President Lincoln, in his message of the previous July, had distinctly
and reproachfully spoken of the idea of neutrality as existing in some
of the border States. He said: "To prevent the Union forces passing one
way, or the disunion the other, over their soil, would be disunion
completed.... At a stroke it would take all the trouble off the hands of
secession, except only what proceeds from the external blockade."
The acts of the Federal Government corresponded with the views announced
by its President. Briefly, but conclusively, General Polk showed in his
answer that the United States Government paid no respect to the neutral
position which Kentucky wished to maintain; that it was armed, but not
neutral, for the arms and the troops assembled on her soil were for the
invasion of the South; and that he occupied Columbus to prevent the
enemy from taking possession of it. When our troops first entered
Columbus they found the inhabitants had been in alarm from
demonstrations of the United States forces, but that they felt no dread
of the Confederate troops. As far as the truth could be ascertained, a
decided majority of the people of Kentucky, especially its southwestern
portion, if left to a free choice, would have joined the Confederacy in
preference to remaining in the Union. Could they have foreseen what in a
short time was revealed, there can be little doubt that mule contracts,
and other forms of bribery, would have proved unavailing to make her the
passive observer of usurpations destructive of the personal and
political rights of which she had always been a most earnest advocate.
Pages:
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624