Year: 1861

chivalric old Commonwealth of Ken
tucky. have listened for her voice in
this war; have heard it not; and why :?
Because her action is. as I believe. para
Iyzed by the course of her State authorities;
but. on the first Monday of next August
the srue voice of old Kentucky will be
heard. and you will have two thirds ma
jority in favor of loyalty to the Union. and
the places that know her distinguished
Governor now will soon know him no
more forever re


Another count in this indictment against
the Administration is. that they have put
down reasonable newspapers. The Ad-
ministration have shown forbearance be-
yond all parallel in history There is no
Government of constituted authority up
on earth that would have tolerated either
the reasonable utterance or publications Of
these traitors. say that not only ap-
prove of the destruction ofthat ST. Louis
paper. but / rejoice at it. as an evidence Of
returning commsn sense in those who are
to defend the Government of the coun-
try. e-f


+ One word, before forget it. on the
subject Of this war, and the object Of the
war. The is no war levied against any
State. or against any State institutions
The President has called out troops to
suppress insurrection, and put down re-
bcllon. These are the objects for which
your troops have been called into the field.
The abolition of slavery is no object con-
tenn plated for which this war is to be pros
ecuted. But let me tell you. gentlemen.
that although the abolition Of slavery is
not an object of the war. they may, in their
madness and folly and treason. make the
abolition Of slavery one OF the results Of
this war. That is what understand to be
precisely the position of the Administra-
tion upon the subject of this war;.


The gentlemen closes his very able and
eloquent speech with the assumption Of a
position and doctrine that do nos for one
moment admit; and that is. that the States
made this National Union of ours. Ihavc
read wrongfully. and to little purpose. the
history ofthe Convention that formed the
Constitution. that is historically correct.
/ understand the people Of the United
States to have made this Constitution. and
so Webster understood it, Was he q
constitutional lawyer--that man whose
Congressional speeches are textbooks Of
constitution law in every law school in
Europe and America He held that the
Union was the result of the spontaneous
action of the people of the United States.


This doctrine Of State rights. as op-
posed to the rights of the General Gov
ernment. under the Federal Constitution.
is a most dangerous and pestileat heresy.
which un1erlies this whole controversy.
Out of that idea. and one other idea, the
present disastrous state of things has been
brought upon the country. The idea Of
social. political inequality among the re-


spective members of the Confederacy, un-
derlies this war at its very foundation
We are to teach them. l hope. lesson of
! respect for the North: we are to teach them
a lesson Of equality. Claiming to be the
snperiors Of no man or no section, we
claim to be the peer and equal of the
proudest member Of this Confederscy. and
wheresoevei the troops Of the loyal States
have met the rebels in arms. they have H.
Illustrated that lesson, at least, in American
history. They have performed pro9igies
OF valor, which were not surpassed in the
days of Greek aad Roman glory. l am
proud of this demonstration of public
opinion and Northern prowess. What
ever else this war may do. that one thing
it will dot will teach lesson of equali-
ty for a Thousand years; nay. more. il will
add thousand years to the lifetime of
this. the only true Republic upon the
earth. s sfgi'7t


So much for these objections to what
the President has done. But the closing
argument after all. and that upon which
the gentleman places most stress.
is. that an effort was made at the last ses-
sion of Congress to give the President this
very power. and that the Congress Of the
United States refused to pass this bill
That is true; and why? Because the va
cant seats around us were filled with trait
ors. many of whom are now in arms
against the Republic. For that reason.
and that alone. We failed to confer this
power upon the President of the United
States. do not desire 10 be misunder-
stood in reference to this doctrine Of fsubju-
CATION First it was coercion" then it
was "subjugation." Of which we heard so
much. What is the history of this term
coercion II occurs first in manuscript
letter. now being published. from James
Madison. the father Of the Constitution. in
which he took the ground that the right to
coerce obedience to all the Federal laws
was necessary to the very existance of the
Constitution. There is where it first oc-
currcd. When Geaeral Washingto invo-
ked the authority Of the Government to
pnt down the whisky insurrection in Penn
sylvauia. did anybody croak of coercion
or subjugation When Gen. jackson in
voked. by his proclamation. the same
power to crush cut treason in South Caro-
lima, did any body hear of this "odious
doctrine of coercion 2" When it was
necessary to call for the the power of the
Army and navy to arrest fugitive slave
in Boston. did any body talk about coer-
cion? No SIR The power to coerce is
the power to enforce obedience. A Gov
ernmeut without ID is mockery. No
Government can exist without the power
to enforce obedience to its laws and de-
crses. Ii is ofthe very essence of all gov
eminent that the power to coerce the dis
obedient and rebellious should exist and
should be recognized. tss s1s l4t
But the gentleman says he is glad that
tho r,nov,1o be x1,osr ., I.~oct