Year: 1861

ar other. My order to General Crittenden,
and his prompt and ready execution of it,
as shown by his report are submitted to
you. | would recommend this whole sub
ject to your attention, and do not doubt that
in your wisdom you will take some action
to secure to the person and property OF our
citizens the much. needed protection,


In regard to our national difficulties, my
sction, from first to last, has been dictated
by an earest wish to preserve the neutrality
and peace OF Kentucky, / am not conscious
of any lack of vigor or effort on my part in
maintaining the peaceful attitude of neu-
trality, which the people of the State have
determined to occupy. The very corner
stone of the theory of the States Rights party,
to which have always adhered, is the right
Of the people Of State, by lawful expires
sion of majority thereof to determine the
policy and the relations of the Common
wealth. My functions are purely executive,
and am bound by my oath of office to carry
out the lawful will Of the people, whether
the policy they prefer accords with my own
views or not. The Constitution is the only
barrier between the people and the Execu-
tive which / recognize. | was elected Gov
ernor by majority Of the people, who well
knew my political sentiments. Since my
election great questions have arisen, which,
if contemplated in the canvass, it was hoped
would be settled by adjustment in the coun-
ellis Of the Federal Government; and these
questions unhappily involve the external
relations, the peace and prosperity of Ken
lucky. l deprecated the introduction OF
these questions, and did all could to avert
the issues.


No man lives or ever did live, who more
honestly and earnestly desired to uphold and
perpetuate the Union by faithful execution
of the Federal Constitution. In the canvass
which led to my election as Chief Executive
Magistrate of the State, contended for the
principle, to which had ever been faithful,
that the people of State, as distinct ag-
gregate sovereignty, had the rightful au-
therity to regulate their internal policy, aud
to define their external relations, according
to their own pleasure. Since then the peo
pie of this State have thrice been summoned
to the polls, and, according to my interpre-
tation of their votes, have expressed them.
selves in favor of preserving the neutrality
and peace of the State. l have construed
these expressions as signifying that the peo.
pie were not yet prepared to dissolve their
relation to the old Union, and were not to be
employed in any way, directly or indirectly,
as partisans for or against either of the
belligerents in the unhappy fratricdal war
between the Federal and Confederate States.
! have also construed them as emphatic re-
fusals to be made the instruments of coercing
the people of the seeded States by force OF
arms. / have never been able to construe
the votes of the people of Kentucky as meau-
ing that unconstitutional aggressions could
he sanctified by any display of numerical or
military power. The Constitution would be
a snare a fraud, mockery, if the rights
which it undertakes to protect may be vio-
lated by any majority, however large.


When sectional party was enthroned in
power, pledged not only not to cease the
dangerous agitation, but to continue it re-
gardless of the Constitution and the Judi.
ciary-when the sectional party had, through
its representative official leaders, announced
its purpose to wage an irrepressible conflict
till all the States should be free or all slave
States, meaning thereby that all should be
free-even then, the statesmen of Kentucky,
earnestly anxious to preserve and perpetuate
the Union and the Government established
by our fathers, presented the olive branch to
their Northern brethren, in the form of pro.
posed amendments to the Constitution
Those amendments, presented by a distin.
guished Senator from Kentucky, proposed
no aggression upon any Northern rights
They asked no new rights for the South
They simply required fresh guarantees fol
existing rights; and they demanded less fol
the South than the Supreme Court had sol
emnly decided the South to be constitution.
ally entitled to enjoy. These amendments
accepted by the North, would have been sat
isfactory to the South. The now President
and the late Secretary of State of the Con.
federate States, then Senators of the United
States, avowed their willingness to accept
the Observation-Disclosures as satisfactory
to the South. Their acceptance by the
dominant party in Congress would have
diminished no earthly right or enjoyment O
the North nor added one earthly right t
the South, except pledge of future tran
| guilty in the enjoyment of existing consti
tutional rights. The olive branch thus tend
cred was rudely repelled by the North. AL
! other proposals of compromise, adjustment
and peace were arrogantly rejected, and tn
insolent menace of coercion was insultingl,
held in terTorem over free people!


Now, have glanced at these facts as per
tinent to correct Interpretation of the vii
of the people of Kentucky, signifed by thei
late votes. Undoubtedly, the people of Ken
tucky are ardently attached to the Unio
established by the fathers and operated &C
cordipg to the rule the Constitution. I'm
doubtedly, they have meant that ali civi
remedies shall be exhausted before they vii
relinuuish the fond hope of its restoration
and perpetuation. Undoubtedly, they hav
meant to wait the exhaustion of all civi
remedies before they will even consider th
question of assuming new external rela
tions.


All this I perfectly understand as tn
sense Of the people, and have cordially re
spected their meaning. But | have neve
understood the proud and brave and just


minded freemen of Kentucky to mean ths
they will tamely submit to demonstrations
aggression upon their sacred rights. hav
never understood them to renounce the sen
timent and feeling of sympathy with tn
people of aggrieVed sister States. Nor can


interpret any of their expressions to mea
an approval of the war to subjugate tn
South. Still less can construe any of thei
votes as meaning that they will subm
themselves as joint instruments in prosecut
ing a coercive war against their Souther
brethren. They have only meant to sal
that they still have some hope of the restC
ration and peTpetuation of the Union; an
until that hope is utterly blasted, they wi
not alter their existing relations.


II was in this view that they have strul
gled to preserve the neutrality and peace
the State, and hold her in position to exc
else mediatorial Office between the bellil
erents. Should all such hopes and Office
fail, they will then assume such attitude
their own Judgment may sanction; and the
will maintain 1t with the valor and fortitu(
characteristic of Kentuckians.


Their final decision will be law to m


Every constitutional act of their lawful re-


resentatives will be executed by me with


much vigilance and fidelity as If it originate


in nv own brain. No true States Righ


man can ever set himself in factious oppos


ton to the will of the people of his Stat


however honestly he may be opposed to b.


policy. have no consciousness that, in al


thought, word, or act of mine, l ha'


thWarted the lawful purposes Of the peop