The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-10-08
TO THE CONSERVATIVE MEN OF

TO THE CONSERVATIVE MEN OF
INDIANA. --se
The address of the " Union State Central
Committee of Kentucky, and the estate
Executive Committee of Louisville,
which has just appeared, will, doubtless,
strike the minds of others as it docs my
own, as being of character not little ex-
traOrdinary. 1t is 4 sort Of advisory
proclamation " to the conservative men of
Indiana" which our Kentucky friends felt
it their DUTY to issue, in order that they
might persuade US to vote for the 4" Dem
ocratic" State ticket on Tuesday next. 1t
is a direct Intervention with our domestic
affairs--to manage which, in our own way,
they ought to suppose US fully capable.
feel it MY duty" as one of the persons
addressed and as a citizen Of the State, to
say to the people of the State few words
in response to it.
Those of US, who are especially address,
ed, are conservatives, and the leading
feature of our conservatism cOnsists in the
fact that we have firmly maintained the
right and duty of each State to manage its
own domestic affairs in its own way, with
out interference by the citizens of other
States This we have supposed to be es-
sential to the security Of the slave property
of the South, and with that view it has
Il ! l
worth anything, it is of reciprocal obliga-
| ton, and. should require of others, for
whose benefit we have adhered to it, that
| the policy of our own State should be
| managed by ourselves alone.
This address says that our approaching
| State election has national Importance, and
| therefore, that these Committees may, with
| propriety, take cognizance of it. But sup
pose our people, in return, should say that
! the perpetuation of slavery in Kentucky is
] of national concern, and for that reason they
/ intend to interfere in the Kentucky election,
and send into the State inflamatory appeals
/ against slavery and in favor of its abolition,
and all that sort of thing-what then ?
/ What would these Committees say to that
l And yet the cases are precisely parallel.
These gentlemen are from the State
where the ashes of Mr.. Clay repose, and I
know they admired him when living, and
venerate his memory, no less than we do.
| Yet they now advise US, who have been the
life time defenders of his fame, to forget all
that we have said and done for thirty years
or more, and give our votes to his life time
enemies and defamers. They cannot fail to
know with what crushing weight DEM
ocracy has pressed upon the State for years,
! and the Condition into which it has brought
US, and how long and manfully we have
| struggled to throw off the load and yet
they ask US to cease our efforts and not
only submit to its present and perpetual
| continuance, but actually to give direct
| (" aid and comfort to those who have been
the authors of all our calamities. The
motive which could prompt such men as we
know them to be, to give such advice, must
be strong indeed.
! r. They say, q 1t may be in itself matter
of small Importance who is Governor of
this, that, or the other State, &C." Not so,
as think. One of the great evils of the
times is, that attention to National politics
has destroyed the dignity and lessened the
| Importance of the State governments. The
notion is far too common that if we can
have this, that or the other man President,
it is no matter who or what the Governors
of the States are. We should be greatly
better off if we looked less to the Federal
| Government and more to the States and it
is especially necessary, at this time, that toe
should do SO. Yet, at the same time, we
have most important duties to perform
towards both. And all will agree that it is
our duty to see that we do not consent that
our State shall be continued in its doHnaeGrd
career unless we can find compensation for
the calamity ia contributing toward the
greater good of the Union. Ii the Union
were really in danger, and We could save il
By voting for anybody, it would be we'll to
do so, endure the evil for time and then
make an effort to throw it off, We may
well bear present ills with philosophy il
we feel confidence that they will pro-
duce good results hereafter. do not doubt
that our Kentucky friends think it is in
danger, for, certainly, nothing short of this
solemn conviction, could prompt them to
advise us as they have. / differ with them
and have no fears whatever Of its permanent
cy if the people will only take the Govern
ment into their own hands.
IL is said that the threats of disunion in
a few Southern States, in the event of Mr.
= Liucolns election, is sufficient cause for SO
great an alarm on our part as that we should
give up the affairs of our State into the
hands of the men who helped these dis
unionists to grow to their present power
and predicate our action upon the idea that
they actually can dissolve the Union. II
we submit SO openly and directly to such
threats now, we shall thereby make them
available capital for factionists and DEM
agogues always hereafter. How are they
to dissolve the Union That is the prac-
teal question. In the first place, there are
only two States--at the most three, which
f have avowed the purpose to do so. The
ground of their avowal is, that they have
the right to sscede from the Union, and that
is the end of it. It is the South Carolina
doctrine of 1928. Do our Kentucky
> friends concede that they have the right
apprehend not. Then if they have not
how are they to dissolve tie Union-with
all the other States against them, as they
must certainly be. The thing is impossible
and, in my judgment, it is unwise to concede
to the seceders what they now ask and
what these two committees seem disposed
to yield, for if we do, we have, to that ex-
tent, recognized their right to secede-the
existence of which, l most emphatically
! deny.
But what propriety is there in giving way
to these disunionists, on the ground that
they will break up the government if Lin
is elected, when their candidate 7lozainat-
I ed By a Contention sectional as that at Chi
Cages Have they the exclusive right to be
| Mo 30 fHafo