Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-09-14
The Union Meeting on Thurs
..- day Last.
Speeches by General Cox, Hon.
Samuel Galloway and Judge
COwen.

samuel Galloway and Judge
COxven.
Last Thursday morning opened unpro
pitiously for very large gathering at the
Union Meeting on that day. The clouds
were lowering and rain falling. Consc.
quently hundreds of people who had pre-
pared to come, abandoned it and staid at
home. Notwithstanding this, quite large
crowd of people assembled in town to hear
the distinguished champions of the Union
who were to address the people here on
that day.
The display of flags aud streamers on the
streets was pretty liberal; Notwithstanding
there was no organized effort to make a
display. Our people felt that the State
Committee, in making the announcement
Of this meeting on such short notice, (when
we had asked for meeting, too, about the
middle of the month, had done us inius:
tice; and that it would be almost impos-
sible to get up anything like creditable
meeting. But, nevertheless, there was
quite large crowd Of people assembled on
the Fair Grounds.
Tho meeting was called to order about
O'Clock. Judge Cowen occupied the chair,
and made short speech on taking the
chair. He reviewed the course of political
parties since the outbreak of the war; show
ed how, on the first note of war, the Re-
publican Party had furled its party banners,
and how the neblest and truest Democrats
in the land, abandoning their miserable
party, had stood shoulder to shoulder with
the former Republicans in upholding the
flag and the honor and glory of their coun-
try. Judge Cowen occupied half an hour
and when he closed introduced Gen. Cox to
the audience.
Gen. Cox, on being introduced, said the
remarks of the chairman called to his mind
the scenes he had witnessed at the Capitol
of our State when the people of the North
were aroused by the thunder of the guns
upon Fort Sumter. The Governor had is.
sued his proclamation for volunteers, in re-
sponse to the proclamation of President
Lincoln, and the rotunda and corridors of
the capitol resounded with the tramp of
gallant men who had come forward to up
hold the flag Of the Republic - the field of
battle. and nightly were vocal with national
anthems and with the prayers of Christian
men. Gen. Cox then proceeded to speak
df the immediate issues before the people.
He took up the resolution of the Dem ocrat-
ic State Convention Of Ohio re.afirmiug
the resolutions Of "'98," and showed con-
ciusively that those resolutions were, naked,
bald treason; that the theory Of these reso-
buttons was that q State was to decide
whether law of Congress was constitution
al or not, and if State thought law of
the General Government unconstitutional
it was in duty bound to resist its execution
The speaker demonstrated clearly that it
was this pernicious theory that brought on
the war snd all its long train Of woes.-
These resolutions were submitted to the
Legislatures Of tho States, and were reject
ed by oil the Ststes thst acted upon them
among these were al the New England
States, New York, Delaware, Georgia, &c
He asserted that very few persons, compar
atively, had ever read thsm-and that the
conspirators under the guise Of 'Democra
cy," taking advantage Of this, were strivin.
to impress the people with the belief tha
they were as sacred, almost, as the Consti
tuition itself. Gen. Cox s exposition ofthes'
resolutions was masterly and unanswerable
The speaker then proceeded to hold NJ
TO public gaze, in all its hideous deformity
The sympathy with treason prevalen
amongst the leaGsss Of The Copperhea'
party. He reid an extract ;:om tie Ne'
York News--ths great organ Of the Cop
perhsads in New York eity-in which tha
pAper declared that the Rebellion woul'
have succeeded had not the Democrats i
the North proved traitors to their friend
in the South. Gen. Cox declared that h
had met Rebel officers under flag of true
who talked freely in the same strain, an
who denounced with great bitterness th
Democrats of the North for having betray
cd them.
The question of taxation of GoyernmeI
bonds was dwelt upon. Gen. Cox shove
that these bends could not be taxed
States. The Democratic Supreme Cou
of the United States, long years sgo--b
fore the Republican Party was even orga
ized-dscided that Government bonds We
not subject to taxation by the States or al
local authority. The opinion Of the Cou
was delivered by Mr.. Justice Wayne. TT
General Government could levy war wit
out sohsulting the States; and the power
levy war carried with it the power to pr
provide means TO carry it on. States b
10 more authority to tsz the bonds Of q
Gsvsransut than To tax the ships Of war
ths cannon or muskets Of the Govemmer
An we're alike necessary to upheld the q
thority of Government, and without the
ShsStAts Governments themselves could u