Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-20
The Lonisgine Journal en- the Duty OF
kentucky.

The Lonlsgille journal On abe Duty OF
kentucky.
The Louisville Journal remarks:
IfKentucky were now to seeede from the
Union into the Southern Confederacy, the
Secession would of itselS to all intents aud
purposes, constitute a declaration of war
against the. United States. 1t would be a
regular and formal declaration Of war against
the United States and thus against Indiana
Ohio and Illinois. And whom we should form
part and parcel OF the hostile Confederacy Of
the South, the Northern armies would of
course first. attack that Confederacy by in
vadipg us, fo7 our State would be incompar-
ably more accessible to them than the extreme
Southern States and they would not incur
within our borders the terrible perils of
Southern psstilencs. Our enemies in the
free States upon the bordeF-fer then they
would be enemies, and fierce and remorssless
ones too-would make our State the theater
ofwan
of armed men iat0 Kentucky, and ravage
and lay waste every thing in their progress;
and, our people, even though every man of
them were equal TO the old Knights of Pales-
tine, woald be too few to Withstand them
for a day, and we could have no hope of aid
from the Southern States, tor all their re.
sources of muscle and money would be re-
quired to meet the Invasion Of the swarmiug
the gpeat center. Our ruined Stetc would
look as if oVerswept by the hordes OF Attila.
whose boast it was that no green thing ever
spIaDg where the hoofs Of his horse had trod.
The city of Louisville, without any means OF
effective defence, would be occupied from the
| first by the invading hosts aa- their head
| quarters. soldiers would be quartered in
every respectable house; our families would
be insulted, outraged and driven out; props
erty of all kinds would be 1ecklessly and
ruthlessly destroyedi and, finally, in all
| probability, the whole city would Be burned,
| leaving only black and smoking waste
where it now stands so proudly.
| We know the Kentucky character far too
well 10 think of addressing any argument or
consideration to the fears Of Kentuckiana
engaged in the Yindication of their rights o.
the discharge of what they regard as their
solemn duties but IL is well for al men,
Kentuekians not less than others, In form.
ing opinions as to their obligations, to look
consequences squarely and steadily in the
face. None need Suppose that we have
drawn mere fancy picture, wksoh has no
chance of becoming reality. We ailknow
that If we of Kentucky 20 now into the
Southern ConiedsRaey, her war, tho war in
which she is actually engaged, beoo1aes our
war, and that with us Il must chiefly be a
war with our powerful aud multitudinoua
neighbors Of The three importent States sep
araied from us only b. the Ohio River.
Then, either We must invade them with
what force we can command, or they with
their myriads Will invade us aAd every
man Of common sense can see from which
side and to which side the invasion q likeIy
TO be. Are ZEE ready 70 rush madly int
remedyless ruin when the path Of peace L
plain and ztraight before us, and when thl
path Of peace is the path Of honor and pa
triotisms