Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-12-24
BY REV. J. b. JOHNSTON.

Fellow Gtiseus and Chrstian Friends!
We assemble here to-day not to offer praise
| to our country, though of its greatness and
glory We may iee disposed 10 be proud. Nor
to laud our oountry's institutions at surpass-
ing those of other nations hoary through
age. and which have enjoyed centuries
Of experience prompted by the strongest
motives to reformation and progress
Our youthful Republic, but of yesterday,
/ towering among the great powers OF earth,
I and rivsling ipevery national attainment the
most powerful and the most respected of
them all, msyclain from its favored citizens
sregard not due to any power on Garth. -
This Republic, unlike most ethor nationali-
tics, is, under God, the creature OF the peo-
plc-is our o,oa Republic Yet il is not for
us to-day and here to initiate the proud
Monarch Of Chaldes who, overlooking the
cspitol Of his empire, proudly exclaimed
els Not this great Babylon, that have built
for the house of my kingdom by the might
of my power, and for the honor of my majes-
ty. "aaoIio1o lou -fu .s.a lilw 1a-il ti.1
Nor to sing honors to Washington, the
Father Of his Country; tO,.Jefferson, the
tramer of constitutions; |; to Franklin, the
patron OF science and Of law, who pluck ed
the lightning from the clouds, and made u
pathway for the electric fluid Nor to look
up with devout hearts to that galaxy of
bright constellations-the names Of the
fathers Of the Republic-the names Of the
brave men who dared in times of peril to
sign the Declaration Of Independence. No
but 20 give thanks to the lord of lords
who gave US such noble sires. aH slaW tlil
/, We meet here to-day not to praise our
Administration--our President-his 'Csbi
net--the American sOongress-our Cover
Enors--our Generals leading our brave armies
to battle and to victory-not even our brave
armies, our brave sons, '"the brduest of the
brace," the Union soldiers above all to be
praised in proper way and time But, to
thank God for such sons-sons, Of whom
their fathers may we'll be proud--sons, to
whom the nation owes debt that can never
be paid--sons, who to-day stand as ram
part around our liberties and the very life
1 Of the Republic. Thank God for the brave
!. boys of the Union armyl uol- ilnf
We gather here to-day not tn rejoice as .
political party over political victory. No,
let US, in view Of recent dsliverauces from
dangers in our midst, rather thank God that,
in his providence, virulent political party
spirit has been signally rebuked, and at .
time when all party should have been for.
gotten, and all ps,ti merged into the loyal
, citizen mass coming up to the help of the
} Lord against a mighty rebellion--a rebellion
whose sympathizers may we'll consider ths
i Angel warning to the tribes of Israel which
held back in time of national struggle
: Lord, Course ye bitterly the inbsbitant,
thereof; because they came not to the helr
q of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against
I the mighty" A rebellion without cause
4 extenuatine excuse; or even shadow oi
rsason-w without parallel for daring iniquity
in the worlds history of crime. A rebellion
because the Government could not yield tt
continued Southern encroaohments upon
constitutional national prerogatives--be
cause Southern demands for infractipn upon
the Union IA it was and the Constitution a.
il is, could not be slavishly granted-be
cause the South, one third only of the peo
pie. bearing less than one.third Of the ns
! tinnal burdens. could not always hold two
! thirds of the offices Of the National Gov
( ernment stand at the helm and command
compromises and their violation at tbe
pleasure, and trample. upop the Natiopa
! Constitution and laws at will
While the North had for a half centur,
II faithfully sustained The Consultation and Oh
: served every compromise, the South ha,
;" been hahitually trampling on both, Citizen
of any State are by tbs Constitution entitie,
= to the rights OF citixens OF tho United States
Z Yet, in Viofatioaof the Consultation citizen
d OF Northern States have, by law Of Southern
y States, without charge or trsltor anyicrlme
. heen confined ia prisons ss felous; and 10
h merely ~ isolated or incidental cases, Fbut a
= rule of SoutheIn violence regulated b
Il Southern law. No system of espionage wa
m L.. L.. Il.
. equal 70 that of the South over the Unite
: Ststes mail. mo effrontery ever surpssse
( that OF the South setting AT defiance th
d national law regulating the Post Office, :
g This nullifcation, flung in the face of,ith
i, national authorityrwith oonsummste impu
: asncc, was borne by the General G0yerl
: meni and by the North with unexample
d patience. These are but Instances Of South
,, ern disregard of constitution and law,
.s q 10 the face Of allthiso oencroachmeht o
:. the one hand and forbesrancs On the ethe
i new and enlarged demands we're msde iId
III eGnoessiona. for compromises, for changes {
lSS the COnstitution--for guarantees aud sscur
81 tics Tor the extension aud dirner ESTABLISH
! meut of a,Southsrn aiassitntion, local an
j. very peeuliar--for the augmentation Of, III
e slave power, and for placing three-tourtf
~ of the American people under the govern
- ing control of n few Southern olisarchs. |
u Failing in the project Of rule, they resolve
at, upon ruin. Thus secession and rsbellis
e, were inangurated, and the nation plunge
Into civil wsr--a3war on the part OF Il
!o! rsbels for the dismemberment of the Unit
and the destruction of the Government
4 and on the part OF the Government the sui
i .pression of rebellion in arms, the maipt
nance Df UNCONSTITUTIONAL authority, the .prese
yatioB intact Oh the existence Of the Repu
lie, the salvation Of the distinct natienali
of these United. States.
We coma bore to-day not to rhide or !
=. more our sins ls the capse Of the, Divil
On ~ .displeasure and the inalctionN Of inst jud
q mept in this terrible civil war, We 'ha
ali sinned as indiyiduals--we have all sim.
in ali our relations. whether domestic, sooil
{. ecclesiastical or civil, we have sinned as
nstion--a nation the most highly favored
any nov on the face ofthe earth. And Il
/ circumstances under which we sin make OF
national sips most aggravated. The ,abu
|. ~ distinguishing favors stands out prom
ii III ~ "A r,,los ~, ~ hauusu yaiusf ~