The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1864-03-17
CFrom the Lexington Observer Il Reporter.]
COL. FRANK WOLFORD'S SPEECH.

Those Of our citizens who failed to hear the
speech of this distinguished Kentucky soldier
at the Melodeon in this city on Thursday, have
lost a treasure which can never be regalned
The time, the occasion, the circumstances and
the man, all conspired to render it one Of the
most significant and important efforts that the
present crises of the Nations history has call
ed forth The occa sion was the presentation /
to him of splendid sword, sash, pistols and |
spurs, suitable to his rank, by portion of our
fellow citizens but instead of its being mere
place acknowledgment of such com
pliment, it proved to be one of the highest eff |
forts of patriot fully imbued with that devo-
ton to his country which patriotism alone en-
statesman whose capacious mind |
grasps the momen tous questions of the hour |
and of a soldier who has imperillcd his life |
upon innumerable battle fields in defence of
that glorious government which was handed
down to us by our ancestors as n legacy of
blood Coming, too from Frank Wollord-a
man who signalized his devotion to his coun-
try upon the breaking out of the rebellion by
raising the fret regiment in Kentucky to be
welded for its suppression; who has been un-
interruptedly in the service for the last three
years, and who, as before remarked, has risk
ed his life almost every day during that period
it was calculated the more to command the
respectful attention and thoughtful consider
alton of his fellow citizens. The time, too,-
Just after the issuance of an order for the en-
roment Of the negroes in Kentucky to be draf-
ted into the United States army, in utter vio-
lation Of her State sovereignty and in deroga
ton of the clearest provisions ever given the
force of law by Constitutional enactment
made the views of this distinguished Kentuck-
ian deeply interesting. No puerie cry OF
"Copperhead" could be raised against such
man by chimney corner heroes who fawn upon
the infallibility of the DEGREES of power and
yet, we venture to say, that no man in the ma
ton has ever arraigned the dominant party
with more manly boldness and more whitening
invective He charged Mr.. Lincoln with
tonly trampling upon the Constitution and
crushing under the iron heel of military pow
err the rights of the people guaranteed by
that instrument; he charged him with violat-
ing his solemn pledge, as repeatedly enunci-
ated at the commencement of his administra-
ton. as to the purposes of the war; he charged
him with Il violation of the rules of civilized
warfare in the indiscriminate, wide spread
ruin which he was sowing broad cast through
out the South; he charged him with the in
auguration of policy for the prosecution OF
the which was not only unconstitutional
and unwise, but the inevitable result of which
would be to prolong the war, if indeed it ever
ended in peace. and, if successful would as
utterly DESTROY constitution freedom as If it
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 wnlcn there cOuJu De OHereu
no successful refutatIon.
The most vile and detestable of all the ismS
with which the country has ever been afflicted
bolitionism-received no favor at the
hands of this gallant Kentuckian. He de-
nounced its advocates the enemies of
the country; disturbers of the public peace
and fomentors of strilei and while he was
in thought word and deed every inch n
Union man, he did not hesitate to say that
they were as dangerous t. the repose and per-
petuity of the Union as the secessionsts them
selves. Their fanaticism knew limits to
unconstitutional aggressions; and to acquire
! for themselves power and pelf they scrupled
not at trampling upon the laws, Overturning
Constitutions, and pluDging the nation into
irretrievabie anarchy and ruin.
lie referred to the remark that neio issues
had arisen since the outbreak OF the rebellion,
and gave it his emphatic contradiction. The
Issue the same to day that IL was then.
The question at that time was shall the re-
bellion be put down, the Union maintained
and the Constitution preserved with all the
guaranteed rights under it unimpaired or
shall the rebellion be successful, the Union
dissolved and the Government destroyed ?" 1t
was not whether the rebellion should be crush
ed. and the Constitution which Is the bond of
| the Union at the same time destroyed, as Mr..
Lincoln and his followers are attempting, but
whether this glorious fabric of our fathers,
with all It's clustering memories and sacred
guarantees of constitutional freedom, should
stand as an eternal monument oftheir wisdom,
courage and patriotism. This was the issue
then-it is the issue now. He acknowledged
no legitimate deviation from it. The pur-
poses of the war were the same to day that
they were when Mr.. Lincoln in his inaugural
and Congress by resolution declared that they
were not for conquest or subjugation, nor for
interference with the domestic institutions of
the States, but simply to preserve the honor
and maintain the supremacy of the COnstitu-
ton. The effort to pervert the war from this
| legitimate purpose, and to make it n upon
slavery was an issue which the dominant
party had no right to make-it a startling
! usurpation of power-and for one he should
denounce it as without the color of right, j US
tice or constitutional justification.
He referred to the recent order for the enrol
ment of negroes in Kentucky, and denounced
it as alike unconstitu tional and unjust. l was
but another of the series of startling usurpa
| tions of power which were being made; and
he said it was the duty of the people of Ken
lucky to resist it as violation of their guar
anteed rights. If they were Overpowered by
furce, in their refusal to obey this order, then
he advised them to appeal to the law for pro
lection; and he was mistaken in the Governor
of the State whom he had known long and in
timately (Gov. Bramlette occupied position
on the platform with the speaker, having come
up especially for the purpose of hearing him, }
if he did not protect them in their constitu'
tional rights. Ii when the people of Kentucky
appealed to the law for protection from this
unconstitutional edict, Mr.. Lincoln persisted
in enforcing it, he would himself be the rebel,
and not the people of Kentucky. He would