Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-04-12
Threatened Civil War in Madison
equity, Kentucky. -Cassius M.
Clay's Appeal.

| OOuhfJ Stooito M
Clay's Appeal.
Fellow CILIzENs OF MADIsoN CouNTY:-
Learning IRON a rolisb BILE source that the
Revolutionary Committee of Madison are
about to meet in Richmond vnnext Monday.
to take into consideration who arc again 10
be prescribed; anJ-haviug understood that
only escaped their announcement last
Tuesday by Il small majJrity, and that am
again to be considered on Monday, J avail
myself OF this means Of max ing my Protest
and defense. ! would greatly prefer always
to meet my accusers face TO face, and there
make my defense; but as friends have in.
sisted on my avoiding any p%retense for a
conflict, | yield to their wishes, and make
this written appeal:
In the first place, I, as a free CITIZEN of a
constitutional Commonwealth, most solemn
" protest against any power on earth, but
the legal and regularly constituted authori-
Ties OF my country, 10 decide in any manner
upon my life, liberty or property | regard,
all impartial men will regard, him as the
worst enemy OF true liberty, who scquiesces
IN any usurpation on the part of any man,
or set Of men, VI the sovereign po yer Of the
State. IL every man in Madison was to con-
sent to the usurpatlon, IL would be none the
less an overthrow Of the Constitution; which
can be annulled, set aside, changed or
disobeyed with impunity, only by the legal
representatives, of the people in convention
assembled. But according to the known
facts, but about a fourth part Of the county
signed the papers protesting against the
doctrines and action Of the Radical
Abvlitionists'-Rev. John G.. Fee and
others. And ii ia very well known that a
very large number OF those signing that
paper were and are utterly opposed to any
other than legal proceedings against those
unhappy men, women and children. So
that the Committee have not even the show
OF authority, three fourths ,of the county
having absolutely refused, amid threats of
intimidation on the part of the movers, to
sanction their illegal action. But waving
oil these considerations, DO not leur to
plead to you, on the merits Of my cause.
II II was a crime to resist the will aud
acton OF this Revolutionary movement, |
have DOT done even that, except by the high
moral power Of an earnest protest; refusi ing
TO join BY force Of arms in q common de.
Tense with the exiles. My reasons for this
are thess: | regarded the radical doctrine,
that there is no law for Slavery as revo.
lutionary. TO deny the potency Of the
Constitution and the la~s. is to set up an
independent government in opposition 10
the existing government and laws, the two
distinct policies and Jurisdictions of which
must inevitably, at last come into physical
conflict. And whilst | ain opposed to Slav-
cry on all possible grounds, my love and re.
spect for my Constitution oRd country over
ride all other political considerations. My
theory is, that Slavery 10 a creature of law
aud The subject of support, modification, in.
creuse or destruction, 40 any other policy
and to be treated in tae same way only; by
moral s%uasion, by speech, by the press, py
the laws, and by the Constitution, Tia,
SO long as It constitutes property, BY laws
that the laws must be respected and en-.
forced in good faith. That the maiorit Y
have the right 10 rule; because wo know oI
no other or better way Of promoting the
ENDS OF government, the safety and happi.
ness of the whole Of the government. Tina
1t the Shareholders thus rule we viii &C.
quiesce-and il we thus rule they must also
ncquiesce. And therefore the Republicans
in Kentucky have been opposed TO, and have
steadily denounced, any illegal interference
with slaves, from at home or abroad-,hey
have given no countenance to the escape O.
I slaves, to insub ordination, or to servile ia.
. surrection. Hence, on no '4th of July
. 1856, at the Slate Lick Springs, in this
county, when the Rev. John G. Zee avowet
> from the stump the radical. Abolition doc.
tfine, | denounced it from the stump. HI
D was corresponding Secretary Of the Central
Republican Club; at our first meeting in
!, Richmond, he wasdisplaced, and a Repub
] lican elected in his stead. When he was
mobbed in several places-when his CO.
$ laborer, the Rev. Jas. s, Davis, asked my
! aid in defending Mr., Fee. ! addressed a let.
ter, dated October s, 1857, declining tc
, identity myself in any way with AIR. Fees
/, doctrine or action. Thes, letters were frs
published in the Washington Republic, ia
the face OF the world; and were republishet
in the Louisville Journal and other Ken.
'u'hy PuPc'o' hBuln, when Tue movement
was made against the Bereans, | took the
same neutral ground in letters addressed TO
the Richmond Messenger and to the Gin,
natti papers, one copy Of which was pub,
lished in tho Cincinnati Commercial, dated
White Hall, Ky, December 2sth.. 1859, bu,
which, know not by what means, failed 10
reach Judge Field until the Monday follow.
ing; and The exiles being gone, | went into
the Messenger Office and took 1t away, as
the occasion for It's publication had passed.
Again, | heard that ]. G, Hanson, one Of
the %exiles, had returned, | went, on Friday
last, TO the house Of Alexander McWilliams,
where we talked the matter over, and we
coincided In opinion, ss we always had
done-lhat our friends should separate. their
fortunes altogether from Hanson and his
party. r1 o ltue 10 eslioo sd aypra o.
On Saturday, with John Fl. Rawlings, |
went to Berea, and there used all my in.
ilaenoe to persuade my Republican friends
not ito identity themselves at al in any
manner with Hanson, but TO ask him to sell