New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-23
THE WAR FOR THE UNION.
KENTUCKY STANDS NEUTRAL

YHH STATE TO BE ARMED-GREAT mLIi
LoUIsvnLE-sPEECBEs OF THE HON. JANIS
GUTHRIE AND THE HON. ARCHIBALD piAoS'
An immense meeting was held at Louisville on the
lssh iuss., presided over by Judge Pirtle.
The sr,t speaker wac the Hon. James Guthrie, late
Secretary Of the Treasury.
MR.. GUTiIRIE's SPEECH.
The Hon. James Guthrie rose amid tremendous
cheering He said: Fellow citizens my voice is not
very strong and fear cannot be heard all over this
Gresa sssembage, but I will try to make it heard
Events press upon us with haste, and we scarcely
know what is to come next. When Mr.. Lincoln Wa
elected President all felt that the remedy for Sec
sional President was in the Union and under the Con-
ssitution. We knew had Senate against HIM,
and hoped that we bad the House against him; ana
there would have been II all men had $1,000 q, ,nea
posts as Kentucky hR stood. But certain States
chose 10 take the remedy into their own hands ana
aissolve their connection with the Upion South Garo
lima first, and then seven other States followed. lhey
have organized separate Government snd one exer-
ssiug governmental authority Louisville spoke early
decidedly, and firmly against sectional party IN the
Union, AND under the Constitution. We had Eegis-
htnre called; we have had Peace Conference at
Wsshington, and both failed; the result Of the de-
Hberations Of both Houses of Congress failed to find
. remedy for secession. The Peace Confer
snce at Washington was equally nnsuccess.
ful In tolviUg this dangerous question. Mr. Lincoln
was insugurated. He gave us his inaugural: 1t was
construed as an inaugural Of peace and al inaugural
Of war. His chosen friends did not know how to take
It, and his opponents were divided rs to It's meaplng.
I suspected It, foA like the serpent, it spoke with
forked tongue! lCheers. Then the troops were 70
b Withdrawn from Fort Sumter, ard then not but
we're to be Furnished with supplies only Now IN me
setion of the Southern Confederacy and that Of Mr.
Lincoln the friends Of both parties hnd excuses LOT
them; but when was the peace OF the country ana
the saving il from war ard bloodshed, tneh there
should have been interference OF etiquette 10 pre-
vent such dreadful calamity. Kentucky spoke ~
her statesmen have always spoken, OF con'ilistion,
peace, harmony, and final settlement But war has
been naugurated; Fort Sumter has fallen. Inc Tres
jdent has issued proclamation calling for u.s. 900 men;
Sus he has not told us what he going 70 do with
thsml Is he going TO Ietake Fort Sumter Is he
going to defend Fort PickeDsi Ii 80, why does lie
eOngreg-te them at Washington l was at Wash-
iugton when Lincoln came, and it was like a be-
lsseuered eity We heard sounds OF martial music, the
tramp of armed men, and tue roll of artillery And
now Laneoln wants IS, 900 men, where every other
President has lived like an American citizen, as we
have lived, and walked In perfect security among
his fellow-citzens. We learn from the tele,
eraph that State after State is rendering men and
money. Il the party in possession Of the Govern.
pent going to conquer the seven seeding States and
hold them as subugated Provinces If they are, Lin
coin hould ike honest man, have told us IN bis
inaugural, and say be is an honest man. In all
these Free States sending men and money we hear no
voice of peace and after bis egons have drowned the
South in carnage is there to be no peace what the
end of all wars-peace! No free people We're ever
conquered until they were exterminated Why shall
not the people of America have peace before, rather
than after war, when its desOlaiing influence bas
bhghted the land. want Kentucky to take her stand
for peace Cheers, land appeal 10 that still small
voice in the North crying Tor peace There are re-
gious men from habit, eduestion aud from profession
Whose hearts, when Kentucky calls for peace will be
reached and Whose voice will reach the powers that
BE-. and we will have peace. What a spectacle we
present A people that have prospered beyond
example in the records Of time; free and sek.
governed, ihout oppression, without taxation TO
Be- felt, are now going to cut each others throats
and why Because Presidents Lincoln and Davis
couldn't settle the etiquette upon which the
troops were to be Withdrawn from Fort Sumter.
Kentucky is State in this matter, ON the border Of
the Ohio with six or seven hundred nils Of coast
Bordering upon Ohio, Indiana, and IlEnOis-States
with whom we have ever lived in peace and good
nnst have none with us We have asked the south to
s6ay their hands, for we had great stake in this
Government, and they have not; We plead with
Lincoln for reace, and have not been he1kened TO-.
Shall we he hearkened to in the din Of arms There
will be time when Kentueky's voice, if she stands
frm on her own soil, fighting with neither section
will be heard by millions of people of the Free
Eates, who will hearken 10 us and say: Why should
there be STRIFE between us and your l have always
sounseled against nconslderae measures. We are not
situated TO meet even border friends arms. How
long would II take 10 make the northern bank OF the
Ohio bristle with men and bayones aud cannon hostile
sous Let stand boldly and fearlessly as is char
actorisc of KeDtuckians, and cry Peace Hold fat
70 tia; We know to be good, and let these men who
want to make the experiment Of secession 60 as
Individual amateurs and find congenial spirits
Tor their WORK. lODtcr5I Il VIII lcaNe W OtDci
gentlemen to diate upon all those subjects We have
men who want out at DOES not that inau-
Kurate war Does not that begin to create Of the
Northern border into foes Keep up your relations OF
trade and commerce and good fellowship; stand firm
BY the and heed the counsels OF men who have
ever counseled peace and harmony and attendant pros
Hery This thing Of breaking the links Of Govern
unent under which have prespered Is hard thing
TO do. 1t prostrates the labor Of the busbandan 1t
has Frustrated the bUsiless OF merchants. How much
better will the business be If war ioaugua!ed Itel
you that you need not believe the elegrapbic reports
know the hearts and sentiments and feelings that
will forth and battle III the Free States for US
II the North comes to rayage our land, We vii meet
them ne Kentuckans always meet their foes. We will
meet them as Kentuckians should meet them so long
ne there Is tree for fortifcaon foot of land for
freeman TO stand upon. lApplause.l am for hold
ing fact to that he knows ~ Ce good and for her stand
ing firm for right and for abiding events as hereof
shoald do. Why should man be scared by the fire
danger and fly into still greater perili You were
startled at the reports from Cincinnatii last even
ing Louisville was excited to-day you are recon-
ciled for there nothing in the reports You will
hear Of great battles you will often hear OF great
battles that were never fought. Now. don't believe
that the overriding Providence, that was with US
through the Revolution in the councils Of the trainers
Of this Government, ahd has been with ms ever since,
has deserted u, and hope lie has chosen Kentucky
70 be the great mediator for the restoration Of peace
aDd the preservation Of our country.
The Hon Nat. Wolfe, from the Committee on ResO-
luaions reported the following preamble and resolu
lions, which were adopted with hardly dissenting
voice:
Of commanding importance to the future safety and
honor Of Kentucky hs, occurred which call for action on the
Of her citizens and OF sell interest and
dictate Of wisdom AID patriotism must PFC ~ oaf Staeto
aint.n mos: 9utey her position o. loysy situated Oh
10 the hostile attack should the Union be divided into two epa
re e and NTH BOT one million OF population 70 OPP
ubih nigh; become unfendy Kentucky owes to herself to