Daily gazette and comet. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1856-186?, 1860-12-21

difficulties
CON MONwEALTH OF KENTUCKY.
ExEoUrivE DEpARTHEsr,
Frankfort, Dee, y. 1901
Entertaining the opinion that some
movement should he Instituted Mt the ear
lest possible moment, TO arrest the pro
gress Of events which seem TO be rapidly
hurryipg the Government Of the United
States To ACKNOWLEDGMENT az an intiatory
step, have, with great diilidence. conclu-
ded 10 submit TO the Governors Of the
slave States, q series Of proposi ions, and
ssk their counsel and cooperation in
bringing about q settlement upon them ss
. basis. Should the propositions be APP
proved, they can be submitted TO the as
sembling Legislatures and Conventions ~
the slave States, and q Convention Of all
OF said States. or of those only approving,
TO be called 10 pnss upon them, and ask q
general Convention Of all the States of the
Union, that may be disposed to meet us
on this basis for full conference. The
present good to be accomplished would leo
TO arrest the secession movement, until
the question a. TO whether the Union can
be preserved upon fair and honorable
terms, ran be fully tested. If there he =
basis for the adjustment Of our diflicultie.
within the Union. nothing should be left
undoue in order TO its development. To
this end, IL seems TO me there should be
conference OF the States in some form, and
IL appears TO me the form above suggested
would be most effective. !. therefore, as
the Governor Of State having as deep q
stake In the perpetuity of the Union, and
at the same time IA much solicitude for the
maintenance Of the institution OF slavery as
any other, would respectfully beg leave to
admit for your consideration the follow
ing outline of propositions
|. Repeal, by an amendment Of the Con-
stitulion Of the United States. sli laws in
the free States in any degree multiplying or
obstructing the execution Of the fugitive
slave law.
Q. Amendments to said law 10 enforce
it's thorough execution In Ill the free States.
providing compensation TO the owner Of
the slave from the State which fails TO de-
liver him up under the requirements Of the
law, or throws distractions in the way of
his recovery.
q. The passage OF a law in Congress
com pelling the Governors Of free States to
return fugitives fiom justice, indicted by n
grand jury in smother state, for stealing or
enticing away q slave.
4. To amend the Constitution so "a 70
divide all the territories now belonging 10
the United States, or hereafter 70 be &C.
quired, between the free and the slave
States, say upon the line Of the 87th de-
gree Of north latitude all north of that
line TO come into the Union with the req
uisite population az free States, and all
south Of the same TO come in as slave
States.
8. To amend the Constitution so a. TO
guarantee forever to all the States the free
navigation Of the Mississippi river.
8. TO alter the Constitution so IA TO give
the South the power, say in the United
States Senate, to protect itself from uncon-
stitutionsl aud oppressive legislation up
on the subject Of slavery.
Respectfully, your obedient servant.
II MAsoFrtr.
The Frankfort Tsoron. tho Governors
official organ, speaks of the letter IN terms
Of appreciation, but says the plan is a. yet
"a crude form susceptible Of modifics-
ton"
The Louisville journal. copying the let
ter, "csn see in the step nothing TO APP
prove, except the motives that prompted
IT,