Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-11-22
Che National Crisis.
From the Richmond Examiner
ADDRESS OF HON. J. C, BRECKENRIDGE,
TO THE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY.
% THE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY !:


TO THE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY.
To THE People OF KENTUCKY
BY your representatives in the last
Legislature you conferred on me the COM
mission of Senator in the Congress of the
United States. In March last, when my
term of service began, the Union had
been dissolved by the withdrawal of seven
States, which the policy of coercion has
since increased to twelve States Atthat
time majority of the people Of Kentucky
still cherished the hope of peaceful re-
union. Soon afterwards, when the Co
vernment at Washington commenced that
series of usurpations which has naw left
nothing of the Federal Constitution, and
resolved on a war of subjugation against
the Withdrawing States to secure union
and brotherhood, you determined to take
no part in the war, but to protect your
liberties by a position of armed neutrality
This decision was expressed by large
majority of the people at the election in
May.
had opposed this policy before the
election, but afterwards, in common with
the great mass of these with whom had
acted, / aequiesced in your expressed
will, and have maintained it as the fixed
attitude Of Kentucky. In obedience, as
suppose, to your wishes, | proceeded to
Washington, and at the special session Of
Congress, in July, spoke and voted
against the whole war policy of the Presi-
dent and Congress; demanding, in adj
dition, for Kentucky, the right to refuse
not men only, but money also to The var,
for | would have blushed to meet you
with the confession that | had purchased
for you exemption FROM the perils OF the
battlefield, and the shame Of waging war
against your Southern brethren by hiring
others to do the work you shrank from
performing. During that memorable
session, very small body of Senators
and Representatives, beneath the shadow
of military despotism, resisted the usur.
pations Of the Executive, and with what
degree of dignity and frmness, they will
willingly submit to the judment Of the
world.
Their efforts were unavailing they
may prove valuable hereafter as another
added to former examples of manly pro-
test against the progress Of tyranny.
On my return to Kentucky, at the
close of the late special session of Con
gress, it was my purpose Immediately t.
resign the office Of Senator The verbal
and written circumstances Of many friend,
in different parts of the State induced mt
to postpone the execution of my purpose
but the time has arrived to carry it into
effect, and accordingly now hereby re
turn the trust into your hands.
And in this connection, since the Go
verument at Washington has thrown a
drag net over the whole surface Of socie.
ty, to collect proof against individuals o
connection with the Government of til,
Confederate States, aud since a portion O.
the Northern press has charged that GER
tain private correspondence, recently
seized at Philadelphia by the Federal au
thorities, will convict me Of politica
crimes, l deem it due to you and to my
self to declare that have not done o.
said anything inconsistent with the rcla
tons | have borne to the State and t.
the Federal Government, or which coult
reflect stain upon the commission whcl
| now surrender.
do not resign because I think ! hav'
misrepresented you. On the contrary,
believe that my votes aud speeches in tht
Senate have expressed your deliberat,
will as attested through the ballot-box
resign because there is no place lief
where a Southern Senator may sit il
council with the Senators of the North
In truth, there is no longer Senate o
the United States within the meaning
and spirit of the Constitution.
The United States no longer exists
The Union is dissolved. For time at
ter the withdrawal of the Southern States
and while there was hope that the rup
ture might be healed, it might be as
sumed that the Union was not yet dis
solved, and such was the position o
Kentucky in declaring her neutrality anC
offering her mediation between the con
tending parties. But time has nov
elapsed, and mighty events have occurred
which Danish from the minds of reasona
bic men all expectation Of restoring th'
Union. Coercion has been tried, and hai
failed. The South has mustered in the
field nearly as many combatants as Tho
North. and has been far more victorious
The fields Of Manassas and Bethel, o
Springfield and Lexington, have WORKED
with a terrible and sanguinary line Tho
division between the old order Of things
and the news
It is the right Of Kentucky and hel
peculiar duty to recognize these grea
facts aud to act on them The constitu'
tional compact which created and upheld
the old Union is at an end A large
number of the original and additional
parties have Withdrawn from it, So large
a number that its stipulations can ne
longer be executed, and under such cir.
cunstancce no court bas ever decided