New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-19
KENTUCKY TROUBLES.

the fourth, we believe, counting that of April,
lS6I, the first. That was caused b. President
Lncoln's call for troops to preserve the capital
from tho fate which had just befallen Fort Sum-
ter. This call Was denounced by Gov. Magofiin
and The Louisville Journal as atrocious, Hagl-
tious abominable. They regarded It as eoer-
cion, which, according TO their ideas, Is a
special prerogatiye Of Shareholders. Three days
before Rebel organization in Louisville had
photographed to jeff. Davs's War Department! at
Montgomery, that Louisville regiment awaited
its orders; but that did Mt shock the Governor
nor The journal. Fighting for Slavery and the
Rebellion did not seem TO violate the neutrali-
ty Of Kentucky; fighting for the Un'on' to pre-
vent lis being driven out OF its own capital, was
quite another matter.
The State defantly, reproachfuliy, repeiied
the Presidents acquisitions; the state iaiseu
soveraI rosi,nonts har OWN soil for the Rebels,
but none for the Union for months. The Ken
tuckians who enlisted in the National service
bad 10 be mustered in, encamped aud drilled ON
the Free side Of the Ohio.
By -and-by, the Rebels had quietly taken pos
session Of the southwest half Of the State, hay
ing formidable camps or forts at Bowling Green,
Columbus Hickman, &c. Gen. Sherman esti-
mated that an army Of 200, 600 men would be
required TO retake and hold II for tho Union.
Even Louisville was threatened with spoliation
by the Rebels. But they were hunted out, and
driven so far away that they have never got
back but once, when they seized Lexington and
Frankfort, and advanced nearly TO the Ohio,
but were sent back rather faster than they came.
Last year there was serious trouble concert
ing Slavery. Thousands of fugitiyes from
traitor masters in States further South, escaping
to freedom and loyalty through Kentucky,
were there seized, put in Jail, advertised and
sold as presumptive chattels, on the evidence of
the color of their skins. We insisted, to the
horror of many friends, that, if the laws Of Ken
lucky required this, we at the North should bear
it patiently; but when we learned that those
laws had been altered the preceding Winter
expressly to facilitate this kidnapping We did
not regard it with so much allowance.
The new funy-for we must hurry on
grows out of the apprehcnded CONSUMPTION Of
Kentucky slaves into the Union armies, which
has set the conservatism of that State into u
lively ferment. Let US explain it:
A law of last Session provides for the enroll
ing Of all able-bodied males between 20 and 10
years old for. Military service. From this en-
rollment drafts are from time to time made.
Now the obligation to furnish men to put
down rebellion against the Union bears equally
on all the States and People. Kentucky'S
Slavery, according to old-lashioned ideas. is en-
tirely her own affair; but it does not exempt
her from doing her part TO uphold the National
authority. 1t would be maniiestly unfair to al
low her to shirk her duty in this respect on the
plea that part Of her people are slaves to the
residue The answer inevitably rises to every
lip" Your Slavery is your own affair: fill up
your QUOTA"
Now, Kentucky is at perfect liberty to fill that
shareholders may say: We will have no
negro soldering, but will go ourselves or send
our sons instead" Or they may know how to
induce the Poor Whites to stand double draft
in order to screen the shareholders and their
slaves or the slaves alone. If Kentucky
promptly fills her quota with Whites, there will
be no CONSUMPTION of her Blacks.
But-and here is the pinch-she does not fill
her quota, either with Shareholders or Poor
WITHSTAND SO is on the verge Of heavy draft
And her conservative Unionists Of the McClel-
Ian type are making row about the enroll
ment Of Slaves instead Of filing up their quota
Of Whites. Hence, you see, the new trouble.
Now Judge whether the loysl. Yuion-loyiuG. !