Harvey, R. to Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin, 25 Jan 1861

This letter is an entreaty to the governor to refuse to ally Kentucky with the Union unless "the Crittenden amendments" are granted; if they are not, Kentucky should join the Confederacy and "...we [should] prepare for the worst by armament." He suggests that "our friend Major... publish in the Yeoman" the speeches of Southern senators made "upon retiring from the Senate", which he is certain will fan the flames of secession. He closes with the observation that "The worst enemies we now have to encounter are these do nothing gentry, who wish us to fold our army and under the Union cry, to fasten us to the tail end of the Republican party." [Kentucky senator John Crittenden introduced a series of compromises that were intended to prevent a civil war. S.I.M. Major was a Frankfort newspaper publisher. EKU Archives maintains a large collection relating to Major, his family, and the Yeoman.]