Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-19


To the People Of Kentucky.
BY your representatives in the last Legislature,
you conferred On me the commission Of Senator
in the Congress Of the United States. In March
last, y hen my term of service began, the Union
had been dissolved by the withdrawal Of seven
States, which the policy OF coercion has since IN
creased to twelve States. At that time major
ity Of the people of Kentucky still cherished the
hope Of a peaceful reunion. Soon afterwards.
when the government at Washington COM
menced that series Of usuIpations which has now
left nothing Of the Federal Constitution, and re-
solved on war of fsubjugation against the with
drawing States to secure union and brotherhood,
you determined 70 take no part in the war, but
TO project your liberties by position Of armed
neutrality. This decision was expressed by a
large maiority Of the people at the election in
May.
had opposed this policy before the election,
bat aiterward, IN common with the great mass
oi those with whom had acted, acQuiesced in
Your expressed viii, and have maintained It as
the fixed attitude Of Kentucky In obedience,
as ! suppose, to your wishes, / proceeded to
Washington, and, at the special session OF Con
gress in July, spoke and voted againsttiie whole
war policy OF the President and Congress, de-
manding in addition for Kentucky the right TO
refuse not men only, but money also to the war.
fOT | would have blushed 10 meet YOU with the
confession that I had purchased tor you eX-
emption from the peTils Of the battlefield, and
the shame of waging war against your
southern brethren, by hiring Others to do the
work YOU shrink from performing. During that
memorable session, a very small body of Sena-
tors and Representatives, even beneath the
shadow Of a military despotism, resisted the
usurpations of the executive, and with that
degree of dignity and irmness they will willing
" submit TO the Judgment Of the world.
Their efforts were unavailing-yet they may
prove valuable hereafter, as another added TO
former examples OF manly protest against the
progress of tyranny.
On my return 70 Kentucky, at the close OF the
late special session Of Congress, it was my puT-
pose Immediately to resign the office Of Senator.
The verbal and written remonstrances of many
friends, in different parts of the State, induced
me 10 postpone the execution of my purpose, but
the time has arrived to carry il into effect: ae-
cordingly, | now and hereby return the trust into
sour hands.
And In this connection, since the government
at Washington has thrown a dTag-net over the
whole surface Of society to collect proof against
individuals of connection with the governments
Of the Confederate States, and since portion OF
the northern press has charged that certain pTi-
Vate correspondence recently seized at PlIiladel-
gshia by the Federal authorities viii convict me
Of political crimes deem Il due to You and to
myself 10 declare that | have not done or said
anything inconsistent with the relations l have
borne to the State and to the Federal government,
or which could reflect a stain upOn the commits
sion which ! now surrender.
do not resign because 1 think Ihave msrep-
resented you. On the contrary, believe that
nv votes gud speeches IN the Senate have cE-
pressed your deliberate viii as attested through
fbs ballOt-b0X. Iresign because there is no place
left where southern Senator may sit in council
with the Senators Of the north. Ia truth, there
IS 70 longer a Senate Of the United States within
che meaning and spirit Of the Constitution.
The United States no longer exists. The Union
is dissolved For a time after the withdrawal of
lhe Southern States. aud while there was hope
the rupture might be healed, II might be assum-
"a that the Union was not yet dissolved, and
such was the position of kentucHy, in declaring
her neutrality, and offering her mediation be-
tween the coDtending parties. But the time has
now elapsed. and mighty events have occurred
which banish iIom the minds OF reasonable men
al expectation Of restoring the mon. Coer-
eion has been tried and failed. The South has
mustered into the field nearly as many combat
ants as the North and has been far more victO-
rious The fields of Manassas and Bethel OF
Springfield and Lexington nave marked with
terrible and sanguIHry line the division Between
the old order Of things and the new
is the right e Kentucky and her peculiar !
