The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-12-19
Senator Morrill, on Kentucky 10y.
atty

Senator Morrill, OF this State in recent do
bate in the Senate on military arrests. thu
pays his respects to the border state ideas O
loyalty as practically s1emplifed in Ken
lucky:
snow, Mr.. President. let me advert tc
some of the current history of this country
in illustration of what am saying. The
honorable Senator from Kentucky seems to
take the lead in denouncing the President
and the Government. IL is not new with
him. Let me illustrate the subject somewhat
by reference to his own State. What is the
condition Of Kentucky He stands here To
tell you that at least FIVE thousand of the cit.
liens Of Kentucky have been, first and last
arrested by this Administration and restrain.
cd of their liberty, most OF whom have since
been set at liberty. Now, sir, from what we
know of the current history of Kentucky,
what Is tho inference? What is the infer.
ence the honorable Senator would have the
country draw? That the President has ar.
rested 80 many loyal Union.loying citizens,
all patriots That is what the honorable
Senator would give US to understand. Now,
what Is the probability? I have reason To
believe that three out Of every four of the
able-bodied men OF Kentucky, the men Of
war. are In the rebel ranks fighting the bat
ties Of the rebels against this Constitution
against this Government, and against the au'
thority Of the President. What is the infer.
ence from that? Do we not know that Ken
lucky, from the beginning, has been nest
of traitors? Do we not know that nobody
has been left in Kentucky except the old men
and the women and the children? Do we
not know that all such who could fight, and
could get out Of the State, have joined the
rebels2 Under such circumstances, the Sen.
ator from Kentucky comes here to ask the
commiseration Of the Senate; and he him.
self. from the beginning of this rebellion
down to the present time, has stood here to
denounce the Government, stood by the side
of his late colleague, who denounced 1t from
the beginning to the end Of his career here,
until he marched over to join the ranks ofre-
bellion, and now heads brigade against the
Government of his country. l honor the
manlincss of the man who follows the logic
Of his opinions and the logic OF his teachings,
and goes where he belongs rather than linger
to advocate the cause of those who are fight
ing against the Government OF their country,
and who has no word Of denunciation what
ever towards men who are in arms against
the Government. From the beginning OF
this contest down to now, no word has escap-
ed that honorable Senator denunciatory OF
the enemies Of his country; but from the be-
ginning this Government has done no act
whatever to maintain the Federal authority
that has not been denounced by him. From
his standpoint, Mr.. President, do not
know that anything else could have been OK.
pected. He does not believe in the authors.
ty of this Government; he does not believe
that this Government is anything more than
sort of peace establishment. He thinks
that your Constitution provides for nothing
more than a peace establishment; that in
times Of war has no power and no author.
ity; and so, from the beginning Of this re-
bellion, he has stood here to denounce tho
authority Of the Government, to denounce
coercion, subjugation, and all that sort Of
thing as demonstrations, illegal, without
authority Of law, usurpation. Following
the logic of such opinions, ho must, ofcourse,
denounce the President, and denounce all
measures calculated to restore the supreme
CIV of the Government and to maintain the
Federal supremacy everywhere.
N,,.ny,s on r,y,pres rpov WV 0pt . ,,e