Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-06-01
From the Knoxville (Tenn. Wing.
Parson BrownloW on Secession.

A man who will stand up, look hon
est men in the face, and assert that the
Seeding States have gone out of the
Union on account Of the policy Of Lin
coin, as displayed since his Inaugural
ton, is either fool or knave, or both.
Lincoln was inaugurated in March,
and the vile work Of Secession COM
menced in December, and in most Of
the States Seeding, it was consumma-
ted before Lincoln came into power
It commenced and was consummated
under the corrupt reign OF Buchanan,
and his Cabinet officers from the seccd-
ing States resigned, and gave as rca-
son for doing SO, that their respective
States had gone out Of the Union.-
The Representatives and Senators,
from other States, resigned, and went
home, because their States were no
longer members of the Confederacy
And yet, we have active secession par
tizans, who have the brazen impudence
to stand up and say that the seeded
States were driven out of the Union
by the oggressjro policy Of LincoIn's
Administration. 4 man who will stop
an honest farmer or working man on
the streets, and make a statement of
this kind to him, presumes largely up
OH his Ignorance.
The South Carolina delegates in this
Convention, in December last, stated
that it has been their fixed purpose to
dissolve the Union for the last thirty
vcars-that it was not on account Of
slavery, but of the Tur1 question
and that they seized upon the election
Of Lincoln as the occasion Of dissolying!
They led the way, and Alabama, Geor-
yia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Sc, follow
ed South Carolina, anxious to bring
on {, collision Of arms, as q means of
''firing the Southern heart" =" and induc-
inc the Border States to engage in the
quarrel, fired upon innocent and unarm-
ed vessels, and then boasted Of their
tucking their tails and going { ut Of the
Harbor, and Of the Government not
having courage enough to resent the
insult offered to her flag!
Nothing has been better understood
for weeks gone by, than that Fort Sum
ter WAS to be evacuated. Gen. Scott
advised it as military necessity. And
all this time the Rebel States were
into service thousands of
troops, and not hesitating to say that
they intended to march upon Washing
ton city, and to capture Lincoln, his
Cabinet, and Scott! South Carolina
refused to let Fort Sumter surrender
under any other circumstances than
those that would prove disgraccful to
the United States flag. The United
States Government then very properly,
as we believe, declined to withdraw
her troops, and claimed the right to
provision, if no more, in y peaceable
way, Major Andersoa and his gallant
little band. And this gallant band of
Southern braces, numbering 1000 men,
took the start, even OF this little band,
and took upon themselves the o31uS of
commencing civil wal, which may
last for years, and doyastate the whole
country, both North and South.
For this unauthorized assault, the
Southern Rebels plead, that the Coy
ernment refuse to acknowledge their
independence, and to treat with their
bogus Commissioners. We hold that
the Government did precisely right.
not to recognize their independence,
as in doing so would have acknowledge
ed the right of Secession, the right of
stealing Government Forts ana Arms,
and Government Mints and money!