The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-23

Interest towards Kentucky we need not apol
ogize for laying before our readers the fol-
lowing address of Gen. Buekner, which Is
one OF those stirring signal notes which must
arouse to action. all true men In thc State who
worthy Of the name Of freenen:
TO THE FaEkMBS OF KgSrucxY
The condition OF the country renders IL I'M
ne -essary that should offer any apology for
addressing you. An issue has been forced
mon every citizen OF Kentucky by the ediet
Of Abraham Lincoln. We are told that we
must be fer against him, We must give
our active support to his arbitrary acts. or we
mnst oppose them. We must aid him in over
throwing the Constitution of the United
States. or we must oppose his tlst;rpatio
We must aid him in building upon the rains
of that fair fabric OF constitutional liberty
despotlc authority as arbitrary as thnJ of an
oriental despot. or We must battle like men
for the preservation of the principles of lib
erty guaranteed by the Constitution We
must be instruments to drag from their
homes and immune in his numerous dungeons
all who have enough OF Independence in their
natures to express diSJppTObation OF his
policy, or we must actively oppose that pol
icy. We must consent, ia order that bis in
periai will shall have undlsputed sway, that
the judicial ermine shall be trampied be-
meath his unballowed feet, or must de-
termIne TO maintain The principles of liberty
as eXpounded 10y the judicial tribunals
We must aid him in reviying the leitro de
rGCHSf, tHstL instrument OF tyranny WHICH DIM
ishes his political victims to the prisons of
his umerous Bastiles; or, like the men of An
other day, We must wipe away these relies Of
barborisni, which The advocate of free speech
has revived as Il means OF ensiaying US. We
must sustain an usurped tyranny which has
no utilization with the Constitution or With
Justice, or we must resist the application OF
he letters with which he seeks ID bind MS
We must lay our lives, our fortunes, our
honor, our liberty a his feet, in order that he
may con sent TO be the master of willing slaves
or like men who at least are descended from
treernen, we mast with our own arms make
good our cl2tm to q legitimate percentage.
These, freeman Of Kentucky, are the issues
which have been forced upon rs.
Hitherto Ken lucky has been 10 Il great eX-
tent exempt from the evils with which the
President has sought to affiict our sister
Southern States. We have been iulled with
the sSren song of peace, into a iethargy from
h which 1t was hoped we would not awake -
We have been told that the armies of despot-
ism which are to encainp upon our soil Will
not crush "a petal of the most delicate flower,
or bruise blade of grass that decorates our
fields; yet, wherever they have gene though
in some instances commanded BY soldiers I'M =
surpassed IN the best qualities OF men their
course Is marked by desolation, and lighted
by the flames of burning fields and houses
1t might rather be said ofthem. as Of the hosts
of Attila, that where they once pass the grass
never grows The President promised peace
TO our mother, Virginia he promised peace
10 our daughter, Missouri; he now sings III
our ears the deIUsiVe sound. 1t is the peace
which reigns in his water -2irt BaAtlies; it is
the peace which is !onu,. IN The graves OF his
victims.
freemen OF Kentucky, we have been slow
10 oppose the usurpations of Abraham Lin
coin, We have heard his promises that ne
would observe the neutrality Of keumckY
and we have heard the echoed re-assllrancrs
OF his chosen instruments. We have seen the
lawiess military organizations which for
months he tas been engaged in in PRODUCING
amongst as, 10 oyerawe the true sentiment oil
Kentucky. We have witnessed the ciandes-
tine Introduction amongst Us of arms and
munitions, aud the esta 6ishment, in defiance
OF the Constitution, Ut Ills military cam rs 10
SwhIugate Us 10 the Will o. a Northern tlnati-
cism. We have seen Il portion OF our own
people, while preaching peace aud good
viii towards ourselves and our breth
rem of the South, drawing from beneath
the cloak of neutrality the assassin DAG
ger which Is aimed pierce our hearts.
