Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-09-22

even with food by the Government Sd, a
| languid debate with view TO an ultim ate
National Convention which the rebels
haughtily despised and contemptuously re-
jected.
What were the alternatives left us? Iii
theI to surrender ourselves aud the Govern
ment at discretion. or 10 summon the peo-
pie 10 arms, terminate the armistice, adj
journ the demoralizing debate, and "repos-
sess" ourselves Of the National forts and
ports. And now has all the treasure that
has been spent, and all the precious blood
that has been poured forth, gone for moth
ing else but to secure an ignominious re.
treat, and return at the end OF four years
to the hopeless imbecility and rapid process
Of Nationa dissolution, which existed when
| Abraham Lincoln took into his hands the
reins Of Government?
WHAT SAVED THE GOVERNMENT.
Every one of you knows that but for that
accession Of Abraham Lincoln just at that
time the Union would in less than three
months have fallen into absolute aud ire
trievable ruin.
MILITARY ARREsTs-DRAfr.
| will not dwell long on the complaints
which misguided, but not Intentionally per
verse men, bring against the Administra-
of military arrests of spies and lurking trail
tors in the loyal States, as if the Govern
ment could justify itself for waiting without
! preventive measures. for more States to be
| invaded or to be carried off into secession.
| They complain that when we call for vol
unteers We present the alternative of draft,
as ii when the ship had been scuttled, the
| captain ought to leave the sleeping passen-
| gers to go TO the bottom without calling up
on them to take their turn at the pump.
They are not content with plotting sedi-
| ton in secret places, but they 60 up and
down the public streets uttering treason.
vaiuly seeking to provoke arrest in order
that they may complain Of a denial of the
| liberty Of speech. The impunity they ev-
erywhere enjoy under the protection of CON
stitutional debate, shows at ono and the
same time, that their complaints are
groundless. and that the Union in the ele
ment or moral stability is stronger than they
know. .....
ABOUT PgAcB PROPOSITIONS.
The chief complaint against the President
is that he will not accept peace on the basis
of the integrity Of the Union, without hay
ing also the abandonment Of slavery. When
and where have the insurgents offered him
peace on the basis Of tho integrity OF the
1 NUUOuy has OutTtuIt utI
never will offer il. Nobody on their behalf
can offer il. They arc determined and
pledged to rule this Republic or ruin it. |
slavery was no longer in question-that it
was perishing under the operation OF the
war That assertion has been confirmed.
The Union mon in all the slave States
that we have delivered are even mora anYi-
Gus than We are to abolish slavery. Wit
ness West Virginia, Maryland, Missouri,
Louisiana, Tennessee aud Arkansas JEFF
ferson Davis tells you, in effect, the same
thing. He says it is not for slavery, but
Independence and Sovereignty for which he
; is contending. There Is good reason for
this. A hundred dollars ia gold is only a
years purchase of the labor Of the working
man in every part Of the United States
At less than half that price you could buy
all the slaves in the country. Nevertheless,
our opponents want distinct exposition Of
the President's views on the ultimate solu-
ton of the slavery question.
Why do they want itf For the same
reason that the Pharisees and Sadducees
wanted an authoritative resolution Of the
questions of casuistry which arose in their
day. One of those sects believed in King
dom to come, and the other altogether de-
nlbu the vi luU
theless, they walked together in loving &C
cord in search of instruction concerning the
spirit world. Master, said they, There
was man of our nation who married wife
and died, leaving six brothers. These
brothers successfully married the widowed
woman, and afterwards died, and last of all
the woman died also. In the resurrection,
which of the seven shall have this woman
to be his wife?"
Now what was it to them whether ons or
all should have the woman to wife in Heav-
en-? 1t could be nothing to the Sadducees
, in any case. What was it to any human
being on this side of the grave? What was
it to any human being in heaven except the
woman and her seven husbands 2-absolute
! " nothing. Yet they would have an answer.
And they received one. The answer was
that while in this mortal state, msn and wo'
! mea shall never cease to marry and to die,
there will be in the resurrection neither
death nor marrying or giving in marriage.
SLAVERY.
Although altogether unauthorized to
speak for tho President upon Hypothetical
questions, l think l can give an answer upon
the subject of slavery at the present day
an answer which will be explicit, and hope
not altogether unsatisfactory. While the
rebels continue 10 wage war sSalust wv
Government of the United States. the mill
tary measures affecting slavery. which hay'
been adopted from necessity to bring th
: war. to a speedy and successiul end. Will b
, continued. except so far as practical expe
rienoe shall show that they can be modifie,
advahtageously with yiewt to the same end
|. When the insurgents. shall have disbsnde
. their armies, and laid down their arms, tn
|, war will Instantly cease, and all the war mea'
, ures then existing, including those vhic
= affect slavery, will cease also, and all th
. moral, economical, and political questions
: . as we'll questions affecting slavery as other
J, which shall be existing, between individual
and States and the Federal Government
/, whether they arose before the civil war 6e
: gan or whether they grew out OF 1t, viii, D
, force of the Constitution, pass over to n
. arbitrameht Of the courts OF law and 10 III
: councils of legislation.
% INDIVIDUAL STATES WOULD DE WELCOME
N BACK. .
am not uusophisticated enough e, e'
Ia or nm snh h. m