The Evansville daily journal., 1861-06-14
PGHLthHED ~
JAMES h. McNEELT.
THE SECESSION CONSPIRACY,
DUTY OF KENTUCKY TO SUPPORT
THE GOVERNMENT
81 .A6is and Paarioiie Letter from Ez-Secgstzry
a. Halt

A5ls and PaEioiie Letter from Ez-Secrsts,
Holt
: But, as il Is well understood that tue lat
; popular demonstration has rather scotche,
! than killed rebellion in Kentucky, propos
i tinquiring, as briefly as practicable, whether
in the recent action or present declared pol
] icy Of the Administration, or in the historJ
, of the pending revolution, or la the object
. il seeks to accomplish, or 10 the resul
(which must follow from it. If successful
there can be discovered any reasons vii,
that State should sever the ties that units
her with q Confederacy in whose council.
and upon whose battle-ields she has won
much fame, ana under whose protection she
has enjoyed so much prosperity
For more than n month aftei the inaugu
ration Of President Lincoln, the manifesto
tions seemed unequivocal that his Admins
tration would seek A peaceful solution ofouf
unhappy political troubles, and would look
Ito time and amendments TO the Federal
Constitution, adopted in accordance with its
provisions, to bring back the revolted
States to their allegiance SO marked VISA
the effect Of these manifestations ia tran
quilizing the Border States and in reassnr-
ing their loyalty, that the conspiratois who
had set this revolution on foot took The
dttIlu. ~ tlA4E AAcGhlhh 70 NtaHtar Lue8G
States AS not sufficiently intensified in their
devotion 10 African servitude, they knew
F, they could never succeed in their treaaona
ble enterprise without their support Hence
& il was resolved 10 precipitate collision or
arms with the Federal authorities, In the
: hope that, under the panic and evaporation
incident TO the commencement OF a civil
war, the Border States, following the uatu-
raj bent Of their sympathies, would array
themselves against the Government Fort
Sumter, occupied by feeble garrison, and
girded by powerful il not impregnable bat
teries afforded convenient means for ae-
complishing their purpose, and for testing
also their favorite theory that blood was
needed to cement the new Confederacy. LIS
provisions were exhausted, and the request
made by the President in the interests OF
peace and humanity, for the privilege OF re-
plenishing its stores, had been refused. The
Confederate authorities were sware-for 50
the gallant commander Of the fort had de-
cared TO them-that in two days q capitu-
lation from starvation must take place. A
peaceful surrender, however, would not
bave subserved their aims. They sought
ihe the Border stHatess, and iheeyy 1ssts;dgEE
the humiliation Of tho Government and
the dishonor Of it's flag As means OF
giving prestige 10 their own cause. The
result is known. Without the slightest
provocation, heavy cannonade was opened
upon the tort, Rad borne by its helpless
garrison for hours without reply and when
IN the progress Of the bombardment, the
fortffcatiou became wrapped IN flames, the
besieQing batteries, in violation OF the
usages az civilized warfare, instead Of re-
laxng or suspending, redoubled their 6res.
more wanton or wicked war was never
commenced on any Government whose his
tory has been written Contemporary with
and following the fall Of Sumter, the siege
OF Fort Pickens was and still is actively
pressed, the property OF the United States
Government continued to be seized where
ever found, and its troops, by fraud or force
captured 10 the State Of Texas, ia violation
Of a solemn compact with its authorities,
that they should be permitted to embark
without moestation. This was the requitai
which the Lone Star State made to brave
men who, through long years Of peril and
privation, had guarded its frontiers against
the incursions Of the savages. L. fhe mids.
Of the active and extended warliko nrcpara-
tions in the South the announcemeut wac
made by the Secretary Of War Of the seced-
ed States, and echoed with taunil and ie
solent bravadoes by the Souti -u press
that Washington City was to .e invaded
and captured, and that the flag a. the Cone
federate States would soon hoet ever the
dome Of its Capitol. Soon thereafter there
followed an invitation 10 all tb8 world
embracing necessarily the outcas.a and des.
peradoes Of every sea-to aecept letters q
marque and reprisal, TO prey up3u tha dch
and unprotected commerce Of the United
States.
Ia view Of these events and threatcuings,
what WAS the duty Of the Chief Magistrate
Of the Republic? he might have taken
counsel of the reyolutionists, and trembled
under their menAces he might, upon the
fall OF Sumter, have directed that Fort
Pickens should be surrendered without 6r-
ing g gun ia its Defense and proceeding yet
further, and meeting fully the requirements
OF the - let-us-alone policy insisted on Ia
the South. he might have ordered that the
Stars and Stripes should be laid in the dust
in the presence Of every bit Of rebel bunt-
ing that might appear But he did none OF
these things nor could he have done them
without forgetting his oath and betraying
fbe mos, sublime trust that has ever
been eonfided TO the bands Of man. With
a horoie fidelity 10 his constitutional OBJ
legations, feeling justly that these oblga-
tons charged him with the protection of
the Republic and its Capital sgainst the
assaults hllho Ol AOIriBu huA uDmeakA~
enemies, he threw himself on the loyalty Of
the country for support in tie struggle
upon which he was about to enter, and
nobly has that appeal been responded TO-
States containing an aggregate 9opulatlon
of nineteen millions have answered TO the
appeal as with the voice Of one man, offer
ing soldiers without number, and treasure
vitbont limitation, for the service Of the
C,overnment In these States, fifteen hun.
dred thousand freemen cast their votes IN
favor Of candidates supporting the rights Of
the South, at the last Presidential election,
and YET everywhere, alike in popular as
samblies and upon the tented field, this
million and a half o. voters are found yield
ing 10 uone Ia the zeal with which they
rally to their couutry's 6ag. They are not
less friends of the South than before but