Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-16

South should be depoDulated. Ard rsDeo1lej f,o,
4 me north, and an emiEe eut Seuat0r exercised
aesire thai the President should be made a dcts
tor. Inls was superhuous, since they had alread
;. clothed him with dicsatorial powers n In "a
q midst OF these proceedings no plea fer th
% | constitution IS listened to in the North. her
= ana tnere few heroic voices are feebly hear,
= protesting against the progress Of desnoffsr
. but for the. most part bevo0d the miIirsr1
= lines, moos and anarchy rule the hour. The rres
mass OF the Northern people seem anxious to sun
der every safeguard Of freedom, they eagerly of
fer to the Government what no Europear, 11snar
you'd dare to demand. The President and III
Generals are unable to pick up the liberties Of the
people as rapidly as they are thrown ct their feet
me world viii view with amusement this suider
and total overthrow Of Constitution which If re
speeted. might have been the boast and safeguard
Of the United States for many generations. .Wheu
the historian comes to investigate the cause Of this
result he VIII record the fact that no dertnant of
tue Federal Government has ever exhibited a case
SL aggression 6y the Southern States upon their
N9Fthern associates, and he viii trace the dismem-
Derment to the Ignorance disregard uBOn the part
OF the latter OF she true principles of eonederacv
to long continued and fisgrant violations Of TSe
COnsuIaaon' 70 ayarles; to fansteism and general
corrupuOn Against all these uSurpations protest
cd IN your name, in the presence of their authors
and at the seat Of their powers. / protested in
vain, and never again viii meet ia council with
| the usUrpers. f. t--s r % .----
| And now fellow citizens I am sure YOU vii Dardon
| me If add few words in reference to the condi-
| ton of our State and my own course The Consti-
tuition of the Buted States has been DESTROYED and
| by no act of Kentucky. The power she delegated
/ in that Instrument to the Federal Government had
vested to her, and any exereise Of power over her
by that Government without her consent is III u-pa
| ton. In the wreck of the Federal system she ex-
lsts an independent commonwealth, with the riQht
70 choose her own destiny. She may join the North
She may join the South. she nsy poiss hei self on
her own centre and be neutral Ia every form bV
which you could give direct expression to vour
will you declared for neutrality. A large maiority
OF people at the May and August elections vcted
for the neutrality and peace Of Kentucky Ths
press, the public speakers, the candidates ri,hek.
ceptlons IN favor Of the Government at gfOn
so raTe as not TO need mention planted themselves
on this position. You voted for it, and you meant
It. You were promised it. and YOU expected il =
The minority acquieseed in coed faith and at home
and abroad this was recognized as the fixed posi-
ton of the State. 1t was taken at the beginning
Of hostiities and it is bus reasonable 20 infer thar
every subsequent act of outrage by the Washin2tOn
government has confirmed your original purpose. /
Look now At the condition of Kentucky, and see |
h9w your expectations had been realized how these
promises had been redeemed!
First BY the aid Of some citizens Of the State arms
belonging to the whole people were ILLEGALLY and Il
secretly Introduced by order Of the President and
distributed to one class of our peaDle upon the false
pretense that they needed them for protection
against their own fellowcitzsEs This was the first
violation --- -..-s.----.- = :.
Next Federal military officers begun to recruit
soldiers nd establish camps 10 our midst and Fed
eral money was lavishly expended in the hone to |
demorsliZe and corrupt the people A stuffed sys-
TEN OF deception was practiced as long as possible
on the people For time it was denied that thew |
were Federal camps, and it said that they were
merely voluntary assemblies Of Kentuckiaus for
their own protection and that Of the State These |
nlonstro9a faisehoods have since been freely ex,
posed. This was the second violation i
Previous 70 these events, the State was IN 2 CON-
dtlon CT tranquility and peace. No indications +,
existed any where Of internsI disorder. But now
The people becoming alarmed at these proofs of
purpose to force Kentucky into the war, beVun ia 4
assemble in great mass meetings and to demand | :
oudly the promised neutrality The Washington !
