Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-09-04

and those Of the Democratic party. and
bring both, and the whole country under
Southern domination ''Give us the man. -
said this Southerner, ''and you may have
the platform or give us the platform aud
you may have the man" / rerlied "and
suppose We do so, and still the Republicans
should beat us--what then do you Southern
men propose-will you abide the resultY'
| coUti not get an dRs,cer. For the scoun-
drel knew that even their submission to the
will of the majority was no part of their
purpose. unless that maority wiled the
wishes of the South. Even then the re-
bellion was determined on, in case they did
not elect a Southern man. And even then
they were taking their measures to secure
the defeat of the Democratic party, that
they might use 1t as pretext for this re-
belion, as they have done.
Now do not mean to apologize for the
measures OF tanatical men, Abolitionists of
the Phillips and Garrison school. Nor do
charge their principles or designs on the
Republican party, as such. | do NOT be.
lieve that this party, as such, adopts the
views or measures of the Northern seces-
siOnists, Phillips, Garrison 4 Co. And
would be glad to see the rope on which
Southern seccssiOnsts were suspended at
| Northern secesSiOnists ut the other They
are all alike the enemies of the country and
Of the Union. But admitting all this-was
the election of Mr.. Lincoln any justification
Of this rebellion, any excuse for itl Not
the least. Why, even if he and his party
had been the rankest enemies of the South,
they were utterly powerless for harm, as
things then stood. We had the power in
Congress largely in our own favor, and all
the decisions of the United States courts
bound the nation to carry out Southern
views in regard to slavery in the territories
And MIR. Lincoln could not have lifted, eff
tectually, finger against -the South had
he ever been disposed to do so. Why ther
| lift against him the hand of assassin? Against
the Government the hand OF rebellion? .And
as the interests Of the South were as ye
safe, why not wait at least, till some dem
onstratiOn against them had been made b,
the new Administration? Aud while they
were preparing their treason, | should have
liked to ask them-What wrongs do yo,
charge on the Government you ask to over
throw! What Southern right has it assal
ed, or struck down? What principle of tn,
| Constitution or the Federal laws has the
Government ever turned against the South,
or refused to carry out in its favor, honest
ly and faithfully? What grievance has the
government ever laid upon the South?-
What infringement of State laws, or "pe
culiar institutions" of the South has thi.
mild and equitable Government ever at
tempted? ~ declare before God" (crieC
the speaker with solemn emphasis, rising
on his toes as he spoke, and tossing his arm,
abroad 81 declare before God, / knoto n0
one 0rOng Tie Sonth Mts 10 Mya Me oD0,
of ms best Of GoronD,ents, whose deltI
this Internal treason seeks" Shouts o
applause.
But now hear some ofmy Democratic
friends say: After these difficulties di,
commence, we should have met the enra
ged and violent men with terms Of Con-
PROMISE" Well, am not here to apol
oglze for the errors of any section or party
4 Without urging the thought that the onl,
compromise any Government should max,
with rebels, Is to require them to law dow
their arms and submit to the laws that res
upon all, am still willing to concede tina
everything that Cancellation could have done
without compromising principle, shoul,
have been done. | am willing TO say tina
perhaps there was, by the mon of tho Nortl
in that Peace Congress- much omitted tha
paciiication and consultation warranted an,
and called for. But tell you that concil
iation and compromise ,oere not 1vIlat Nh
South panted; and all that could consistent
ly and justly have been offered, would hnv,
been Indignantly spurncd. She was nadly
secretly, yet sternly, set and bent upon Sc
cession and Disunion. For this, these am
bilious and devilish leaders Of the South
not only disrupted the Democratic party u
Charleston and Baltimore--as my trien,
here has shown, and in which agree will
ham--but to this they have been for thirt,
years shaping the " hole thought and feel
ing OF the public mind of the South. II,
fire the Southern heart against th
North, they have left nothing undonc tla
even lies and violence could accomplish, a
a review OF their history in Congress and il
the Cabinet, on the hustings and in tn,
forum, would amply show But suppos,
4 compromises at some point in the histo
ry OF this rebellion, oven after it was begun
would have disarmed and appeased it; ,oha
IS that to MS noU, and at this day? 1ha
point has been long since past, and nothing
is left to us but to fght-fght this rJellioi
doUa-crush it beneath the wheels of you
cannon and the tread of your armies--or i
will crush out our government and the hope
of free institutions the world over. The re
bellion must perish by the bloody hand o
war, or our hopes, and those of our children
will perish by its hand.
| And this leads me to answer another oh
jecticn. 1t is said by tame spirited or false
hearted men, or by some who are not full,
informed Of the facts and principles inyoly
ved II am not bound to fight these battle
it is Lincoln's war, and he and his Black
Republicans may fight it out. - But now
what are the facts in the case? Before Mr..
Lincoln had done anything to provoke war
q cas upon him 1t met him at the yery
Threshold OF his administration. At The
very time that he had stood up TO take the
oath Of oflice--the oath which you, The Deo
pie, require him and every other President
to take, that he will faithfully discharge
the duties Of President of the United States,
and to the best of his ability, preserve, pro
tect and defend the Constitution" and tha,
Constitution was invaded by firing upon oul
glorious flag at Charleston as it foated over
Sumter--was not that Constitution inya.
ded and trampled on by the foot of this foul
trcasonY War was made on you--on non,
Constitution; and your President must do
! iend that Constitulion--pr the Govern