The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-08-29
NO32

fusion Of blood sickeDs u.s." Then do all
in your power to bring it to an end. Let
the whole strength of this eomuonwealth
be put forth in support OF the government.
in order that the war may be terminated
by prompt suppression of the rebellion.
The longer the struggle continues, shs
6ercer will be its spirit, and the nore
fearful the waste of life attending r.
You therefore only aggrayate the salam-
ity you deplore By standing aloof from
the combat. Bat again they say, 1--WE
cannot fight our bretborn." Indeed
But your brethern can fight yes, sHd
with a good WILL too. Wicksdly snd
wantonly have they commented tlis ear
against you aud your Institutions, and fs-
rociously are they prosecotins il. They
take no account of the fact that the 0as-
sacre. With which they hope tboir swords
will ere long be ciogged, aust be the
massacre of their brethern. HoasVer
much We may bow our heads at the con-
fession. it is nevertheless true that every
free people that have existed have been
obliged, at one period or other OF their
history, to fight for their liberties against
traitors within their own bosons, and
that people xho have not the greatness
of soul thus to fight, cannot long continue
to be free, nor do they deserve to be SO.
There is not, and there ssbnot be, any
neutral ground for loyal people be-
tween their own Government and those
who, at the head Of armies, are RenaeiDg
its destruction. Your injection is not
neutrality, though you nsy deluds your
selves with the belief that it is so. With
this rebellion confronting you, refose to
CO. operate actively with Government in
subduing it, you thereby condena the
Government, and assume toward it an
attitude of antagonism. Your insctlon
ia virtual Endorsement of the rebellion,
and if you do not thereby give to the re-
bells precisely that laid and comfort"
spoken of in. the Constitution, you cer-
tainly afford them u most powerful en-
couragement and support. That they
regard your present position as friendly
to them, is proved by the fact that, In
recent enactment Of the Confederate Con-
gress, confscating the debts due from
their own citizens to those of loyal states,
the debts due to the people of Kentucky
are expressly expected. Is not this sig
DiGcantl Does it leave any room for
doubt that the Confederate Congress sup
pose they have discovered under the
guise of your neutrality lurking sympa~
thy for their cause which entities you to
be treated as was the purpose of her ap-
prebensive statesmen iD placing her
in the anomalous position she now oc-
eupies, it cannot be denied that Ken
tucky, BY her present attitude, is ex-
erting a potent influence in strengthening
the rebellion, and is, therefore false alike
to her loyalty and to her fame. You
may rest we'll assured that this estimate
of your neutrality is entertained By the
true men of the country 10 all the states
which are now sustaining the Government.
Within the last few weeks hov many Of
those gallant volunteers Who have Left
home and kindred and all that is dear to
them. are now under southern sun, ex-
posing themselves to death from disease
and TO death from battle, aud are so-
counting their lives as nothing in the ef-
fort they are making for the delivereuce
of your Government and theirs; bow ma
nv of them have said to NE, in sadness
and in longing. evil not Kentucky help
mel" How my soul would have leaped,
could | have answered promptly, conf
dent!y, exultingly. "Yes. she will" But
when l thought of this neutrality. my
heart sank within me, and | did not, and
could not, look those brave nes in the
face. And yet could not answer mo"
could not crush myself TO the earth IN.
der the self abaseuent of such reply
l therefore said-snd may my country
sustain mel hope, trust, pray, nay +,
believe Kentucky will yet do ber du-
ty."
If this Government ia to be destroyed,
ask yourselves, are you willing it shall be
recorded in history that Kentucky stood
by in the greatness Of her strength and
lifted not hand to stay the cstastrophel
If it is to be saved-as | verify believe it
is-are you willing it shall be written
that in the inmeasurable glory which
must attend the achievement Kentucky
had no partl | will only add, if Ken
tucky wishes the waters Of her beautiful
Ohio to be dyed in blood-if she wishes
her harvest fields, now waving in their a.
bundance, to be trampled beneath the
feet of hostile soldiery, as flower gar
den is pied beneath the tbreshings of
the tempest-if shs wishes the homes
where her loved ones are now gathered
in peace. invaded By the proscriPtive .fu-
ry of military despotism, spariDg neith-
er life nor property-if she wishes the
streets of her towns and cities grown with
grass, and the steamboats, Of her rivers
to lie rotting at her wharves-then let
her join the Southern Confedoracy; but il
she would have the bright waters of that
river floW,on in their glsdnsss--if she
} would have her hsrvests peacefully gath
cred to her garners-if she would have
! the laElabies of ber cradles and the songs
of her homes uninvaded by the cries and