Year: 1861

their majesty, the people of the Unite
States should make known to the world
: that this Government, in its dignity an,


power is something more than a moo


court. and that the citizen who makes wa


upon it is a traitor, not only in theory bu


in fact, and should have meted out to hin


a traitors doom. The country wants nj


bloody sacrifices, but it must and will hav,


peace, cost what it may.


Before closing, desire to say a few


words on the relations of Kentucky TO the


pending rebellion; and, as we are all Ken


tuckians here together tonight, and as thi;


is purely family matter, which concerns


the honor of US all, hope we may be per.


mitted to speak to each other upon it with


entire freedom. l shall not detain you


with observations on the hostile and def.
ant position assumed by the Governor Of


your State In his reply to the requisitiOn


made upon him for volunteers under the


proclamation of the President, he has, in


my judgement, written and finished his


own history, his epitaph included, and it is
] HlODdDlC LudI lululC LlC hOllu Will III


tie concern itself as to what his Excellency


may propose to 90, or as to what he may


propose not to do. That response has


made for Kentucky record that has al


ready brought burning blush to the cheek


Of many of her sons, and is destined to


bring it to the cheek of many more in the


years which are to come. 1t is a shame,


indeed crying shame. that State with


so illustrious past, should have written


for her by her own chief magistrate, page


of history SO utterly humiliating as this.


B your Legislature have determined that


during the present unhappy war the atti-


tude Of tie State shall be that of strict


neutrality, and it is upon this determina-


tiOu that wish respectfully, but frankly,
I to comment As the motives which gov


erned the Legislature were doubtless patri-


otie and conservative, the conclusion arrived


at cannot be condemned as dishonorable,
still. in view of the manifest duty of the


State. and of possible results. l cannot but


regard it as mistaken and false, and one


which may have fatal consequences. Strict
ly and legally speaking, Kentucky must 60
out of the Union before she can be neutral.


Within it, she is necessarily either faith
ful to the Government of the United States,
or disloyal to it. If this crutch of neu-
trality upon which her well meaning but
i'll judging politicians are halting. can find
any middle ground on which to rest, it has
escaped my researches, thoug h have dill
gently sought it Neutrality, in the sense
of those who now use the term. however
patriotically designed, is, in effect, but a
snake in the grass of rebellion, and those
who handle II Yill sooner or later feel its
fangs.


Said one who spake as man never spake
"he who is not with US is against u.s. and
of none of the conflicts which have arisen
between nations, could this be more truth
fully said, than Of that in which we are
now involved. Neutrality necessarily i'm
plies indifference Is Kentucky indiffer-
ent to the issues of this contest? Has she,
indeed, nothing at stake? Has she no
compact with her sister States to keep, no
pledged faith to uphold, no renown to sus-
tain. no glory to win? Has she no horror
of that crime of crimes now being commit
ted against US by that stupendous rebellion
which has arisen ike tempest cloud in
the South? We rejoice to know that she
is still member of this Union, and as
such she has the same interest in resisting
this rebellion, that each limb of the body
has in resisting poigniard whose point is
aimed at the heart. 1t is her house that
is on fire; has she no interest in extinguish-
ing the conhagratiOn? Will she stand
aloof and announce herself neutral between
the raging flames and the brave men who
are periling their lives to subdue them?
Hundreds of thousands of citizens of other
Statesmen of culture and character, of
thought and of toll; men who have a deep
stake in life and an intense appreci alton of
Its duties and responsibilities; who knew
the worth of this blessed government of
ours, and do not prize even their own blood
above it-I say, hundreds of thousands of
such men have left their homes, their work
shops, their offices, their counting houses,
and their fields, and are now rallying about
our flag. freely offering their all to sustain
it, and since the days that crusading Eu-
rope threw its hosts upon the embattled
plains of Asia, no deeper or more earnest,
or grander spirit has stirred the souls of
men, than that which now sways those
mighty masses whose cleaning banners are
destined ere long to make bright again the
earth and sky of the distracted South.
Can Kentucky look upon this sublime spec
tacle of patriotism uumoved, and then say
to herself 81 will spend neither blood
nor treasure, but will shrink away while
the battle RACES, and after it has been
fought and won, / will return to the camp,
well assured that if l cannot claim the lau-
rels, l will at least enjoy the blessings of
the victory?" Is this all that remains of
her chivalry? of the chivalry of the land
of the Shelbys, the JOhnsons, the Aliens.
the Clays, the Adairs and the Davisses?
Is there Kentuckian within the sound of
my voice tonight, who can hear the an
guished cry of his country, as she wrestles,
and writhes in the folds of this gigantic
treason, and then lay himself down upon
his pillow with this thought of neutrality.
without feeling that he has something in
his bosom which stings him worse than ;
would an adder? Have we, within the I
brief period of eighty years. descended so
far from the mountain heights on which
,ur fathers stood. that already. in our de-
We proclaim our blood tooprecious
1ur treasure too valuable to be devoted to {
the preservation of such a government as
his? They fought through a seven years
war with the greatest power on earth, for
The hope. the bare hope Of becoming able
to found this Republic, aud now that it is
no longer hope nor an experiment, but a
glorious reality which has excited the ad-
niratiOn and the homage of the nations:
and has covered us with blessings as ''the
waters cover the channels of the sea, have !
We. their children, no years of toll, of sac