Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-30
Gov. moreheaa ON the Crisis.

The Louisville journal, of the 2s.h, publishes the
following letter from Gov. MoREHEAD, of Ken
lucky:
To the Editors Of the Louisville journal:
GENTLEMEN : In your paper of the 29d inst you
copy the extract of letter from the Frankfort
TeOm0n in which is contained the following para
grIph Il saw Gov Morehead to-day just returned
from the South He Is the most ultra Southern
rights man / have SEEN" And you add: Gov.
Morehead we believe, is now at his home in this
vicinity, and can speak for himself" Although the
statement in the above paragraph may be consid-
cred by some a charge sufficiently grave TO require
answer am constrained TO admit that am and
have all my life been Southern rights man. l
have labored honestly and faithfully TO secure the
enjoyment of those rights against the fanatIcal a
gressiOls of those who have madly brought the
country to its present deplorable condition. Had
the wise and moderate and just propositions OF our
venerable and distinguished Senator, Sr. Crltten>
den, been promptly accepted by the North. there
are but few who can doubt that we would now
have been united and happy people. They were,
however almost unanimously repudiated by
the Black Republican party. Still the lovers
OF the Union did not despair Seven slave
holding States withdrew from the Union and
formed Government of their own Kentucky,
ever loyal and devoted to the stars and stripes
with unparalleled unanimty of sentiment, de
cared herse OF p SD to co rcion, Ny own opT.
ions and feelings were thoroughly IN accordance
WITH neFS, anu so pubuCly SApEtS>tu IN Nuc must
emphatic terms in an address to the members of
the Legislature After this, / was unanimously
elected as a delegate to the Peace Conference.
where / exerted whatever power or influence
could bring to bear for the settlement of the dis
tracing questions which were CONFUSING aud d.
vidIpg the county. Ny course in that cOnyen-
ton was the occasion Of another address before
the members of the Legislature, the substance of
which was published and laid before the people of
Kentucky. The resolutions of the Peace Confer
nFaE arvn to
Southern men. were still more so to the Black Re
publicans in power. These resolutions. though the
very best that we could obtain but not by any
means " hat we desired them to be- fell still born
Congress would not even take them up for consid
Grafton. Still we were assured that there was a
deep and constantly increasing feeling Of conserve
tSm in the North, which would override all the
Black Republican influence, and give Us every gua~
r&nty necessary to our security and safety. We
took an'appeal from the politicians at Washington to
the people of the North and trusted to the conser
vative element to do US justice. South Carolina
was st that time bringing all her batteries TO bear
on Fort Sumter. and making the most vigorous pre-
parations for assault. This was perfectly wen
understood in Congress. A bill was introduced in
the House tn give the President the power to call
out the militia and volunteers, without limit in
number, TO suppress the insurreeton and execute
the laws. II was well understood that the passage
OF this bill would have been the signal for the break
ing up of the Peace Conference without action. 1t
coin came into power Immediately after this refus>
al of Congress to pass any law for coercion or for
the collection of the revenue in the seeded States
Ii was understood that he was in favor of with
drawing the troops from Fort Sumter to preserve
the peace of the country. He knew well that any
attempt to succor that fort would inevitably lead
collision and result in q ruInous and devastating
civil war.
am informed and believe that Cabinet order
was made TO eyacuate the Fort. but that letters
e 81 frarN
the North and the Cabinet again assembled, and the
order was changed or modified He then immediate
" commenced his warllke preparations. de beieY-
ed that the order to withdraw the troops would dis
arm his policy at the North, and on the other hand
that collision az Sumter would unite the entire
North To prevent the conservatives in the North
from triumphing over his divided party he and his
Cabinet were writing to inaugurae afratrcldal war,
bringing desoation and ruin on both sections | am
not defending South Carolina or her action. Having
withdrawn from the Union either by secession or
revolution, and meaning to maintain her action at
all hazards, she of course would not allow Sumter
to remain in the hands Of her enemies. Her great
fault, and what we have complained Of, was the
original act of secession. Her Interior seton
seemed to be a necessary consequence of that But
whether that Interior action was right or wrong.
agree with you, Messrs. Editors most cordially in
the condemnation and reprSbstion of the proclama
ton of the 18th of April last which it gave rise
If you will pardon me for using your Language
1.-The policy announced IN Tue pfOClaatlOH QeaeTN6s
the unqualified condemnation of every American
cit gen. 1t is unworthy not merely of a statesman
but of a man. 1t is policy utterly hairbrained
and ruinous. If Mr.. Lincoln contemplated this
policy in the inaugural address, he is guilty dis
senbler; if he has conceived it under the excite
nent raised by he seizure of Fort Sumter, he is
guilty hotspur. In either case he il niserably unfit
Tor the exalted position which the enemies of the
country have placed him." But this proclamation
had something like the semblance of law to author-
ize it. The act of Congress of the 18th of Febru
ary 1885, authorizes him to call out the militia OF
the States when the execution of the laws Is OBJ
structed by combinations too powerful 10 be cup
pressed by the ordinary course of Judicial pro
ceedngs The use of the militia is, however. Inn
tied to three months, and cannot extend beyond
thirty DAYS after the commencement of the l.ext
session of Congress. If nothing else, this shows
that the law has placed this whole subject in the
hands of Congress- and that the President can only
act where il is not has not been in the power of
Congress to act 1t is known that these Combina-
tons existed during nearly the whole period the
last Congress in session, yet not one step was
taken looking to coercive policy. Hos far he
has the power to attempt 70 suppress combInGtlors
which were in existence when Congress was IN ses-
sion and which have still continued it is unnecessary
now to discuss Another proclamation was issued
on the 18th of April in which after reciting that
letters of maruue were threatened by the seeding
States he deems it advisable TO set foot block
sLo aSo in