Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-10-25

u o We TTPstueHtU U We CHtod Otutes'
SIR But little more than two years
ago, your llustrious and honored predeces.
sor, the lamented Lincoln, conferred upon
me without solicitation the position Of Con-
suit General of the British North American
Provinces. which l have held up to the
present time. When l came here, the fear
full conflict Of arms, from which our nation
has but recently emerged, was still in pro-
gress. and found a very large party in these
Provinces led on by rebel emissaries from
organs ofthe Canadian Government, ami
mated by bitter hostility to the Government
ofthe United States, and loud in the express
sion of their desire that the Union OF the
States should he severed, and our national
power forever destroyed Their sympathy
with the rebels in arms against us was warm
and outspoken. They had with them in
active co operation, the Provincial judges
and the courts over which they presided,
with very few honorable exceptions. The
press in the interest OF the administration
was daily filed with the most bitter and
violent denuncations Of our Government,
and with the vlest personal abuse ofits hon
ored chief After bis assassination, and on
your accession to the Presidency, this SIAN
derous abuse was transferred to yourself,
and became especially violent and unspar-
ing after your enunciation of those patriotic
sentiments in relation to the guilty instiga-
tors OF the hloodshed and strife which had
deuged our fair land with the best blood Of
| the nation, in which you declared THAT the
men who gave their influence and means to
destroy the Government should not psrtic-
pate in the great work of reorganization;
that those who brought this misery upon the
State should not be permitted to control its
destinies; that if this were allowed, then all
the precious blood of our brave soldiers and
officers will have been wsntonly spilled, all
the glorious victorious won by our noble
armies go for naught, and all the battle
fields which have been sown with dead he
roes during the rebellion will have been
the intensity Of this feeling, would respect
fully refer you to the vile charge publicly
made 10 the newspapers ofthis city, over the
signatures oftwo ofthe leading men Of the
rebellion, then residents here. against your.
self as having instigated the assassination Of
President Lincoln. As soon, however, as
you had indicated radical change in your
policy toward the rebels, change almost
as great and astonishing was apparent here
amongst those to whom have alluded. -
Those men who continued to villify, SANDER,
and abuse Mr. Lincoln up to the time of
his assassination, including the rebel emissa
ries from the South, who came here to incite
murderons raids upon the peaceful citizens
of the United States, are now your warmest
admirers, defenders aud friends. Even the
notorious Dr. Black burn, who attempted to
spread yellow fever and other infectious
diseases among the patriotic soldiers OF our
noble army, and who sought to compass the
the death Of President Lincoln by the same
fiendish means, has recently given in bis
adhesion to your policy and announced him
self as your friend. Your recent violent de
nunciations of the Congress of the United
States, a coordinate branch of the Govern
ment Of which you are the Chief Executive
as traitors and enemies of the Union-i1
speeches made during your recent, progress
through the country-has impaired new
life and renewed vigor to all these adherent'
of the Southern rebels now domciled il
these provinces, and are most heartily ap
plauded by every hater of republican insti
buttons resident upon British soil. Under
such circumstances, and believing that YOU
! pelicy will inevitably lead to disaster, in tht
,, restoration of guilty men to even more thar
|, their former power in the administration o
the Government, my position has becom,
most mortifyiDg and intolerable to me, and
as | cannot possibly defend your cours'
against the daily censures Of the few goot
men here, who were true to our Govern
: ment through all it's past dangers and periis
,, would esteem it a great favor to be relieves
: from my present position at your earlies
: convenience Respectfully, your sbedien
J servant JOHN II. POTTER.