The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-05-19
Army or TIKI CDuERLANpl
May 18th, 1868

tANn '| NliL NiNII klIh MIhf ]
May 18th, 1868.
Js0go y. Prentice, Es3.
Ny DEAR Sla;--In the conclusion Of
ny last, / was speaking Of the state
# things in Kentucky in The Spring Of
sol ! propose to dwell somewhat at
ength on the sad aud deplorade condi-
ion Of our people at that time, aud the
uesna by which it was brought about.
And first Of that condition before "nou-
trality" was avowed. As already init
mated, kentucky never was disloyal
State Indeed she was loyal as few
other States were loyal. The boasts Of
her Oldest statesmen aud Of her youngest
patriots, had ever been her devoted and
unsworyiug attachment to the Union and
the old nag.. "7le first To enter tie CGoa'
it was exultingly proclaimed by her sons,
"s.s ,g0ud Be the last 10 abandon IT," Trai- |
tors in her bosom, she had unquestiona- |
bly,, but they were far more noisy than
numerous; for subsequent events show
that they were not very numerous, nor
were they very powerful Active, vigo-
rous, energetic, they certainly were, and
scrupled at nothing, that promised sue
cess. They yielded themselves, body
and soul, 20 brazen- faced, bold, and I'M
mitigated lying; nothing too preposterJus
foe belief; nothing too certain and clear
for increduIity, if it suited the purpose
of the Kentucky seccasiuuist In truth,
he could believe, and dsbelieve, just
what he pleased Being so near the
border, and surrounded by population
as loyal and honest as he was disloyai
and dishonest, he could not always 60
directly to his point, but found a good
deal of restraint, as necessary as 1t
proved convenient. The Kentucky Sc
cessionist, before neutrality, was a very
remarkable human being. He had a vo-
cabulary Of bis own, suggested by ne
cessity, and prompted by fear. At first
others little understood It; afterwards,
thoy learned that the fuse Of words was
to conceal One's ideas" lie was not for
secession, he was for Sou bern Righs;
he was not for disuu ion, be vas a "copH
tUtioaql Union man. he was not for
breaking up the Government, "but no
Northern army should pass over Ken
lucky soil, to subjugate the South" he
was for the Government, but wanted his
rights, &c, &c. Indeed, the situation OF
the Kentucky secessionist, called into
requisition a degree of insincerity, equiv
ocation and falsehood, that the South
Carolina and Alabama secessionist haC
no need to use, and with all the venom
and villainous hate of loyal men possess
ed by the latter, the former, to cover hi
treason and yet do the required mischief
was forced to do infinitely more hare
lying than the others. In mendaciN
what a secession sympathizer was TO al
ordinary secessionist, what an ordinary
secessiOnist was TO the Alabama traitor
the Alabama traitor was to the Kentucky
traitor. The Kentucky secessionist i
still eminently knave, a hypocrite, ant
shufIler. And he was, and even is
more extraordinary creature in other re
spects than even those mentioned. Hi
moral deiormity, his thirst for blood, hi
love of trick and of falsehood, his des
rructiveness, his hatred of the right, ant
devotion to the wrong in all things, hav
never been surpassed. But TO the casua
observer he possessed characteristic
far more striking than these. T.
have correct idea of the Ken
lucky sCcessiOnists, il must DO re
membered that they were general,
broken or dishOuOred merchants: bank
rupt tradesmen, who had lost their homo
and forfeited their reputation before the,
had lost their property; or they wer
idlers, yagabOnd gamblers, hangers OF
of the hotels and coffee houses. slav
dealers and worshippers of the "ebon,
lido" who, attributing a desire for "qBo
htton" and for "aegyo eQualty' to all loya
men, VIGOROUSLY and to the great scanda
and disgust of whole communities, re
tanned part of their stock in trade, a
hcuso-keepers aud concubiues, in tn
shape of huge, fat, eGluyia-emittinI
negro Wenches--or they were the IN
start aristOcracy-the would-be decenc,
Of the country. Such as having A slay
or two to work for, and attend TO them
and receive the lash quietly and accord
ing TO law, felt az infinite oontempt fo
poor white folks" as they have eve
called the labOring classes; such as felt
an honor toenler sclf-styled "upper-t
dom" by licking the feet of the wealth,
and arrogant STAKEHOLDER, whose wealth il
the constitutional crisis was far South
and whose heart waswith his wealth
Broken down politicians, aud creature
who had essayed to be politicians, who
having failed TO GET the spoils Of onic
long since earned by dirty work, sough
elevation amongst those who held fraud
perjury, treason, shame, dishouor an,
degradation as shining virtues, and tn
honest, honorable, and loyal citizen as
tuaye and traitor
To these classes must be added, an;
not forgotten, two others, who it not an
/ Ll.---- L. L.-L-- ~. - -L.--.-.--- 1870