The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-07-13

from actual and immediate dissolution.
trusting, as herein before stated to time,
discussion and the ballot box for final aGl-
Justment; and they assaile6 and reduced
the fort for precisely the reverse object
to dive out the visible authority Of the
Federal Union, and thus force it TO imme-
date dissolution That this was their
object the Executive well understood; and
having said to them in the inaugural adj
/ dress, you can have no conflict without
oein. yourselves aggressors, he took
pains not only t make this declaration
good, but also keep the case SO far
should unders .nd it, By the atfait at
Fort Sumpter, with its surrounding cir
cumstances, that point was reached -
Then and there, by the assailants of the
Government, began the conflict, without a
gun III sight or expectancy to return their
/ firing, save only the few in the fort, sent
to that harbor years before for their own
protection, and still ready TO give that
piotection,ln whatever was loyal In this
act, discaiding all else, they have forced
. upon the country the distinct issues OF
Immediate dissolution or blood, and this
embraces more than the fate of these
United States. 1t presents TO the whole
family OF man the question whether 4
Constitutional Bepublic or Democracy, a
government Of the people, the sq,he people
can or cannot main Etain its territorial in
teGlIiy against its domestic foes 1t pre-
sents the question whether iisconteuted
persons, too few TO contIOi the AImini,-
Itratiou according 20 the organic law IN
any case, can always upon the pretences
made IN this case or any other pr-tenses
Oh arbitrarily, without aly prctcnses break
up their Government aud thus practically
put and end TO free government upon the
earth. 1t iOIceS us 10 ask, Is there in all
republics this inherent and iata! s. eakues,I
Must goE elnuleEt Of necessity he too
strong for the liberties of the people, or
too weak to maintain its own .X;staEc-2 ,
80 viewing tie issues, 10 choice was left
Out 10 call out the war power OF the Cox
eminent and 50 to le,.st the force en-
pscyed tor ITS destruction by force for It's
preservation The cal va. made and the
response OF the country was most rratl.y
( inS, surprising IA unauin.ty and spirit
the most s@n2uIHc expectation. Yet none
OF the States commonly called sia,e :, ,atcs
except De.ewdrc, gave regiment through
the regular State eFyanizAtlon. A ;ew re.
Iu-nt, nave been Cr-anlzed within some
other OF those States by individual enter
prise, and received into tie Goyrrumcu;
service Of course The seeded States. 50
called, and TO which Texas had been
joined about the time Of the Inauguration.
gave 10 troops 10 the cause Of tie Union
he border States 30 called. were not
un.io!In In their action, some Of thea.
being almost for the Union. while in
others, rs III virginia, NuIth Carolina.
IeLLesSce aEd Arkansas. the Union sen
tmeItWas nearly rcpgc>,ed and s;!cucel
The coufse taken IN Virginia was the
most Ienial >aola. perhaps mos; important
y convention elected by the people OF
that State 10 consider This yelV question
Of dIsIuptIns the Iedc.al Union WA in
session at tho capitol of Virginia when
Fort Sumter fell 70 this toay The poo
pie had chosen ! la;-e majority of pro.
iessed Union mo Almost imuvd .ale.y
aitrr the tai, Slmpt-r numbers Of that
majority went over 10 the original minor.
~, aud with them adopted an ordiuauc.
Tor Withdrawing the State from the Union
het.Sr this change wa wrought ~
their great approval ct tie a.s...: Oh
sumter or thci. great re-ea:u.eat - the
Government resistance - tii4: assault i
not definitely known. Although they
submitted the ordinance for ratification.
To a vote OF, the pecV.e, 10 le taken some
veniion and Legislature, which was also
IN session at the same time and place
With leading men OF the State. immediate
ly commenced actin. a. il lhe State was
already out of the MON. The. lu-i!cu
mIhtIfy rrepar. !:ons yisorol>ly forward
ali over tie State. They seized tho I'ui,.L
Si"tes aimoIy al tiaIpvrs Ferry and tho
navy !ald ~ Gosport. near Nuiiu!d They
received, perhaps invited into their State
!ar2e bodies Of troops, with their wagl.ke
appointments. from the 50 called sec. led
states they formally entered into 6
treaty with tie so called Confederate
States, and seat members to then Cougrrs,
at Montgomery, and finally they permitted
the Insurrectouary go.cruIlscnt TO bt
transferred 10 their Capitol a Richmond
| he people oil Virginia have thus allowed
this giant IusUrrectiun To make its ncst
within their borders, and this Government
has no choice left but To deal with il
where it finds it, and II has the les to le
gre,, as the loyal citizens have. in du,
iorn claimed It's protection. Those Iona
citizens the Government j. bound to re
coguize and protect a. being in Virginia
Ia the Border States, 50 called IN fac, the
Middle, States there are those who favo
policy winch th-y call armed neutrality
that Is, an armIus OF those States 10 PIE
vent the Union forces passing one way, O
, the dlsunIon the other, over their sol! =
This would be diSunion compl,teIy: t:uu
rai!vely speaking, it would be the build
ing OF an Iiupassabie wall dong the lin
oil separation; and Yet, not quite an i'm
. pas>ab!e one, ior under the ruIse ot neu
. traiItA, 1t would tie the hands OF tn
Union men and freely pass supplies from
. among them to the li.sIrrectiou!stS, whici
it could rot do as an open enemy. At
stroke 1t would take all the trouble OF
: the hands OF secession except only wha
I proceeds from the external blocka G.
would do for the disunionists that whic
, OF all things they most desire, feed then
well and give them disuuion without
struggle of their own. Is recognizes n
E fidelity to the Constitution, no obligation
to maintain the Union. While very man
who have favored it are doubtless Ioya
ciiiz,ns, It is nevertheless very injurious i
. effect
:. Recurring to the action Of the Govern
. ment, il may be stated that at first a cal
! Was made tor 5000 militia, aud rapid,
following this, Proclamation was i>sue'
, for closing the ports of the insurrectonar
districts by q blockade. So far all wa
+ believed to be strictly legal
! At this point the iusurrectionists al
q nounced their purpose OF entering upo
. the practice of privateering Other call
/ were made for volunteers to serve thre
!. years unless sooner discharged, and ais
g large additions to the regular army an
@ navy These measures, whether strict
9. legal or not, were vantured upon what al
1 peared to be a popular demand fox 4 put
i lie necessity, trusting then, as new, 'ha
I Congress would ratify them. is believe
e that nothing has been done beyond tn
n constitutional competency OF Congress-
a Soon after the first call for militia, it wa
q considered duty to authorize the con
q martiing General, in proper cases accoil