Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-05-31

nost sacred and vital provisions OF the Con-
stitution. Where is the use OF swearing a
President 10 support that instrument. If it can
b thus tramp pied under foot and rank usurpa-
fiop, which ! despotism, rsared in its place ?
The only exhaustion have seen offered, is
fi,s rlea OF necessitT. Can il ba useessarv te
{ hrsak down The barriers OF toe Cons. tuition ia
order to preserve it inEioiste? Mr.. Madison,
,ybo has been justly called the father Of the
Constitution, has furnished the best answer 20
fbis miserable apology for Mr.. Lincoln and
his Cabinet. "EEhortati0ns saws he ssto
5israssrd domestic usurpation. until for ign
dsnrer shall have passed, is an srtifce which
nav be forever used, because the possesrors
Of power, who are ID advocates for lts extern
sion. can ever create nstional embsrrsss.
sents. to be successfully empIeved I,
soothe the people into sleep, while that
power is swelling, silently, secretly. and
fstsllv.D But what are these mighty arma-
rents for 20 rsise which the Constitution has
been trodden down? Are they TO subingste tte
soptbern Ssates and make them conopsred
urovincesP / think know something Of that
people, somewhat Of the daring, intrepid and
determined split with which they have gone
into this matter, and solemnly declare that
/ do not believe that all TIE power OF the North.
I strengthened and cemented as il ia BY the
/ fanatical element sgainst slavery, can ever
[ conquer them. ] By no means underestimate
I tbe bravery Of the North. / knew that they
! are brave, that they will fight gsllantlv, that
they have the prestige Of the stars and stripes
on th ir eide, and that In all respects they have
: greater resources; but people imbusd with
I one sairit, az the people Of the South now are,
/ fighting as they feel they are fighting, for ali
! that is sacred TO them on earth, can never be
I conquered. Mr.. Burke, in bis speech upon
4 eoneiiiation with America, truly says that
where slavery exists In any part Of the world.
CHOSE who are free, are by far the most proud
and jealous Of their freedom. Freedom fs to
them not only an enjoyment, hGt kind OF rank
and privilege. They are much more strongly,
and with higher and more stubborn spirit.
attached to liberty. u such a psonle ths
baughtness OF domination combined with the
spirit Of freedom, eorti6es and renders It irwin
itle" But II c0EqIersd, what then? The
organization OF the General Government car.
not be maintained without the cooperation %
the States. Car you compel this co-opera-
tfun2 sfuBu yuu uaFe conquer T.ossfsi-.-
any other State, can y0u compel her to elect
Senators or Representa- ives, and II not
what would be her 1sition. n the object OF
smkodyinE an army Of two hundred ana fffy
thousand men is not 20 subiugate the South,
what is II for? Is Il TO recover few worthless
foTta, or 10 WreaS the vengeance engen6ered BY
sectional hatred? Is an ocean Of blood to he
shed and the gulf between the sections 10 be
30 despened and widsDed as to be forever i'm
passibls In order 70 DO what we can do as we'll
now. But for this horrible cordition OF things,
there would have been eight slaveholding
States seeking redress within the Bnion under
the constitution. But fsur n IRE have gone out.
and four others, IN ,luding Delaware, are left,
with TIE iron heel OF military coercion on
two af them Under these circumstance what
ought Kentucky 70 do NY solemn conviction
is that the first aud most important thing is to
discard al past party fsuds, aad sgree to unite
on one common platform. It there be those who
think that Kentucky ought to withdraw and
unite with the South at once, and take her
share Of the responsibility and danger Of the
step, they ought to remember that the people
alone can decide suca question, and that
under existing circumstances ft ia almost, n
not absolutely certain, that Il Wonld give rise
TO civil war among ourselves On the other
hand the people Of the State have decided, bV
large vote, that Kentucky shall during this
unnatural war maintain a strict and impartial
neutrality, aud stand prepared to enforce it
sgsinst either belligerent who shall violate it.
TIE refusal OF the governor 10 furnish troops
to fight our brethren OF the South has almost
been unanimously approved, aDd both parties
seen now to agree 20 the common platform Of
neutrality.
During nv absence from the Stats was
nominated, and, With eleven other gentlemen.
elected by the people Of Kentucky a delegate
to the border slave State convention. was
not in the State during the period of the stir
ring and startling events which have covered
the whole country with a pail Of darkness.
and have had no opportunity Of expressiD5
my opinions upon then. Finding, however,
an address from gentlemen composing the cen
tTal committee OF the party which eiec Cd me
approving in strong and decided terDns tbs
action Of he governor in refusing the quota
Of troops demanded by Mr.. Lineoll, and staf-
ing what should be the present position Of
Kentucky, an willing to indorss that sd
dress, and ia my action as delegate conform 20
the policy there indicated. | esDeciailv and
eorlially agree to the following extract from
that address: " What the future duty of
the State Of Kentucky may be, we, Of course.
cannot with certainty foFesee, but iF The en-
terprise announced 10 the proclamation Of
the President should at any time hereafter as
Eume he aspect OF a war for the overunninu
and subjugation of the seeding States through
the foil assertion thersin Of the national iqTis
dicti0n BY a standing military force, we Do NOT
hesitate 10 say that Kentucky should rrompfIv
unsheath her sword in hshaf Of what viii
have then become the common cause. Such
an event, If IL shasld occur, Of which we con-
fess there does not appear to Us 10 be ra-
tisnsl probability, could bsve hut one meaning
meaning which a people Jealous Of their
liberty would be keen 10 detect, and which a
people worthy os liberty would be prompt and
fearless 70 resist. When Kentucky deteets
this meaning in the action OF the Government.
shs ought, without counting the cost. to take
up arms at once against the Government. Up-
til she does detect this meaning, she ought 20
hold herself independent OF both sides, and
compel both sides to respect the inviolabllitv
Of her soil .
am no secessionists, and as e well known
never have beea. have treated it slvvavs az
q political hsresy without constitutional sane
tion, and I have deprecated as sincerelv and
as truly as any other man living hs dangerous
tendency. But we ought to remember that
many Of the beat miHds In the country do hon
sstiY believe that II is a right fairly dedueible
from be Constitution, and whole communities
have seted under that conviction. Bat. on
posed as an 70 secession, whenever the con-
tingencT happens alluded to in the foregoing
extract, ! agree with the committee, and |
trust with every patriot in the md, that Ken
lucky should promptly unshesth her sword in
behalf OF what will have become the common
cause. l consider the subiusation Of the South
as The utter annihiistion Of every material in-
terest of kentucky. u the insane attempts
should be persisted in, fear that the pillars OF
the temple Of liberty wall &c torn down, and
that al that is new sacred to us will Be
crushed under heir broken fragments.
Respectfully, c. S. MOREHEAD.