Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-11-13
4elmnnt Chrouifle.
Can Peace be Restored by Compro-
tEffl ri n,eaYE ctltlfEf

tions Of thel Democrstic) party is given,Oy its /,
laborcd effort to charge the guilt OF the rebel
lion upon those who refused to conccde to the i
South. This is urged and elaborated as if
!, were the great principle of the party
The ''inexorable logic Of it seems to be
that, as the supporters Of the Government
sre guilty Of the crime Of the rebellion they
must surrender to it il il will accept their
surrender, and propitiate it by concessions
to its demand, il it has any demands that
can be stated. From the stress laid by the
party organs on hisquestion Of the original
guilt Of the war, the public may fairly con-
clude thas this logical sequence is the great
Democratic principle. ~ -5ii
From this we derive the Democratic rule
that the people who stand by the Constitu
tion as it is, are guits Of the rebellion, and
not they who with ARMS in their hands de
mand change. Furthermore, that it is
the province Of the South to rebd, and of
the North to propitiate them by changing
the Constitution in accordance with their
supposed demands. This rule seems suffi- |
ciently humble fora people who boast of
having fought for independence four score
years ago. If to this abject complexion we
have come in that short period the blood
shed by our ancestors was poorly invested,
We care not to spend labor to show who
is guilty of the war for negectng to con-
cede to rebellion, for il this Government has
come to such pass that popular election
precipitates war, unless it is swiftly com
promised for by degrading the Constitution
to compensate the minority it has already
failed, and is nothing but anarchy. Butf
any party is responsible for the war because
of refusal to concede to tho Sonth it is the
Northern Democratic party, for, to it the
Southern ultimatum was plainly made in
the Charleston Couvention-rccogntio in
the platform Of the constitutional right Of
protection Of slave property in the terrific.
rios, OF Southern Secession from the party
and the Union--and in the face Of this con.
sequence the Northern Democratic party
refused this concession.
If the responsibility for the war lies with
the party that refused to conccde, it is on
the Northern Democratic party; for to il
the issue was plainly made, and by it ac-
cepted There has never been time since
when concessions were sought by the leaders
of Secession, nor when they would have
availed. The Secessionists withdrew from
Congress, or such as remained refused Il
take any measures toward compromise. -
States we're in actual rebellion when til,
Crittenden proposition was introduced
There never was any good evidence no
rational probability that it would have re
duced the rebellion if it had been adopted
The constitutional changes it propose,
would have required tine to be formally en-
acted and the precipitators were hurryin
States into rebellion with high speod How
ever well meant on tho part OF it, sponso,
the Crittendcn proposition was only dc
vice to delude the people and gain time.
was manipulated by John q. Breckinridge
one Of tho leading plotters, and changed
on purpose to defeat it, into plan to il
cite fillibustering for annexing territory to
inadc into Slave States, by providing th'
Slavery should be established in all Soutl
ern territory acquired in the future.
1t is not necessary to demonstrate thi
the Crittenden proposition would not ha,
stopped the rebellion if it had been adopte
although no man of sound judgment SUI
poses that it would--in order to fix tho r,
sponsibility Of refusing to compromise. Tn
was an effort at compromising with an III
known quantity-of conceding to rebe
who detied all concessions-of sending pra
ers to the absconding--of granting to tho
who made no demands, and were every da
growing stronger in rebellion. But in Il
Charleston Convention tho South was re
resented fully, and there it stated its d
mands. Both parties were prescnt-.-a col
dition Indispensable to negotiation Al
there the Northern Democratic party rctus
TO conccde, and took upon itself the gu
Of tho war which it now charges upon tho
who refused concessions.
SO much for tho guilt of the war, up
this present Democratic principle. Athou
oar principles are different, and we he
that they who rebel against the will of /
people declared in the constitutional for
~re guilty Of the war, yet we arc will
that the Democratic party should sssul
the guilt on both sdes--the Southern De
ocracy for rebelng and the Northern De
ocracy for not preventing the rebellion
conceding the Southern demands. B
what concessions will now bring peace2
there any that will always prevent the p
ponderatins population in the Free Sta
from clectng q President? That ale
made the rebellion, and nothing which '
not prevent that, will prevent the occ
renee Of another cause for rebellion, q
one which will be established as justifa
cause by such a settlement. ~.
The Democratic leaders in the North lo'
Ing only to their own ends, imagine that
disturbance Of the country by the popu
overthrow Of the Democratic dynasty,
such that IL II can be restored tho peo