Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-08-21
Resignation OF Gen. $. B. Euokner.
HEAnQUARTERs KENTCCEY, STATE GUARD,
LOrIsYHLE. JulY 20. 1851.
General Orders,


General Orders,
l. The Inspector General having rendered the re-
signatian of his commission, hereby relinquishes
command Of the Kentucky State Guard, which viii
devolve upon Brigadier General Thomas L. CrItten-
den The Inspector General cOngrstulates the
Guard on receiving him for q Commander.
2 The Inspector General deeply regrets that the
official relations which have existed between him
and Yourselves are about to be severed. From The
beginning of your organization he has had the hon
or of being your Commander. In retiring from that
pOs1tiOn he takes pleasure in commanding your eX-
celIent conduct citizens and soldiers. In the dif
fcult positions which you have occupied. you have
discharged with fidelity all duties you have been
called on TO perform. You have displayed, in an
eminent degree, those virtues of the true soldier
strict military discipline and perfect subordinaJOn
to the civil law.
Your own conduct and the purposes Of your or
ganizatiOn have been studiOusly asssIled and mis-
represented BY many; but those who have most Bit
terly sssailed YOU have been ready to receive
honors at your hands. and those who have most con
stantly misrepresented you, have most eagerly
sought your protection in times Of aPprehended
danger.
Whatever may have been the political views Of
the members Of yOur organization, you have lnva-
rably refused in your capacity soldiers to lend
yourselves to party uses. Under al circumstances
you have discharged your duty to the state.
Whatever may be said by those who are inimical
the history the oLAles Al tLiitI "ile lo
popular mind has been unusually Iniamed, viii
show that since your organization, no moo mas IN
terfered with the rights Of citizens, no apprehen-
sion has existed Of servile insurrectoni ana mat
there has been no time when, N complete subordi-
nation 10 the civil authorities, you would not have
reDressed auv act of lswess violence which would
have had for its object the forced precipitation Of
the State into line of policy contrary to the inten
tous of its people. It is due, IN no lneonsideraoie
degree to you, thlt heatuky t2-lRy SnJ1ys eom,
s., fhn rN0i al
reigns else where and that without any fOrcble IN
reference she has calmly chosen her political posi-
| tion It is only VIXEN the civil authorities have
themselves subOr inated their actions TO the lnu-
ences of q novel and illegal military organiza9on
that the public peace has been IN danger OF Oelng
! disturbed and the rights Of citizens placed IN
| jeopardy.
| In relinquishing the command which mas assoe's.
tad him Will YOU. you viii not think it improper If
the Inspector General advises you to De iathiul 70
Kentucky in the future, as you nave Oeeh N inc
! Dost However you may employ your influence as
c,tzsns YOUR duty as citizens s one Of entre SUD
orlination to the civil authorities. 1ou should
ifast a purpOse in future, as in the past, to up
hold he Constitution and laws and tC make no lac
60 onnosition as a minority, to the legally eX-
pressed viii of Kentucky.
The position Of Kentucky is an anomalous one,
bt Il has resulted thus far in maintaining peace and
S;s1dv relations with the entire Union, and IN the
no1saryation amongst US of some remnants OF Con
t;,tional liberty while IN every OJneP secuon the
C,stitT,fion has either been ignored, on the one
bon5 or trampled under foot BY centralized, dc
| tatoriaI power on the other.
| The knowledge that war in our midst viii bring
la; 4 an its attendant evils, has induced Kentucky
=, declare ON the one hand that as long as her posi-
! 80 l. rsspected she will remain member Of the
fTjo and on the other, that she viii maintain that
degree of neutrality which will prevent her from
tsno mart in fruitless and unnecessary war, that
was tst induced by intolerance and fanahcism' ana
is row urged by sectional hatred and lust oil po"
| er and dominion.
considerable part of the people OF kentaGAy ahS
nrofessng TO believe that you would be ialtnIus -
the policy Of neutrality in which tney ~ s,-
mental in placing the State, have urgeo ~
/ tion in our midst of other military Ofg o -
some of them under the forms Of law, anu Ii, Cor
them unknown to and above the law @,,-sIitv in
the purpose of maintaining peace AZ Is.;i oyver M
tbe State In all probability the poiloI. Pi;,josl
the STATE will fall into the hanGs oi si0 H. ~
cihs which control these organizM = i,c,,
49, ,as4 yriib them to enforce the geaSo P0--ey P
LiaI 49, tbo, have professedly clalmeu uas yoI
i5 WhS1 ;IS.o with them now rests the power anu
~. .vonsibiity Of maintaining peace; Let lsl
tlle Of the power justify their PROBES
honsse s .incerity and 4 they tulhn their pieugss
suns @ =. C5er them the justice when they nave r
$500 10 extend to you in your saeeessIul eHoLs.
~ perform your part Of the duty OF , ma ne.ii'i-
pesce in Kentucky, ,lo,a,.- . - -. C,o.srsI