Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-07-20

machinery Of gods and goddesses, which
has come down to us in classic story. Fel
ten successive centuries they lifted dl0n,
the torch Of science to a darkonod globe,
and philosophy travelled, sn awe struck pill
grim, to learn the wisdom Of these obelisks
and temples. Nor is this all. The ever
lasting architecture Of Africa, resisting alike
the exbumations Of time and the ravsges of
bsrbarism. exists to this day, though in ru
ius, the wonder Of the world Witness the
pyramids OF Egypt, the ruins Of Thebes aud
Hermopolis, OF Alexander and Jupiter Am.
mon. Look at the palace Of the Ptolemies;
the catacombs of Lycopolis, the ancient
capital OF Abyssinia, where forty pillars and
one huHdred and thirty pedestals of granite
are still standing in gloomy magifcence to
tell you what Africa once was. Here
mighty Kingdoms have yet their record 10
history, and live in the breathings of song !
''She has poured forth her heroes on the
field" Look at the mighty Sbishak, the
great Sesostris, the victorious Hannibal, be-
fore whose marital step the majesty of Rome
trem bled upon the Alpine battlements. She
has given Bishops to the Church" Ec-
clesiastical history enumerates seven hun
dred of them that met in council in Africa
to deliberate upon the fortunes of the Church
of God. She has given "her martyrs to
the fire" when they shouted the hopes of
glory amid the flames that burnt them up.
She has furnished to the world generals,
physicians, philosophers, linguists, poets,
nathematicians and merchants, all eminent
10 their attainmeDts, energetic in enterprise,
and honorable in character.
The present degradation of the negro race
has been resolved into the purposes Of heav
en-, and the baptised eppressors even lay
their hands, with an air Of triumph, upon the
very prophecy which is said to legitimate
the slavery of the negro race. The refer
ence is to the curse of Noah. This, how.
ever, was exclusively confined, by the very
terms in which it was uttered, to the de-
scendents of Canaan; and these never en-
tered Africa, except few on the coast of
Barbary, which never belonged to the land
OF negroes, and where they soon became ex-
tinct. Of course the curse did not affect
Africa, but had its consummatien in the
destruction Of the seven Capaanitish ma
tions. The fact is, the African race has
been, without provocat!on, unceremonious-
ly plundered Of her bleed and treasure for
near two thousand years.
Again, history tells us that eighteen
Ethiopians were at different times reigning
monarchs in Egypt. Abyssinia alone could
at one time bring hundred thousand horses
and as many eamels into the field at once.
Ethiopia, in the days of Asa, King OF Is
raei, mustered a million Of men for the
field Of battle. History records twenty
thousand African cities existing
neously Two Of the Popes of Rome, in
the reputed regular episcopal succession,
were Africans. Africans taught letters and
the arts in the language Of the Pharoahs.
And even now, in confirmation of all this,
large portions of ancient Africa are strewed
with the ruins of cities, pyramids and tom.
Piles. The Queen Of Sheba, Candace, of
Ethiopia, were Africans. The mother of
St. Cyprian was an African. Augustine
Tertullan and Terrence, the classic poet,
were the sons of African females.
Africa for ages has stretched out her
hands to God" God is answering her
prayers. Upon the coasts and deserts of
Africa, upon the banks of the Antilles and
Mississippi, the savannahs ef Georgia, and
the plains of the Carolinas the sun now
rises on freemen aud Christians, and shall
never again go down on serfs and slaves
Enslaved and tributary man is everywhere
beginning to look up, and ere it be long the
life blood OF an injured world will collect at
the heart, land by one convulsive sffort,throw
Oft the lead that oppressed it for eyes. Al
ready the beacon fires of moral, political,
and religious improvement are everywhere
upon the continents of the earth and islands
of the ocean rising into brillancy, and soon
human tyranny and degradation shall per-
ish in the blaze, and all nations revel in the
splendor Of the illumination. Fancy almost
becomes reality while the mind luxuriates
amid the magnicence of the vision.
Take, Freedom, take thy radiant wand
When d. dmmed revive, when lost, return
Til not shrine on earth be found
In which thy gories will not burn.
L look to Kentucky to bear her part in
the grand movement of the age. Her voice
has ever been potent for the Union, and
she has ever been bright particular star"
In the galaxy Of States. | hope she will
not ebstinately cling to exploded errors and
extinct institutions.
Here in Virginia, the great slave breeder
of the South-in full view of the statues of
Washington, Henry, Mason and Jefferson,
cheerfully bow to the ''inexorable legic of
events" and hope that, as St. Paul and St.
Peter, though long obstinate in their errors
we're afterward permitted to become useful
in propagating correct doctrine, the balance
Of my life, too may be useful to my country
in the Jealous and faithful maintenance Of
the sound theory of the Union, the Consti
tuition and laws.
What l have written is written from
deep sense Of duty to myself and to my
country. have been thoroughly convinced
on the subjects, alluded 10, and | felt that
a remuneration Of my former opinions should
be as public as my adhesion to them had
been, in the hope that perhaps, some good
might be effected.
Respectfully, 7. p ATTICUs BlBB