The Van Buren press., 1861-07-17
LINCOLN'S MESSAGE.

LINCOLNS MESSAGE.
Atthe beginning of the present administration,
the federal government was found suspended in
several States except the postal functonsnatio
property except Fort Pickens, Taylor and Jeffer-
son Sumter had been seized and put in Often
sive position. Other forts had been built, armies
organized, and being organized, avowedly hostile.
The federal forts in these States being beseig
ed or menaced. A dsproporionate amount of
arms and munitions somehow found way into re-
bellous States--accumulatiOns of national reve-
nues within rebel borders had been seized-federal
navy scattered-federal army and navy officers
had resigned-a great number of ordinances de-
caring separation had been passed in these States
These States, under title of cOnfederates were ap-
plying TO foreign powers for their recognition and
assistance, and procuring arms. The incoming ad-
ministration believing that it was its imperative
duty to prevent the threatened dismemberment,
left choice of means. Indispensable policy
chosen was indicated in my inaugural, which was
the exhaustion of all peaceful measures, before
sorting to coerclon--government seeking only to
hold public places, property yet unwrested from it,
and collection of revenues, relying time, discus
sion and ballot-boX for rest, promising, meantime
continuance of mails-eyerythng forborne
compatible with keeping government on foot On
March 4th, letter was received from Fort Sumter
Anderson stating that place could not be held
after consultation, Scott coincded-force at dispo
sal of government not adequate to Sumter's relief
without immediate Observation-Disclosures
duty was reduced to safe withdrawal of garrison
1t was believed how ever, that the abandonment of
Sumter would be utterly ruinous-that the action
would be misunderstood, discouraging friends of
the Union, and embodening ruinous enemies-en-
couraging confederate recognition abroad in fact
be national destructon-this cause was unallowa-
Bile. Previous to Sumter's Observation-Disclosures
mi ght be reinforced, indicating administration
policy and preparing public mind for Sumter's
evacuation as military necessity. Orders were i'm
mediately issued for Pickens reinforcement orders
tla
sea first return to order was received week be-
fore Sumter's fall
The Brooklyn under Buehanan's quasi arinstice
refused TO land troops to reinforce Pickens before
the crisis be reached at SuIters evacuation. Be
fore Flckens' reinforcement, the government plan
ned expedition TO victual Sumter To be used or not
as circumstances might trequire-contingencies re
quired consummaton of plan. Governor Pickens
notified if victualing unresisted, no attempt will
without notice n sumtest vasst.keu3 without
waiting the vietualibg expedition. Thus the at
tack on Sumter was In self defense. Assailants
knew that in no event could Sumter be mischiev-
ious they were notified that feeding hungry men
was the object, that the government only wished
TO maintain nominal possession of the fort thus
preserving the union from dissolution, trusting
to time, discussion and the ballot box for a final
adjustment. The fort was assailed with the obie ct
to drive ont visible federal authority--forcing an
Immediate dissolution. This the executive under
stood, and having been inaugurated, said You
have conflict, without being yourselves the ag
gressors. (Lincoln took pains, kept this declara
ton good under the circumstances surrounding the
Sumter affair." Then the confcderates begun the
conflict They have forced it upon the country for
its destruction.
The issue was immediate submission or blood
embracing more than the fate of the union 1t
solves the question whether peoples government
can maintain its integrity and its territory against
domestic foes-whether individuals too few to CON
troll the administration by organized law can break
up the government-thus ending free government
earth.
1t forces this question, must government be too
strong for peoples liberty, or too weak to maintain
its own existence" No choice was left but to call
out the war power of the government to resist the
force employed for its destruction. The response
70 the call surpassed the most sanguine expecta
Delaware alone, however, of the slave States re-
spending. few slave State regiments have been
raised by individual enterprise ard accepted. The
border States were not uniform in action The
course taken by Virginia was the most remarkable
and important
A convention to consider this question wa. in
session when Sumter fell, with large union mai.
orty, which went and carried the State ont Of
the Union, made extensive military preparations.
seized federal property, received large bodies of
Confederate troops, sent twenty Confederate Rep
resentatlves to Confederate councls and permitted
government to be transferred to
Virginia capital. Government has no choice left
out TO invade Virginia, and does with less re-
gret from having been called protect loyal citi
zeEs, whom it is bound to sustain The other Ior
der states favor an armed neutrality and thev are
arning to prevent union and disunion troops occu
pying their soil.
This would be disunion complete-igurot,v,r
1T would be building impossible walls alone ~.
line OF separation yet under the guise of neutrali
tY would tie the hands of the union States and feed
all the trouble from seoes
sion Hands' except what arises from external block
uya 4
struggle OF their own. 1t recognizes no fidelity to
.he constitution, no obligation to maintain the I'm
on while many loyalists favor it. its yerv iniure.
requiring early action. Government first Called
13'Voo volunteers, then proclaimed blockade.
The insurrectionists announced priyateering-csii
was then made for three wears troops and I.sge sJ
ditons to army and navy. These measures were
both ventured under popular demand and pnbl;c
necessity, trusting for Congressional ratification
authorize the commanding oenersI 70 .,,s.;yS.S ~
~, habeas corpus" where public safetv reou;red Il
ms was necessary to the execution NJ tha L..
the continuance Of this law made in such extrems
tenderness OF the citizens liberty, practicable ra-
iioe OF the guilty. than Of the innocent To
state the question more directly are ali the laws
out one to be executed and Government 90 to n;s..
es II the least one be violated But it was bel;ev
ed that the suspension of habcas corpus was not
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES had been SO extraor
binary and long continued, as induced f,re;on n.-
tons to shape their action ON the f =,
early dissolution. The Administrator was. son.
o.rneu, o put is now happy to state, that the sov
ereignty Of the Union Is every where practically
;sItsd With the government is man
give detailed information of executive departmerts
ama are ready to supply emissions necessary to
Lincoln &C. then recommended the adoption of mea-
you place at Government disposal ID ie.st. S.,,s
NJ nundfeo Thousand men and four hundred millions
Q. money-that number of men is about one ten,h
o. she available men within the willing region
.as sum twenty third of the xealth Of men who
seem wiinng TO devote whole six hundred milII;ons
iess debt per head than the revolutionary nrnnsr'
t'on,sprely the motive is now as strong a. 'thIrr
right result will be worth to the world tan t.,..
;ns men, ten times the money Legislative
ant. 0s~ - Sodnd :
- urea.est Government perplexity is, the avoidance
IeceisinS men faster than it is prepared--peorIs