The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-20

paths TO pursue at present is the path Of neu.
| tralty. The gate may not be wide, or the
| way bread, but, like the highway 10 perdi.
Neutrality Is isclf revolution buf it is titaisi
| halfway, shukin4 revolution. nnd revolution
is thing that must go forward 10 the extreme
end or not move at all. Tho Constitution re
eozniLes uo such thing NJ n status OF 1seutfa
lty. i State must either be in the old Unios
or ont Of It. 1t IN ihe old Union, it il in leea
effect participant in all its constitutional acts
aud s3aftjeeps cstmaa.S in all its aaeonssita
tIoaa' ones. lis only escape from responsible
ity for the acts OF the old Union is by means o
| secession.
| Kentucky neutrality does not take her OF
Of The old Union. She remains part and pal
| Gel oi it, be she ever SO neutral. Neither th'
| Federal or her own State officers can recog
| nize her uep'g al.ty, which is a condition ua
! kuowu to the Constitution aud to the Laws i
| she forces them, against their legal aud con
/ et'iuaonal duty, 20 pay regard 10 this hypo
thetjca neutrality, she, to that extent. require,
Of them unconstitutional and revolutionary
act~ Neutrality, If effective at all, il revolu
| tion, IL is secession IN effect and intent, though
secession in Disguise. Il is secession in An il
! ~. form; it rs secession bast4rlizci, demon
aiizel, and emascula!ed@
II Kentucky dil not wish 10 take part with
| he North It's outrageous proceedings against
| he South, there We're two courses TO pursue
The first WAS simply TO aecede, aud in her
| character as IN independent sovereign State,
|. TO pn, herself in that attitude Of armed neu-
! traltY % 4allv recognized, and so we'll defined
in aly i'g relations, by the Law Of Nations
Ihe other coarse was not only TO sece'e but
| also 20 take the further step Of uniting herself
vi,h the Southern Couiederacy, and making
common cause with them against the common
enemy. II she cherished no more affection
for the South than for the North, of course
size would not take the second step, bat would
remain as "a neutral and at the same time an
independent and sovereign State
The attitude she did assume, however, was
the nesi undigniied, and at the sametine the
most gauous enc possible. She remained in
the old Union She had not the pluck, the
candor, or the self-resp oct, to cut loose from
the communicating and hateful association
She shIank from assuming distinct and indie
pendent nationality. As to the rest OF the
world she remained provinces and a de-
tendency Of the old Union. She could nos
constltutonaily claim distinct recognition
OF assume thai attitude Of neutrality 20 which
dependent States only are competent IeI
protestations of fealty to the Union and of neu
tTality between the sections were contradic
lions III terms. To affect neutrality before sh,
seeded, Wa. grossly 70 stulEify herself with
out succeeding in making dupe of either The
North or TIE South.
LINCOLN never did recognize her neutrality
and never could do 50 consistently with con
s,itational ,,uty. The South agreed to trea'
her 81 Il neutral as & measure of policy ano
FruG nee. we'll knowing that without first sece
ding from the old Union. It was a status which
neither the Constitution nor the laws permitted
her to assume.
1t has been the peculiar characteristic the
politicians who control the destiny of Ken
lucky 10 prefer cAicanery 10 logical truth and
CANTOR. To affect neutrality while remaining
:. part Of the old Union, bound constitutional
y or politically - ali It's acts, was in keeping
with the tactics Of CEIrrGSDEE and GyrKRE
LEsLIE CooMas and ,joE Hour, parson BREca-
NHIDGE and partisan PRENTICE. THIS wae
tAc ar;tal dodge hy which those cumming mer
heguilel over from the ranks OF The Secession
istspoper, the ereat body Of the good people
vi kentucky. Iids Is the deiusjye bait by
which they have eugceeded III hooking a great
and gallant Commonwealth iato the tolls Of
lINcoLN. This Is tie net which they have
thrown over The LINKS Of the Secession party
there, and prevented them from following
JOINS {. DEscEINEIDOE. MAGoFFIE, Pow ELL,
BURNETT, STErHEHsoy, Brown, and the o,hsl
Southern CyuiaGelacy.
Tie tine las passed for the secession Of
Kentucky. CRITTEyDEN and PRESTIcE and
GUTHRIE have done 5heir evil work Tbs
People have been besHiled and deceived by a
aouoyed word eunningly contriyed for their
aadoins, All further proceedings in Kentucky
Has. he revolutionary, violent and convulsive.
There is no legal path by which it i possible
noEv to estric4;c hcr from her constitutional
assoeia ION with the North. That association
is Calling 70 tic feelings Of the better class OF
het people; bs5s there rs 10 process by which
they can effect their 3e}iverance except by
revolutionary action. BY force and arms by
5igcls..ad aud violence must titev now carve
emf their way 10 honor, liberty, and indepen-
dence; tor that is the only alternative left
a gallant Stise By its CEirrENDGSs and its