The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1861-04-10
(FrOn the New York Times, wednesday, April sd.)
Wauted-A Policy.


The Washington correspondent Of one Of
our morning eotemporaries says;
"Ths pOiat Of sEbSrrassmeat concern InS
Fort Ssmtsr, in he President's mind, q an
nounced ,OiR sntirs eandor, 10, that IL Il be
yielded, and the Federal authority be thus
Withdrawn under real or supposed necessity,
similar reasons may be urged as 10 Fort Pick
ems and other points. which are not considered
in The same category"
We should be very sorry to think that the
Presidents mind ives embarrassed, or bis
action controlled, In any degree, by such
considerations at this late dsy. Undoubted
ly in themselves they deserve serious and
grave attention. But they should have been
weighed and disposed Of long ego. II is BY
no means q new discovery that much may be
said on both sides Of every question and
persons who have nothing better to do may
amuss themselves BY such carefully balan.
ced dialectics. But President Lincoln has
duties and responsibilities on his hands
which forbid his indulgence Of such tastes.
He is required to Gct, and action requires
decision. Certainly it is a mementous ques.
tion whether Fort Sumter should be evacu-
sted or not there are many reasons to be
urged for It and many against it. But Mr.,
Lincoln is under the necessity, after full
consideration Of both sides, to adopt one
course or the other and when adopted, he
should act as If no objections had ever been
urged ogsinst it. II he has decided to eva.
cuate Fort Sumter, he should do 1t frankly
not with apologies or useless "embarrass.
ments.' The effect of such step should
have been considered long ago.
b 1t is idle to conceal the fact that the Ad
ministration thus far has not met public OK
pectation. The country feels no more ss
surance as to the future,-knows nothing
more OF the probable results OF the secession
movement it did on the day Mr. Bu
chansn left Washington. 1t sees no indi
cations OF an administrative policy adequate
TO the emergency,-or, indeed, Of any policy
beyond that OF listless waiting to see wha
may "turn up" There are times when suci
policy may be wise but not in preseEc'
of an active, resolute, and determined enc
nv. The new Contederacy is moving for
ward, towards the consumation OF its plans
with degree OF vigor, Intelligence, an,
success, Of which, we ore sorry to say, vi
see noindcations on the part OF the Gov
eminent at Washington. 10 spite OF tn
immense difficulties with which they have /
contend,-the poverty OF the country, its Ut
ter lack of commerce, OF an army and navy
and Of credit,-the hostility Of it's fundamen
tai principles to the sentiment OF the Chris
ltian world, the utter hollOwness OF its req
sons for revolution, and the universal distrus
which Il encounters everywhere.-in spit
of all these obstacles and discourage ments
we csnnot conceal the fact that the ne,
Government Of which Jefferson Davis is 4
the head, has eviaced marvellous degree {
energy, and ID ropidly ssuming the proper
tions of solid and formidable Power. =
Within less than six months they hav
adopted Constitution, organized Govern
ment, put all it's machinery into workin
order, established commercial system an
put it in operation, laid the b sis of finsr
cial department., organized an ormy, secure
enormous stores ond munitions Of war, an
put themselves in position to offer yer
formidable resistance 10 any attempted &C
ercion on the part Of The United States.
And what has been done on our p1rt sg ains
them! What single step has been take
NY UuT ONhS' " ASS'Ss Wv
movement from thout, or to appeal wit
vigor and effect to the loyalty which still
lives within their borders ! Jefferson DAvi
will soon have an organized army OF 80 90
men OF his command :-suppese he decide
to march icto Mex CO, or Virginia, or upo
Washington,- ,-whot organized means haV
we TO resist and defert his schemes ? The
have adopted a revenue system Tor the eS
press purpose depicting md damaZing ou
commerce what have we done to off ct it
With blindness and solidlty without
parallel in the history Of intelligent states
marshp, we have done everything in on
power to aid their efforts, and crown thci
hostile endeavers with complete success.
The fact is, cur Government has done hb
solutely rothin9 towards clrrying the coun
try through the tremendous crisis which j
go rapidly and SO steadily settling down upo
US. 1t allows everything to drVt-to foo
along without guidance or impulse of an
kind. This might do we'll enough, If tn
Southern States we're pursuing the sam
policy. But while we are idle, they are active
While we are leaving everything at Ioos
ends, they mske everything tight and snu!
for The coming storm. Such a course Ca,
have but one result. The Prcsider, mus
adopt come clesr and distinct p)Iiry in re
gard TO secession, or the Union will not onl
be severed, but The country will be disgra
ced. No great community can drift int,
ruin, without losing character IS we'll q
prosperity. 1t must, at least, he an effor
at self preservation, if it would avoid tht
contempt inseparable from imbecility. A
nation may be overcome by outward force
or destroyed by internal trcachery-but if i
Struggles nobly and gallantly against its en-
emies, whatever else it may lose, it pre-
serves the respect of the world. as we'll a,
its own. We are in danger o losing every
thing-even honor. The pnblic sentiment
is already demprsliz lized-the heart of The
people is deadened-and the patriotism m
the country is already paraIyzed, to degree
which year ego we should not have though
possible in any contingency. Rebellion il
the popular judgment has ceased to be
crime. Treason has become respectable
Men throughout the North think and talk o
The revolution which is crushing the bes
! Constitution the world ever saw,-which j,
sweeping away q Govern;Rent which h.,
done more for popular rights and popular in
terests than any other the earth has evel
known, as they would talk Of a partisan
canvass for control of a village corporation
Deeds Of in;amy, compared with which Ar
nold's treason shines bright as the sun o
MONDAY, excite scarcely u passing remark
and the fate OF the great Republic OF th,
Western world--the great Republic of hu
man history scarcely as much 10
terest as the fluctuations of the Stock mar
ket, or the ups and downs Of a local can
VASES. 80 H. f.'A &ta A