Year: 1861

they have torn themselves away we cannot say,
but we allow ourselves to hope that the masses
in those States will in time learn that the dan
gers they were made to fear were greatly ex-
ageerated, and that they will then be disposed
TO- listen to the calls of interest and OF patriotism
and return to the family from which they have
gone out. One effect Of giving such guarantees,
certainly, will be to prove to the world, by the
frank recognition of the rights Of the few slave
States adheriDg to the Union, that the States
which have seeded have abandoned the best
government in the world without any good or
Sufficient cause. .6l


IL may be urged that there are not now o suf
fcient number of States acting in the Union to
ratiiy any such constitutional amendments ae
will furnish the guarantees we require But II
Ia to be remembered that there Is no time fixed
by the Constitution for such ratification, and If
they should be ratified by the free States, then
at the end of the present civil war, terminate
as it may, either in the restoration of the sece-
ded States to the Union, or in the establishment
OF their separate national existence, there will
be the number OF States required for the rati6-
cation.


Fellow.citizens of the United States, you are
about to be engaged In q war in which the horrors
that ordinarily attend that state are likely to be





family, and have long lived together In intimate
intercourse and in friendly relations. The kind
feelings that once existed have been changed to
bitterness, soon to degenerate, it may be, into
deadly animosity. We desire to remind you that
you are contending about question Of principle,
upon which We would fain believe that you are
on each side convinced that you are right. II is
no longer question of party politics, no longer
question about the right to hold slaves in terri.
tories, or to retake them when they escape; the
question now to be settled is, whether we shall
live in the same Union as formerly, or whether
our fathers formed government upon such prin.
ciples thatany one Statet may at her own pleas.
ure, without the consent of the others. and with.
out responsibility to any human power, withdraw
from her connection with the Government and
claim to be sovereign as separate nation. Il
will be readily seen that this, as question Of
principle, Is not affected by the number OF States
that have withdrawn. IL would have been we'll
if this question could have been solved In some
other mode than by resort TO war; but 1t may
be that nothing but Divine interposition now
can determine 1t by other means. A war upon
such question ought not to produce any high.
er evaporation or excite any greater degree of
auimosity than lie incident to all wars. In the
meantime, let the spirit Of humanity and of the
high civilization OF the age strip this war
of the horrors that generally attend such civil
strife.


Our States desire, and have indicated pur-
pose to take no part In this war, and we be-
leve that in this course we will ultimately best
serve the interests of our common country. 1t
Is impossible that we should be Indifferent spec.
tatore; we consider that our interests would be
irretrievably ruined by taking part in the con-
fict on the side where the strongest sympathies
of our people are, and that our sense of honor
and of duty requires that we should not allow
ourselves to be drawn or driven into q war In
which other States, without consulting US, have
deliberately chosen to involve themselves. Our
safety and our dignity, as among the most power.
full of the slave States, demand of US that we
take this position.


fthe time shall come when our friendly me
diation may arrest the further progress OF tht
strife, our most earnest and strenuous effort.
shall not be wanting to bring about peace, and
it is by such efforts that we hope to serve the
interests of our country.


And now, In conclusion, we make our solemn
appeal to the people Of the United States. This
is your government--its preservation Is your
preservation-its overthrow ia your ruin, and
you are the rightful arbiters of Its fate.


We hope you will take the subject of this ad
dress into your own consideration. Act with the
energy and decision Of a free people. In you and
you alone we have confidence. You have the
Intelligence and the power to rule this fearful
crisis Make known your will in some emphati
form that shall give it authority with your rep
resentatives everywhere.


May we not earnestly hope that you, the peo
pie, the whole people, without regard to parties
or sections, will be able to command settle
ment of the national difficulties, and will see
the rropriety and necessity of having cessa-
ton of present hostilities, go that the measures
of pacifcation which your wisdom may devise,
can be calmly considered by your copsttuti onal
authorities? g-'.-. =. .-1!


We venture to suggest, for your consideration
and action, two specific propositions as most
likely to lead to paci6oltion: yss .,5fs' .
lst. That Congress shall at once propose such
constitutional amendments as will secure to
Shareholders their legal rights, and allay their
apprehensions in regard to possible encreach-
ments 10 the future. r q i,-e5s-5! i.


Q. If this should fail to bring about the re-
suits go desirable to us and so essential to the
best hopes of our country. then let a voluntary
convention be called, composed Of delegates
from the people of all the States. In which mea,
sures of peaceable adjustment may be devised
and adopted, and the nation rescued from the
continued horrors and calamities of civil var.


To our sellow citizens of the North we desire
to say; discard that sectional and unfriendly
spirit, manifested by teaching and action, which
has contributed go much to infime the feelings
of the Southern people, and Justly create ap-
prehension on their part of injury to them. d


To our fellow.citizens of the South we desire
to say: Though we have been greatly injured BY
your precipitate action, we would not now re.
proach you as the cause of that injury, but we
entreat you to re examine the question Of the
necessity for such action, and il you Hnd that 1t
has been taken without due consideration, as we
verify believe, ard that the evils you apprehend
ed from continuance In the Union were Meth.
er 90 great nor 30 unavoidable as you supposed,
or that Congress is willing to grant adequate 60
curities, then we pray you 20 return promptly
TO your connection with US, that we may be, in
the future, as we have been In the past, one
great, powerful, and prosperous natien.


Indications have already been afforded that q
Divine power lie ready to interpose and prevent
brethren from slaughtering each other. While
life was lost When u Proyidential interposi-
tion was no longer needed to prevent the effasion
of blood In civil strife, several lives were lost
in the performance of a mere ceremony. We
would invoke the presence and aid of that Pow
er to preserve our fellow-citizeus, on both sides,
from slaughter, and We would commit the in
terests of our distracted country to His hands
who can bring forth peace aud order ont Of
strife and confusion when mans wisdom utterly


J.J. CRITTENDEN, Pros't.
h JAS. GUTHRIE, s41sf .rs1 =


H. R. GAMBLE, of Missouri.


WM., A. HALL, - a9


J. B. HEN DERS0N, (" ~,


VIM. G.. PoMER0Y, 1"
R. X WILLIAMS, eg s,,ar


--.- ARC,D DlXON,.nnnt h n. my,