Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-11-20
Gov. MOrchcad Of KY, i'm Eng
lanG--IIe Details "a Remarka-
bic Conversation with Prcsi-
dent Lincoln.

IanG--He Details "a Remarka-
bic Conversation with Prcsi-
dent Lincoln.
Ex-Governor MoREHEAD Of Kentucky
was entertained at a grand banquet by
the Southern Club" Of Liverpool, on
the 18th ultimo, at the Adelphi Hotel III
that town. Mr.. GEORGE w. Holt pre-
sided, and The company numbered about
fifty gentlemen, members of he Club
Strong speeches were of course INDUCED
in, and the Confederate flag played an
important part in the decoration of the
room. A few days before the banquet,
Mr.. MoREHEAD delivered lengthy address
on American affairs before the mem bers
of the Club.
REMARKABLE CONVERSATION.
In the course OF this address, the ex
Governor detailed the substance of pri
vate conversation between President Lin
coin and the Representatives of the Bor
der States, just after troops had beer
thrown into Fort Sumter. On the oc
casion, said Mr.. Morehead, l said to him
Mr.. President, you say you were acci
dentally selected, and elected by party
You were the candidate of the party but
when you were elected, sir, | thought Il
have been taught to believe-that you
were the President of the Union. / op-
posed you, sir. l said to him, with all
The zeal and energy of which was mas.
ter. | endeavored to prevent your elec
ton, not because lad any personal feel
ings of emnity toward you. but because
/ believed that it would lead to the very
result we now witness. l opposed you,
sir, but yon are my President yJu have
been elected according to the forms OF the
people of the United States, and think
that some little Difference is due to the
opinions of those who constitute the ma =
jority, according to the vote that has
been polled, Of 100000 men in the
United States. He at once rather brisk.
ly said, if he was a minority President, he
was not the first. and that, at all events,
he had more votes than we could muster
for any other man. l responded at once
to him, that l did not intend to recall
to him that he was a minority President,
but simply to announce the broad fact
that lie was the President, not of the
men who voted for him, but of the whole
people of the United States. General
Donovan here interposed and presented
three alternative propositions to him
First, that he might remain perfectly idle
and passive, and let the disintegration OF
the States go on as it had gone on; sec,
ond, give guarantees such as were asked
and bring the whole power of his admin
istration to bear in obtaining those guar,
antees or, third, resort to coercion, ant
attempt to force the seceeding States in
to obedience.
When the conversation had slackeneC
little, ventured to appeal to him, il
manner in which / never appealed tc
anv other man, and never expect to dc
again. ] said that as to the last propo
sition desired to say one word that
trusted and prayed to God that he would
not resort to coercion that if he did, the
history of his administration would be
written in blood, and all the waters OF the
Atlantic Ocean could never wash it from
his hands. Hear. hear, and applause.
He asked me what l would do, and if |
meant by coercion the collections of the
revenue and the taking back of the forts
which he said belonged to United States ?
l replied that that was the only mode in
which it was possible that he could un-
der the Constitution resort to coel cion
by an attempt to collect the revenue and
to take back the forts. He had placed
himself in chair with rounds to it, with
his feet upon the highest round-a long,
lanky man with very large side whiskers,
with his elbows upon his knees and his
hands upon the side of his face, in q list
ening attitude. and when he would speak
drops his hands and raises his head
Dropping his hands and rsising his head,
he said he would tell me little anecdste
which had happened when he first came
to the bar.
An old man. he said, had applied to
him to bring suit, and made out capi,
tai case as he thought, but when the evil
dence was detailed before the jury it was
the worst case that he had ever listened
to. and whilst the evidence was going on
the old man came listening to the evil
dence himself, and whispered in his ear,
"Guv it up" (Laughter,) Now"
said he. "Governor, wouldn't this be
guvin' i, up?" l said to him, "Mr
President, it may be said that it would
be 'guvin' it up but hadn't you better
'guv it up without bloodshed than drench
this land with blood, and then have 'guv
it up o" (Applause.) He said that
he had sworn to see the laws faithfully
executed, and addressing himself to me
he said, Il would like to know from you
what am to do with my oath of office"
said to him that he had taken solemn
oath to see the laws faithfully executed
but that Congress was then in session.
and application had been made to Con
gress to give to the President OF the on''