Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-04-20

!
on the question, whether the seeded
States, so called, are in the Union or out oi
it. II would, perhaps, add astonishmeni
to his his regret were he to learn that since
have found prefessed Union men endeav
oring to answer that question, have pur.
Iposely forborne any public expression upon
it. As appears to me, that question has
not been, ner yet is, practically material
one, and that any discussion of it, while il
thus remains practically immsterial, could
have no effect other than the mischievous
one OF dividing our friends, As yet, what
ever it may become, that question is bad as
the basis OF a controversy, and good Tor
nothing at ala merely pernicious abstrsc-
ton. We all agree that the seeded States,
SO called, are out Of their proper practical
relation with tho Union, aud that the sole
object Of the Government, civil and mill
tary, ia regard to those States, is to again
get them into that proper practical relation.
| believe that it is not only possible but, in
| isct, easier to do this without deciding or
even considering those States have ever
been out of the Union than with it. Find
| ing themselves safely at home, it would be
utterly immaterial whether they had been
abroad. Let us all join 10 doing the acts
necessary to restore the practical relations
between .these States and the Union, and
each forever after innscently indulge his
own opinion, whether in doing the acts he
brought the States from without the Union,
or only gave them proper assistance, they
never having boen out OF it. The amount
OF constituency, SO to speak, on which the
Louisiana Government rests, would be more
80, 900, or even 10000, instead of Il, 900, as
| NJ doaa If 10 oloo ofa IN
that the elective franchise is not given to
the colored man. would myself prefer
that it were now conferred on the very in
telligent and on those who serve our cause
as soldiers. Still the question is not wheth.
er the Louisiana Government, as it stands
is quite all that is desirable. The question
is, will it be wiser to take it as it is, and
keep it, improve it, or to reject and dis
perse?
Can Louisiana be brought into proper
practical relation with the Union sooner by
sustaining or by discarding her new State
Government3 Some L., 900 voters in the
heretofore slave State of Louisiana have
sworn allegiance to the Union, assumed to
be the rightful political power Of the State,
held elections, organized State Govern.
ment, adopted Free State Constitution,
giving the benefit of the public schools
equally to black and white, and empower
ing the Legislature to confer the elective
franchise upon the colored man.
This Legislature has already voted to
ratify the Constitutional Amend ment recent
ly passed by Congress abolisAing Slavery
throughout the Nation. These twelve
thousand persons are thus fully committed
to the Union, and to perpetuate freedom in
the State, committed to the very things,
and nearly all things the Nation wants, and
they ask the Nations recognition and its
assistance to make good this committal
Now, if we reject and spurn them, we do
our utmost to disorganize and disperse them.
We, in fact, say to the white man, You are
worthless, or worse; we will neither help
you nor be helped by you. To the blacks
your old masters, held to your lips, we will
dash from you, and leave you to the chances
of gathering the spilled and scattered con.
tents in some vague and undefined when,
were and how.
If this course discouraging and paralyz-
ing both white and black, has any tendency
to bring Louisiana into popular practical
with the Union, have so far been
unable to perceive it. If, on the contrary,
we sustain and recognize the new Govern
ment Of Louisiana, the converse of all this
is made true. We encourage the hearts
and nerve the arms of 10000 to adhere to
their work and argue for it, aHd feed it, and
grew it, and ripen it to complete success.
The colored man. too, in seeing all united
for him, is inspired with vigilance, and en-
srgy and daring to the same end. Grant
that he desires the elective franchise, will he
not attain it sooner by saving the already
steps toward 1t than by running
backward over them? Concede that the
new Government of Louisiana is only to
what it should be as the egg is to the fowl,
We shall sooner have the fowl by Matching
the egg than by smashing it, Laughter.
Again, if we reject Louisiana we also re-
ject our vote in favor of the proposed
amendment to the National Constitution.
10 meet this proposition, it has been argued
that no more than three-fourths of those
States which have not attempted secession
are necessary to validly ratify the amend
ment. l do not commit myself against this
further than to say that such ratification
would be questionable and sure to be per-
sistently questioned, while ratification by
thrse..iourths Of all the States would be un-
questioned and unquestionable. ta..
repeat the question, can Louisiana be
brought inte practical relation with the
Union sooner by sustaining or by discarding
her new State Government ? What has
been said of Louisiana will apply to other
States. And yet 50 great peculisrIies per-
tain to each State and such important and
sudden changes occur in the same State, and
withal SO new and unprecedented is the
whole case, that no exclusive and inhexible
plan can safely be prescribed as to details
and cellaterals. Such exclusive and in
flexible plan would surely become new en-
tanglement. 4. .a..C' : .o' ',r... ......... .-
Important principles may and must be in
flexible. In the present situation, as the
phrase goes, it may be nay duty to make
some new announcement to the people of |
the South. am considering and shall not
fail to act when satisfied that action will be
proper. Liz l,. ,.i,,, ,....t $3.50 .1;,,.f. ~
The President during the delivery of the
above speech, was frequently interrupted
by applause, and on its conclusion, in the
midst Of the cheering the band struck nv |
patriotic air when he bowed and retired.
s-@
Two-THIRDs. When JEFF. Davis went
down to Georgia last September he reported
that two thirds Of his enlisted soldiers were
absent without leave, He is new supposed
to be again on the road to Georgia to report
that the other third are gone "'