Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-04-14
Rslmoat Ghrui.itls.
st. Ciairsvi,ie, April n, lseA.
RsserdY johnson on Slavery.

RsSerdy johnson on slavery.
Hou. Revetdy johnson, U. s. Senator
from Maryland, made remarkable speech
in the Senate on Tuesday Of last week. The
Senate wa. considering the joint resolution
to amend the Constitution 80 as to prohib.
il Slavery anywhere 10 tho United States.
We print asynopsis OF Mr.. Johnsons speech !
below as we end it in the New York pa.
pers. This speech is attracting great al
tention.
Mr.. johnson tCond. Un, Nd J said we
had horetcture kept four millions of slaves
in bondage. They had been kept in n state
of absolute ignorance. This was thing OF
which The worlds history afforded no par /
allcl Whether this was for veal or woe tho .
future must decide. The ony question .
for statesm N to considerwas whether EN- .
cipation was right independent Of IFS CON
sequences, if those consequences were such I
as to render it expedient at this Tune. Ihero /
was period in our history when there was
but one opinion about the question OF right
The men who fought through the Revolu-
ton, and recommended the adoption by the
American people of our Constitution,
thought that Slavery was not only an evil,
but an evil of the highest character, which
it was the duty Of all Christian people to
remove. The history Of these times would
bear him out in the assertion that If the mGn
by whom the Constitution was formed and
the people by whom it was adopted had an.
ticpated our present troubles, they would
have provided constitutional enactment at
some remote period to revoke the clause
permitting Slavery. Almost every man Of
reflection OF that time was satisfied that
sooner or later the country would be lnvov-
ed in trouble on account oft, and they look
ed with confidence to the time when 1t
shouldbe eradicatcd The provisions in the
Constitution protecting Slavery were adopt.
ed upon political and material reasons, and
not upon grounds of morality and religion,
and because they believed 1t would be dlth
cult to have a Union at all without Slavery.
Whether they were right or wrong, it Is i'm
possible to say now. Ii they had voted to
adopt our Constitution without the recognl-
ton Of Slavery, no one, now spectator OF
the scenes around us, would regret it. He
entertained the same opinion OF Slavery now
that he had from the time he first studied
the subject of human rights. In advoca-
ting this measure lie was not departing
from his earlier convictions. and would APP
peal to the Constitution itself in justification
Of the vote he should give for the measure.
He would not inquire whether Slavery had
produced tho war or not. The war was up.
on us, and Slavery had produced mischief
Unless the measure before the Senate should
be adopted there could be no pcrmanel
peace. Mr.. johnson at length proceeded
TO controyert the ideas that the abolition ei
Slavery could be accomplished either by di-
rect legislation or hy the exercise Of the war
power by the President. lie believed that
the Rebels still owed allegiance to tho Uni
ted States, aud were to be proceed against
as traitors under tho Constitution Any
other idea would be monstrous. lie be-
lieyed that there were hundreds Of thous
ands of citizens in the insurrectlonary dis
tricts who were inst as devoted to the Union
us any nomher Of this body; but thcy obey
cd the dc tncto Government AZ a power
which th,y could not resist, and so thcil
obedience wa, 90 crime. lie claimed tha
the war power wasin the hands Of Congress
and the power Of the President was derived
from this right as Commander-ln Chief
This being the ease, no slave could be man
united by proclamation unless the propc
physical force accompanied it. We mus
get the slaves before we can manumit them
The President himself uttered great trut|
when ho said his Proclamation would be lik
the Pope's bull ag,inSt the comet in tn
districts unoccupicd By our army. 1t isjus
as idle for US to declare the slave free in tht
States where our armies do not march, a. Il
would be to declare the Rebel armies dis
banded hy proclamation. lfthe war shout,
terminate oday, the slaves who come actu
ally under our control would be slaves stII
MIR. johnson conteHdcd that the only prac
tica way Of accomplishing what all Chris
tan patriots desired was hy the adoption o
the present measure. He cCntcndcd tha
tho very preamble to tho Constitution
which stated that its objects were to estab
lish justice, insure tranquility, and promote
the general welfare, and that first Of all tha
liberty might be preserved, gave full war
rant for tho proposed amendment Wa
there no justice in putting an end to human
slavery? Was Slavery doing no injury t.
the tranquility Of the country? Was it no
against the general wGfare, and against al
true ideas OF human liberty? In conclusion
he said our sole consideration should be l.
bring this war to q successful close and Sc
cure the restoration of the Union. He be
lieved the Union would be restored and W
would have our National and State Govern
ments without human bondage.