When It's point is already at orr breast
this mask is at last thrown aside, and we
suddenly fluid son Of keutnclY; q gentleman
distinguished in history, but now a willing
servant TO execute the will Of his master
coming amongst us 10 direct the blow which
other slaves have prepared. when our Gr II
Legislature, disregardinC every obligation
imposed upon them by justice, humanity. and
the Constitution, have stripped US OF the de-
fences which they Were bound to throw
around us; when the gold Of Phillip ha4
opeAed the "a les of Athens; when her guar
dams, equally influenced by Il craven teaI
and by venal .tvarice have rs they think
exposed the fair form Of Kentucky an easy
prey 10 the rayisher, this gentleman now
steps forward from his chosen place IN histor,
~ riset the chains which Intended to lna i1t
her the victim and the slave OF lustfdl am.
bition.
Men of kentucky are we indeed slaves
that thus 10 be dragged in chains Al
the feet OF despo tic power Are the virtues
of our ancestors buried with them In their
graves? Must our loyalty 10 constitutions
|
the tools of acknowledged enemies? Shall we
bend our trembling knees before this modern
Iesler, and bow 10 the tyrant's cap v hich is
| held up ~ the object OF our Worship Wer.
| our liberties given lis but 10 be- tramDled be.
meath the feet OF Abraham Lincoln as
| God so stamped his iguoblo brow and meagre
| intellect with His sprclal seal that we are Il
| for no higher uses than TO obey his uland II,
! and TO I'll his dungeons?
Let us rise, frcemen of Ken lucky, and show
! that we are worthy OF Our sires Let us show
the matrons of Kentucky that they are Still
/ The mothers Of men. Let our wives still re-
gard as their protectors from the atrocities
with which they are threatened Let the
/ fair maidens OF our beautiful land be cen.
| y1ncod by your deeds that the youth OF the
| t'dark and bloody ground are wortay alik,
Of the smiles which they bestow anon YOU
living, and OF the tears with which they NAV
waser your patriot graves. Though We ma,
igDGoly bend orr necks to receive the gaiiing
yoke of a Northern despotism, shall wye no
raise an arm 10 defend the proud women @.
Kentucky from the fate which is impendi II
over tbs m
For one, will enter the lists for freedom
love the wild hills and beautiful valleys OF
my native land. Your sires and mine wor
them from The savage. 1t deyolves on as tC
defend them from the inVasious OF u scarcei,
less mereileSs foe, whose hyena-like veil,
call for the determination OF our people. W.
Will not yield W4Ehout Il struggle our Lowell,
land 10 be despoi1ed by the fanaticai horde,
OF the North with the help Of God, who's,
aid we Implore in ous holy cause, we viii beat
back the invader fToh our shores as our "a
theirs beat back she savage from the homes 81
those whose sons now show their gratitude
by returning to ens!age us.
Cjtizens of kentucky, we who are now
contenaing for freedom and for constitutional
liberty, have been trae and loyal in our oh
servance Of the Constitution. 1t is not W.
who have trampled its principles beneath our
feet, and called in to being military DIES pot
ism which threatens the existence of civil
liberty. we reyered the Constitution as the
ark of civil liberty. We loved the Union rs
the means 81 perpetuating It's principles -
When the Union ceases 10 accomplish tina
end, ana instead serves only as the means O.
founding Il military despotism it is the de.
struction Of the Constitution The Constitu.
| ton being destroyed by thosa whose tyrann,
| we resist. We adhere still To the lnimntablt
principles on which it is based We hay,
compromised these principles only to pre-.
| serve peace in Kentucky. The apologies o.
| Abraham Lincoln have construed onr love OF
peace III 10 co6diNiEtz ana nave brought Il
| bear upon Us the hand OF despotic power
/ With the poignard al onr breast they expec
| lis TO earess the hand of the assassin and tc
| lick the dust from the iron heel OF tyranny
| which is raised TO crush us
EreeTneR OF kentucky, whatever our forme,
| opinions, let AIS unite on the principles o.
| civil liberty. Though an infatuated North
| i'll order 10 reduce our land 10 the condition
! of a subject Roman province, may rear q bovs
| the ruins of the Constitution the rude fabric
| OF military despotisRl. let us recognize sill
/ as paramount the holy principles of civil
| liberty which God aud our fathers have
! given us. We recognize ia no body the riga
| to Cypress us. Neither the President of tn.