American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-02-21
Kentucky! OliI Kentucky.

Kentucky! OH! Kentucky.
" hile the so-caled Kentucky Union
men, both in Congress and at home, are
doing all they can to embarrass the move
ments and impede the reconstruction pol.
ICY Of both Congress aud the Ad-
mlnlstration, the condition of affairs in
Kentucky itself seems TO be most deplor-
able. and to grow worse instead Of bet
ter TO show the extent to which these
infatuated loyaIists Of Kentucky are de-
termlned to shut their eyes to the evil
dences OF what is going ON around them,
we publish to day very Interesting cor
respOndence between the editors OF tho
! LtWsyii journal and General Palmer,
tue commander OF that military depart
lncnt in which the former ask for the
restoration Of the habeas corpus and the
Withdrawal Of the troops aud the Freed
mems Bureau, While the latter exhibits
i'll plain terms the shocking state OF affairs
there.
AS to the outrsges to which General
Palmer refers, no doubt can be entertain
ed respecting them accounts Of such
occurrences come to us by almost every
mail and il We gave space 10 them, our
readers would be both horrfed and in-
digna,t that liberation shouId be extend
ed - such lawless dolngs. The wonder
Is that the Kentucky Union men should
b. just about as nnpracifcable now as
q wtre in 81 wncn President Lin
cosn3.e erlulned 10 coerce the rebel States
to aJaucou secession. 1t, was with the
greatest difii u.ty then that recruiting for
the aIir,es oi the repuollc could be be-
gun ia dat s'rahge State, aud neutrality
in The contest appeued to be the aim of
the loyal wh,Ie he dish,yal were determ-
med IN their reDei courses. ..s
At the last election the State fell into
the hands Of The democrats, of whom
the rebels we're the controlling element,
aud this ascendancy has been most un ior-
tunate for the prosperity Of Kentucky =
From step TO step this rebel majority has
gone on until loyalty seems to be at dis
count in that commonwealth, and it il
rather u merit to have been rebel. We
do not forget that the Union party made
most ga liant stru. gle at that election;
but when this Union party had an over
whelmiug majority in the Legislature, It
refused to rauiy the constitutional amend-
ment, as it should have done, and, in fact,
it neglected to avail itself of the power
it then held to prevent the very crisis
which has now occurred.
These men allowed the rebel troops to
return 10 their homes fresh from the war
against the nation and vote, and they re-
| fused votes to their own colored troops
who had fought for the loyal cause
Many will say that men guilty Of such
lUIiy as tins hardly deserved to succeed,
ana yet we are graveiy asked on all these
occ, SONS t. make allowance for the pre-
JUDGES cfrace. Ooe might have thought
that the prejudice oi race would give
way before sense Of great danger from
the recovery of power by the rebels.-
But the prejudice did its perfect work,
and we see the result now in Kentucky
| PROSTATE at the feet OF the rebels
Now, as these Union men proved such
poor hands at keeping possession oftheir
own State, they might let the Republican
party alone TO rursue different course,
and protect the interests OF all loyal men,
Of whatever color or race. AS we ask no
assistance tram them the least they could
do 5uld be not to embarrass US. We
made war against their will; we abolished
slavery without their consent We saved
the Union by the very policy they op-
posed. Had j e. followed northern ad-
wee, they could have carried the State at
the last election. Yet still they are brim-
full and running over with autagonism to
the only plan whereby they can be pro-
tected, aud peace and prosperity be re-
stored b all parts of the south. We
really think il is now high time for the
conservative Kentu,ky gentleman %
rub his eyes, and wake up to the pFogress
of the times. New Jersey has recovered
ner senses; Why should not Kentucky?
Ttis opposition to the greatforward move
neut of the Whole country cannot accom-
pli,h any,iiug IL must fail now, just
as Ken'ucky failed in all her other re
sistanee to the steps that were rendered
unavoidable by the Developments of the
times. General Palmer is the leader
VIII ,m the Kentucky Union men should
follow Why do they refuse to do SOL
Phzo. american and Gazette.