Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-09-13

are assembled here on grand and great &C
casion, at a great time. Why are we here
gentlcmen2 Why is it that so many Of u
have come from the far distant portions o
this country, not al the command or upol
the suggestion of those in power, but hav,
como Of our own accord, have come at ou
own expense2 Why is it. / say, that W,
are here 2 Why is Il thstlwe have come I,
the good old city Of Philadelphia Zap
plause. And above all. l ask you, VIII,
is it that when we had come here, tn,
loyal hearts of this loyal people were sc
stirred2 Whyibaye they turned out amos
by millions to greet us. Why this spec
tacle? Did they come out. simply for tht
purpose of seeing reed shaken by The
wind2 Did they come out simply for the
purpose of seeing frai men who are to-day
but may not be tomorrow have received
their trials in the past and expect them il
the future? They'turned out to receive u:
and meet US somewhat upon our own &C
count, personally, it may be. but mainly and
chiefly because we are representatives of q
great truth 1t was not to US men as much
as to the great principles that we represent.
Applause. 1t was because in our past
lives we had shown devotion to principles,
and because we were here for the purpose
Of renewing, upon the altar of liberty 10
this ancient city and among these loyal peo.
pie, our pledges, and OF declaring our pur-
poses to stand by the principles upon which
this Government is founded. Applause |
| beg you, gentlemen, in the deliberations
Of this Convention, to bear this fact in mind.
Let it control yeur thoughts and actions
and your thoughts be free, firm and digni.
fed, loving aud merciful. Applause l.
What principle is it then that we represent ?
Why is it that we are here? Why is it
that We receive such an ovation upon our
comng2 Why is it and howsis it that the
people of this great nation are stirred now
as they rarely have been heretofore }? Just
think of it. Less than eighteen months
ago in this country more than million of
men were arrayed in arms, hostile to each
other. The passions which lead to blood
shed and passions which are consequent up
ripe aud these swayed and controlled alike
individuals and communities. The whole
country was as it were in great throes of ex-
citement, fearing the tread and march of
great armies. and listening to the cries from
the battle fields, or awaiting the news'of Sc
we're battles to follow. Then the country
was stirred. Then the country was exc ted,
but the great army Of the republic, that ar.
my which had consccratcd itself to consti.
tutional liberty and the establishment of
freedom, that noble band of patriots and
warriors has performed the task assigned it.
and nobly did they do their work. IAp.
plause. They disarmed traitors, dispersed
the hostile bands and destroyed the organ
lied civil governments Of the rebellion, and
having taken the arms from the hands of
traitors within our limits, the army of pat.
riot warriors disappeared, and they are
again patriotic citizens. They sit 10 the
crowd without epsulets, without uniforms.
Applause. They, as everybody else. APP
peal to the ballet-box [Applause. They
appeal to regular, ordinary ard peaceful
agencies of the Government for tie purpose
of accomplishing the remainder of the
work. [Applause. The soldiers of our
army in common with all good men never
wish to see war again. Applause. But
the soldiers from the army, as all good men,
whilst wishing to see peace, they wish to see
peace established upon permanent nruci-
Piles; they wish principles established whose
origin is in that truth in the bosom of God
himself; that is the prinniple of equal jus
tice, equal rights, equal security to every
human being within the jurisdiction of the
United States Great applause. The
Southern men have seen this great sin of
slavery which some said raradoxicaly was
he corner stone of Republican institutions.
say we Southern men who have seen the |
lin of slavery do know, not only historically,
but We do know experimeDtally, that it must |
perish from the face of the earth. Ap-
plause. We here, there, and the country |
eels it everywhere. We are in the inter
EST of this principle. All the country feels
t, and our adversaries feel it. Think. that
since this rebellion in hostile array, since |
he armed rebellion was put down, a conven-
ion has been held in this place with which
could not act. Why was it here? 1t was
here, in part. because a great cry came up
rom the white men of the South: "My
constitutional rights-and my natural rights
ire denied me-" A great cry came up from
he black men of the South, ''My constitu-
ional rights and my natural rights are de.
lied me-" This was great complaint and
made sincerely on both sides. The Conven-
ion of the l4th of August came up here
because of that great cry. The Convention
o-day is here because of that great cry, and
hat is right. AppLuse. That is for the
Convention to say upon that question, if
lpon none other as Southern men speak
'ut your minds; lapplause; speak the truth
Is you feel; [applause;l speak the truth as
'ou know it; lapplause;] speak the truth
Is you feel for your country; speak the
ruth as you love permanent peace, and as
,ou hope to see the foundations of this
Government so that our children and our
.hildren's children shall enjoy peace that
We have not known Itell you, unless you
10 this there can be no peace. Applause.
Gentlemen, said that but short time
.go Convention was held in this city,
That Convention, to my mind, did not do
much, or rather emitted to do much that
vas good; but ii was not wholly unmixed
With good. That Convention, as [ read its
history, came here and simply recorded,
md nothing more in Quaker,like 81
ence, and abject submission the commands |
If one man. That Convention recog-
lized the command of one man. Zap
Dlause. That Convention did what the
oyal Congress refused to do. IF We ever /
nave Congress that does not resolutely re-
'use. as the present one has done, merelyto |
be the recording Secretary of the tyrant at
he White House. Amerioan liberty is gone
forever. Applause To my mind, it is
important that Congress should be com.
nended, in that particular, for that reason,
Of all.tbe ether merits of the
question, and for the,reaso that they have