Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-23
KENTUCKY INTELLIGENCE.
KEighEy Encouraging Reports.


We take the following articles from the columns
of that journal as furnishing the most reliable in
formation IN kentucky:
About a year ago, finding that free speecl
was being suppressed in Kentucky, and that
| continued advocacy of the cause Of the Soutl
would result in the closing of our Office by mill
! tary authority, we suspended the publication o
/ the Statesman, promising to resume it whenever
] freedom should be restored TO US. Thanks t
the Confederate arms, that period has now ar
rived, and We promptly redeem our pledge. W.
! commence with the issue Of half sheet, bU
shall issue our regular full sheet as soon as mai
and telegraphic facilities are sufficiently pToyid
4 ed TO furnish the news. Under the present cir
cUmstances, we hope our friends will make al
lowances for the want of interest in our columns
The Statesman WILL if possible, be issued OIL
Wednesday and Saturday mornings, but the
state Of the country may interfere with its regu
lar spl earance.
41sIe is d mournful blank at the head Of our
columns which has heretofore been filled by the
name Of Thomas B. Monroe, Jr, Editor '
That able writer, talented young statesman and
brave soldier, fell upon the bloody field oi
Shiloh, while gallsntly leading charge upon
the enemy, jdSt at the close of the battle. His
career upon earth was brief but brilliant. We
shall eudeavOT as speedily as possible to obtain
= pGll-AAClit cUlhOI. ~ bub ultAlALuc, We must
claim theindulgence Of our friends
CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOM RE-EsTABLIsHFD.
After passing many weary months under the
expressions Of the ruthless military despotism of
Mr.. Linc0ln's administration, the people of this
portion Of Kentucky have at last been liberated
by the conguering army of heroes under the
command eff Maj. Gen. Kirby Smith. His ad-
vance has been announced for several weeks
thrpTrrh tha fa1lrcl pgH his arrival
therefore, was not unexpected. Entering the
State through Big Creek Gap Cumberland
mOuntaiu5) some twenty miles south of Cum
berlaud Gap, he took position in the rear Of the
Federal army stationed at the latter place under
Gen. Morgan, effectually cutting off his commu-
nicstions, and rendering his surrender only
question Of time After several small and sue
cessful affairs on his march from the Gap, Gen.
Smith arrived at Richmond (twenty-tive miles
from Lexington,) on Saturday last, and at that
place attacked and almost destroyed the Union
army which had been massed there under Gen.
Nelson to dispute bis march. Besides the large
Federal force of killed and wounded, Gen Smith
took about 1000 prisoners most of whom were
paroled, together with nine pieces of artillery
and about 5 600 stand Of arms. A more bril-
liant and complete victory has not been achieved
during the war. The Confederate veterans done
terrible execution among the hordes of raw
levies opposing them and though but a small
portion OF Gen Smiths force was engaged, it
was mere ehild's play for them, and scarcely i'm
peded their onward march.
General Nelson, who was himself among the
wounded, succeeded IN reaching Lexington on
Sunday, followed by several small squads of his
men, who arrived by different roads. In the
meantime, a number Of Onio and Indisna regi-
ments had reached here to reinforce General
Nelson; and there, together with Williams and
Jacobs Kentucky cavalry, which had also ar
rived formed an apparently formidable army,
and on Monday, when General Smiths approach
was announced, confident predictions ofthe sue
cesslul defense Of Lexington were INDUCED in
by Federal officers and their sympathizsrs. To-
ward night, however, rumOr, with her usual
uuthfUlness, announced that immense bodies of
Contederates were approaching the city by "aH
the roads" and Federal panic began to develop
itself At uightlail g retreat was ordered, and
then commenced the destruction ofimmense stores
which had been accumulated at this point, and
the country around was Lit up by the conasgra-
ton of quarteruasters' and cOmmissariss' stores,
ammunition, wagons, etc etc. Terrible was
the destruction, aud the beholding taxpayer in
voluntarily clutched his pOcket-bOok al the dis
hesrtening prospect before him Much public
property, however, including many valuable
arms was left Uninured In the various camps
patriot heroes who destitute of most of the com
forts possessed by their vandal enemy, had
marched over hundreds of miles Of mountainous
and UnpToductive country, for the purpose of
delivering their down trodden friends in Ken
lucky from oppression.
On Monday morning General Smiths ad-
vance-ChurchlPs division-entered and occu-
pied the city, without the slightest opposition,
and were greeted with the most hearty cheers of
the citizens. The people of this and all the
surrounding counties, rushed spontaneously
into the city in the early part of the day, IN
time to receive General Smith, (whO arrived
about Il o'clock with such demonstrations of
delight end gratitude as astonished the gallant
veteran and his 1rious followers, the whole
constituting one of the hsppiest scenes that NOR
tai eyes ever beheld. The ladies-God bless
then-pOuTed out their whole hearts in graft
tude How vain are our efforts to convey to
the reader anything like truthful picture of
the meeting OF the people and their patriotic de-
liverers so that it beamed with Joy, which seemed
to be reflected back and forth as if it were never
to end.
During the day many prisoners were taken
and paroled.
And now comes the most sublime feature in
this most happy change of rulers. Il is needless
for Us 10 recount the prosecutions under which
our people have been suffering compelled by
bOrrid Oaths-incarceration in loathsoms and
lousy prisOns-seizures of horses, negroes and
other proBeTty-immense sums of money ex-
tOrted by unprincpled and petty military com
manders-all contrary to law and in punishment
fer the objectionable crime of holding Southern
sentiments And all this-we blush to say it
sanctioned and IN some cases instigaied, by
many Of our Union citizens, including even na-
tive Kentuckians And how have these wrongs
been met in the day Of our triumph and the hu-
initiation Of the wrong dOers Has retaliation
been Tesorted tot Far from it-thanks to that
reverence for free speech, free press and the
constitutional security Of persons and property,
which is the fundamental groundwork of the
political faith OF our Southern patriots taught
them by Washington, Jefferson, Webster, Clay,
and their cOtemporary defenders Of selfgOvern
ment How magnificent has been the exhibition
of magnaninity presented by the proclamation
Of Gen. Smith, and responded to with hearty
good will by that portion Of our community so
lately and 50 ruthlessly oppressed
We do not pretend 70 say that there are not
offenders in the community who are not fully
forgiven, and that it may not be necessary to
hold some Of them to accountabiity-not for
their opinions, but for certain gross outrages.
1t may be necessary TO compel robbers to dis
gorge, and some whose unlawful conduct has
been conspicuous, may be reached as a means of
securing the release Of patriots suffering impris-
onment and privations in Federal bastiles 1t
is hoped, however, that strict necessity will
limit such proceedings.
Let all human beings who have souls worthy
Of salvation, rejoice at the restoration of free
speech, free press and protection to liberty and
property
KENTUCKY FOR THE SOUTH.
If there have been any who have heretofore
doubted that Kentucky, if left to her free choice
would unite her destinies with the Southern
ConfedeTacy, the spontaneous uprising of the
people which accompanies the march Of General
Smith must have removed such doubts Many
Of the most blinded adherents of the Northern
government volunteer the admission that " the
State is gone" In Madison county, the people,
released from their thrsldop by the glorious vic
tory which drove their oppressors from among
them, are volunteering by hundreds, and reg
iment is nearly completed there already and in
this, cur glorious county Of Fayette once more
free, a perfect rush to the recruiting offices is
going on. What contrast is presented. On