Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-04-06
Daily 9ntelIigentrr.
THREATENED CIVIL WAR IN
MADISON COUNTY, ky.
cAssIus NJ. cLAY,s ApPEAL.

MADISON COUNTY, X
CAssIUs NJ. CLAYs APPEAL.
FELLOW CITIZENS OF MADISON County,
Learning from Il reliable source that the
Revolutionary Committee of Madison are
about to meet in Richmond on next Mon
dav, to take into consideration who are
again to be proscribcd and having under
stood that I only escaped their denounce-
ment last Tuesday by 81 small majority,
and that I am again to be considered on
Monday, avail myself of this means of
making my protest and defense. l would
greatly prefer always to meet my accusers
face to face, and there make my defense;
but as friends have insisted on my avoiding
any prctensc for conflict, yield to their
wishes, and make this written appeal:
In the first place, ], as Il free citizen OF Al
constitutional Commonwealth, most SOL
emnly protest against any power on earth,
but the legal and regularly constituted
authorities of my country, to decide in
any manner upon my ''life, liberty or
property." I regard, all impartial men
will regard, him as the worst enemy of
true liberty, who ncQuiesces in any usurpa-.
ton on the part of any man, or set OF
men, of the sovereign power of the State
If every man in Madison was to consent
to the usurpation, it 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 con-
vcntion assembled. But according to the
known facts, but about fourth part OF
the county signed the papers protesting
against the doctrines and action OF the
tRadical Abolitionsts"-Rev. John. q.
Fec and others. And it is very well
1,,,. hnr Oft ln
signing that paper were and are utterly
opposed to any other than legal proceed
ings against those unhappy men, women
and children. So that the Committee
have not even the show of authority,
three-fourthS of the county having abso-
lutelv refused, amid threats of intimida-
ton on the part of the movers to sanction
their illegal action. But waving all these
considerations, do not fear to plead TO
YOU on the merits of my cause.
If it was crime to resist the will and
action of this Revolutionary movement,
l have not done even that, except by the
high moral power of an earnest protest;
refusing to join by force of arms in COM
mon defense with the exilcs. My reasons
for this are these: | regarded the radical
doctrine, that "there is no law for
Slavery" as revolutionary. To deny the
potency of the Constitution and the laws,
is to set mp an Independent government in
opposition to the existing government and
laws, the two distinct policies and jnrls-
dictions of which must inevitably, at last,
come into physical conflict And whilst l
am opposed to Slavery on all possible
grounds, nv love and respect for my Con-
stitution and my country override all other
political considerations. My theory is, that
Slavery is creature of law, and the SUD-
lect of support, modification, increase or
destruction, as any other policyi ana TO DC
reached in the same way only: by moral
sunsion, by speech, by the press, by the
laws, and by the Constitution. That so
long rs it constitutes property, by laws,
that the laws must be respected and en-
forced in good faith. That the majority
have the right TO rule; because we know
of no other or better way of promoting the
ends of government, the safety and happi-
ness of the whole of the governed. That
if the Shareholders thus rule we Will nc-
ouiesce-and if we thus rule they must
also acquicscc. And therefore the Rcpuh-
licans in Kentucky have been opposed to,
and have steadily denounced, any illegal
interference with slaves, from at home or
abroad-they have given no countenance
to the escape of slaves, to insubordlna-
ton. or TO servile insurrection. Hence,
on the 4th of July, 1856, at the Slate Lick
Springs, in this county, when the Rev
J6hn G. Fec avowcd from the stump the
radical Abolition doctrine, denounced it
from the stump. He was corresponding
Secretary of the Central Republican Club
at our first meeting in Richmond, lie was
displaced, and a Republican elected IN his
stead. When he was mObbed i'll several
places-whcn his co-laborcr, the Rev. Jas
S. Davis, asked my aid in defending Mr.
Fee, addressed a letter, dated October s,
1851, declining to identify myself i'll any
wav with Mr.. Fees doctrine or action
These letters were first published in the
Washington Republic, in the face of the
world: and were republished in the Louis
Vile Journal and other Kentucky papers.
Again, when the movement was made
aGninst the Bereans, took the same
neutral ground in letters addressed to the
Richmond Messenger and to the Cincinnati
papers, one copy of which was published
! in the Cincinnati Commercial, dated W Into
Hall, KY, December 2Sth, 1889, but which,
know not by what means, failed to reach
Judge Field until the Monday followinG
and the exilcs being gone, ! went into the
!Nesscnger office and took it away, as the
occasion for its publication had passed.
Again, heard thatJ. Il. Hanson, one oil
the cxiles had returned, went, on Friday
last, to the house of Alexander Mc"ll
liams, where we talked the matter overi
and we coincidcd in opinion, as we al
ways had done-that our friends should
separate their fortunes altogether from
Hanson and his party.
On Saturday, with John II. Rawlings, !
went to Berea, and there used all my in
Huence to persuade my Republican friends
not TO identify themselves at all in any
manner with Hanson, but to ask him to
sell his mill, and remove from the State,
as his presence would be continued
source of discomfort. and might possibly
involve the Republicans in conflict,
| when innocent men might be killed.
~ .,,,,o ,.;o,I.s ,,nrc uttrred and concur