Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-06-08
d0lortester Daily SPY.
GOOD OLD KENTUCKY SPEECH
THE UNION CANNOT BE DESTROYED.


Our first duty, he said was to stand by our
government, and protect and defend it. Ii fit
to live under, it was entitled to our aspect
and confidence and allegiance. Ii unfit, ii
should have been abandoned at once, and an.
other formed more perfect. But while we owe
our allegiance TO it, let us acknowledge il like
true men, and not turn our backs upon its
greatest peril. We should not do this it we
desire its preservation. We should stand by
it like men, or pull it down at once. But we
should not stand by and see Others pull it
down over our heads against our will, TO the
destruction Of our liberties, and say
owe oppose you. We love the govern
ment. 1t is the government of our fathers,
bought with their blood and bequeathed to us.
1t is the best government on EARTH. and ir its
destruction we see ruin to us and ours but
as you and we live in slave states, go on and
do as you please. We will not resist you.
Ruin us if you will"
And SO never lift hand to save us and our
children the blessings OF liberty. In my heart
do not approve Of this course, and what
do not approve, no power on earth shall make
me say. / am for the old constitution of
Washington aud his compression the old
flag, the stars and stripes. God bless them
And / am against all factions that would take
them from me. 1t matters not who they are,
from England France, Massachusetts, or
South Car lima. II they would destroy the
government Of our fathers, | am against them.
No matter what may be the pretext.
Then giving a most graphic detail of the
cause of secession, among which was the loss
f Office to corrupt politicians by Lincoln's
election. and painting the ruin and calamities
that secessionists have already brought upon
them, falsely saying meanwhile, that "Lincoln
did it," Senator Rousseau proceeds -
South Carolina became enraged at the pres
enee Of Major Anderson and tity~five men at
Fort Sumter so irritated that she could not
bear it, She tried 10 starve him to death !;
she tried to knock his head Off and burn him
up. She bombarded the peoples fort; shot
into the flag of our government, and drove our
soldiers from the place. 1t was not Mr.. Lin
coins fort; not his flag nor his soldiers, but
ours. Yet after all these outrages and atroc
ties South Carolina comes with embraces Tor
us, saying "Wel, we tried; we intended to
kill that brother Kentuckian of yours tried
TO storm him, knock his brains out, and burn
him up. Don't you love US Tor it? Won't
you fight with us, and Tor us, and help us over
throw your government 2"
Was ever a request so outrageously un-
yet, Mr.. Speaker, there were those among us
who rrjOiced at the result, and termed the as
saut upon their own tort and, the capture of
their own flag and their own soldiers Il heroic
Uictoryl
Mr. Speaker, am sick and tired of all this
gObble about irritation over the exercise by
others of their unduubted right, and | say
once tor all to you secession gentlemen that
we Union men know our rights and intend to
il. Wilynse f friiated Sniuf and snort your.
selves into rage; go into spasms If YOU will /;
die if you want to, and can't stand ii--wLo
cares What right have you to get irritated
because we claim equal rights and equality
with you We are Tor peace we desire no
war, and deprecate collision. All we ask is
peace. We don't intend you any harm. We
don't want to hurt you, and don't intend you
shall Injure us il we can help it. We beg you
to let us live in peace under the good old gov
ernment of our fathers We only ask That
Why keep us ever on the alert watching YOU
toprevent GU from ensaving US by a desIruc
tion OF that government?
Senator Johnson--It is already destroyed.
Mr. Rousseau-NOt biz OF it. The Union
will never be dissolved. ] know you say it
is, but, believe me, it will nerer be dissolved.
We may have much suffering; we may en-
dure many caIanlities. War, pestilence and
famine, may beiail us ; our own good old
Kentucky may be OveTrun and trodden under
foot, and her soil may be dlencled in blood,
but the Union will never, ReUer be dissolved
] have never had doubt on this subject,
never. l know we must suffer, but we must
preserve the Union.
You, MIR. Senator from McCracken, are
sanguine man. You think the Union is de-
stroyed. Well, you sometimes err. i believe
you had correspondence with "Uncle Abe"
i'm if.l, It,41 a friar D,,.
that was only semi-official correspondence,
and perhaps should not be alluded TO here.
Senator johnson (good humoredly )-Oh
yes tell.
Mr.. Rousseau thank you. Well as one
of the senators from Kentucky, you made
your most solemn protest against the station
ing Of troops at Cairo, Ill. The protest was
very elegant, as is generally what cores from
you-a little higlItalutin it is true. You tor
warded your protest to "Unce Abe" and, in
due time, received a reply, which was too
good joke Tor a good natured gentleman like
yourself TO keep all 10 yourself, and so you
disclosed it. Uncle Abe replied to you That
your letter had been received, duly considered,
and in reply, lie had to say to yo' tone of the
senators of kentucky,) that if he had known
that Cairo, ILL.,, was i'll your senatorial district
he would not have sent any soldiers within a
hundred miles of that point
Mr.. Sp, aker, | have but word more to
say. Kentucky is an armed neutral, it is
said. | submit, with others, to that position.
/ hope that circumstances may not drive us
from it. l hope that our secession friends
will be, in fact, neutral. If we remain so, it
is said we shall have peace. ] hope So but
the neutrality that fights all on one side do
not understand. Troops leave Kentucky in
broad daylight, and our governor sees them
going to night against our own government
yet nothing is said or done 10 prevent them.
Is this 10 be our neutrality! Ii it is, | am
utterly opposed to it. Ii we assume a neutral
position, let us be neutral in fact. II is as liz
tie as we can do.
Our government, consttut.Jnally admins
tered, is entitled to our support no matter
who administers it, Ii we will not supnort il
and yet enjoy its blessings, in Heavens name
let us not war against it, nor allow our peo
pie to do so. Let us be true to our position
whatever it may be. We are nullifynp az
any rate. Our governmen mt has not objected
to it. But who can look an honest man in the
face, while protesting neutrality, refusing to
help his government TO preserve its existence,
yet secretly and traitorOusly warrug against
it? For one, sir, I'll none of it. Away with
it. Let us be men, honest men, or pretend to
be nothing but tagabonds.
hear it said that Kentucky will go out of
the Union; that if she goes anywhere she
will go south, &c, SC. Mr.. Speaker, let me
tell you, Sir, Kentucky will not Ego out"
She will not stampede. That has been tried
Secessionists must invent something new i'll
the way of secession appliances before they
can either trighten or drag Kentucky out
OF the Union. tell you sensation gentlemen
that your exciting events have ceased to affect
us. Try something else. Get up fight at
Ca TO- that you may get us to side with you.
That is your game, and you will play it when
ever GU think you can succeed al il. You
tried 10 scare US, but you failed in your BUR.
pose. And if you illegally and against right
assault Cairo, l hope every man of YOU will
L. l. L.. - Il 1