Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-06-07
Letter from Ex-Governor G. s.
Morehead, of Kentucky.
THE DUTY OF FORMER UNION MEN.

4 l..
GENTLEMEN In your paper of the 23d
inst Won copy the extract of letter from
the frankfort Yeoman, in which is con-
tanned the following paragraph: 81 saw
Gov. Morehead to day, just returned from
the South. He is the most ultra South
ern rights man have SEEN" And you
add: aGovernor Morehead, we believe, is
now at his home in this vicinity, and he
can speak for himself" Although the
statement in the above paragraph may be
considered by some charge sufficiently
grave to require an answer, am con-
Strained to admit that am and have all
NV life been a southern rights man.
haze labored honestly and faithfully to
secure the enjoyment of those rights
against the fanatical aggresssiens of those
who have madly brought the country 10
its present deplorable condition. Had
THE wise and moderate and just proposi-
tions of our venerable and distinguished
Senator, Mr.. Critenden, been promptly ac-
cepted by the North, there are but few
who can doubt that we would now have
been a united and happy people. They
we're. however, almost unanimously repu
dated by the Black Republican parity
Still the lovers of the Union did not de-
spair. Seven slaveholding States with
drew from the Union and formed gov
ernment of their own. Kentucky, ever
loyal and devoted to the stars and stripes,
with UNPARALLELED unanimity of sentiment
f declared herself opposed to coercion.-
Ny own opinions and feelings we're thor
oughly in accordance with hers, and so
publicly expressed in the most emphatic
} terms in an address to the members of
the Legislature. After this l was unan-
imously elected delegate to the Peace
n Conference, where [ exerted whatever
power or influence I could bring to bear
for the settlement Of the distraoting CUES
d tions which were convulsing and dividing
L the country My course in that Conven
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 Conference,
distasteful as some of them were to south
ern men, were more so to the Black Re-
= publicans in power. These resolutions,
though the very best we could obtain, but
~, not by any means what we desired them to
ry be, fell still born. Congress would not
even take them up for consideration. Still
we wero assured there was deep and con-
stantly increasing feeling of conservatism
in the North, which would override all the
Black Republican influence and give us
every guaranty necessary to cur security
and safety. We took an appeal from the
f. politicians at Washington to the people of
the North and trusted to the conservative
element to do US justice South Carolina
Al L., Ill ho, hoAk o.so
to bear on Fort Sumpter, and making the
most vigorous preparations for an assault.
til This was perfectly understood in Congress,
III. A bill was introduced in the House to
give the President power to call out the
- militia and volunteers without limitation
in number, to suppress the insurrection
and execute the laws. Itwas we'll under
stood that the passage of this bill would
have been the signal for the breaking up
of the Peace Conference without action
all 1t was accordingly indefinitely postponed
Mr.. Lincoln camo into power Immediately
after this refusal of Congress to pass any
law for coercion, or for the collection Of
, revenue in the seeded States. 1t was un-
a, derstood that be was in favor of withdraw.
ing the troops from Fort Sumpter for pre-
serving the peace of the country. He
"a knew well that any attempt to succor that
-, Fort wonld lead to collision, and result in
ruinous and devastating civil war.
oo | am informed, and believe that a
Cabinet order was made to evacuate the
Fort, but that letters from the radica
wing of the party poured in from the north
and the Cabinet again assembled and the
order was changed or modified. He ther
al Immediately commenced his warlike prep
arations He believed that the order tC
withdraw his troops would disarm hi
party ia the North, and on the other hsuC
that collision at Sumpter would unit
be the entire North. To prevent the con
ern servatives in the North from triumphin!
AN over his divided party, he and his Cabi
~, net were willing to inaugurate fratrici
,th- dal war, bringing desolation and ruin OF
both sections. l am not now defendin,
South Carolina or her action. Havin!
. withdrawn from the Union either by seces
sion or revolution, and meaning to main
tain her action at all hazards, she of cours
would not allow Sumpter to remain in tn
hands of her enemies Her great fault
and what we have complained of was be
ES original act of secession. Her ulterio
action seemed to be necessary conse
quence of that, But whether that ulteri
cit action was right or wrong, l agree wit
on you, Messrs. Editors, most cordially in tn
are condemnation and reprobation of the pro
clamation of the 18th of April last, t.
which it gave rise. If you will pardon m
for using your language-"the policy an
fac nounced in the proclamation deserves tn
unqualified d'condemnation of every Amer
lean citizen, 1t is unworthy not merel
ARE of a statesman but Of man. 1t is pol
:. icy utterly hairbrained and ruinous ]
Mr.. Lincoln contemplated this policy i
- the inaugural address, he is a guilty dis
sembler; if he has conceived it under tn