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cumstances　it　became　necessary　that　Kentucky　should　choose　her　side。　　With　the　exception　of　the　little　State　of　Delaware；　in　which　from　her　position　secession　would　have　been　impossible；　Kentucky　was；　I　think；　less　inclined　to　rebellion；　more　desirous　of　standing　by　the　North；　than　any　other　of　the　slave　States。　　She　did　all　she　could；　however；　to　put　off　the　evil　day　of　so　evil　a　choice。　　Abolition　within　her　borders　was　held　to　be　abominable　as　strongly　as　it　was　so　held　in　Georgia。　　She　had　no　sympathy；　and　could　have　none；　with　the　teachings　and　preachings　of　Massachusetts。　　But　she　did　not　wish　to　belong　to　a　confederacy　of　which　the　Northern　States　were　to　be　the　declared　enemy；　and　be　the　border　State　of　the　South　under　such　circumstances。　　She　did　all　she　could　for　personal　neutrality。　　She　made　that　effort　for　general　reconciliation　of　which　I　have　spoken　as　the　Crittenden　Compromise。　　But　compromises　and　reconciliation　were　not　as　yet　possible；　and　therefore　it　was　necessary　that　she　should　choose　her　part。　　Her　governor　declared　for　secession；　and　at　first　also　her　legislature　was　inclined　to　follow　the　governor。　　But　no　overt　act　of　secession　by　the　State　was　committed；　and　at　last　it　was　decided　that　Kentucky　should　be　declared　to　be　loyal。　　It　was　in　fact　divided。　　Those　on　the　southern　border　joined　the　secessionists；　whereas　the　greater　portion　of　the　State；　containing　Frankfort；　the　capital；　and　the　would…be　secessionist　governor；　who　lived　there；　joined　the　North。　　Men　in　fact　became　Unionists　or　secessionists　not　by　their　own　conviction；　but　through　the　necessity　of　their　positions；　and　Kentucky；　through　the　necessity　of　her　position；　became　one　of　the　scenes　of　civil　war。　I　must　confess　that　the　difficulty　of　the　position　of　the　whole　country　seems　to　me　to　have　been　under…estimated　in　England。　　In　common　life　it　is　not　easy　to　arrange　the　circumstances　of　a　divorce　between　man　and　wife；　all　whose　belongings　and　associations　have　for　many　years　been　in　common。　　Their　children；　their　money；　their　house；　their　friends；　their　secrets　have　been　joint　property；　and　have　formed　bonds　of　union。　　But　yet　such　quarrels　may　arise；　such　mutual　antipathy；　such　acerbity　and　even　ill　usage；　that　all　who　know　them　admit　that　a　separation　is　needed。　　So　it　is　here　in　the　States。　　Free　soil　and　slave　soil　could；　while　both　were　young　and　unused　to　power；　go　on　togethernot　without　many　jars　and　unhappy　bickerings；　but　they　did　go　on　together。　　But　now　they　must　part；　and　how　shall　the　parting　be　made？　　With　which　side　shall　go　this　child；　and　who　shall　remain　in　possession　of　that　pleasant　homestead？　　Putting　secession　aside；　there　were　in　the　United　States　two　distinct　political　doctrines；　of　which　the　extremes　were　opposed　to　each　other　as　pole　is　opposed　to　pole。　　We　have　no　such　variance　of　creed；　no　such　radical　difference　as　to　the　essential　rules　of　life　between　parties　in　our　country。　　We　have　no　such　cause　for　personal　rancor　in　our　Parliament　as　has　existed　for　some　years　past　in　both　Houses　of　Congress。　　These　two　extreme　parties　were　the　slaveowners　of　the　South　and　the　abolitionists　of　the　North　and　West。　　Fifty　years　ago　the　former　regarded　the　institution　of　slavery　as　a　necessity　of　their　positiongenerally　as　an　evil　necessity；　and　generally　also　as　a　custom　to　be　removed　in　the　course　of　years。　　Gradually　they　have　learned　to　look　upon　slavery　as　good　in　itself；　and　to　believe　that　it　has　been　the　source　of　their　wealth　and　the　strength　of　their　position。　　