Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-10-20
Ie''er rom George W. Johnson. Rrect, inridge Elector
UEoRRETowN, KY, Oct. 4. 1seo

Messrs' HARVEY, HuenEs & Ca
 ;,1a nenaen'en: m In your paper. the Ior;s vile Democrat, of yesserdav va,, ,ne h Louls uronn"na rU Smef the first and second onestions ProPounded T to Mir. Douglas at olrs Norfol,' on Jm,a slaa. inc position which I occpnv M a, as eleetor of the constitutional demoa.. .o. a' ol mentueky, and your urqem de,nond e., a" answer must excuse me for tb;v ov r,ros
 orea,es, my opimons upon subjects of tn, aa,es' ;n'oras, and most vital importance to tb. M '''.I1u''' Tba o' the people of the United States sollo, nO questions to which you refer are as .;aan. Abraham Lincoln be elected Pre-. s,ue,t r,, of the United States. womb th, s 90a14e," 1r States be justified in seced;no from ,., Z. If If they (Me Southern slotes) secede l.p"l ,p lne Union upon the inauguration ot Ao.aham Lincoln, Jetore he commits m osT'. :n act against their constitutional rielts w'n you aa0'se or uindicate resistance bv Jorss rec to Me'r secession? '' ;unnes nnese questions are, perhaps, of more ",fN, s"noe than any which have arisen. for Se',cuS and actual discussion since tbe for. nut liia.,':i ot our federal union; and I nro. poSe' m compliance with your demand to sno d candid and open expression of mv oP,ii'ohs In regard to them. .n.t in T reply to the first question, must saw tral | consider that it was intended bv tbe prOp9under of these questions to regard Ao.anam 4 Lincoln as the head and exnonont oi 'ne republican and abolition factions a." '.'s elevation to the presidency as iden. 'ls"i .l "i'h the possession by these factions ol the executive department of the United States. This party may be ebaraetsr;sed 'sed i"ter as an unconstitutional faction, "nled by ianatical, crusading and agrarian sentiments in a system of aggression m eeqnal rights of the people of the South ern States. Giving to the question this construction, am still of the opinion that it twould be unwise in the Southern States to secede upon his election; because, I be- lleve, that 'n he Union we would still have left to us the means of constitutional re- slstance to the aggressions of this faction We would still have in the Senate of the United States majority opposed to the pnnclples and doctrine of the abolitionists. and without the consent of that body no law could be passed. We have. also tbe supreme court of the United States. whose opinions have been clearly announced as favorable to the maintenance of the const;. tutional equality both as to rights of per. son or of property, of the citizens of every State and section of the Union. This hiei tribunal have the honor of vindicatiup tbe constitution against unconstitutional legis. lation. They can annul any act of leeisla. tlon, in opposition to the constitution ot the United States, bearing upon the riebts Of the people In addition to the Senate and the supreme court. we also have a ma, lolIiy of the United States opposed to the faction of which Lincoln is the head. IT the last presidential election Fremont re. ceived only ,341 ,514 votes, whilst Bucb anan received 1888, 232 votes. and Fill more SI4,7 TOY votes. The votes of Buch anan and Fillmore united, properly repre- Sehtng the conservative strength in thi, country, are more than double that of Ere mont, to-wit: 2,712, ,939 to ;341 ,5l4 votes Il Lincoln, then, is elected President il Will be an instance of. one Mi,d of the yo ters, by their united action, controlling tuo h'rds, who for the present are weakened ant divided by the ambition. the pas Slons and prejudices of politicians. B, remaining Tn the Union therefore, it is clea, that we can maintain our constitutiona' rights for four years; and by an union O the voters opposed to the republican faction mat we can elect his successor. am. fo, ,nese reasons, opposed to inculring the hideons and unknown dangers of secession upon the election of " Abraham Lincoln. , although l regard constitutional liberty n. more valuable than property, and deare than life itself
 If it was not intended in that question to regard " Abraham Lincoln" as the ex ponent of abolition doctrines, it is hardly necessary for me to say that l would not consider it jnstitialle in the Southern States to secede upon his election.
 Before pro 'eed to answer the second question, l invite your attention to the pre-. else words in which it is couchel eff Mea (the Southern Sotes) secede from the Union upon the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, 6gore he commits any overt act against their constitutional rights. will you odpist or riadicate rtsistance 6y .torce to Me seces. &ion?"
 The words !" they (the Southern States" were in my opinion, clearly intended to em- brace the fifteen slave States. If they were to Secede from the Union, upon the inau. guration of Abraham Lincoln before any overt act was committed against their con. stitutional rights" there would remain i,, the Union eighteen Northern States.
 It is now asked W h ther I would "ad wise the eighteen Northern States remaining in the Union to employ force to prevent the secession of the fifteen slave States5' or Ii force was employed, without my advice whether l would " vindicote" it's proprietv. This take to be the true meaning of the question, and to it respond, thai l would neither advise nor vindicate resistance by force to prevent the secession of the South. em States" It would, in my opinion. be the greatest act of folly ever committed on the earth, for the eighteen Northern States to attempt to raise force sufficient to sub. due and coerce into the UAon, or "to ore. vent the secession of the Southern States ' An army of 250 900 men would not be sui 6cient to accomplish the bloody work o our subiection. Abraham Lincoln, with ar army of 250,000 men at his command would pay but little attention to the con situtional rights of his own section, much less to ours. Death, with multiplied hor. TOTS, would be preferable to submission O, association with such dictator over sb, citizens of constitutional republic. A civil and servile war of extermination anf spliection, would take the place of an Unior oi love, for the protection of the mutua pshsts of each section The fierce and un ''n"eo passions of war would superced, anu destroy the arts of peace, and the only constitutional republic on the earth be con ver'ed into military. lawless and blood ln'IS'y emy despotism. Negotiation twenty my or one hundred years; nay, permanen separation, would be vastly preferable t, Snch War, "adyiSed" and waged "to pre- vent SecesSion." The mind of that ma,