% recognize these great facts, and to act on I
asr.-T he constitutional compact which ere
.ted and bed up the old Union is al an end. A
large number Of the original and additional par
lies have withdraw from it. So large a num-
Der that its stipulatOns can 60 longer be exc /
eeuted, and under such circumstances ne court
las ever decided contract to be binding betgern
the remaining parties, attempted 90 enforce its
fyecufion Tile Constitution requires positively !
thst eseh State shaIl have at least one repTesen-
iasive in Congress; but now twelve States have |
none: dat each State shall have ig6 Senators, |
but now twelve States have none; that all Cgiies /
imp0sts sud ezaises shah be uniform throughout I
the United States. but now in more than one
third Of them none are or can be collected. 4
Commerce cannot be regulated between the 4
respective States. Uniform rules OF aatpraliza-
ton and bankruptcy cannot be adopted. Post /
Offices and post-roads in nearly half the States
have been given mp, and preference is given 10
ihe ports Of one State over those Of another.
Even the election Of z President has become
impossible.
The Constitution is mandatory on al the
States to appoint electors and requires a maiori-
~ of the latter to elect; but more than onethird
of the States REUSE 70 appoint, aud hence no
election can be made bg the people ii the
election goes to the Holse of Representatives,
she Constitution requires that at least rYO-thifds
af the States shall be represented in that body. I
The Constitution can no longer BE- amended, for
it requires three-iOurths Gf the states 10 concur,
and more than One-third o. tho States have
efttll4aNn l4ulll Alt Nolttcutl0is AL f4-s-
guards provided for h; the States in The instIG-
fnent sfil farther TO secure public aud personal
liberty have been destroyed. Three departments
Of the Federal government were carefully sepa-
rated and their boundaries defined, have been
merged into one, and the Presiisnts sustained by
O. great army, wields unlimited power. The eX-
euaptiOn OF persons from arrest without judicial
warrant. the ngii Of a citizen to have his body
brought before Judge 70 determine the legality
of his Imprisonment, tins gecuTity provided
aossiust searches and seizure without warrant %
law. the sanctity Of the home. the trial by
iurv--the freedom Of speech and Of the press
these and every other precious right which our
fathers supposed they had locked up in the Con-
stitufiou, have been torn from il and buried be-
meath the heel Of military power The States
made the Constitution. placed rigid boundaries
around the government, and expressly reserved
10 themselves all powers not delegated They
did not delegate to the EedeTal government the
power to destroy tlem-yet lha creature has set
itself above the creator. The atEoeions doctrine
is announced by the President and acted npeH
that the States derive their power from the
Federal government, and may be Suppressed on
any pretenoe Of military Necessity. The gallant
Little State Of Maryland has been utterly
abolished
Missouri IS engaged IN a heroic siIuegla 20
preserve her existence and to throw of the horrors
IF martial law, proclaimed by subordinate mil
ltary commander. EVefyWnefe the civil mas /
given way 70 the military power. The fortress
ses Of the country are filed with victims seized
without warrant Of law. and ignorant Of their
imprisonment, The legislators Of States
and other public officers, are seized while IN the
discharge Of their official duties taken beyond
she limits Of their respective States and impris-
Oned in forts of the Federal government. A I,
subsequent Congress Tatifies the usurpations OIL
the President, and proceeds 10 complete the de-
struction Of the Constitution History viii de-
clare that the annals Of legislation do not con-
tain laws so infamous those enacted al the last
session. They sweep away every vesiige Of
public end personal liberty, while they coniis-
cate the property of nation containing ten
millions of people. In the House OF Represent
atives it svas declared that the South should be
reduced 10 "abect submission OF their institu-
tions be oyerthrOwn. In the Senate It was said
that if necessary, the South should be depopu-
lated, and re-peopied from the North, and an en-
inent Senator expressed desire that the PTesi-
dent should be made dictator This was su-
periuous, since they had already clothed him
with dictatorial powers In the midst of these
proceedings no plea for The Constitution is is
fcned TO in the NOrth hsre and there few
heroic voicos are feebly hea! protesting against
The progress Of despotisin, but for the most part
beyond the military lines, mobs and anarchy
rule the hour.
Irl,a ,-raot macs o4 the Y,orther, veouIe geer1