The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-06-26

year do so by remitting the amount they wish s.
be so appropriated. In no case will We enteTnei
A,mesunlsss they are Accompanied with money:
Letter from Hon. Joseph Holt.
WASHINGTON, May 81, 1861.
j. F. SPEEE, esq, Louisville, Ky.-Ms
Dear Sir: The recent overwhelming vote
in favor of the Union in Kentucky has af
forded Inspeakable qualification to ali trtsd
men throughout the country. That vote
indicates that the people of that gallant State
have b2en naither seduced by tie arts nor
terrified by tie menaces of the revolutionists
in their midst, and that it is their fixed pur-
pose to remain faithful to the Government
which, for nearly seventy years, has remain
ed faithful to them Still it cannot be de-
nied that there is in the bosom of that State
band of agitators, who, though few in mum
Der, are yet powerful from the public conf
dence they have enjoyed, and who have been,
and doubtless will continue to be, unceasng
in their endeavors to force Kentucky to unite
her fortunes with those of the Rebel Con-
federacy of the South. In view of this and
of the well-khown fact that several Of the
seeded States have by fraud and violence
been driven to occupy their present false
b fatal position. cannot, even with the en-
couragement other late vote before me, look
upon the political future of our native State,
withouta a painful solicitude. Never have
the safety and honor of her people required
the exercise of so much vigilance and Of SO
much courage on their part. Iftrue to them
selves. the stars and stripes, which, like
angels wings, have so long guarded their
homes from every oppression, will still be
theirs but if, chasing the dreams of mems
ambition, they shall prove false, the black
ness of darkness can but family predict the
gloom that awaits them. The Legislature,
it seems, has determined by resolution that
the State, pending the present unhappy war,
shall occupy neutral ground. must say,
in all frankness and without daring to reflect
upon the course or sentiments of any, that,
in thisstruggle for the existence Of our Gov
crnment, can neither practice nor profess
nor feel neutrality. / would as soon think
of being neutral in contest between an Of
iicer ofjustice and an incendiary arrested in
an attempt to fire the dwelling overiny head;
for the Government whose overthrow is
sought is for me the shelter not only of home,
kindred, and friends, but of every earthly
blessing which can hope to enjoy on this
side of the grave. IL, however, from natu-
raj horror of frantricidal strife, or from her
intimate social and business relations with
the South, Kentucky shall determine to
maintain the natural attitude assumed for
her by her Legislature her position will still
be an honorable one, though falling far short
of that full measure of loyalty which her
history has so constantly illustrated. Her
Executive, ignoring, as am happy to believe
alike the popular and legislative sentiment of
the State, has, by proclamation, forbidden the
Government of the United States from march
ing troops across her territory. This is, in
no sense, neutral step, but one of aggres-
sive hostility. The troops of the Federal
Government have as clear a constitutional
right to pass over the soil of Kentucky as
they have to march along the streets of
Washington and could this prohibition be
effective, it would not only be violation of
the fundamental law, but would, in all its
tendencies, be directly in advancement of the
revolution, and might, in an emergency easily
imagined, compromise the highest national
interests. | was rejoiced that the Legislature
so promptly refused to indorse this procla
nation as expressive of the true policy ofthe
State But turn away from even this to
the ballot-box, and find an abounding conso-
lation in the conviction it inspires, that the
popular heart of Kentucky, in its devotion
to the Union, is far in advance alike oflegis-
lat:ye resolve and of Executive proclamation.
But as it is well understood that the late
popular demonstration has rather scotched
than killed rebellion in Kentucky, propose
inquiring, as briefly as practicable, whether,
in the recent action or present declared policy
Of the Administration, or in the history of
the pending revolution, or in the objects it
seeks to accomplish, or in the results which
must follow from it, if successful, there can
be discovered any reasons why that State
should sever the ties that unite her with a
Confederacy in whose councils and upon
whose battle-ficlds she has won so much
honor, and under whose protection she has
enjoyed SO much prosperity.
For more than month after the inaugu-
ration of President Lincoln, the manifesto
tions seemed unequivocal that his Admins
tration would seek peaceful solution of our
unhappy political troubles, and would look
to time and amendments to the Federal Con-
stitution, adopted in accordance with its
provisions, to bring back the revolted States
to their allegiance. So marked was the ef.
feet of these manifestations in tranauilizing
the Border States, and in reassuring their
loyalty, that the conspirators who had set
this revolution on foot took the alarm. While
affecting to des.ise these States as not suffi.
ciently intensified in their devotion to Afri-
can seryituds, they knew they could never l'e;.ss
succeel ~ .ler .reasDnaD'e en.eiss1 asv"a ~,' ~
ou. ;a.l. ;.; o.. = ;,h % toI .ha Eaas :.
prec'ptaIe coihsion OF arms WIN tne : cue T
RAJ autho.iues, III snc noPc sua., u'iuet .ne