Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-15
COL. WOLFORD'S SPEECH AT
LEXINGTON, NY.
HIS CONDEMNATION OF PRESI-
DENT LINC0LN'S POLICY.
KENTUCKY SHOULD RESIST THE ENLISTMENT
ii.@ OF NEGROES.
The President Denounced as a Usurpel
and a Tyrant.
Governor Bramlette Called Upon to
Protect Kentucky i'm Her Com
stitutiOnaI Rights.

Protect Kentucky i'm Her Com
stitutional Rights.
From the Lexington Observer and Reporter.l
Those of our citizens who failed to heal
the speech of this distinguished Kentucky
soldier, at the MelodeOn i'm this city, or
Thursday, have lost treasure which car
never be regained. The time, the occasion
the circumstances and the man, all conspired
to render it one of the most significant and
important e1fors that the present terrible
crisis of the nations history has called forth
The occasion was the presentation to him Of
a splendid sword, sash, pistols and spurs,
suitable to his rank, by portion of our fel-
low-citizens; but instead of its beinga mere
commonplace acknowledgment of such a
compliment, it proved to be one of the high
est efforts of patriot fully imbued with
that devotion to his country which patriot
ism alone engenders-of a statesman whose
capacious mind grasps the momentous ques-
tions of the hour-and of soldier who has
imperiled his life upon innumerable battle
fields in defense of that glorious Government
which.was handed down to us by our ances-
tors as legacy of blood. Coming, too, from
Frank Wolford, man who signalized his
devotion to his country upon the breaking
out of the rebellion, by raising the first regi-
ment in Kentucky to be welded for its sup
preston; who has been uninterruptedly In
the service for the last three years, and who,
as before remarked, has risked his life al
most every day during that period-it was
calculated the more to command the re-
spectful attention and thoughtful consider
alton of his fellow citizens. The time, too,
just after the Issuance of an order for the
enrolment of the negroes in Kentucky, to
be drafted into the.United States army, in
utter violation of her State sovereignty,
and in derogation of the clearest provis-
ions ever given the force of law by con-
stitutional enactment-made the views of
this distinguished Kentuckian deeply in
teresting. No puerile cry of ssCopper-
head" could be raised against such man
by chimney-corner heroes, who fawn up
on the infallibility of the DEGREES of pow
,er; and yet, we venture to say, that no
man in the nation has ever arraigned the
dominant party with more manly bold
ness and more whitening invectiye.-
He, charged Mr.. Lincoln with wantonly
trampling upon the Constitution, and crush
ing under the iron heel of military power
the rights of the people guaranteed by that
instrument; he charged him with violating
his solemn pledge, as repeatedly enunciated
at the commencement of his administration,
as to the purposes of the war; he charged
him with violation of the rules of civilized
warfare in the indiscriminate, widespread
ruin which he was sowing broadcast
throughout the South; he charged him with
the Inauguration of policy for tho prose-
cution of the war, which was not only un-
constitutional and unwise, but the inevitable
result of which would be to prolong the
war, if indeed itever ended in peace, and, if
successful, would as utterly destroy consti-
tutional freedom as If 1t had fallen under
the blows of armed rebellion. And not
only did he charge these things, but he
cited the acts Of the President and his party
as proof to which there could be offered no
successful refutation. s
u The most vile and detestable of all the
isins with which the country has ever been
afliicted--A olitionisnl--received no favor
at the hands of this gallant Kentuckian. He
denounced its advocates as the enemies of
the country; disJurbers of the public peace
h and fomentors Of strife; and while he was
in thought, word and deed, every inch a
Union man, he did not hesitate to say that
they were.as dangerous to the repose and
perpetuity of the Union as the Secessionists
themselves. Their fanaticism knew no
limits to unconstitutional aggressions; and
TO acquire for themselves power and pelf
they scrupled not at trampling upon the
laws, oyerturning constitutions, and plung-
Ing the nation Into irretrievable anarchy
and ruin. ,..s
He referred to the remark that se,c issues
had arisen since the outbreak of the rebel
lion, and gave 1t his emphatic contradiction.
The issue was the same to-day that 1t was
then. The question at that time was ."shall
9 the rebellion be put down, the Union main-
tanned and the Constitution preserved with
all the guaranteed rights under itunimpair-
ed, or shall the rebellion be successful, the
Union be dissolved and the Government de-
.stroyed?n 1t was not whether the rebellion
should be crushed, and the Constitution
which is tho bond of the Union at the same
time destroyed, as Mr.. Lincoln and his fol-
lowers are attempting, but whether this
glorious fabric OF our fathers, with all its
clustering memories and sacred guarantees
of constitutional freedom, should stand as
an eternal monument OF their wisdom. cour-
age and patriotism. This was the issue then.
1t Is the issue now. He Acknowledged no
legitimate deviation from 1t. The purposes
Of the war were the same to-day that thev
were when Mr,L Lincoln In his inaugural and
Congress by resolution declared that they
were not for conquest or subjugation, nor
for interference with the domestic institu-
itions Of the States but simply to preserve
the honor and maintain the supremacy of
the Constitution. The effort to pervcrt the
war from this legitimate purpose, and to
make II q war upon slavery, was an issue
which the dominant party had no right to
make--it was astartling nsurpation Of pow
Grand for one he should depounce It as
without the colorof right, Justice or consti-
,tutional justification. q ,i'r
.hl He referred to the recent order for the
enrolment Of negroes In Kentucky, and de-
f,Ounced IL aS nike uncOnstit,ltional and