The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-06-18
THE SECESSION CONSPIRACY.
DUTY OF KENTUCKY TO SUPPORT
THE GOVERNMENT.
Able and Patriotic Letter from ET-Secreiqry
IOI
CONCLUDED.

/ Able and Patriotic Letter from Er-Secreiarv
Hot
CONCLUDED.
Kentucky, in her SOU, abhors the African
slave trade, aud turns away with unspeak-
able horror and loathing from the red altars
of King DahOmey. But although the trar
| nc mas Oeen temporarily interdicted by the
seeded States, it is well understood that
this step has been taken as a mere measure
of policy, for the purpose of impressing the
! Border States, and of conciliating the Euro
pean powers. The ultimate legalization of
this trade by a republic protesting TO be
based upon African servitude, must follow
as certainly as does the conclusion from the
premises Of n mathematical proposition. Is
Kentucky prepared to see the hand upon
the dial-plate of her civilization rudely
| thrust back century, and to stand before
the world the confessed champion of the
African slave-hunter Is she, with her
unsullied fame, ready to become pander to
the rapacity of the African slave-trGder
who burdens the very winds of the sea with
the means of the wretched captives whose
limbs he has loaded with chains, and whose
hearts he has broken I do not, | cannot
believe it.
For this catalogue of what Kentucky
must suffer in abandoning her present hon
ored and secure position, and become a
member Of the Southern Confederacy, what
will be her indemnity Nothing, absolute
ly nothing The ill-woven ambition Of
some Of her sons may possibly reach the
Presidency of the new Republic that is
all. Alas Alas for that dream of the
Presidency of Southern Republic which
has disturbed SO many pillows in the South,
and, perhaps, some in the West, also, and
whose lurid light, like a demons torch, is
leading a nation to perdition
The clamor that in insisting upon the
South obeying the laws the great principle
that all popular governments rests upon the
consent of the governed is violated, should
not receive moments consideration. Pop
ular government does, indeed, rest upon the
consent of the governed, but it is upon the
consent, not Of all, Jut Of q mqj0Ttis/ If the
goUerned Criminals are every day punish
ed and made to obey the laws, certainly
against their will, and no man supposes that
the principle referred to is thereby invaded
bill passed by Legislature, by the ma
jority of single vote only, though the con-
stituents of all who voted against il should
be in fact, rs they are held TO be in theory,
opposed to its provisions, still Is not the less
operative as a law, and no right of selfgov-
ernment is thereby trampled upon. The
clamor alluded to assumes that the States
are separate and independent governments,
and the laws enacted under the authority Of
all may be resisted and repealed at the
pleasure Of each. The people of the United
States, so far as the powers of the General
Government are concerned, are unit, and
laws passed by a majority of all are binding
upOn all. The laws and Constitution, how
ever, which the South now resists, have
been adopted by her sanction, and the right
she now claims is that Of n feeble minority
to repeal what a majority has adopted
Nothing could be more lallacious.
Civil war under all circumstances, is q
terrible calamity; and yet, from the selfish
ambition and wickedness Of men, the best
Governments have not been able to escape
it. / n regarding that which has been forced
upon the Government Of the United States,
Kentucky should not look so much at the
means which may be necessarily employed
in its prosecution, as at the machinations by
which this national tragedy has been
brought upon US. When | look upon this
bright land, few months since so prosper
Gus, so tranquil so free, and now behold it,
desolated by war, and the firesides of its
thirty millions Of people darkened, and
their bosoms wrung with anguish, and
know. as / do, that all this is the work Of
score or two Of men, who, over all this ma
tional ruin and despair, are preparing 10
carve with the sword their way to seats of
permanent power, I cannot but feel that
they are accumulating upon their souls an
amount of guilt hardly equaled in oil the
atrocities of treason and of homicide that
have degraded the annals Of our race from
the foundation of the world. Kentucky
may rest well assured that this conflict,
which is one of self defence, will be pursued
% ,,o-t off tho f,overuulppf n the cater
nal spirit in which father seeks to reclaim
his erring offspring. No conquest, no etiu-
sion of blood is sought. In sorrow, not in
anger. the prayer of all is that the end may
be reached without loss Of life or waste
of property. Among the most powerful
instrumentaiities relied on for re-establish-
ing the authority of the Government,
is that of the Union sentiment Of the
South. sustained by liberated press. It's
now trodden to the earth under reign OF
terrorism which has no parallel but IN the
worst days Of the French Revolution. Inc
presence of the Government VIII enable IL
TO rebound, and look its oppressors IN the
face At present we are assured that in
the seeded States no man expresses an
oninion opposed to the revolution but at the
hazard of his life and property. The only
light which is admitted into political dis
ctssiOn is that which flashes from the sword
or CLEANS from glistening bayonets. A few
days ago one of the L. S. Senators from
Virginia published a manifesto, in which
he announces, with occular soiemnity and
severity. that all citizens who would not
vote for secession, but were in favor Of She
Union-not should or ought to-but g MUST
leave the State" These words have in them
decidedly the crack Of the overseers whip.
The Senator evidently treats Virginia as
,raat .lo 1oaTo onarter, in which the lash is
-. ..[.orriate emblem Of authority, and
tbe tbe oPFvO oPiv argument he will condescend to
'I-o However the freemen Of other parts
- tho state may abuse themselves under
tba exercise Of this insolent and proscrptive
tvraury, should the Senator, with this
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