The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-08-07

sanctions, no bIucing force upon the the con-
science, and that every man, under the prompt
ing of interest or passion, or caprice ma, at WILL
and honorably too, strike at the government, that
shelters him. is one of utter decentralization, ard
should be trodien out, as YOU would tread OCT q
spark that has fallen on the roof OF ,opr dwell
ling. Its unchecked prevalence would resolve
society into chaos, and leave you without the
slightest guarantee for lite, liberty. or property
Ii is tine that IN their msjesty, the people OF the
! United States should make known 10 the wol III
, that this government, III lis dignity AID power
is something more than moot court and that
the citizen who makes war upon il Is traitor
not only in theory but in fact, and should have
meted out 10 him traitors doom. The coun;ry
wants 10 bloody sacrifices but II must and will
hav, peace, cost what it NAV.
Before closing, desire 10 say few words OF
the relations o. Kentucky To- the peu,iir = re.,,l
hon and, as We are all kentuckiins here tngcrh-
er 10 night, anu as this is pure, a iau, matter
which concerns the honor oi u all, | hope ~.
may be permitted 10 speak with each Other upon
il with entire freedom. l shall hot dcjain you
with observations the hostile and defiant 20
stion assumed 10y the Governor of your Stale
La his reply To the r,qui>ition made upoa him 10,
volunteers under the proclamation OF the Pres
ident. he has, in my judgment, written and fin
Z ~
it is probable that in future the world will it'll.
concern itself To what his exce!ency NAV pro
pose TO do, or 10 what be may propose not to
do. That response has made for Kentucky a rec
ord that has already brought a burning blush Ia
The cheek OF many Of her sons, and is destined
to bring 1t 10 the cheek OF MANY more iH III,
wears which are 10 come. IL Is a shame indeed
crying shame, that State with so ilustrious a
past should have written for her by her chief
magistrate page of history so utterly humlat
ingi as this. But your legislature have de
termned that during the present unhappy war;
the attitude Of the State shall Oe that of strict
neutrality, and it is upon this determination that
| | wish respectfully but frankly To comment As
the motives which governed the Legislature were
doubtless patriotic and conservative, the conclu-
sion arrived at cannot be condemned as dishon
orable, still, in view of the manifest duty of the
State and OF possible results cannot but regard
| it as mistaken and false, and one which NAV hav.
fatal consequences. Strictly and legally speak
| ing, Kentucky must go out of the Union before
she can be neutral Within il she ia necessarily
either faithful to the government Of the United
States, or she is disoyal To il. If this crutch OF
| neutrality upon which her well meaning but iii
judging politicians are halting, can find any mid
| die ground on which to rest, it has escaped my
researches, though have diligently sought it
Neutrality, in the sense Of those who ROW use
the term, however patrioticaly designed, is, il,
effect, but snake in the grass Of rebellion, and
those who handle it will sooner or later feel its
iangs. Said one who spake as never man spske
he who is not with Us IS against us y and Of
none of the conflicts which have arisen between
men or between nations could this be more
truthfully said, than OF that in which We are now
Involved. Neutrality necessarily implies indiffer
this contest? Has she, indeed, nothing at stake
Has she no compact with her sister States &c
keep, no plighted faith 70 uphold. no renown Il
sustain, no glory to VIM Has she no horror o.
that crime of crimes now being committed agains
US by that stupendous rebellion which has ariseI
like a tempest cloud in the South? We r.joic,
| to know that she is still a member Of this Union
and as such she has the same interest in re
slstiEg this rebellion that each limb OF the bod,
has in resisting poignard whose point is ame,
NJ the hoart II il her hons. that O n fro ha
she no interest in extinguishing the cOhfagra
ZION? Will she stand aloof and announce her
self neutral between the raging flames and III
brave men who are periling their Ives to subdu
them? Hundreds of thousands of citizen
OF other States men of culture and char
acter, of thought and of toll; men VIII
have deep stake in life and an intens
who know the worth of this blessed g0vernmer
of ours, and do not prize even their own bloc
above it. say, hundreds of thousands OF cue
men have left their homes, their works shops
their Offices their counting houses, and thei
fields, and raying abeut our hal
( f eely Offering their all TO sustain it, and sine
the days that crusading Europe threw its hos,
upon the embattled plains OF Asia, no deeper Q
, more earnest Or giander spirit has stirred tn
souls Of men, than that which now sways thos
e mighty masses whose cleaning banners are de,
l tined ere long to make bright again the earth an
e sky of the distracted South. Can Kentucky loo
n upon this sublime spectacle Of patriotism unmo'
: ell, and then say TO herself: I" i will spend ne
c ther blood nor treasure, but l will shrink ava
=. while the battle RACES, and after il has bee
! fought and won, l will return to the camp VIC
: assured that if | cannot claim the laurels VI
: at least enjoy the blessings Of the victory."
j. this sl that remains of her chivalry - of Il
s chvalry of the land Of the Shelbys, the Johnson
c the Aliens, the Clays, the Adsirs, and the Davi
e ses? Is there Kentuckian within the sound
k my voice tonight, wto can hear the anguish,
e cry of his country, as she wrestles and writh
/: in the folds OF this gigantic treason and then Il
il himself down upon his pillow with this ,houg
h Of neutrality, without feeling that he has som
J. thing in his bosom which straneles him wor
:, than would an adder? Have we, within the bri
e period OF eighty years, descended so far from Il
d mountain heights on which our forefathers stoo
n that already, IN our degeneracy, We proclaim o
Of blood too precious, our treasury too valuable
IF be devoted to the preservation 0. such a Cover
y ment as this?
:. They fought through a seven years war wi
u the greatest power on earth for the hope. I
', bare hope Of being able to found this publ
le and now that it is no longer hope nor an
i p-riment, but glorious reality which has
n cited the admiration and the homage of the
r. tions, and has covered US with blessings, as I
a waters cover the channel of the sea, have Y
ID their children no years of toll, OF sacrifice. a
n of battle even. if need b.. to give 10 save
b. from absolute destruction at the hands Of IN
as who stepped in guilt. are perpetrating agail
rs Us and humanity a crime, for which verify
g. lieve the blacklist page Of the history Of I
j. worlds darkest period furnishes no parall
e. Can 1t be possible that in the history of I
n American people We have already reachet
ne point of degeneracy SO low, that the work
al Washington and Franklin, of Adams and JEFF
,i son. Of Hancock and Henry, is to be overthro
re by the morally begrimmed and pgmied c.
st spiratOrs who are now tugging al its fOun
m tons. II would be the overturning of the !
cb des by the miserable reptiles that are crawl
in the sands at their base.
But our neutral fellow-citizens in the tend
~ ness of their hearts say This effusion of blc
VI sickens US" Then do all in your power
:. bring il TO an end. Let the whole strength
u, this Commonwealth be put forth in support
the government. in order that the war may
Az AZ terminated by a prompt suppression Of the
ne bellioD. The longer the struggle cOntinU