Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/493

 i86i] Kentucky refuses to secede. 461 order of battle when there was no enemy within reach. At this point, however, he was overtaken in his movement by an order from President Lincoln, made on October 24, removing him from command, and directing his successor to abandon the pursuit of Price, and for the present to establish corps of observation at the railroad termini of Holla and Sedalia. The State of Kentucky, lying lengthwise immediately south of the Ohio river, extends from Missouri on the west to Virginia on the east, a distance of 350 miles. Its position in the coming civil war was decided by a long political contest, rather than by a direct military struggle, or even by a formidable show of arms. Like other border Slave States, its people were very much divided in sentiment; but the majority was ardently attached to the Union. Here again, as in most other Slave States, the governor and sundry State officials were, if not Secessionist conspirators, at least active disunionists ; while on the other hand, the legislature con- tained a majority of Unionist members. In two separate special sessions, which the governor convened, the legislature voted down his recommen- dation of a State convention, the first time by adopting only an anti- coercion protest, and the second by resolutions and laws adopting an attitude of defensive neutrality. To balance the governor's "State Guard " militia, which was known to lean to secession, it authorised the formation of a " Home Guard," and provided that privates and officers of both organisations should be required to swear allegiance to both the State and the Union; in addition it constituted a Unionist board of commissioners to control the governor's expenditures under the military bill. Unlike Virginia, where official proceedings promoted secession under the guise of loyalty, the Kentucky Unionists were obliged to secure the adhesion of the State to the Federal government by temporarily assuming an attitude of qualified disloyalty. Though the governor had officially refused to furnish troops under the President's call, and though the legislature enacted that the State arms and munitions should be used neither against the United States nor the Confederate States, but only to protect Kentucky from invasion, abundant intimations came to President Lincoln that Unionist regiments would be privately organised. To this end he caused arms to be sent, and authorised Major Robert Anderson, a native Kentuckian, of Sumter fame, to encourage and receive such enlistments. Meanwhile two elections were held in Kentucky; one in June, at which nine out of the ten congressmen elected were firm Unionists, and the second in August, at which a three-fourths majority of Unionist members of a new legislature was chosen. Notwithstanding this decisive show of popular sentiment on behalf of the Union, an undercurrent of persistent and untiring Secessionist intrigue kept the eventual course of the State in much doubt. Failing in all their attempts to gain official CH. XIV.