Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-07-19
ecial Dispatch to the N. Y. Tribune.

CPccihi DiendtCn 10 tue ~. \. Tflbuue.
WASHINGTON, July IL, 1856.
A meeting of the Southern loyalists now
In this city, was held to-day, at which the
following call was unanimously adopted and
signed. Other signatures will be added
during the week, making the call more
complete one, when it will be issued in off
cial form. In its present shape, there will
be found many ofthe most prominent public
men of the South, lawyers, journalists, mer.
chants and officers. The call for the Con-
vention is as follows:
To the Loyal Unionists oftke South:
The great issue is upon u.s. The majority
in Congress and its supporters firmly declare
that the rights of the citizen, enumerated
in the Constitution and established by su-
preme law, must be maintained invioIate.
Rebels and Rebel sympathizers assert that
the rights of the citizen must belong to the
States alone, and under such regulations as
the respective States choose voluntarily to
prescribe We have seen that doctrine of
State sovereignty carried out in its practical
results, until all authority in Congress was
denied, the Union temporarily destroyed,
the constitutional rights of the citizens Of
the South nearly aDnihilated, and the land
desolated by civil war. The time has come
when the structure of Southern States Gov
ernments must be laid on constitutional
principles, or tho despotism grown up under
an atrocious leadership be permitted to re-
main. We know of no other plan than that
Congress, under its constitutional powers,
shall now exercise its authority to establish
the principle whereby protection is made
co extensive with citizenship. Wepaintan
that no State, either by its organic law OF
legislation, can make transgression on the
rights of the citizen legitimate. We de-
mand, and ask you to concur in demanding,
protection to every citizen of the great
Republic on the basis OF equality before the
law, and further that no State government
should be recognized as legitimate under
the Constitution in so far as it does not by
its organic law make IMPARTIAL protection
full ard complete. Under the doctrine Of
State Sovereignty, with Rebels in the fore
ground controlling Southern Legislatures,
and embittered by disappointment in their
schemes to destroy the Union, there will be
no safety for the loyal element of tho South.
Our reliance for protection is now on Con
gress, and the great Union party that has
stood, and is standing by the nationality, by
the constitutional rights of the citizen, and
by the benifcent principles OF free govern
ment. For the purpose Of bringing the 10y
al Unionists Of the South into conjunctlve
action with the true friends of Republican
government OF the North, we invite you to
send delegates in goodly numbers from all
Southern States, including, Missouri, Ken
lucky, West Virginia, Maryland and Della
ware, to meet at Independence Hall, in the
City of Philadelphia, on the first Monday
of September next. 1t is proposed that we
should meet at that time to recommend
measures for the establishment Of such gov.
eminent in the South as accords with and
protects the rights of all citizens. We trust
this call will be responded to by numerous
delegations of such as represent the true
loyalty of the South that kind Of govern
ment which gives full protection to all the
rights of the citizens, such as our fathers
intended, and we claim as our birthrlght.
Either the lovers Of constitutional liberty
must rule the nation, or rebels and their
sympathizers be permitted to misrule it
of the destinies of the nation? Let the
responses to this call which is now in crcu-
lation for signatures, and is being numerous
ly signed, answer. Notice is given that
gentlemen at distance can bave their
names attached TO it by sending n request
by letter, directedto ID. W. Bingham, esq,
Washington. ID. Q.
w. b STOKES renn., : FOWLER. Tenn,
A. J. HAMILTON. Texas, G w PAsCHAI, TexSs
LoRENzo SHERwooD, Texas, HENRy G. COLE, Ga,
q. w WAsuBURS Ga, JoHN B KEL.o, Mo-,
J. w. McCLuRG Mo, q. w. ANDERSON. Mo-
+ J. BENJAMIN, Mo J g. UNDERWOOD, Va,
DURHAM WARDwELi, Va, LEWIS MCKENZIE Va,
JohN B TRoTI, Va, j. NJ. STEWART Va.
WM n BRRELEy Va, ALLEN g. HARMON, Va,
j. w HuNNIcurr Va, ALEX NJ. DAVIS, Va,
GEO REESE. Ala, ID H. BINGHAM, Ala,
NJ. J. SAFFoRp Ala, BYRON LAFIIN, N. q"
ID. X. GooDLoE, N, G., j. II, l.ARcoMBE, Ala,
JAMES GETTY, Tenn.