Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-11-22


warrant, and carry them out of the State,
so that the writ Of habeas corpus cannot
reach them.
Every day foreign armed bands are
making seizures among the people. Hun
dreds of citizens, old and young, vener-
able magistrates, whose lives have been
distinguished by the love of The people,
have been compelled to fly from their
homes and families to escape imprison
ment and exile at the hands Of Northern
and German soldiers, under the orders
OF Mrs LinApln and his military subordi-
mates, Wine yet holding an Important
political trust, confded by Kentucky,
was compelled to leave my home and fam
lily, or suffer Imprisonment and exile. -
If it is asked why | did not meet the ar
rest and seek trial, my answer is, that
! would have welcomed an arrest to be
followed by Judge and jury; but you
well know that could not have secured
these constitutional rights. ] would have
been transported beyond the State. to
languish in some Federal fortress during
the pleasure of the oppressor. Witness
the fate Of Morebead and his Kentucky
associates in their distant and gloomy
prison.
The case of the gentleman just men
toned is an example Of many others, and
it meets every element in definition of
deepotism. II it should occur in Eng
land, it would be righted, or it would
overturn the British Empire lie is a
citizen and native Of Kentucky. AS a
member of the Legislature, Speaker of
the House, representative in Congress
from the Ashland District, and Governor
Of the State, you have known, trusted
and honored him, during public service
of quarter of u century. lie is emil
ncnt for his ability, his amiabIe charac-
ter aud his blamcless life. Yet this man,
without indictment, without warrant,
without accusation, but by the order of
President Lincoln, was seized at mid
night, in his own house, and in the midst
Of his family, was led through the streets
OF Louisville, as am informed, with his
hands crossed and piuioned before him,
was carried out Of the State and district,
and now lies prisoner in fortress in
Now York harbor, q thousand miles
away. Do you think that any free Lee
] oislatnra ever aSsnnihled in KAri,.4LU
since the days of Charles Scott and Isaac
Shelby, until now, would have permitted
such a spectacle to dishonor the State
| No! Fellow citizens, the Legislature
could not have been free
would speak Of these things with the
simple solemnity which their magnitude
demands, yet it is difficult to restrain
the expression of just Indignation while
We smart under such enormties Mr.
Lincoln has thousands of soldiers on her
soil, nearly all from the North, and most
Of them foreigners, whom he employs as
his instruments to do these things. But
few Kentuckians have enlisted under bis
standard, for we are not yet accustomed
to his peculiar form of liberty.
will not pursue the disgraceful sub
ject. Has Kentucky passed out of the
control Of her own people! Shall hire
lings of the pen, recently imported from
the North, sitting in grand security at
the Capitol, force public opinion to APP
prove these usurpations, and point out
victims? Shall Mr. Lincoln, through
his German mercenaries, imprison orexile
the children Of the men who laid the
foundations of the Commonwealth, and
compel our noble people to exhaust them
selves in furnishing the money to destroy
their own freedom? Never, while Ken
lucky remains the Kentucky Of old
never, while thousands Of her gallant
sons have the will and the nerve to make
the State sing to the music Of their rifles
The Constitution Of the United States,
which these invaders unconstitutionally
swear every citizen whom they unconsti-
tutionally seize to support, has been
wholly abolished. It is as much forgot
ten as if it lay away back iu the twilight
Of history. The facts | have enumera.
tod chow that the very rights most care
fully reserved by it to States and to in.
diyiduals, have been most conspicuously
violated. And this destruction has been
accomplished, not by the President alone,
but by the Congress also, and with the
approval Of the Northern States and peo-
! pie. Thoy have deliberately made the
contest constitutional struggle between
so many millions on one sidcand so many
on the otber---one party lighting for sub
jugation, the other in self-defence and
for independence. Whatever may be the
future relations Of the two cohf9deracies,
the idea Of the restoration Of the Union
under the old Constitution is wholly Wis
ionary and dolusiye. If the North should
conquer the South, (Which it will perceive
to be impossible after few hundred mil
lions moro shall be expended and few
hundred thousand lives lost, the cbarac-
ter Of the Government would be radically
changed. 1t would probably not take
the form even Of a mixed government,
but would soon end in military despo-
tisni. II must soon become apparent to
all thoughtful men that the last hope Of
constitutional liberty lies in tho early re-
cogniton Of these great truths-in an
honorable peace and friend lyintcrcourse.
You declared your purposes not TO en-
gage 10 the war TO subdue the South, and
that you would be neutral and mediate in