Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-16
A Kentucky journal on he ArmiHs O
that State.

A Kentucky JOurna on the Aiming OF
that State.
From the Louisville (Ky.) Journal we clip
the following:
They arc talking at Frankfort of arming
the State. We should be glad to see the
State well armed. We are not willing, how
ever, that arms, furnished by the State,
should be put in any but loyal hands. This
is a matter of the highest importance.
The Governor of Kentucky is sworn 10
support the Constitution ofthe United States.
So is the Lieutenant Governor. So are the
Kentucky Senators and Representatives in
Congress. So are the Senators aud Repre-
sentatives in our State Legislature. So are
the Judges Of our Court Of Appeals and Of
all our courts of every description, So are
all our State officers from the highest TO the
lowest. So are all the foreign born citizens
who are natuTaliZed among III. Now, while
all these arc solemnly sworn to support the
Constitution Of the United States, it may we'll
be asked why military officers aud soldiers
should have arms placed in their hands by
the State at great expense without being re-
quired to assume any such obligation.
If it is right, if it is proper, if 1t is neces-
sary, that all persons in the service of the
State, and even all foreign.b born citizens
who ask to be naturalized, should be re-
quired 10 take sn oath TO support the Con-
ANNhAS VI t"N NONA - AAS ANNA'NShJ
forms a component part; is it not even more
especially and peculiarly proper and neces-
sary that the officers and men armed by the
State in such an exigeucy as this should
take a similar oath2 Is there any sense,
any fitness of things in making civil officers
take the oath and excusing military officers
from taking it? Is not this as much as to
say to civilians that they must support the
Constitution, and TO the armed men that
| fbnu n " nco tho eruog ulaean in tbaiF hands
to subvert it if they ean2
The duty Of the Kentucky Legislature in
this case is clear and palpable. No honest
and patriotic member Vt that body can be so
blind as not to see it. Let not q single gun,
! . single sword; or q single pound Of powder
or lead, purchased by the State, be placed in
the hands Of any man not sworn, like all
persons else in the service Of the State, to
support the Constitution of the United
States. We beg leave TO urge this most
earnestly upon the consideration Of ouI
Union friends in the Legislature.
We have more reasons for urging it than
we are fully prepared at present to explain
There can not be q doubt in the mind of any
man conVeIsant with the fscts within our
knowledge that men sworn to support the
Constitution Of the United States are, with 9
startling disregard of the obligations of theiI
oath, deyoting their whole energies in an
endeavor to obtain money for The express
and single purpose Of srming men for the
subversion Of that Constitutional
We are well aware that there are Seces-
sionists who, for The sake Of having arms
placed in their hands at The expense Of the
State, would swear to support the United
States Constitution without the slightest in
tention of supporting it in good faith; but
there are Others-thousaDds OF others-who
would shrink from the commission of such g
crime. Let all be sworn 70 whom State
arms are given, and small indeed will be the
proportion Of those who will turn their arms
TO the subversion Of the Constitution made
for US by our fathers.