Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-24
Fn0H KENTUCKY:
General Ruckner's Address To the FfeeHh0H
of Kentucky.

The Address Of Genera! Buckner to the 'r0'-
men of his native State and the State Of his res
idence, which appears in this mornings paper
is one of those stirring signal notes which must
arouse to action all true men in kentucky, VINO
are worthy OF the name Of freenen. Like the
blast of q warriors trumpet, it will ring over
the clark and bloody ground" and make men
spring to their arms and prepare to deieno
their hearthstoncs against the usurpaticns Of
one of the blooliest and boldest tyrants in. the
tide of time. Lincoln has made the issue WIFI
Kentuckians, and forces them either to take
sides with his perjured and despotic Gover1
ment, or to take up arms with The glorious
Confederate States. They must fight in the
service of a degraded tyrant, or they mus'
fight for their rights. In longer unfolding thf
Union. they are sustaining a despotis'n more
hateful and oppressive than that of .Austr'a
over Hungary, Russia over Poland, or the last
and meancst of the Bonrbons over Naples.
10 the Fsecp,en or Kentucky.
The condition Of the country renders 1t un~
necessary that | should offer any apology fol
addressing ecu. An issue has been forced up
On every citizen of Kentucky by the cdict 81
Abraham Lincoln. We are told that We must
be for or against him. We must give our &C
tive support to his arbitrary acts or ne must
oppose them. We must aid him in overthrow
ing the Constitution Of the United States, or
we must oppose his llsurpations. We must
aid him in building upon the ruins Of the fair
fabric OF constitutional liberty q despo.ic au-
thority as arbitrary as that Of an oriental de.
SPOT, for re must battle like men for the pre-.
servation OF the principles of liberty guaranteed
by the Constitution We must be bis lnstru-
ments to drag from their homes and manure
in his numerous dungeons all who have enough
Of independence in their natures to express
disapprobation Of his policy, or We must active
~ oppose that policy. We must consent, IN
order thai his imperial will shall have undis-
putcd sway, lhst she judicial crfnine shall b;
trampled beneath bis unhallowed feet, or We
must determine 10 maintain the principles OF
liberty as e~xpounded by the judicial tribunals.
We must aid him in reviving the lettre de
clchc!, that instrument OF tyranny winch BAN
ishes bis political victims to the prisons Of his
ululnrouS Bastiles; CT like the men OF another
dry, We must wipe away these relics OF barba-
Fis,p, which the advocate Of free speech has re
vived rs 4 means Of enslaring us. We must
sustain an esurped Tyranny which has M al
Citation with the Constitution or With justice,
or We must resist the application of The ietters
with which he seeks to bind w.
We must lay our lives, our fortunes, oui
honor, our liberty at his feet in order that he
., o,co,t IN ha IA. p,orta, sf pi11iDu Sln ytls
or like men who ut least are descended from
ireemea, wc must with our oTn arms make
good our claim to u leg;tima:" parcn;age. These,
ireemen Of Kentucky, are the ISSUE; which have
been forced upon MS,
Hitherto Kentucky has been 10 IL great e&
tent exempt from the evils with which the
President has sought to aillict our sister South
ern States. We have been lulled with the
svren song of peace, into q lethargr FROM which
II was hoped sc would not awake. We have
lmcu told that the armies Of despotisln which
are to encamp upon our soil will not crush 4
petal of the most delicate flower or bruise q
blade of gras; that deeora.cs our fields; yet
wherever they have gone. though in some in
staaces commanded by soldiers unsurpassed in
The best qualities OF men, their course IS marked
he desolation, and lighted by the lla;nes u
burning fields and hous:>. IL might rather bs
said of them, as Of the hosts Of Attilla, tina
where they once pass the grass never graws
The President promised peace to orr mother,
Virginia: he promised peace to our daughter,
Missouri; he NOW sings in our ears The dclu'
sirc sound. 1t is the peace which rcigns in
his watergirt BastileSi it Is the peace which
is found in the graves Of his victims.
Freemen Of Kentucky, we nave beel slow
IA oppose The uSurpations Of Abraham Lin.
ccln. We have heard his promises that he
wonld shserre the neutrality OF Kentucky,
and We have heard the echoed re.aSsIlrances OF
his chosen instruments We have seen the
lawlesI military Organizations which for
months. he has BEEN engaged in Introducing
amongst ils, i0 nyerawc the true sentiment OF
Kentucky. We have witnessed the clandes-
tire introduction amongst lis IF arnS and lnn.
r%itions, anal The establishment, in defiance Of
the Constitution. Of his military carups to sub
iushtc rs 20 the SSH Of u Northern lanaticis,n.
We have seen q portion Of our own people,
while preaciliGr I'tace: and good will towards
ourselves and our brethren Of the South, draw
ing from Ecueath tbs cloak of neutrality the
assassin dagger. ~hicl, is aimed TO pierce our
hearts. When its uoint is already at our
breast, tuiS mask is at las! thrown aside; and
ne suddenly lind a son Of Kentucky, q gentle
man distinguished in history, but now a will
ing servant 70 execute the will Of his master,
coming amongst ls To ~'ljrercnt the blow which
other slaves have prepared. When our own
Legislature. disresardipg every obligation i'm
posed upon ,fem BIZ justice, humanity and the
Constitution, have stripped US Of the defenccs
-h;ob rho,. -.ra hc,,p5 70 thrOu- orn,nI nc
when the geld of Philip has opened the gates
Of Athens; when her guardians. equally in
nGenced hy craven fear and bE geEal a~Yarice,
naye, an they think, exposed the fair form Of
Kentucky ri easy prey Ia the ravisher, this
gentleman now steps forward from his chosen
place in history to rivet the chains which Hre
intended to make her the virtim ami the slave
of ju:tfnl ambition.
Men Of Kentucky arc We in,seed slaves, that
80 nrr thus To- be dragged in chains ut the feet
nf 2espotic powcry Are the virtues of our an,
cestnrs buried with them in their graves?-
Must Ocr Loyalty 10 constitutional liberty bc
measured only by orr ~Seryility 20 the tools oil
acknowledged e%rre,nics Shall We bend ouT
trembling knees before this modern Gesler, anti
bow 10 the ~tyrant's cap which is held up as
toe object of our worship? Were our liberties
given us but to be tramPled beneath the feet Of
Abraham Lincoln? Has God so stamped his
ignub!e brow and meagre intellect With His
special seal, that we are fiji for no higher uses
than TO ohry his mandates ari to fill his dun
geonS?
Let us rise. freemeI OF Kchtucky, and show
that we are worthy of orr sirrs. Let us show
the matrons Of Kentucky that they are still
the mothers Of men. lie! orr wives still re.
gard rs Us their protectors from the atrocities
with which: they are threatened. Let the fair
Ilaidens Of our beautiful laod be convinced by
your deeds that thu youth Of the clark and
bloody srouna' are worthy alike Of the smiles
which they best0w upon you living, and Of the
tears with which they may water yonr patriot
graves. Though VIC may i=aobIy bend onr
nccks 10 receive the gallirg yoke Of q Northern
deapotism, snail We not raise an arm to defend
the proud women Of Kentucky from The fate
whicl, is impending over them
For one, / sill enter the lists Of freedou.-
I lore the wild hills and beautiful valleys of