Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-08-15

nEzInnKEEsFsEz1
go tenderly that they would be forever touched
by the recollection Of IL: and II in the vicls-l-
desire to,coIne together with us again in one
common government, there should be no pride
70 be huinillated, there should he wound in
hicted by my hand TO be healed They should
come and be welcomed ~ the places they now
occupy.
Thus we see there were those who,
with honeyedsphrases and soft words
would have looked smilingly on, while
the great Republic-the pride Of her
children, the hope Of the ages-built by
the fathers at such an expense of suffer
ing, Of treasure, and Of blood. was stricR-
en- by traitors hands from the roll of
living nations, and while an armed oil
garchy should establish its stead a
nation founded on denial of human
rights, and under whose sway south of
the Potomac more than half Of the terri
tory of the old Thirteen. Colonies, soil
once fertiliZed by the best blood of the
Revolution, should for generations to
come, continue to be titled by the unre-
Quilted toll of slaves.
MIR. vALLANDIGHAM's OPINION.
The best known, the boIdest, and per
haps the ablest leader of the Peace Dem-
ocracy in the North is Mr.. Vallandigham.
He was chairman Of the committee on
resolutions in the last Democratic State
Convention in Ohio, and reported the
present State platform of his party. He,
probably, still enjoys in IA greater degree
than any other public man the affection
and confidence ofthe positive men of the
Ohio Democracy, who, from beginning
to end, opposed the war. On the Goth
Of February, 1861, he delivered a speech
in the House of Representatives in sup
port of certain amendments which he
proposed to the Constitution of the Uni
tedStates. 1nan appendix to that speech,
he published an extract from n card in
the Cincinnati Enquirer of November 10.
1860, from which ! quote:
And now let me add that day say. Z.
in public speech, at the Cooper Institute on
the "a day Of November, 1850, that If any one or
more of the States Of this Union should at any
Justice of which. before God and the great iribu-
nal Of history, they alone may Judge much as
should deplOrG it, noUcr 1rOutd, n IepTesenf1-
fiue q, he CbngTess Of the Chtcd States, roie one
dollar uherety one drop Of Anlericqn blood shodd
erately repeat and reafTirm II. resolved. though
/ stand alone. though all others yield and fall
away, TO make it good 10 the last moment Of my
Here was another strong man. Of large
influence, solemnly pledged to allow the
Union to be broken up and destroyed, in
case the rebel conspirators chose that al
tentative, rather than forego their de-
mands in favor of oppression and against
human rights.
JUDGE THuRMAN's RESOLUTION AND
SPEECH.
On the 23d of January, 1861, the Dem
ocratic party held State Convention at
Columbus. Remember, at that date the
air was thick with threats of war from
the South. The rebels were organizing
and drilling, arms robbed from the ma
tional arsenals were in their hands, and
the question upon all-minds was wheth-
er the republic should perish without a
single blow struck in her defense, or
whether the people of the loyal North
should rise as one man, prepared to wage
war until treason, fand, if need be, slav-
cry went down together. On this ques-
ton that Convention was bound TO speak.
Silence was impossible. There were
present war Democrats and peace Demo-
Gratis; followers of Jackson and follow
ers of Calhoun. There was a determin-
ed and gallant struggle on the part of the
war Democrats, but the superior num-
bers, or more probably the superior tactics
and strategy, of the peace men triumph
ed.
The present candidate of the Demo-
cratic party for Governor of Ohio, Judge
Thurman, a gentleman of character and
ability, distinguished lawyer and Judge
and politician of long experience, sue
ceeded in passing through the Conven-
ton this resolution:
ReSo,oed That the two hundred thousand Dem
States, both North and South, greeting; aud
when the people of the North shall have fulfilled
their duties to the Constitution and TO the South
then, and not until then, will it be proper for
them to take into consideration the question Of
the right and propriety of coercion.
In support Of this famous resolution
Judge Thurman addressed the Conven-
ton, and, among other things, is report
ed to have said:
4 man is deficient In understanding who
thinks the cause OF disunon is that the South
apprehended any overt act of oppression in Lin
coins administration. 1t is the spirit of the
late Presidential contest that alarms the South
= IL tOould lrg the ethicsof any man 10 DEM
that some Of the Southern SAFES hare cause Joy
reroiation. . Then yo'! mast be sure you are
are brave people. The &Jtahe1r S,ates cannot be
held by force. The blacks 0e right for The iuaders
against AnSt'ia than Hc Southhds agat,aStthe North.
When we reflect on what the rebels
had done and what they were doing
when this resolution was passed, it seems
incredible that sane men having spark
of patriotism could for one moment have
tolerated its sentiments. The rebels had
already deprived the United States of its
jurisdiction and property IL about one
fourth of its inhabited territory, and
were rapidly extending their insurrec-
tion so as to include within therehel lines
all of the slave States. The lives and
property of Union citizens in the insur-
gent States were at the mercy of traitors,
and the national flag was everywhere
torn down and shameful indignities and
outragcs heaped upon all who honored it.
"MoRAL AID AND COMFORT" TO THE RE-
BELLION.
This resolution speaks of fulfilling the
duties of the people of the North to the
South. The first and highest duty of the
North to themselves, TO the South, to
their country, and to God, was to crush
the rebellion. All speeches and resolu-
tons against either the right or the pro-
priety of coercion merely gave encourage
ment, "moral aid and comfort,n more
important than powder and ball, to the
enemies of the, nation. -..
Do state too strongly the mischiev-
Gus, the fatal tendency of these proceed
ings? The resolution adopted by the
peace Democracy of Ohio is addressed
in terms Ito the people of all the States,
North and South" and was in fact sent,
| am informed, to the. Governors of all
the States.