The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-08-10
Letter from Kentucky.
NoRTHFoRK, ky., July q, 1861

To the Editor of the CaledOnian.
The political caldron, that has been sim
mering for some time in Kentucky, is now
getting heated up to the boiling point. The
democratic elements, in fact, are boiling over
-effervescing like so much bottled ale when
the cork is extracted, and threatening to put
out the patriotic fires that are raging so wild
ly around them. Barbecues are being held
in every direction, and red-hot eloquence is
pouring forth its floods of burning lava, alike
from patriotic and disunion lips.
AS 20 the Bell and Everett barbecues on
Saturday last, although rainy day, not less
than five thousand persons were present, who
stood their ground around the stand in the
midst of hard shower, intent upon the theme
that glowed from the lips and heart of Leslie
Coombs, who was addressing them. The
other speakers were orr representative, Hon.
l.. I. Moore, Roger Hanson, Esq, and our
young and talented Mason county statesman,
Hon. VIM. H. Wadsworth, elector for the
state at large MIR. Coombs is man we'll
known to fame; was the bosom-friend of our
great departed Clay, and is fair specimen
of real Kentucky gentleman, statesman and
orator. Although seventyfve wears old, no
frosts of age have sprinkled their blight upon
him, for his hair aud beard are as black as
ravens wing, and his countenance and car
riage are as fresh and stately as though but
fifty summers had passed over his life. He
is brilliant orator, and with his humor, ar
gument and eloquence enchains the attention
of his auditory, and moulds it into his own
type of thought and sentiment. He is can
didate for Clerk of the Court of Appeals, and
as he has two rival democratic competitors
he will be likely to out-distance them in the
race.
BY the way, the ''familv fight of the riven
democracy goes briskly on, and threatens TO
throw all the southern stakes into the hands
of Bell and Everett. The friends of these
gentlemen are confident of carving nearly all
the states of the South, which, with New
York, Mass, NewJersey. &c. will secure the
election of Bell and Everett by the popular
vote. The ncey-Breckinridge-ite are
making desperate effort to throw off the
disunon stigma that is cast upon them; bu,
like the poisoned shirt of Nessus, the virus
has struck in, and nothing short of amputatoi
of the neither extremities just below the ear.
could effect radical cure. Some of the de-
: mocrats say that if Lincoln is elected ant
South Carolina and Alabama proceed to car
: ry out their threat of secession from tn,
: Union, they will uphold them in the traitorou
and infamous measure. Others, more dis
l Greet, refuse to proceed to such an extremit,
in that event; while the great body of them
: like Brecknii id ge himself, are non-committa a
upon that issue, but would be likely to b,
drawn into the ignominous step by the ire
t sistible logic of events. The Douglas part,
: is regarded here as friendly to the Union, ant
S on this account is favored by hosts of homes
4 democrats, as well as by the Bell and Ever
t EFT men and papers. In fact, in some of tn
e Southern states, where the Breckenridge mel
: are most numerous, propositions are bein!
n made to run joint Bell and Douglas ticket
: and divide the electoral vote between them
: Union men have formed a settled purpose t
e defeat Breckinridge, and he will be the wors
S used-up man in November next, that eve
d ran the Presidential race. The warning let
If ter of his illustrious uncle has been lost upo
;. him. lie has yielded like Aaron Burr, t
S promptings of unholy ambition; the glitte
y of great southern contederacy has dazzle
f and bewldered his moral vision, and, lik
n Lucifer, he is about to be thrust down frur
e the happy height to which he has attained
r never to rise again.
Our state election comes off on the 9th O
" August, ard considerable interest is mantle:
l. ted therein, as the result will tell for Q
J. against the prospects of the various polite;
J. parties. The only state officer to be electe
n is Clerk of the Court of Appeals, to fill tn
s. vacancy occasioned by the death of K. /
e. Revill. Coombs, the old soldier of ISL:
S. the gallant and gay old gentleman, the wie
" over in search-as he jocosely says-of W
S, ters-and young wife, "the hope and e.
e pectancy" of the Bell and Everett men, a
r. with his defeat the tide would be set irreve
e sibly against their candidates here and els'
d where. But Coombs will win Mark TIL
/ prophecy.
e The weather, since l last wrote you, h;
e been extremely warm and wet, so much so
t. to sprout the outstanding grain, covering tn
e "shocks" with thick coat of risiJle greer
,e Wheat is down to dollar, and falling. Fa
d mers, however, are indisposed to sell at tn;
IS price. preferring to await the usual advant
,e of next winter or spring. ND.
~ Mrs. DIPPER-"What became of you
two sons, Mrs. Dipper ?"-"Gone away frol
me altogether-both in the house of cracl
shin !"-"House of correction. what for
y -"Oh, they travelled too much. Went a
u over the world, and into the wars and out
'' the wars, and" "What wars, Mrs. Dil
per?"