They　have　declared　it　to　be　a　blessing　inalienable；　that　should　remain　among　them　forever　as　an　inheritance　not　to　be　touched　and　not　to　be　spoken　of　with　hard　words。　　Fifty　years　ago　the　abolitionists　of　the　North　differed　only　in　opinion　from　the　slave　owners　of　the　South　in　hoping　for　a　speedier　end　to　this　stain　upon　the　nation；　and　in　thinking　that　some　action　should　be　taken　toward　the　final　emancipation　of　the　bondsmen。　　But　they　also　have　progressed；　and；　as　the　Southern　masters　have　called　the　institution　blessed；　they　have　called　it　accursed。　　Their　numbers　have　increased；　and　with　their　numbers　their　power　and　their　violence。　　In　this　way　two　parties　have　been　formed　who　could　not　look　on　each　other　without　hatred。　　An　intermediate　doctrine　has　been　held　by　men　who　were　nearer　in　their　sympathies　to　the　slaveowners　than　to　the　abolitionists；　but　who　were　not　disposed　to　justify　slavery　as　a　thing　apart。　　These　men　have　been　aware　that　slavery　has　existed　in　accordance　with　the　Constitution　of　their　country；　and　have　been　willing　to　attach　the　stain　which　accompanies　the　institution　to　the　individual　State　which　entertains　it；　and　not　to　the　national　government　by　which　the　question　has　been　constitutionally　ignored。　The　men　who　have　participated　in　the　government　have　naturally　been　inclined　toward　the　middle　doctrine；　but　as　the　two　extremes　have　retreated　farther　from　each　other；　the　power　of　this　middle　class　of　politicians　has　decreased。　　Mr。　Lincoln；　though　he　does　not　now　declare　himself　an　abolitionist；　was　elected　by　the　abolitionists；　and　when；　as　a　consequence　of　that　election；　secession　was　threatened；　no　step　which　he　could　have　taken　would　have　satisfied　the　South　which　had　opposed　him；　and　been　at　the　same　time　true　to　the　North　which　had　chosen　him。　　But　it　was　possible　that　his　government　might　save　Maryland；　Virginia；　Kentucky；　and　Missouri。　As　Radicals　in　England　become　simple　Whigs　when　they　are　admitted　into　public　offices；　so　did　Mr。　Lincoln　with　his　government　become　anti…abolitionist　when　he　entered　on　his　functions。　　Had　he　combated　secession　with　emancipation　of　the　slaves；　no　slave　State　would　or　could　have　held　by　the　Union。　　Abolition　for　a　lecturer　may　be　a　telling　subject。　　It　is　easy　to　bring　down　rounds　of　applause　by　tales　of　the　wrongs　of　bondage。　　But　to　men　in　office　abolition　was　too　stern　a　reality。　　It　signified　servile　insurrection；　absolute　ruin　to　all　Southern　slaveowners；　and　the　absolute　enmity　of　every　slave　State。　But　that　task　of　steering　between　the　two　has　been　very　difficult。　I　fear　that　the　task　of　so　steering　with　success　is　almost　impossible。　　In　England　it　is　thought　that　Mr。　Lincoln　might　have　maintained　the　Union　by　compromising　matters　with　the　Southor；　if　not　so；　that　he　might　have　maintained　peace　by　yielding　to　the　South。　　But　no　such　power　was　in　his　hands。　　While　we　were　blaming　him　for　opposition　to　all　Southern　terms；　his　own　friends　in　the　North　were　saying　that　all　principle　and　truth　was　abandoned　for　the　sake　of　such　States　as　Kentucky　and　Missouri。　　〃Virginia　is　gone；　Maryland　cannot　go。　　And　slavery　is　endured；　and　the　new　virtue　of　Washington　is　made　to　tamper　with　the　evil　one；　in　order　that　a　show　of　loyalty　may　be　preserved　in　one　or　two　States　which；　after　all；　are　not　truly　loyal！〃　　That　is　the　accusation　made　against　the　government　by　the　abolitionists；　and　that　made　by　us；　on　the　other　side；　is　the　reverse。　　I　believe　that　Mr。　Lincoln　had　no　alternative　but　to　fight；　and　that　he　was　right　also　not　to　fight　with　abolition　as　his　battle…cry。　　That　he　may　be　forced　by　his　own　friends　into　that　cry；　is；　I　fear；　still　possible。　　Kentucky；　at　any　rate；　did　not　secede　in　bulk。　　S