Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-02-05

but upon the bleakest mouutain top Of
libertys homo, with our starry flag-thu
hallowed eusign-the winding sheet for hi,
grave. | am ready 10 soy TO my children
as Hamilcar Of old said TO his son. WhilC
thinking ofthe Romans, tho enemies of hi.
country, his hoy. twelve years old, came I,
him and said, Father, let Ne no to SPAIN
and Hamilcar, it is said, laid his hand upor
his head, breathcd upon him his MARTA
spirit, took him to the altar, babe him touch
the sacrifice, and swear that il he lived be
would be the enemy OF the Romans. That
son was Hannibal. | would say, let u,
bury the past; let us forget all party affilia
tons, all party names and distinctions. and
then, upon thealtar of our country, swe Il
by the eternal God this Government shall
he one it cannot be too; it caunot be three;
it cannot be four; IL must be one, or it is
nothing. Applause in tho galleries.
War on traitors they deprecatc as narsh,
and calculated to repel rebels from future
association. Would they then counsel sub
mission to traitors, and yield to their dom
ination2 They mean that, or they utter tie
mutterings of idiocy. Rebellion must bo
crushed, or the faction who have deuged
the land in blood will become its masters,
and exercise sovereign sway. Do the party
who deprecate the war manifest zeal 10 the
restoration OF peace by any personal sacri-
fees? Have they Contributed to the means
that are requisite to coerce peace2 Has
the blood Of those near.to them mingled in
the rich tide which has flowed from the
hearts of the patriots, who, with united
breasts, have made a rampant for liberty in
free Republic2 Have they not rather
stood aloof from danger, welding no arms
to repel the assault on the life of the nation;
distinguished only for an icy, shallow so
phistry, whose end and aim is to ourlle the
generous current which courses through the
veins, nerves and arms of our brave deien.
ders. Emboldened by an apparent triumph,
the cant of their patriotism is less affected.
and from high places they illuminate their
hostility to the honest efforts Of this Gov
ernment TO remove the destroyers of its
peace. The key note has been sounded in
New York: it has re echoed in New Jersey.
and reverberated through Illinois. The
General Government, so well adapted and
designed for the protection of the whole, is
to be shorn Of its power and its rightfu au-
thority, and the general peace be defense
less. Their position taken, the resistance
intimated, the censure of Congress and
States SO freely uttered, cannot fail to Gre.
ate apprehension; and ut such time, un-
der such circumstances, every man, every
true patriot, will renew his devotion TO the
General Government; for We have only u
choice between that and anarchy. The
living history Of passing events has demon
strated that the independent action Of nu.
merous State authorities, is Inadequate TO
the great work. and &c necessitatc rel re-
course mus, be had to the Federal power -
Such has hitherto been our policy. Mad.
ism was sustained in its exercise; Jack son
had the support Of Adams, Clay, Webster,
ant their illustrious compeers; Polk, in the
Mexican war, found the same co. operation;
and in war so terrible, a strife so bloody,
a contest SO vital as this, not to sustain the
Government that the people have created.
is to encourage and foster the rebellion
against constituted authority, and to aid in
the downfall Of the Republic. Without
regard to party, patriotism will support the
Administration; in that alone have we hope
OF the national salvation.
l repeat, the key note has been sounded
lately in New York under the specious
guse Of State sovereignty and State rights
In the inaugural message Of the Governor
Of New York this Senate is arraigned, the
War Department is arraigned. That Gov
ernor undertakes to sit in judgment on the
acts Of Congress, and he says to his sheriff,
aud other officers, 'you shall not let men
GO out of the State" Tho power of the
Federal Government to declare war is ig-
nored; and all this is done under tho name
of Democracy in the State of N Y. This is
TO be re echoed in the West, handed back
to the East, and the question is to be pre-
sented to us, have wo a Government that
has within itself the power to put down the
rebellion, or are We driven to wreck upon
the shoals of State rights? Is the Repub,
lie to be disjointel, broken up, without pow
er, without authority, express or Implied,
to save itself Shall the Government in
the name and under tho gui-e Of Domocra
cy, be torn to fragments? Sir, it is time
that Senators open their eyes. We must
put down this doctrine, or there il no hope
for this Government. do not speak simp
ly Of putting down the rebellion, but say
you must put down this infamous doctrine
Of State rights, for it is both dangerous and
famous, however plausibly it may be sta
ted, that the government OF a State has the
power to override the Federal authority,
the Constitution ofthe United States, and
the action Of Congress in regard to q ques-
ton of war. This rebellion commenced
WIN tne nOtiOu vi Cthtc rlgnts. II Onrl
fathers had not given us Government
strong enough, we have paid them but a
poor compliment in our history for the last
seventy years. The trainers Of the Consti
ution, its defenders when alive, and their
IONS up to this hour, have never doubted
his power. 1t is only by the plausible pre-
exits of men acting in the name Of Democ.
acy that it is now brought in question.
Mr.. President, that is not all. want
he Senator from Kentucky to remember
hat the men who are coming into power
lnder this doctrine, the men who are com
ng into power by finding fault, are men
vho said nothing for many long months
fter this war commenced. AS to some of
hem who have been chosen to high posi-.
ions, it was not known for several months
tier the war commenced what they had TO
ny about it. There are mon in my State
1hom no one heard open their mouths upon
he subject Of this war for twelve months
iter it commenced; men who never suid to
he poor soldier, 60 or not 60; who never
ave dollar OF comfort to a soldiers wild
W; but lay still for twelve months until
,isfortune came upon your Army, and then
TO get power in the name Of De-
iocracy. Applause in the galleries..
u :. u ~