The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-18

Patriotic letter from Hon. w. L. Under.
/ Z fAs44, wood Of Kentucky.
We are permitted to publish the following
letter from Hon. w. L. Underwood Of Kentucky
to friend in this city:
] Mt. AIR, Warren Co, XIV. May i, '6l.
DEAR Sir IL returned from Washington yes
terday, where was when your letter reached
this city. Ny object in going there was to as.
certain for myself the true purposes of the GOV
| ernment, and, rs dependent upon this, the true
| policy Of Kentucky. The condition OF Missouri,
socially and geographically, is very similar to
! that OF Kentucky, except that she is even D,ore
exposed in the event of her secession, than lien
| tucky is. They are in condt ons sufficiently
| similar to make their policy the same. Seees-
sion is alike fatal to both. You are almost n
peninsula Of slave territory, jutting into sm
| ocean Of free soil You are subject to exposure,
therefore, from which no courage or constnncy
can relieve you-to inroads, raids, and incur
sions from almost every quarter. Your neigh
bors are willing now to be friends, but they are
resolved, as is every other free State, to support
the Government in the rightful exercise Of its
legitimate functions, the first of these being to
maintain its own existence against the plotting
of those who would annihilate it, in order to
form new and unauthorized combinations out
Of its fragments. Should Missouri place herself
in cooperation with these and in hostility to
the Government, she will, by her own acts,
thus place herself in hostility with her neigh.
| bors, and she will have cause to be disap-
pointed that her fields may be devastated, her
trade ruined, and her slave property swept from
existence. Ancient friendship, and the renem-
brance of past good neighborhOod, will bur en-
bitter the coming feud, and that war which is
first civil, will become social and then seryile,
until all that is worth preserving is gone.
Stand, then, my dear friend, by the Constitu-
! ton ofyour country, enforce its laws, and main
tain the integrity of the Union. In this alone
consists your safety. Let no folly, or indiscre-
ton, or the imbecility of Mr. Lincoln's Admins
tration on the one hand, nor sectional pride and
affinity, nor glowing portraitures of wrongs, real
or imaginary, which the South has endured, ,(but
| the existence of which she can alone redress in
the Union, and not out of it, swegve your gal
liant State from her allegiance to General Gov
ernment that has never deprived her of soli-
| tary right, or inflicted on her a single wrong
The policy of the Administration to all the Bor-
der States which have not seceeded, is the
same. In reference to Kentucky, Mr.. Lincoln
told me he hoped Kentucky would stand by the
Government in the present difficulties, but if she
would not do that; let her stand still and take no
hostile part against it, and that no hostile step
should tread her soil. This is true with Missouri
Let me tell you further that the temporizing
policy ofthe Administration, in reference to the
assaults and capturing Of its forts, arsenals and
property is over Henceforth, they who make
war will have war made on them The monop.
| oily which the South has enjoyed in that direc-
tion has ended, and all the powers of the gov
ernment henceforth will be exerted to maintain
the property and legal authority of the Govern.
ment within its just limits You need not,
therefore, be surprised to hear of the vigorous
blockade OF the Chesapeake and Hampton Roads,
and of the ports of the seeded States; and that
if these States erect batteries at Memphis or
Vicksburg to interrupt the commerce of the
Mississippi, that measures of stern retaliation or
resistance will be inaugurated by the Govern
mcnt, to force the poisoned chaice to the lips
OF those who first Qrugged it.
/ could enter much more into detail, but have
not time. start when this is closed TO fill my
appoDtments-to make Union speeches. God
grant that Missouri may stand firm. trust
that Kentucky will, though the storm beats
heavily against her. Yours, truly,
W. L. Underwood