Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-06-15
Che Ohio 3tatesmram
4 4 r n 3 .
The American Union-ElOq aent Elk.
tract from u Late Letter Of the Hon.
Joseph Holt. s-, ... ..

tract from a Late Letter Of the Hon.
Joseph Holt.
We make the following extract from late
letter Of the Hon. Joseph Holt, of Kentucky, In
favor Of the people standing by the Unions.
II is true. that before this deliverance Of the
popular mind OF the South from the threaten
ings and alarms which have subdued it,can be
accomplished, the remorseless agitators who
have made this revolution, and now hold It's
reins, must be discarded alike from the public
confidence and public service. The country, in
its agony, 10 feeling their power, and we well
understand how difficult will be the tack Of over
throwing the ascendency they have secured.
But the Union men Of the South-believed to
be in the majority in every seeded State, ex-
cept perhaps South Carolina-aided By the
presence Of the Government, will be fully equal
politically, II need be, by scores. ,sar.i.t
"A breath can unmaks them, Is breath has made;"
but destroy this Republic, and .'
"where Is that promethean heat
That can its light relume1"
Once entombed, when will the Angel Of the
Resurrection descend to the portals Of its sep
ulcher7 There is not voice which comes to
us from the cemetery OF nations that does not
answer, "Never, never"' Amid the torments
Of our perturbed existence, we may have glimps.
es Of freedom, as the maniac has gllmpses Of
reason between the paroxysms OF bis madness,
but We shall attain 20 neither National dignity
nor N itional fepose. We shall be mass Of
jarriDg, warning, fragmentary States, enleebled
and demoralizrd without power at home, or re
spectability abroad, and like the Republics OF
Mexico and South America, we will drift away
on shoreless and ensaDguined sea of civil
oommotion, from which. II the teachings of his
tory are to be trusted, we shall be finally rescu
ed by the iron hand OF some military wrecker,
who will coin the shattered elements OF our
greatness aud of our strength into diadem and
throne. Said M. Fould, the great French
statesman, to an American citizen, few weeks
since, "Your Republic Is dead, and IL is prob
ably the last the world will ever zee. You will
have q reign of terrorism, and after that two or
three monarchies." All this may be verified,
should this revolution succeed. ~
Let US then twine each thread OF the glorious
tissue Of our country's flag about our heart
stringe, and looking upon our homes, and catch
ing the spirit that breathes upon US from the
bsttlefelds of our fathers, let us resolve that,
come veal or wee, we will, In life and In death,
now and forever, stand by the Stars and Stripes.
prayer and our struggle that they shall float
over our graves. They have been unfurled from
the snows of Canada to the planes OF New Or
leans, and to the halls Of the Montezumas, and
amid the uoitudes Of every sea, and every where,
as the luminous symbol Of resistless and benef-
icent power, they have led the free to victory
and 10 glory. II has been my fortune to look
upon this Gag In foreign lands, and amid the
gloom Of an Oriental despotism; and right well
do know, By contrast, how bright are It's stars,
and how sublime are Its inspirations. Ifthis
banner, the emblem for us Of all that Is trans-
porting In human hope, Ia to be sacrificed on the
altars Of satanic ambition, and thus disappear
forever amid the night and tempest Of tevolu-
ton, then will | feel-and who shall estimate
the desolation Of that feeling gf-that the eur
has indeed been s,ricken from the sky Of oui
lives, and that henceforth We shall be but wan
derers and outcasts. with naught but the breat
OF sorrow and penury for our lips, and witi
hands ever outstretehed In feebleness and sup
plic.tion, on which, In any hour, military
tyrant NAV rivet the fetters OF despairiul
bondage. May God in his iDfnite mercy save
YOU and me, and the land we go much love
from the doom Of such degradation!
3 No contest 80 momentous as this has ariser
in human history, for amid ell the conflicts o.
men and of nations, the life Of no such govern
ment as ours has ever been at stake. Oul
fathers won our Independence by the blood ant
sacrifices Of q seven years. war, and we hay,
maintained It against the assaults Of the great
est power on earth; and the question now Is
whether we are to perish by our own hands, anC
have the epitaph of the suicide written upoI
our tomb. The ordeal through which we arr
passing must involve immense suffering ant
losses for US all, bat the expenditure of no
merely hundreds Of millions, but of billions- O
treasure. will be we'll made, II the result shal
be the preservation Of our Institutions. y j..
Gould my voice reach every dwelling in Ken.
tucky, would implore Its inmates-if the.
would not have the rivers Of their posterit,
shripk away, as do unfed Streams beneath tn,
summer heats-to rouse themselves from thei
Ilethargy, and fly to the rescue of their countr,
before Il 10 everlastlpgly TOO late. Man shUult
appeal to man, and neighborhood to nsghsor'
hood, until the electric fres of patriotism shal
fash tbroughout the land, IL is time in ,wbcl
the work. .shop, the Office, the counting hous,
and the Held may we'll be abandoned for the sol
emn duty that 10 upon US; for all these toll
will bring but treasure-rot for ourselves, bu
for the spoiler, II this revelation is not arrested
We are all, with our every earthly interest
embarked In mid.ocean on the same commo
deck The howl Of the storm Is in our ears
and "the ligbtning's red glare is painting hel
on the aky," and while the noble ship pitche
and rolls under the lashings Of the waves, th
cry Ia heard that che has sprung leak at man
points, and that the rushing waters are mount
ing rapidly In the hold. The man who in sue
an hour will not work at the pumps, is either
maniac or q monster. -
Sincerely yours, ]. HOLT,