Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-05-31
AN ELOQUENT LETTER FROM
SPEAKER COLFAX. -

those they elevated to high positions
are rallying to carry their State as usual
They have recently held great meetings
at Frederick and at Baltimore, which
were ably addressed by several leading
Members of Congress. To the latter,
Speaker Colfax wrote as follows:
| House OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WAsaINGToN CRY, May Is, 1856.
GENTLEMEN: My heart beats in unison
with the earnest Union men who will assem-
Die tonight 10 Baltimore to renew together
their pledges of devotion to the great priDci
pie commanded both by patriotism and duty.
that loyal meu should govern q preserved
Republic, and regret sincerely that the con-
slant pressure. on my time prevents my be-
ing with them. .t.
Congress remains firm, united, and inhex-
! ible in its adherence to that principle. Not
only in the organization last December, but
also in the passage of the act protecting
Union officers from Rebel suits, in placing
the Civil Rights bill by two-thirds vote
among our national statutes, and in the
adoption of the irreversible guarantees pro-
posed by the Committee on Reconstruction,
the Union ranks in the House have been.
with scarcely an exception, unbroken; and
the Justice of the cause will keep them uni
tedto the end. -..-'an u
If its policy needed any vindication. it
would be found in the abuse of the enemies
of the country with which it has been hon
ored.l Every man conspicuous in the wicked
rebellion which threatened the nstioR's lite
denounces It. Every traitor chieftain, with
the blood of ofmnrdered Union defenders still
undried upon his skirts, denounces it. Our
embittered enemies, who hung as. deserters
Southern Unionists captured fighting under
the old flag, denounce it. The Richmond
week ago that, II eugh conquered, the end
is not vet. d" lenounces it. The Southern
presses which have nominated the military
leader Of the Rebellion for the Presidency
of the Union he drew the sword to destroy,
denounce it. The Southern bunqueters who
honor, the lost cause" by drinking to it
silent and standing, initiating the manner
in which patriots honor the memory Of the
Father of his Country. denounce it. The
men all over the North who resisted every
war policy of Mr.. Lincoln's Administration,
and by speech and platform, in 1864, declar-
ed the war failure and demanded an
immediate cessation of hostilities, denounce
it. And, echoing the attacks of those so
lately in arms against the Union, the New
York News the Chicago Times, the Gin,
cinnati Enquirer, &C., denounce it, and urge
its forcible expulsion from these halls as
iaalously as the Rebel army sought the same
object when they beleaguered the capital
But all these denunciations fall pointess
and harmless at its feet. From them Con-
gress appeals to the People, and have no
fear of the result When the country was
c|ouded with the gloom of defeat in 1862
our political adverssries were confident of
their return to power; but the loyal men
said No. and the good cause triun,phed in
the darkest hour Of the war. When, at
the first session of the Thirty Eighth Con-
ishing Slavery failed Of two-thirds vote
and this was in June, 1864, 9lnss than two
years ago-Congress adjourned amid the
confident boastngs of our opponents that
the places that knew US then would know
as no more thereafter But, even with
their war cry against us of IAN Abolition
war;" and their appeals whether white
men should be drafted to free negroes" the
yalpeople overwhelmed them at the polls,
turned all their premature rejoicings into
sorrow, and returned over 100 majority to
the House-the most sweeping victory ever
known in our political history. The popu
lar heart is as sound and as true to tho
right now as it was then. The policy pro-
posed by Congress cannot be justly regard
ed as extreme or vindictive, even by those
who, having forsworn their country, en-
acting that all who would not surrender
their lbirth7right should be treated as alien
enemies, raising armies to war on the Union,
and eignalizing their poweriby the most ihstl
famous prosecutions, outrages, starvaupn
and murders ever known in civilized lands
now demand what they claim as then,
rights, in the most arrogant and indignant
terms. If il is criticised. on the other b nd,
by those who do not think it goes far enough,
Congress can point 20 the examples of JOhRl
Bright and Stuart Mill in the British PAM
lament. who labor with zeal, not for all.
that they may desire, but for what is att
tainable. indt g'5srI9e 2 a-1g.h B5eus VI
iaI I-reioice that those in Maryland who sus.
tainIits wise and judicious registry law, and
who believe at time like bis in the .lea:
guage Of your CALL sthat none but those who
have been consistently loyal from the begin
ming should fule in the councils of the ma:
ton or State, stand by Congress so boblyS,
aud as they stand by il and all the difficult,
ties Of it's position, they will share with il
in its final triumph. The whole couatry,
now acquiesces in the abolition Of ,Slavery.l
80 bitterly fought through four sessions Of
Congress in alIits preliminary stages Sos
will the country indorss its policy po~,l
which is but fitting and necessary Nse-.I
quence and eoHsammstion Of that great actA
And after ages will honor the members aud
the people who stood so firmly aud so faith-:,i
fully in this hour of trial for Justice, fofI
humanity, for loyalty, and for the trusst,
interests Of the nation. .trcd ia T. III 4
in livery truly yours, sssipals1~A Il
aoIsIr.9i1 Ell ha SCHUYLER CoLFA4. y
ri l5g e.--------------- siM \
Mr. RARNuM is credifad with n onnd