii
down at night uncertain whaher yhe mors
: ings news may not be that bis slGves hay
risen against him. -, .'..
!. Il .l . = q