New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-09
THE BORDER STATE CONVENTIONS
knnpECe

recent so-ealled Border Slave State Convention at
Frankfort, Ky. 1t lie printed herewith;
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES
FELLOW CITIZENS: The delegates 10 a Convention
of the Border Slave Sures assembled in the city Of
Frankfort desire to addrcss you IN relation 10 the
present condition Of the c0antrv.
None Of us have ever expected 10 live to see the
spectacle exhibited in our distracted land. The
cry resoun1s throughout onr borders and m
few short weeks We have all over the land the
inarshalug OF troops ready Tor tie eohhict lhe pnr
suits @! peace are neglected ana abandoned, and the
fell spirit of war has eiled almost every heart, until
gentle and tender yeids ~ the herce m
pulse ard encourages the strife, and the maternal eye
scarce gathers tear Ss The son oelzes hs lfis ""
rushes toward the field Of .ruage aud OF DEATH l.,
If this warlike spir-tls terrible energy-weIe,uI uIs
played in preparing mee the iegios i an %
enemy. our hearts would eAult In The e1hoiiou VI o
martial spirit OF our country meu; but aius w
tans are descendant OF sis wbo tood eloe .! se III
shs day Of battle, TO maintain The lhde euenGe oi our
country, aud in the approaching eoA"lc' pIo"ei 10 "
Can we hope in tls day Of fierce passion, that
voice CRYING for peace vii be heard! Will any poI-
traiture of the horrors of clv war; that we can give,
have Iv influence with those " Lo rushing madly
on 70 des;roy each other We fear not. States which
should have been with us and whose voice would have
increased he 20 eDoy OF ouf ae'nds for peace, have
been seiZed with the prevailing madness and have
rushed TO arms. Still fe Uouhd to make our voice
20 be heard, with the hope jnat our words Will have
their influence al Gay, when men shall behoidthe
wasting and desolation that theT madness has pro-
duced.
All tie Slave States except four are arrayed in hos
tiiy 70 The General Government and are demanding
that the confederation which they have formed snail
be Recognized as separate sovereign nation Inc
process by winch they have attempted to form them
selves distinct nation ha5 hceu ior each Sie by
itself declare all connection with the General Gov
ernment terminated, and then unite In forming con-
federation among themsels c..
Our present purpose doe not require us 10 GlScuss
the propety Of tie of these States, yet 1t may be
proper FOR US 10 say, that they lind no warrant In any
known. principle OF our Go'eram5ut' and no justin
cation ia she facts existing when they seeded
While these States clsn 'Eat their sovereignty af
nation shall be recognized and have collected armies
70 make GOOD their clin, tie Government OF the
United States insists that tie ordinances Of Secession
are uttely void and that Sic Constitution and laws OF
tbe United States e u force within the seeded
States Just they within any OF thc other States
and 70 maintain this pUslO. armies rapidly gather
ing on the borders OF the srectad states.
Ii there could be any intervention by which the
shedding OF blood and the 4, otOn OF civil war could
De avon a the prac zeal good sgpse o. the Aet ;
people might discover some mode Of adjusting the d
culties which would be alike honorable aud benehciM
TO both tie eOnteDding Ia,ue'. hut while one clue
demands the recognition OF ~ sovereignty ana Tue
other insists that such recognition Is COZ tltutonsl
mpossi y it is manifest that hoIe can be no arber
bot the sword, unless tie people themselyes, artng
upon and through their representatives, State ana Ma
,iona sba,l inepose arrest tbe stFie, and enforce
settlement without boodseL Il any terms OF ADJUST
ment should be satisfactory - both paites winch
would rl short Of the recognition Of the sovereignty
Of the obedience Of the Gecectu >taes 10 - COstn
tion aud laws of the UDeG States, and still satisfy the
people OF TIE Uited State-, l. ue duty Of each party
TO notify the obeT Of such terms rs would be saisac
tory so tina, attempt at adjustment might be MADE
But repeat, if the fiiion Ot the sovereignty
OF the seeded States cOnlulc stic qua non, anu u
the Government continue 10 discalm the consutuonai
power make such recognition there Is no peacent
solution Of The difficulty los-be, other tnan such az
the people themselves may ls o. ri~ action Produce.
is proper for us 10 s,y ths' IN our opinion the Con-
stitu,ion delegates TO no OF the Govern
ment nor TO all Of them combined, The power to des-
troy the Government iseli, gt would be done 10y the
DIVISION OF The country iuo repra coniederacles and
that the obi atiOn exists 70 ulnain the Constitution
OF the United States and to peserye the Union uniln
peired.
It bas teen suggested in quarters entitled TO The
highest feopect that tie iDocpondei &c Cf tie S'aet
which have seeded might De a. hn0Wledfed py Ma
siona Convention adopting amendment 10 the Con-
ssituiioI for that purpose, a. such an amendment
woud have the support and acquescence OF the scd-
cd State. But leave thai Tor tie decision OF the
PEOPLE aud their Representatives, when they SHAH tei
The imperative necessity Of ruch "a settlement.
We now 20 the consideration Of y hat ofght 70
be done or tie purpose OF uelng apprehension with
in the few slave States which sl adhere 10 the mon
established by their fathers.
We ask no concession Of new or additional nights.
We do fear suy immediate encroachnert upon our
nights as slave States. The aueudnent TO Tie Copsii-
tuon proposed by the last Congress gives
that at pre there is danger that rights Viii
be assaed. But are few III number, and the pre-
pOnderance the Tree Sics u
The security to our rights afforded by the sense
of usioe In the minds Of te free States nay be los, by
a change Of popular feeling in The future. One great
object in constitutions to protect tie nights Of non-
ties.
In the Constitution there general grants Of power
10 the Congress the lifted States which might be
perverted 10 our injury contrary TO tie spl ot tire -
strument and sti the letter If the grant Claimed 10
suthorize the injurious legi lGtiCn. Snch ere the
power 10 regulate commerce between the States
and the power exclusive legislation over the i)i+
trict of Columbia ard over lors, dock yaros, ana
srsensls IN he several States. IL would not now be
claimed by Congress that these grants authorized an
interference IN The sale OF slaves between ue ltoe
authorized the abolition OF Slavery in the Dtnu o
Columbia while MARYLAND and Virginia reTnalned Slave
States the like abolition IA forts and other places
within -liye States But hat viii be claimed III Tie
future We cannot know. So also, III relation 10 the
Territoiics belonging 10 the rniea States. While We
are aware that all the Territories, then nnOTcanizet,
were organized by acts Of tie last Congress winch
contain no prohibition of Slavery, and " ie we know
that this wi,s the action Of Congress ~ WEeh me
Free Stsye~ rnd the control ~ the time the acs were
oassed i'll these are but acts Of Congress subject 10
repeal OF alteration az public feeling may change under
temporary excitement.
II is but ust that the rights of the Slave States now
ia "a small minority Of the whole States, should be
guarded IN the particulars mentioned by tuch cOs-
tu1on3 guarantees shall render them secure against
future legislation in times oil excitement Our dis
tn,guished feow-ciiizen, the Hon. John j. Cntten,
Csri for the purpose Of securing by CONSTITUTIONAL
guarantees rights already possessed, presented TO Con-
gress certain propositions 10 amend the Constitution
which met with general approval, and were sttsac-
tory 10 us and TO people, and those propositions as
originally offered any that are equivalent wOuld De
uow saii factory and would quiet apprehensions tnat
exist 70 extent In the minds OF real 1cnds Oi lhe
Union, aud which iudus' TiOusly excited by those
who are enemies of the Union aud OF the people.
Whether any such constitutional guarantees would