The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-07-02
VIEWS OF SENATOR cRITFENDEN.

The Hon John ]. Crittenden made speech al
Lexington, Ky, last week, thus defining bis
position as candidate for Congress
"The first great object which he ardenty de-
sired was that this war should be put an end to;
that the longer it continued, and the more de-
yastating it became. the more difficult would be
it's solution; and to the end of pacfcation and the
restoration of the kindly feelings which pre-
vailed among the happy and prosperous people of
a common government would his whole energies
be devoted, if it should be the pleasure Of the
people TO confer him the responsible trust ct
representing them. To war of subjugatIon he
was opposed and while he was satisfied that the
Government did nothing more than its duty in
the preparation it had made to defenI the Ma
tional Captal, We: he would be prepared at any
moment, to lend helping hand to arrest the
further progress of this unnatural conflict MIR
Lincoln. lie declared, was not the President Of his
selection and he neither responsible for nor
prepared to sustain the policy of that functonary
Lincoln, however, not the Government, al
though charged, for the time, with its administra-
tive functions; and, while he repudiaed all allie
glance to him or his creed, he was, az he had
always protested to be. loyal to the Constitution of
his country, under which the nation had been SO
prosperous the people 50 free and happy, and the
blessings of which priceless and innumerabe.
Mr. Crittenden declared that, i'll his judgment,
every means should be resorted to to restore the
blessings of peace, to preserve the Union, and to
hand down. unimpaired, the noble instltut Uns
which have come d ,wn to hallowcd by the G.
ton of our levolut mary fathers. To th#t cuG h.
declared first that the Sou hern Stats h ul1 pre-
sent to Congress, when it he lair statement
of the grievances under which they labor; that,
when presented, the Congress of the United
States should promptly grant full measure Of
4
should not do so, he would not vote dollar to
the prosecution of the war. In the next place, il
the South should fail to present their grievances
with a view to adj ustment, then that the North
should promptly cOncede such assurances OF re-
dress and security its were just tn the South and
that besides these, all other possible means should
be employed that would have the effect of main
tanning the Union, preserving the Government,
and putting period to the Unnatural war in which
the Country is involved In the event that all the
means employed for this patriotic and noble pur-
pose should fail and the should still rage on,
then he of the opinion that Kentucky, poising
herself upon her proud position of neutrality.
should summon all her jud gm"nt and reason, and,
diScarding all passion and pre- udce, should de-
eide for herself what position she should assume
He declared that sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof; and that while he not now
der the continually shifting scenes of the political
drama, prepared to say what position kentucky
should occupy in the contingency mentioned, he
would be prepared native and loyal son Of
Kentucky, to follow her destiny, be it what it
might"
Mr. Crittenden has been elected to the House If
Representatives. The only way he bring
about peace now, IS to use his influence to have
the Southern Confederacy recognized indie
pendent Government. His propositions, lille they
might have been accepted by the South before the
adjournment Of the last Congress, will not prove
satisfactory and will not arrest the war. The
withdrawal of northern soldiers from southern soil
and the recognition of the Southern Confederacy,
alone will stay hostities.