The Richmond palladium., 1863-10-02
From the n. Y. Evening Post, Nay %.
How to Cure n Great Evil.
O. p. MORTON.
Governor of Indiana.

Mr.. Crittenden, in his recent patriotic
speech. alluded 10 the peculiar difficulties of
Kentucky as a ''border staie"-forming a
part of the border line between freedom
and slavery. There is no doubt hardship
in this situation, and it is already breeding
trouble among the rebels; the cotton plant
ers regard the 'border slave states" as val
liable chiefly because they form conven-
len, lighting ground. while their people
make good soldiers and are safe barrier
between "ihe North" and the cotton states.
This is the servile and mean use to which
Davis aud his cotton-planting felow-con-
spirators devoted the border states frCm he
beginning Of the rebellion. Accomplish
disunion, and Virginia, Tennessee and Mis-.
souri, would be hereafter, in war, the bloody
battlefield OF contenGing social systems !;
aud in peace, territory where it would be
iu possible for residents 10 keep slaves, but
where the cotton planter woald be free TO
hunt down his runaway chattels with blood
hounds.
!, This is not a tempting prospect. 1t Is
far less pleasant than the condition of these
states an the Union But why should there
b. any unpleasentness Why should We
have 'border states in the centre OF the
Union Why is it that the terms North
and South" have long had Specification
SO singular. a political meaning which East
and West have never had? Is there no cure
for this Are we destined to perpetuate
the absurdity Of having "border" in the
middle of our country, as well as on Its
frontier?
All this ridiculous and mischievous cant
of sectionalism is the fruit Of the slave sys-
tenn. Do away with slavery in Kentucky.
- q hat ctatn and
separate it from Ohio as ''border state?
Nothing. No one ever thinks of calling
Ohio, or Illinois. or Indiana. or Pennsylvan-
ia .border state"-they are free; the mo-
ment Kentucky and Virginia are free they
also will cease to be ''border states"-and
sectionalism will leave them ou; of its list.
Already, in these two years of war, the
area included in the term '.South" has been
greatly diminished When men now speak
of 1.-The South they no longer include
Maryland OF Kentucky, or Missouri. They
scarcely mean to count in Tennessee or Vir-
ginia. The South has lost, in the sight
of the world in these two years, territory
great as all France. 1t is slowly reeeding;
ii must continue to fall back until it falls in
to the gulf Of Mexico-for that which is
called 1.-The South"--those treacherous aris-
tocrats who first rallied under this sectional
title will, when we re- establish peace,
have left forever the land they vexed with
their crimes.
Aud SO, too of the term "border states,"
and. we hope before long to see this among
the obsolete political phrases, for the mean
ing Of which the rising generation will
have to refer to old political text books and
addresses. II is hard lot, say kentuckians,
to be a border state. Very true we hope
,Ley viii not long be in that condition; the
moment Kentucky is rid of slavery, that
moment she will cease TO be " border
state"-that moment all the hardships of
that condition will leave her. A the word
liberty, the devil who las too long vexed
her will fly; and We shall no longer find
difference between cousins and brothers
speaking the same language. eating bread
grown on the same fields. holding the same
faith. divided in residence only by stream
which it takes but two minutes to cross, and |
which in a dry season a full grown man
can wade.