Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-11-13
tFfom the Baltimore American
The Proclamation and Slavery.


satisfaction manifested by your correspou-
dent, 'Lictor, iu o.day sissue ofthe Amer
lean, upon the loss tn the State Of Mary
land Of $40, ,00J, ,01O worth Of its productive
labor, which he admits | have clearly de-
monstrated, precludes the possibility Of any
other reply to his questions directly from
me than the expression of pity for the in
difference he exhibits upon 10 grave sub
ject.
I'm due time, with your permission, and
without reference to any side issues or light
criticism, propose TO continue the thread
Of my remarks upon the Presidents procla-
nation and perils Of the country
Oct %, 1867. OBSERVER
Having pcrused the first communication
1.-THE relevancy or 'levity" of which il is not
my purpose to discuss, | must confess sur.
prise that any intelligent correspondent of
the American should regard the monstron4
proposition of Observe" aI worthy OF
serious refatatioa. The disingenuousness Of
the artce-the vain attempt to saddle upon
the President all the evils which the slave
holding interest Of Maryland Processes to
suffer, was 80 apparent that it seemed to me
waste laborto refute it. | thought it an
ungenerous attempt to assail the President
tor the sins of the rebellion; and [ confess
can see no good to the Union cause in the
establishment of his propositions What
are they? That Maryland has SO, 900 slaves;
that before the Presidents proclamation
they were worth $4l ,00J 0O0; that sincs the
proclamation he would be bold man who
would guarantee 81 ZOO, 900; that in conse-
quence Maryland loses $40, 900, 600 worth
of its productive labor; and, without posi-
lively asserting it, yet the whole tenor of
his communication implies that their loss
results from the Preside nts proclamation.
Now am willing tn forego "levity' upon
10 grave u subject" and to Indignantly
take issue with observer" upon every one
Of his propositions. No falsehood is 50 de-
ceptive as that which borders upon the
truth. observer would not hazard his
case upon direct statement what the day,
or the week, or even the month before the
proclamation slave property in Maryland
was worth $4l 100, ,00O, and the day, week
or month after the proclamation it was not
worth 81 100000. Such a statement would
have been so manifcstly untrue that the
most ordinary mind would have rejected it.
But the short period since, when slave prop
erty had reached its hig hest market value,
is so clearly within the remembrance of all
men, and the fact that, tor want OF n mar
ket, it has now only nominal value, is also
SO well known, that he relies upon state
\ mont rvfvuguo yowrrahstus 70 ETcvw~iet the
President of destroying Maryland's proper
ty by implication. The fact of the case is
that the siare dealing interest of Maryland
has been struck down by the same rebelieus
hand that has destroyed her other and much
more valuable interests; and that hand
Ostensbly raised for the protection, exten-
sion and perpetuation of slavery. Slavery
in Maryland is dead, but it was not killed
by the President proclamation. The hand
that struck the blow is red with the blood oi
hundred thousand tree white men whose
bones lie bleaching upon the battle fields
where the Rebellion summoned them to de-
tend the liberties OF u great nation. Will
observer estimate in millions OF dollars
the value of those generous lives! Will
money measure the price OF the immortal
souls flashed out by Rebel bulIeta How
much gold will the sorrow Of widowed hearts
weigh down? How mnch has the country
lost in the 'protluctive labor" OF over mil
lion of white men drawn from the pursuits
OF peace for the last two years to lay waste
and destroy that which, with 30 much timt
and labor has been built up2 10 com.
nearer home, and bring our grievances with
in the compass of the little State wbost
saue interest observes" is 80 solicitor,
about, would ask him to set money val
ne upon the following losses suffered by
certain other interests of Maryland, which
some Of Us are accustomed 10 think worthy
Of consideration, viz:
What is the value Of the unpaid debts Of
the South to Maryland oreditors-will il
reach $50, 900, ,0002
What loss have our merchants sustained
by the suspension of business tor nearly two
yearsi Win that reach $5U, 600, 900 more!
What is the gross amount OF liabilities
represented by the failures Of our business
since the rebellion in behalf of slavery broke
outY VIII $50, 900, 900 cover that?
i What amount OF Maryland property has
been con6scated, In stocks, credits, lands,
&c., in the 80. called Southern Cont.deracy.
| Win 81, i,D00,O0 cover i'll
! What nave our people lost in the destruc'
ton OF the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
which cost in hard cash over $30,DO0, 000,
and has been rendered useless, it may be,
never again to bs perfected?
i What is the amount OF depreciation in
the value OF real estate since November
1860? and what has caused it?
How much Of the 'protfuctire labor oi
the Stats represented Uy "a, ,t,JU white men
in the two armies, have We lost? And the
white men being all able bodied, while the
5000, slaves Of the State, composed o.
''old and young, crippled and gray are
not more than one. seventh able bodied, sup
posing the whole lot were to emlgrate--
which would be the greater loss to the
State?
How much money have We been compel
ed TO spend in bounty funds, in substitutes
in re- building bridges and railroads, desti oy'
ed by our own Rebels; in con,peasIth,S
Massachusetts widows for the loss OF rheil
murdered husbands ~; in indemnity fol-
other losses. in paying the bills OF the Reb
, ell Legislature which met at Frederick, in
increased taxes, in increased prices for every
necessity OF life?
Why, SIR, ,ohsn Irciiect that The stock IN
trade 0t any respectable house IN Buitiosor'
: street, sold under the hammer, rcoutt pay
Observers Miuatioa Jor ecay stdpe ~
this city, and then see those houses, one b,
one, going into iasolreacg, cannot with
hold my burning indignation to hear thi'
3 continual prating about the destruction o.
, tho slayeholdlng interest Of Maryland.
Let us analygc this interest tor moment
and see what are its claims to special pro
Q tection- why it should claim, OF all othe
. II. hs. rnlrA