Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-11-01
LUsnY's Null, OWEN Co., KY, !

the honor to receive last evening, through
Mr.. Robert Ellis, of Carroll county, your
letter of the 18th, inclosing note to you
from Gen. Robert Anderson dated at
headquarters, at Louisville, on the oath
instant.
Gen. Anderson evidently labors under
total misconcepton Of this whole affair,
and has been misled, doubtless, by the
sensational paragraphs of press which
seems bent upon mischief, or by the ~
ling reports Of cvil-6isposed persons, who
desire to set in motion collisions of arms,
in which they will never be participants
Gen. Anderson treats this assemblage of
men in Owen, with arms in their hands,
as an unlawful proceeding. ! cannot SO
regard it.
If they have no unlawful object in
view, the men Of Kentucky have con-
stitutional right to assemble with arms
in their hands, to bear them in their own
defence, and to parade with them SO as
to acquire efficiency as military body
in the use Of arms. His memory must
be treachcrous indeed who docs not re-
collect that this RICH! was insisted upon
as basis Of holding Camp Dick Robin
son together, before Mr.. Lincoln ayowod
the fact that they were called together
under his auspices cat the urgent solicit
tation Of eminent Union men Of this
State If Gen. Anderson may estab-
fish camps in Kentucky, so may I, or
others. If we may not, be is master,
and we arc subjugated. 1t is time this
matter should be ascertanod by tue peo-
pie Of this State. / hold that the people
may form military organizations may
meet to drill--and should be efficiently
organized to protect Themselves in the
enjoyment of their constitutional rights,
and to protect their families from insult
aud violence. If this right has been
wrostcd from them with the rest, the,
arc no longer free if they submit to it,
thoy do not desire freedom
assure you and Cen Anderson that
ibis assombago Of mon witbar ia their
hands, contemplate 40 rad gpon any
town or upon amy body | have heard
with profound establishment and regret
tho rumor chat ] contemplated descent
upon the Capital, or upon the homestcads
Of tho Union men who might fall within
the range Of my power | assure you
nothing could be more false Or prcpos-
ferrous; Cor if ! had 10 600 men assem-
blcd, every Union pan in the county, or
elsewhere, might sleep in perfect secu-
rity, that ! would not modest him or his,
but, on the contrary, would protect him
in the enjoyment Of all those rights which
arc his birih-righG as well as mine
II is bad men, my dear sr who desire
to conyulso society, who spread these re-
ports-uen who would precipitatc the
shock Of arms and civil strife, that they
may find opportunities for self.aggran-
dizcmont, amid The turmoil tloy excite.
saw paragraph stating that ] was at
New Liberty, surrounded by 800 seces-
siQuists to prevent my arrest, when !
pledge my honor that have not with me
any ono but NY son, youth Of twenty.
ono years who accompanied me from
home You never saw crowd more
peuccablo, or less inclined to disturb
others, Chan this which has been assem-
bled here for few days past, and if they
have any illegal purposes in view, | am
not aware Of it, or participant in it.
You may be aware that in public speech
es have coanseed the Southern Rights
men Of Kentucky TO adoptineyery neigh
borhood and community military organ
ization as the only political organization
suited to the times. have advised them
to form companies, battalions, regiments
and divisions to elect their officers, and
to drill in the school Of the soldier, com
pany and battalion, until they render
themselves efficient as body Of soldiers.
have advised them to bring together
their rifles, and TO rifle them to q uniform
calibre Of about fifty to the pound, to as
certain, then, their capacity and the dis
tance at which they will be accurate and
elective weapons, and when thus armed
and drilled, to stand united for the pro-
lection and preservation Of their consti-
tutional rights have said that whom
ever the constitutional rights Of the hum
blest man IN their ranks were successful
" invaded, my advice would be TO resis.
The power which assailed those rights.
These we're my honest opinions, and |
ayowed them Men have rights which
arc above the forms Of government, but
in our Constitution they are expressly
chartered and if they can be successful
I ~ assaulted, il viii be because the people
who have them viii have failed in their
duty TO themselves
You and Cen Anderson both rest un-
I der a misapprebcnsion as to my position
hero. / hold no military commission; /
command no military force am not en-.
camped with any body Of men / have
consented simply to this: If the people
wish to driE, and for that purpose to
form o camp, | will enoomp with them
aud instruct them for such length Of time
as may be mutually convenient If the
pcoper-alarmcd for their security by a
course Of legislation which drifts The
State into combination in which Ken
lucky Is inside the vanguard ofaciige force
acating npon tho sya.hcra people, and