Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-05-02
ssow Kentucky Editors speak.

Democrat) speaks for itself. We publish
it to show the views Of that jaurnal, rep
rescntinG, as we think it does, the scnti-
ments of large body of men in the State
of Kentucky, who are now, as heretofore,
opposed TO the hereSy of secession. The
Democrat is right. Secession wW find no
support mMe free States No matter what
opinion the Democrats and conservative
men of the North may have Of the anti
slavery dogmas Of tho Republican party,
they will stand by the government, and
to the iullest extent aid in maintaining
the Union and executing the laws:
The South in the Union has had the
support of nearly half the North. When
the Fugitive Slave Law became inefficient
another was made, just such as the South
asked. When the South demonstrated
against the Wilmot Proviso, patriotic
men of the North came up and defeated
it. When the South asked that the res
friction upon slavery, passed in 1920,
should he taken of, it was done, and by
the aid OF Northern men supported by a
Northern constituency. These men, rep
rcsenting nearly half the North, opposed
with uncompromising resolution, the anti
slavery party at the last Presidential elcc
ton.
1t must be recollected that these same
conservative men of the North are uncom-
promising against the measures Of the cX.
tremc South. They hav e no liberation
for secession. They justly consider it a
desertion of them, after all the fidelity
they have shown, in opposing the section
aIiSm of theis own part of the Cnion.-
They are uncompromisingIy opposed to
secession, as unnecessary and criminal.
They always have been ready to stand by
the rights of the South in the Union, and
they are ready to do so now They are
not ready to see the Union broken up
They are hostile to any movement looking
to that. They have opposed coercion, as
a means OF preserving the Union; but they
are quite as rcsolutelv opposed to being
coerced by the Cotton States. To this
class Of men Kentucky owes debt ofgrat-
itudc, for their constant fidelity through
a long series Of years. Thcy will now
stand by the rights OF the Southern States
in the Union; they will oppose the South
in n war upon the Union. We had as
we'll, then, dismiss the idea that secession
will hnd any support in the Free States.
In this our friends in the Norh are not in
consistent. Whilst they have said, and
proved their assertions by their acts, th2t
they would stand by the rights OF the
South, they also say this Union must be
preserved, and that forcible attack upon
it will be resented
The Confederate States may say that
they only exercise the right of peaceable
secession. That is right that they as
snme as settled point, and act on it,
when it is right not admitted; and even
if it wero, no care was taken to exercise
it in a peaceablo way. Extreme violence
was everywhere used. No matter, if the
right of secession were granted, it is sub
cct to rights long vested and understood.
1t will not do to tell us that all prop.
erty in State that has seeded is sub
ject to its absolute dominion; that State
| ~ 'h''ti nv W ltNpCCI t1lC
rights that have grcwn up out of former
connections long established; that State
has right to seize forts, arscnals, arms
and munitions, the property as much OF
other States as their own, and admit no
rule but its own high discretion. This is
not peaceablc right; it is revolutionary
one, il it exists at all.
Houoyo, much D., ~, ,.,,, r,n1,,c, Il an,
sion may cxult over such facts, the world
will condemn them as justified by no theo
ry of peaceable secession.
The Confederate States do not Justify
= their conduct by the right of peaceable Sc
ccssion. If that were the basis, then they
, need allcgc no wrongs or grievances at all
a State goes because she chooses to go
and those outside have no right to ask tn,
reason; idstead Of thai, they place their
defence on the wrongs they have suffered
5 and what they apprehcnd. They give tn,
reason Of rcvolutioniSts. not Of men seek
ing lawful and peaccable mode of redress
Al conservative men North will look
, at the whole subject without any sectional
, interest to Justify the wrongs of the Seces
hlOu movement, lncY cun oNly oppose II
and all that engage in it. When Kentuc
ky joins in the war on the Federal Coy.
emmcnt, she must lose their sympathie'
and incur their hostility.
We can count on no friends in the Free
States with such programme. We be
come, by the act of secession. their enemy
, and may as well look that in the face
r We should, indeed be less cXcuSable thar
the Cotton States. We hold secession
neither rightno cXpcdcnt, and must join
II couse we have denounced rs wrong from
, the start.
1t is not worth while to tell us that the
Federal Government is wrong, too. We
cannot Justify breaking up a Govcrnmcn,
because an Administration perpctrates
wrongs It's power to do wrong is given
by this very movement of secession, an |
It's power to do wrong is but temporary
at the worst. Kentucky did not consider
such an Administration cause for ievou-
ton.