Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-07-19

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motion.
Mr. Governeur Morris had rather tbeI
should be no pardon for treason than d.
wolves in the power Of the Legislature.
Mr.. Rufus King suggested the expedier
Of requiring the concurrence Of the Senat
in cases Of pardon.
Mr.. Madison admitted the force of obje,
tions to the Legislature but the pardon Q
treason was 30 peculiarly improper for tn
President that he would acquiesce in tn
transfer of it to the Legislature rather tha
leave it altogether in the hands of the Pres
dent.
Mr. Randolph could not admit the Senat
isto share of the power. The great dan
I ger to liberty lay in a combination betwee
the President and that body.
Mr.. Mason-The Senate has already to-
much power. There can be no danger o
too much liberty in legislative pardoDs, q
the Senate mSst concur and the President
moreover, can require two-thirds of botf
Houses.
Mr.. Randolph's s motion was lost
1t is extremely doubtful, however, if any
man in the Convention could have been
found in favor of giving the power to pardon
for treason before conviction.
Mr.. Bolts then reviewed the history OF
the country from 1901 to 1861, showing that
the Democracy had control of affairs during
nearly all that time, and that the South
gained all that they demanded. In spite Of
this, for thirty years before the outbreak of
the rebellion the Southern leaders we're plot
ting the disruption of the Union. The first
part OF the programme was to unite the peo-
pie of the South on the slavery question. -
The election Of Mr.. Lincoln precpitated ao
tion, and in some measure modified the plan.
The speaker then explained the manner in
which Virginia was hurried out Of the Union
as follows:
During the session Of the Virginia Con-
vention there was an outside Convention
called by secret circular, signed by Wise
and seventeen others, who was one of those
gentlemen that were for fighting in the
Union, and not out of the Union /; Int who,
| believe, took very good care to d. very
little fighting in any case. The Convention
was to meet in Richmond on the 10th of
April. They came there with the determi-
nation to demand of the legitimate Govern
ment the passage of the ordinance of seces-
sion, and upon their refusal to do it, at the
head of an infuriated mob, they were to
drive the legitimate Convention out of doors,
and to assume their places. Gen. James
Wilson, now of California. and formerly
member of the House of Representatives
from the State of New Hampshire-as re-
spectacle gentleman as any in the country
came to me to let me know the facts that
had reached him from a confidential source,
that there was great political organization
gotten up that extended from New York
of all the rowdies, plug uglies and
bloody thugs-dewn through Baltimore into
Virginia and Norfolk Richmond and Peters
burg, the Mort hern portion Of which was to
be led on by Ben Mccullough and the
Southern portion by Henry A. Wise-part
Of the scheme of the 10th of April. He
old me, moreover, that the determination
vas to march hurriedly upon Washington,
AXE possession of it, and seize upon the
,elson of Mr.. Lincoln. 1t is not known
whether he was to be incarcerated or as
assinated at that time, but would not have
aiken his chance for assassination. | COM
nunicated these facts to Mr.. Lincoln, and
old him, ''Sir, if you do not put this city
n a state of defense your scalp will be hang
ng up in the Montgomery Government in
esq than three weeks" He referred me
With instructions to Gen. Scott, and the
General went to work and put the capital in
state of defense.
pRETEXTs FOR THE REBELLION.
Now, what are the pretexts afforded by
hese Southern leaders for going into this
1t was because Mr.. Lincoln call |
d for $4,000 troops to protect himself and |
he capitol of the United States, and the |
rchives of the Government. For no man |
an suppose Mr.. Lincoln so great fool as to |
imagine that he expected to crush out the |
ebellon with $4,000 men. What was the |
tate and condition of this country when
hese troops were called for that SO alarmed
he people of the South, and incensed the
'eople of Maryland in part, and which in.
uced the Virginia Convention at once,
Without moments further deliberation, to
'ass the ordinance of secession, when the
'eople elected that body for the sole purpose
f keeping the State in the Union instead of
arryiDg it out2
Mr.. Bolts here read detailed statement
f the number of forts and the immense
mount of public property stolen by the
ebels, and continued
That was the condition of this country
'hen Mr.. Lincoln called for those troops
md what an arraRt knave and despicable and
ontemptible traitor Mr. Lincoln would have
cen if he had not called for rs 900 men J.
Ie should have called for 500 600 and crush
d this rebellion at once. Applause. Now
Thy did not these Southern papers in Mary
and, Virginia, and elsewhere, take fire at
he conduct of this Mr.. Davis Mr.. Davis
nth his 100000 men authorized to be call
d; with all their government property sez
upon and stolen from the Government of
he United States; with the army that we
Iere told was to march through North Caro-.
ma and Virginia on to Washington; why
id they not take alarm at that? 1t is be-
ause they had more respect, more regard
Or Democratic triumph than they had for
heir country. IApplause. They had no
retext.
THE DOCTRINE OF SECESSION.
Mr.. Davis and Gen. Ice, and other distin-
uished men in the rebellion, take the ground
hat the doctrines of secession are taught in1
he political schools of Virginia and the
outh, and that they were brought up in
hat school. / am an older man than Mr..
)avis or Gen, Lee Ia voice-''and better
ne"-immense applausel, and ! am more
,miliar with the history of Virginia than
ither ofthem, and l absolutely and unquali-
ediy deny that there ever was such doc
rina taught in Virginia or such a school |