The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-07-12
A Letter that stir. the Blood.

an and who is a citizen OF Ken
tucky, has lately written a letter 10
a friend in Kentucky. which is pub.
lished in the Louisville Journal, in
which tho question Of tho great
rebellion is handled witn the pen OF
a statesman and q patriot. Mr..
Holt is totally opposed to the folly Of
neutrality" that now binds Ken.
lucky Union men hand and foot. and
to which miserable policy will Ken.
,ncky owe her ruin in tho case she
is cast into the vortex of secession.
We make extracys from Mr.. Holt's
letter:
MIR. HOLT CONDEMNS NEUTRALITY.
must say, in all frankness and
without desiring TO reflec, upon the
course or sentiments Of any, that, in
this struggle foi the existence Of our
government, can neither practice
nor profess nor feel neutrality.
would as soon think OF being neutral
IN contest between an officer of
Justice and an incendiary arrested in
an attempt to fire the dwelling over
my head; Tor 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
IN this side of the grave. II. how.
ever, from natural horror Of ira-
trlcidai strife, or from her intimate
social and business relations with
the South, Kentucky shall determine
to maintain the neutral attitude ss
suned for her BY her Legislature,
her position will be an honora BILE
one, though falling TAR short OF the
iull measure of loyalty which her
history has so constantly illustrated
Her Executive, ignoring, as | an
happy to believe, alike the popular
and Legislative sentiment OF the state,
has, by proclamation, forbidden the
government OF the United States
rom marching troops across her
territory. This is, in no sense a
neutral step. but one Of aggressive
hostility. The troops OF the federal
government have as clear a consti-
tntional right to pass over the soil OF
Kentucky as they have to march
along the streets OF Washington, and
couli this prohibition he effective. it
would not only be violation oi the
fundamental law, hut would, iE all
It's tendencies, be directly in al.
vanceinent OF the revolution, and
might. in an emergency easily i'm.
aglned, compromise the highest
national interests.
SIR. LINCoLN's POLICY.
For more than a month after the
inauguration of President Lincoln
the manifestations seemed unequiv-
ocal that his administration would
seek peaceful solution OF our un-
happy politicol troubles, and would
look 10 time and amendments 10 the
Federal Constitution, adopted in
accordance with its provisioni, to
bring back the revoted states to their
allegiance. So marked WAS the
effect OF these nan festations in
tranquiizing the border states and
in reassuring their loyalty, that the
conspirators who hal set this re.
violation on foot took the alarm. -
While affecting to despise these
states as not sufficiently intensified
in their devotion to African servitudt
they knew they could never succeed
in their reasonable enterprise with
out their support, Hence it was
resolved to precipitste a collision u
arms with the federal authorities, il
the hope that under the panic All,
exasperatiou incident to the com
mencemeut Of civil war, the bordeI
states, following the natural bent o
their.sympatbies, would array them
selves against the government.
THE CALL TO ARMS AND THE REsPJNsE
In view Of these events and threat
cnings, what was the duty of tn
Chief Magistrate Of the Repnblic2-
lie might have taken COUNSEL of tn
revvlutionists and tremblcd unde
menaces; he might upon the fall c
Sumter, have directed that Foi
Pickens should be surrendered with
out firing a gun in defense, and pro
ceeded yet further, and meeting iuli
the requirements Of the "let rs alone
policy insisted on in the South, b
might have ordered that the "star
and stripes" should be laid in tn
dust in the presence OF every bit {
rebel bunting that might appear
But he did none Of those things. nc
could he have done them withor
forgetting his oath and betraying tn
most sublime trust that has ever bee
confd.d to the hands OF man, Wit
heroic fidelity to his constitutions
obligations, feeling justly that thes
; obligations charged him with tn
, protection OF the Republic and il
capital against the assaults alike {
foreign and domestic enemies, h
threw himself on the loyalty OF tn
country for support in the struggl
upon which he was about to entel
and nobly has that appeal been re
; sponded to. States containing q
aggregate population Of ninetee
millions have answered to the az
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