Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-09-21
THE COMPLETELY OF
DEMOCRACY With TREASON
ITS RECORD FOR OHIO.

of the year 1861; after custom houses,
vessels, forts and arsenals, and other
property belonging to the United States
had been seized by Southern Secession-
lists, confederated for the purpose of
resisting national authority, call was
published in the Ohio Statesman, invi-
ting the Ohio Democracy to meet in
Convention, in the city of Columbus,
on the 23d of January, 1861.
This invitation was responded to by
large number of the leading Demo
Gratis of the State. The Convention
was duly organized and proceeded to
appoint Committee on Resolutions,
on behalf of which Rufus p Ranney
made report, concluding with the
following :: f.. .........
18th. Resolved, That the two hundred
thousand Democrats of Ohio send to the
people of the United States, both North
and South greeting; and when the people
of the North shall have fulfilled their du
ties to the Constitution and the South
then, and not until then, will it be proper
for them to take intu consideration the doc.
trine of the right of the coercion of State;
and then, and not until then, should they
attempt to put down the alleged right of
secession by the alleged right of coercion" :"
,. Thomas NJ. Key, of Cincinnati, then
member of the Ohio Senate, entered
his protest. He said this resolution
did recognize, or would be construed
to recognize, the right of secession. Or
if not this, that the question of the
right of secession was not yet settled
in the Democratic mind of the North.
He did not believe the Democratic par
ty in this State would recognize this
right He believed they held to the
doctrine that Congress has the power
to enforce the laws. He, therefore, Of
fered the following amendment to the
9th resolution: '''...-..'''.-
"Resolued, That the doctrine of the right
of secession is not sustained by the Consti-
tuition; that the authority for enforcing the
laws of the United States is given by the
Constitution to the General Government;
that the exercise of the authority as against
the people of seeding State, is a portion
of the public policy to be determined in
view of all existing circumstances; that such
power should net be exercised by actual
force against the people of State until
every peaceful means has been exhausted,
and until the non-seceding States are pre-
pared to perform all their CONSTITUTIONS
obligations, and even then only in case
where the general public welfare will GER
'tainly be promoted thereby.
Rufus P. Ranney, Of Cuyahoga coun
ty, explained that it was not meant by
the 9Th resolution to recognize the righ
of secession. Until the North will de
right, we do not want them to call upol
Democrats to wage war. We won
engage in fratricidal strife as long d
the North continues to refuse to d,
what is just This is the meaning O
the resolution, that the North must frs
clean their own hands before they cal
for the subjugation of the South.
Allen G. Thurman, of Columbus
adroitly proposed an amendment
patching up the 9th resolution as fol
10 lows, in which shape it passed:
-"Resolced, That the two hundred thos
sand Democrats Of Ohio send to the pei
pie of the United States, both North an
South, greeting; and when the people OF Il
North shall have fulfilled their duties
the South, then, and not until then, will
be proper for them to take into consider
ton the right and propriety of coercion
This 'sGreeting" os the Ohio Dem
rracy, in Convention assembled, w
generally accepted and approved by Il
Democratic Journals of the State, al
the antagonism to the doctrine of vi
orous support of the National Cover
ment in vindication Of its authority,
0whichlthe Democracy thus commit
itself, was giver practical force, VIII
rebellion was inaugurated at Sumt
by q refusal, on tho part of promine
exponents Of Democratic principles,
u contribute "a dollar or man" to s,
press insurrection. ,l..-r.-. .-....
.e Bills and resolutions introduced il
the Ohio Legislature, then in sessi
Nm(April, 1851, pledging the State
n Ohio to the support Of the Natio
Government-making appropriate
10 aid in the organization of troo
and denouncing the insurgents as I
sls and traitors, were resisted by
~. DeaScrats, and were only voted for
t,, d majority Of them, when it beca
evident that parliamentary filibuster
could not defeat them. This resista
u. was supported by many of the c
Democratic journals Of the State.
In February, 1861, the Cincin
J." Enquirer said
"IfLincoln's Administration wants I
ey. il must compromise" Coercion
disunion, now and forever"
,o The Ohio Eagle, published at ]
- 'castar. said: .f.l.rl-,