The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-04-20

The past week has been crowded with
thrilling events. The first gun has been
fired, and civil war between the sections
of this Union Unlisted. The train was
fired at Fort Sumter on Friday last week.
Tho little band Of American soldiers I'M
der the command of Maj. Anderson, in
Fort Sumter, had reached that point
where execution Or starvation were the
only alternatives. The President, whether
wisely or not, We shall not stop to discuss,
determined TO send them supplies. The
announcement of this determination at
Charleston was received as the signal for
commencing hostiiit.as, and the confeder
ate batteries were opened upon Fort sum
ter. The event Is known to all Not only
were hostilities thus Initiated 10y the con-
federste States, bat with large armies IN
the field, they were rapidly swelling their
forces by thousands, .iustity:ng the rumors
that their object was not only defence, but
aggressive operations, Threatening to take
not only all the other property of the
Union south Of the Potomac, but the CAT.
itol itself.
That the President under such circum-
stances, should fold his arms and cry
peace-peace-was out Of the question
realizing fully the threatened danger, he
has determined SO far ut least to arm the
nation as to be able to defend the public
archives. Beyond this we hardly imagine
any extensive warlike operations are con-
templated. The idea that 5000 men
would be sufficient TO invade the South
and forcibly retake the forts or any other
public property, IS preposLcrous. The
Presidents call is for q defensive force only
Congress is convened, when the whole
matter Of peace and war VIII he commit
ted to that body.
Under this aspect of the case. that any
loyal citizen Of This Union, acl:nowicd ging
his allegiance 20 the government whose
emblem is the Stars and Stripes, should
hesitate, 10y all the means which are at
his disposal, to encourage and support the
goregnmert Of his country thus outraged
and threatened by ayowed traitors is not
conceived. Whatever differences of opin-
ion may prevail amongst US as to the
causes which has led to this state Of things
the people Of the States which still adhere
to the Union cemented by tie blood of
our fathers, viii be unit in standing by
the Government in defending its possess
ions and asserting the righ;fal authority
wherever and in what case so-ycr cp-
posed.
This then Is OFF position. Wsacknowl-
edge allegiance to the Government Of tie
United States, Of which Abraham Lincoln
is the head. When the rightful authority
of that government i. a.-aiied, its very ex-
istence endangered care not whether
by the folly IF the party to which we lie
long or to which We stand opposed, or by
the Vaccinations # enemies from within
or W ii ut,-whcn that government, we
say, is assailed and The powers the people
have chosen 10 administer its affairs call
upon US to come up 10 its defence, we
cease 10 lie true ueE-!ye become traitors
if we refuse to respond to that call The
time We Eumbly conceive, TO dis uss the
party measures by which the present state
of things have been brought about or
could have been avoidcd, has passed,
should be forgotten, and merged in the
infinitely greater and common concern
the defence Of the existence and main
tenance Of the authority Of the govern
ment.