Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-25
To tie Editors of the Louisville Journal:
Executive DEPARTMENT.
FRANKFORT, KY, Dec. 1S, 1861.


My attention has been called to some
comments and suggestions in the Journal OF
yesterday upon the following extract taken
from the message" of my old friend George
w. johnson, Esq, appointed provisional
Governor" of Kentucky by the Convention
at Russellyille:
.sThe position now hold by the appoint
ment of the Convention lately held at Rus
sellville, 1 viii gladly resign whenever the
regularly elected Governor shall escape from
his virtual Imprisonment at Frankfort, so
that you may have the opportunity of plac-
ing him at the head OF this movement for
the emancipation of Kentucky"
have not seen copy of the message,
and if you are correct in your state
ment that the members of that convention
have been using my name and Office ''to
give color or some faint and heeting tint of
authority to these irresponsible and Grimm
al proceedings" you do me but justice
in saying it was done without my consent.
If the purposes and proceedings Of that con-
vention are correctly represented by you, l
condemn its action in unqualified terms
Self constituted, as it was, and without au-
thority from the people, il can not be justi'
fed by similar revolutionary acts in other
States, by minorities to overthrow the State
Governments. l condemned their action
and condemn the action of this one.
My position is and has been and will con-
tinue to be, to abide by the srM Of a majority
of The people of the State. To stand by the
constitution and Iltcs Of the State of Kentucky
as erpounded by the Supreme Court Of the
State and By the constitution and ldic, of the
Federal Government as eIpounded by the !Su-
preme Court of the United States. They are
the creatures of the people and of the SOW
ereign States, and neither Congress nor the
Legislature can exercise any powers not
delegated in these constitutions. Both
should be preserved in their integrity until
altered by the people. To this position /
shall cling in this trying hour as the last
hope of society and of constitutional liber-
ty. It is the sheet-anchor Of our safety and
the only hope Of patriotism, of honor, and Of
freedom, and whenever an attempt is made
to overthrow the constitution, which is the
only bond of our Union, come from quarter
it may, from friends or foes, it ought to be
at once resisted-unitedly, resolutely, des
perately resisted against any odds, to save
our institutions as our fathers made them.
cannot close this letter without expressing
to you my high qualification at the noble
stand you have taken against the atrocious
policy advocated in Secretary Cameron's re-
port. If it be adopted the Constitution and
the Union will be hopelessly overthrown. 1
am opposed to this confscation of private
property 1t may, as eontended, be an
incident to war; but it involves the in
nocent with the guilty. 1t is unjust to
women and helpless children who are in no
way responsible for the war. 1t never was
intended to be done in such government
as ours, except, it may be, as to public prop
erty. It never was intended to apply to
slave property, for, after the slaves are once
eonfsce ted, what will the Government do
with them? Return them to their owners?
give them back. to the slave States never.
They will be emsncipated, and by the ma
ture of our Institutions will be changed and
the constitution overthrow. The policy
is all Wrong-upjust to creditors, an act of
barbarism, in justice and cruelty, and ought
not to be tolerated in free country.
Respectfully,
B. MAGOFFIN.