Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-04-24
Established d in 1913.

| make the laws OF the Dlstrict CONFORM t(
the wishes and the will of the great body o.
the people Of the Uuited States in that To-
spect. -..----
Congress has power to exercise exclusive
legislation. ii the alignment ofthe Sena
tor from Kentucky is true, slavery never
sonld be abolished 10 this District in all time
% come. Maryland might abolish slavery,
Virginia might abolish slavery, all the
States might abolish slavery, and yet here
| Il would stand al d perpetual monument
beyond the reach Of any Legislative power
because If Congress has not this power, none
can have 1t. The people Of this pistfic,
have no political power except such as i
gwen to them by Che Congress of the Uni
ted States. They have their personal fights
secured 70 them BY the bill Of rights; but
they have no political psver wliatever ex-
cept What JeuS choose 20 give 70 them for
municipal purposes. The argument is ab-
sifrd. The power is plain. ImiehtI sup.
port my opinion by the opinions of such
eminent statesmen as Henry Clay, Daniel
Webster, aud many others, believe, un-
til Mr.. Calhoun doubted or denied the pow
er, it never was doubted 's. s'l 4lif1n 2
Is THIS TIE TINE FOR EMANCIPATION?
Tho next Question fSr Us DO consider is,
whether thisisthe time for, emancipation
l think it is Aemihently the time, and the
reasons afsias obvious a. the power. There
are now very, feW slaves, in, this District,
fewer than there have been at any ,tipewi
in the last forty years. There are fewer
now than there will be one year hence,
unless you abolish slavery here, because at
ter the rebellion is subdued, after things
are quieted, if slavery is not prohibited 10
this District, slaves will again be brought
here IN competition with gthe free peerVos
and the free whites Of the District. There
are fewer now than there have been in the
past, and fewer than there are likely to be
in the future. That is an argument which
ought to induce even the Senator from
Kentucky to favor emancipation now, as it
wiil operate on comparatively few persons
reason is, that many of the ow-
ners of these yslayes arg disloypl traitors,
Many Of them have gone off, and are now
'nItte army Of the Sonf1lrate Ssates; and
there is at this tune skmong the class of
Shareholders very strong sympathy with
the men who are IN rebellion against this
Government. Tho social influence of this
city, controlled in great measure BY the
owners of slaves, has always been against
the Government of the United States. -
Ever since j have had the honor of seat in
either House of Congress any one could feel
it The social influence Of wealth and pro.
perty, controlled and owned, in great meas
uro, by slsveholdiBg residents here, has al
ways been against the. Government Of the
United States, and is now in favor of this
rebellion. This bill operates upon them.
and l am very glad that il does. ----i.--s..-. +,
Another raas9l is, that as long as slavery
exists in this District it will be constant
source of annoyance and irritation; we shall
have constant excitement and agitation
about it. The great mass of the people of
this country are opposed to slavery moral
ly, socially, politically They feel that it is
wrong, and they cannot change their opin-
ion. As long as slavery exists in this Dis
trict, where they have the power to abolish
it, agitation and excitement will be ceaseiess.
This is q potent reason why pow, when many
OF the owners of These. slaves ore ldisloyal,
when the naMbcr Of the Slaves is few, I'VE
should make the, institutions of this Dis
trict conform 10 the moral sentiment of tho
great mass of our people. all the people
Of the northern States are opposed to this
institution theoretically, and very many lot
the most Intelligent people of the southern
States Now is the time when this moral
conviction should be heard and Needed by
the national Legislature: srriJ auI.
There is another reason, We are the
legislators Of thist District; we Al bound to
consult the matclial interests of, the people
Of the Dlssrct. Emancipation will add to
the value o. the property of the people OF
the District, and also add to the population
OF tnis,cfy, !. az a 2 legislator framiIga mere
mnsnnlclpal n9nkap az iei thls clty, would abolish
Inc abolition H q slryery " this District will
,r pllng nols scuvG' intelnsens mechanics ana
,dhoIlihhg ,hS as's VINO never w compete with
tne iapYr ~ slaves an9 VINO, hpdlPg none
nsre Dut iree men, VIII develop the great
WadvahM1Jses W OF TINS Guy. 4 see no reason
and q 4 free city, situated here at the head
otS tne Eotomae, WITH remarkable tacilities
OF nsvigsuon, witn great conyyeniences oi
epmP,1rniqatlon, 5eacning TO the West cy
tne Da:amore ana ONO rsiiroad' the politl-
cal oa9is4 ?f ths conptry, might 9ot be a
she opesso Of ss Rne RBrSsTSs'
au Stt o4k " faas ~ tee a9uve, interested
,aIo. ~ suse g.op,e, 0py rs i1uhici'
gu~.tiI" III n Myue 10 wise " aDolisn !,
ons,<Sysft " s4sR 's lJsaIse slry9Fy y
vraat mass of ths msonIs * th;s conrN 81 tn'