ToYeTnmenE h0weveF, and its sbetors Ia Kentucky ;
upposlng their schemes to be ripe for execution ,
low resolved to have what they called factiye oy-I
ty" About this time the Legislature met and the o
rama then moved rapidly On The camps were ?
vowed to be Federal camps. The guns which had | =
zen claudestineiy and illegally introduced now call
q out 20 maintain aettve loyalty" Federal officers
egun to sWsrm among Us. Every appliance of | =
orFupuon, every aHurement of ambition -was 1 :,
rought into play. Presently Federal army was 6
possession Of large portions of the State and the r
0nsplracy steo1 fully revealed, while tie people N
nose only error had been their generous credulity
ood thoTougiy betrayed It is known to citizens -
Louisville Of all parties that lust before that ~
eeting OF the Legislature, member of the Wash y
gton cabinet said to prominent citizsn of Ken ~
lcky that the position of the State sboulS not ba ~
aintaned thst the CoyerameAt preferred hostilitv -
neutrality, and that Kentucky must be compelled | e
support the Federal Government in the war | -
our wishes fellow citizens, had been spurned and NJ
'u have been thrown into this vortex BY the ov -
nment at Washington, aided by their Kentucky -;
mpathisers. = - ~ ~
The pretended reason for the military occupstion n
the state founded on the occupation Of Columbus ~
Confederate trOOps is uncaadid and false Eor SA'
sides the fact that the invasion of Kentucky was No
foregoue conclusion at Washington, and that ~
mps OF soldiers were under arms IN our midst to ~.
yade tennessee, 1t Is notorious that Gen. Grant ! -
{ Cairo to seize Paducsh before the OecuDation of
lumbus, while in taking the latter place the Con r.
ierate troops anticipated the Federal troops by 49,
than an hour. For further proof of the insi1 G .-
-lty OF the false clsmor about the invasion from a.
anessee, the Confederate commander snnounced 49,
your authorities that he occupied Columbus ~. ~
rely in self defence, and stood ready any momeIt .
withdraw simultaneously with the Federal forces, - -
say that the Washington Government had right - -
invade the State is to say that you had no right =
be neutral and 10 submit to the invasion from -
'er which has ehaced every vestige Of the Con- St
ution, would be TO bow in the dust and surrenS -
to simple despotiam. PA
iB not necessary TO say much about the Iegis pif
lre. A majority Of them, instead OF protecting Key
rights and persons of the citizens Ia Va eitbap ot
unfairly or under duress been engaged IN vvis
tanning the uSurpsti0ns of the Federal Govern. Son
1t in passing bills of pains and penalties 10 ter l
spirited people into serEitude in depriTing "
GoVernor OF his Just constitutional authority men
!
lHHy LAY iuEuins tederSt nlhsary force 70 take otle
session OF the State well knowing as they did for
Ills us ln'AsJ l1Fee would supereede the Stats lutit
ernment. OF that body nearly One-fourth have The
su - Gso1lSe " lhe iDlltary occupation Of the una
2 OF many OF the most eminent and patriotic 1 viii,
ems Of the State by that military force. The bave
e Of these members can 40 longer be heard in conJ
councils of the State, nor their votes be taken tbs
LegislatBre is thus to say the least of II. TO,
LATED department Of the State Government Ia "a
~ - ua. L. H tslA1 suLIcleht NUMBER fora shall
It, ~ tn ous arc ny Hee For When the FED State
- n";ui. I-ASs nlt'@Ey Possesslon OF 3 md
- e.. =. --!f:Sa s.eeeS masS eon1erm to the deter
OF the military ehlef or be suppressed !as we ever
recently seen IN the case of Missouri Fo
se eiate GoTernment was dispersed and martial prot
proclaimed, and still later, in the case of Mary. deIiv
Rnen thirty members of the Legislature merc
seized and Imprisoned on she mere suspicion MON
tendlng to legisate at variance zith the will or re
lie military Government. We cannot therefore I vii
that the public resolutions OF pretended laws neces
le TIVE 0oclss are the declarations of their Low
. WlI4, because We have the strongest reason ne r.
sheFe that 1t not IN sccOrdance with the will bv n
he Government at Washington, they would i5,t;T
the fate Of the LegislztWres of Missouri and .nJ
land On the other hand, we know thst tbese | ea,.
uuons s1d lava are in conflict with their urb Sa,;f
edges a1d With the expectations of the peope tho
more charitable 70 believe that the members Tb;
snEfort, or majority Of them, are aetuated nv :,
teGF OF military force, rather than BY pkr fsst !,
design to violate the will of their eopsttu sLI
and degrade the State to the condition IN scoIIas
1t Is attempted to bring down Missouri and he ri