Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-10-09

The Oontederates are nauon OF HgPO'
critics. Their hue and cry has been for
.lStats Rights and prOfessed arguments
without number have been brought forward
70 prove the inalienable right Of every State
10 not only regulate Its own internal affairs,
but, by assuming the privilege OF seeding
nom the Union whenever it sees fit to con-
troll the affairs Of the nation also. The de-
sign Of the Constitution to be mere tenn
porary form, to be annuIled at pleasure, has
been set forth q thousand times BY the sdvo-
Gates of rebellion. The primary condition
Of the States has been cited, times without
number, Is the condition to which they had
right to return whenever they were dis
satisfied with the management Of the coun-
try at large. And loud has been the wailing
and fierce the snathemas whenever any
symptom of t'coercion" has been discovered
upon the part of the Government or its
the other Ride2 The rebels Who j'"t are sns6 s6
'----'---5'---T
troops into Virginia before the people had an
opportunity 70 express their preferences. The
people were opposed tomaking their State the
rueaIrU VI uuI, as-s.aa.---~a---a a-.--
preston at the polls they would have so de-
cided BY q majority of thousands. But thsir
voice was not wanted and was not heard. It
had been decided in concIave at Montgomery
that Virginia should secede and should bear
the brunt Of the battle. The Virginia Leg
islature was not only packed for the express
purpose of passing secession ordinance,
but those good Union men who were sent
there in spite Of the efforts of the rebels,
were insulied, brow-beaten and personally
endangered, until nearly all of them were
driven away, leaving no efficient opposition
to the ordinance. That is the way State
Rights were regarded in Virginia.
But the croWning act of usurpation
by the Confsderacy is the manner in
which they have regarded the State Rights
Of Kentucky. That State was for months Al
ally of the South, while yet it claimed to be
neutral. That neutrality was really direct
work in favor of the rebels. The Kentucky
Legislature and the Kentucky people profess
ed to be loyal and yet dared not be open
loyalists pTeferring to sit astride of the
fence, We deprecated. this action as in reali-
ty disloyal, but nevertheless it was the voice
of Kentucky, and our Government respected
it But it suited the purpose Of the
rebels to menace Ohio and Illinois by occupy
ing Kentucky with rebel troops, and in a
moment the whole doctrine of State Rights
was thrown to the winds The invader was
from the South, and not from the North
The Government had so far acknowledged |
the doctrine of State Rights, with need
less and thankless leniency toward Kentucky,
as we thought, but still it had done it, } and
the rebels themselves were the first to enter
the State. They proclaimed themselves
lisrE in word and deed. They were ordered
back by the Legislature and the Governor of
Kentucky, and refused to obey, saying that
they needed Kentucky, and would have her
Descssbly If they could, fOrcibly if they
must. Hence Kentucky is to be desolated
Is Virginia has been.
The rebels have thus proved their chief
,orner stone to be rotten; let US trust their
Ehole structure will speedily tall q mass of
-uins.