Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-18
Letter from Governor SIagofin.

[From the Louisville Journal, l6th.1
The following letter from our old friend Ma
gofin is on the whole very creditable 10 him.
We hope that his old friend, who calls himself
Governor johnson, will like L.;
.t....-. EXECUTIVE DEpkurMEET,
.Ht FRANKToRT, KY., December -, is6l.
To ne Editor Qfne Louisville Journal:
Ny attention has been called 10 some COM
msnts aud suggestions In the Journal Of yester-
day upon the following extract taken from the
"nessage" Of my old friend George W. John.
son. Esq, appointed Provisional Governor"
of Kentucky BY the Convention at Russellville:
"The position now hold by the appoint
ment Of the Convention lately held at RUSSELL
vile, will gladly resign whenever the rsgu-
larly elected Governor shall escape from his
virtual imprisonment at Frankfort, so that you
may have the opportunity Of placing him at
the head OF this movement for the emanoipa.
ton Of Kentucky"
have not seen a copy Of the message, and
if you are correct in your statement that the
members Of that convention have been using
my name and Office "to give color or some faint
and hsetipg tint Of authority to these irrespon-
sible and criminal preceedings," you do me but
justice in saying it was done without my sane
tion. If the purposes and proceedings of that
convention are correctly represented by you,
condemn its action in unqualified terms. Self
constituted, as it was, and without authority
from the people, it can not be justified by simi-
lar revolutionary acts in other States, by mi
nofities TO overthrow the State Governments.
condemned their &C ion and condemn the ac-
ton of this one.
Ny position is and has been and will con-
| tinue to be, TO abide by the will of q majority
Of the people Of the State; to stand by the
Constitution and the laws Of the State Of Ken .
tucky as expoundsd by the Supreme Court Of
the State, and by tho Cor situtioD and laws
| of the Federal Government as expouuded by
the Supreme Court Of the United States. They
are the creatures of the people and of the soy.
trsign States, and neither Congress nor the
| Legislature can exercise any powers not dele
| gated in these Constitutions. Both should be
preserved in their integrity until altered by the
| people. To this position 1 shall cling in this
trying hour, as the last hope of society and OF
| constitutional liberty. 1t is the sheet
anchor Of our safety and the only
hope of patriotism, of honor, and Of
freedom, and whenever an attempt is made tc
overthrow the Constitution, which is the only
bond Of our Union, come from what quarter il
may, from friends or foes, 1t ought to be al
once resisted-uDitedly, resolutely, desper
ateIy resisted against any odds--to save our
institutions as our fathers made them. car
not close this letter without expressing to YOU
my high qualification at the noble stand you
| have taken against the atrocious policy advo
Gated in Secretary Cameron's report. If it be
adopted, the Constitution and the Union win
be hopelessly overtbrown. am opposed to
the confscation cf priUate property. Itmay,
as commended, be an Incident to war, but it in :
wolves the innocent with the guilty. Tits uu
just to women and helpless children, who are
in no way responsible for the war. It never
WIS intended to be done in such Govern ment
as ours, except, it may be, as public property,
1t never was intended to apply TO slave prop
erty; for, after the slaves are ence coniscated
what will the Government do with them? Re-
turn them TO their owners2 give them back to
the slave States2 Never. They will be eman
cipated, and by the act the nature of our insti
tutiODs will be changed and the Constitution
overthrown. The policy is all wrong-upjust
to creditors, an act Of barbarism, injustice and
cruelty, and ought not to be tolerated in free
country. Respectfully, B. MAG0FFIN.