Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-09-04
'G5eObio 9tatfsnrla,r
Extracts from the Inaugural Address of
: Governor Thomas Il. Bramlette, of
Kentucky.

Governor Thomas Il. Bramlette, o
Kentucky. sss. sa4.
With a firm reliance upon guiding Provi.
dence, andan abiding confidence In the justice
integrity and loyalty Of the people of Kentucky
shall look hopefully TO che future, trusting Il
their charitable Judgment upon my administra-
lion, as Ishall seek to avoid The justice of thei
oensuFe. '7.3H .a|. .ailf..A ','7
We are fallen on evil and tronblcus times
when great, free people, have turned upoE
themselves, to make war upon peace, aohap'
plness, prosperity, q liberty, such as never 10
any age Or land crowned a people with blesa-
ings, and seek BY violence to overthrow their
Of man. 0nr future historian will drape in
mourning the page on which is recorded the
history of these years of Rebellion, calamity
and woe. The tersifc warfare which continues
10 sweep over our beloved land filling its great
heart with indispensable anguish, hs pang af-
ter pang for the loved and lost pieTces the bosom
Of every home, should, by its community Of
woe, Of suffering and danger, draw our people
more closely together, and evoke the nobler
charities of our nature, to q concentrated and
united effort to stay this tide Of misery and flow
Of danger, by bringing to constitutional unity
those who have departed from constitutional
faith. A departure from constitutional faith
10 the foundation of all the evils now upon us;
return is the only permanent remedy.
Our GoverrInent WAS constructed, by its wise
founders, to secure the blessings OF liberty to
themselves, and in perpetuity to their pos
terity. Touched with supetnal inspiration Of
wisdom, they so framed our State and Federal
Governments as 70 Becuro the objects Of free
government 80 perfectly that we were left
nothing TO do bus to enjoy, or destroy.
The equal right Of each and all to live in the
peaceful enjoyment OF "life, liberty, property,
and pursuit Of happinessy is the great object
and end Of free government. These secured,
man is free; this is liberty! Oar fathers grasp
ed the subject Of constitutional liberty 90 thor
oughly as to leave no excuse or mitigation for
the Wickedness Of any who might, at any time,
attempt q forcible revolution OF the Govern
ment. So fauItless In its structure, so compre-
hensive, and yet so minute In its safeguards
thrown around the liberties OF the people, equal
rights and equal privileges were alike secured
to every freeman. The rights, SO secured,
we're intrusted to the custody and guardianship
Of the people, who we're to enjoy. The rulers
were to be servants, and the people the msstera,
And to insure against usurpstion Of power or sg-
gravation of wrongs, recurrent elections az
short intervals Of time, and an upright and en-.
lightened judiciary, were ample safegusrds.--
The mode Of effecting any changes in the Or
ganio law, which experience might suggest, was
fully provided, iE,lH yc7 M sas ,1cYsw9 .a W ~
In the appointed manner the ruling power
the citizsns-could alter, change or modify not
only policies of legislation, but the organic law
through the peaceful medium of the ballot
box, thus leaving no excuse for forcible revo-
tuition.
In securing tho peaceful enjoyment of prop
erty to the citizen. one subject Of difficulty was
presented to our fathers, which they wisely end
securely adjnsted, Some of The States recog-
nized slaves as property; others did not; and II
being principle OF universal law amongst civ,
illzed people that wherever the laws recognized
property In 0Tthin9, the same law assured the
owner ID bis Hight; but where the Law did not
know any property IN a thing, no owner could
assert any right; it raised the question how to
secure 10 the owner Of slave property equal pro,
tectionin its ehjoyment with the owners Of other
properly, Without, at the same time, doing vio'
lence 90 the distinctive character of the State
governments not recognizing such property, In
States where slavery was recognized, the laws as
sured the right of the owner, but In those States
where property In slaves was not recognized, nc
right Of ownership could be kHoWn OF asserted
BY law. This 10 In the very nature of govern
ment. For the non slave States to recognize
by their laws property In Hlaves, 80 as to return
them by law to the owner, would necessarily
subvert the very nature of their government
and make them slave States. To obvlase thlI
difficulty, which existed only in referenosto thil
one speeiea Of property and secure to the cltizsr
owning slave property, equal protection In biz
rights, and at the same time to preserve the dis
tlnctive characterof each State government
the return Of fugitives from service or labor
escaping from one Slate to another, was under.
taken by the Federal Government, and the
guarantee given that no law Of any State Il
which such fugitive might escape should dis
charge suoh fugitive from the labor or service
which he owed Thus the character ami laws
Of each State were respected and preserved, and
the gights Of all the citizens of each State
placed upon footing of equal security. Thus
the Federal Constitution, which created the
Union, harmonized the equal security of all In
every right, with the unity of the Government
and with the rights of the States.
Some becoming dissatisfied with this perfect
ed equality, hare sought 70 destroy IL, Ia viola.
ton Of constitutional faith. Oa the one hand
the Abolitionists would destroy the right; on
the other the Secessionists would elevate slave
property above every other interesi and right
Each seeks to subordinate the Constitution ID
bic extreme view.s Each makes war upon The
foundation theory Of free government; and by
the fanaticsl energy with which they have urged
forward their extreme views, they have at length
|precipitsted upon us the most heartfendipg Tar
Of rebellion that ever shook the foundations OF
social beng Notwithstanding the consef yatiye
element North and SonthI those whoon the one
hand wieh TO keep constitutional faith and grant
the equal security which the Consultation
pledges, and those on the other who ask moth
Ing more, are Overwhelmingly In the maj6iity
In both sections; yet by some strange infatua-
ton Of evil, the few have involved the many iu
| this horrifc strife.
How shall the Consultation abiding, Union.
loving, conservative men, North and South
meet she ishu6 presented BY those who, on the
| one hand; seek, by usutpation, to pervert the
Consultation, to invade its aanctlties, and over
throw its> >saoufitIep, and on the other, 30 de-
atroy the Cpnetitution and the Union by forcibls
revolution. The one In political, the other Ii
Warlike array. ;..5;ss
1 We must meet them in the modes sanctioned
Iby the Constitution. Through the ballet boz
We must control Legislation within Just limits
and by the Judiciary protect against the inflic
tlon Of acts violative Of the Consultation; and
| with the whole resources and military powe
| Of onf Government We must crush the rebellion
and restore the national authority over the re
yolsed States. Thia 10 the pledge of conserva
item this We muet do, or our Government per
ishes, and With the hope of free governmen