The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1861-07-12

Het CauiiOAt VI cIsCu n tuC oOt
ernment had a few days before commenc
ed preparing an expedition as well adap-
ted AS might he, to relieve Fort Sumter,
which exptd ION was intended TO be ulii |
mately used or not according to circum-
stances.
The strongest anticipated case for us
ing it was now presented, and it was re- |
solyed to send it forward, as had been in |
tended. In this contingency it was also |
resolved to ,tify the Governor of South |
Carolina that he might expect an attenp
would be made to provision the fort, and
that If the attempt should not resisted
there would be no attempt TO throw i'll
men, arms or ammunition without further
notice or in CASE of an attack upon thu
fort. This notice was accordingly given
where eupon he fort was attacked an1 '5om
barded to its fal, not even awaiting the
arrival of the provisioning expedition
1t is thws seen that the assault upon and
red duciion OF Fort Sumtar Was in no sense
a matter of sell defense on the part OF the
assailants. They well knew that the gar
@riscn in the fort could by no possibility
commit aggression upon them. They
knew they we're expressly notified that
the giving of bread TO the few brave and
hungry men Of the garrisorI was all tha,
would on that occasion BE- attempted, un
less themselves by resisting SO much,
should provoke more. They knew that
this Goyt rnment desired to keep the gar
rison in the fost, not to assail them, but
merely to maintain visible possession. and
thus to prevent the Union from actual
fand Immediate dissolution, trusting, as
herein before stated. TO time, discussion
AMI the ballot box for final adjustment.
and they assaied and reduced the fort
fJr preci-ely the reverse object--to drive
out The visible authority OF the Federal
Union and thus force it to immediate dis
ISOLATION. That this was their object, the
Executive WILL understood. and having
said TO them in the Inaugural Address,
you can have no conflict without being
yourselves the aggressors," he took pains
not only to keep this declaration gotd d,
but al>o.to keep the case so far from in
yenous sophissry Il q. the would should
not misunderstood 1t.
By the affair at Fort Sumter, with its
surrounding circumstances, that point
was reached. Then and there, by The
assailants of the Government, began the
conflict without gun in sight, save only
the few in the Tort sent TO that hal Dor
! years before for their own protection. and
still ready to gi:e that protection ia what
ever was loyal. In the act. disrasding
Eall el g, they have forced upon the coun
try the distinct issue OF immediate dSso-
Luton or blood. and this is ne embraces
more than the tate Of these United States.
It pres ents TO the whole family OF man
the question whether Il constitutional re-
public or democracy, a Government OF
the people by the same people can, or
caunot maintain its territorial integrity
Fsga;nst its own domestic fees Ii pre-
ssnts the question whether disconnected
persons. too few in number to control the
administration according to the organic
law, in any case, can always. upon the
p:etences made in this case. or any other
pretences, or arbitrarily without any pre-
tence, break up their Governments, and
thus practically put Az end TO free gov
ernment npor the earth. 1t forces us to
ask. is there in all republics this inhe
rent md fatal weal.nes>e' Must a gov
arnment Of necessity be too strong for the
liberties of the people, or too weak t,
maintain Its own ezlsteHoc2"' So viewins
the issue, no choice was left but 70 cal
out the war power o. the Government
aud SO to resist the force employed for it
Destruction. by force for its preservation
The cal! was made, and the response
of tie country was most gratifying, sur
passing in unanimity and spirit the mos
, sanguine expectation. Yet none of tn
I. States commonly called slave States, ex
: cept Delaware. gave a regiment lhrougl
the resular State organization. A teH
e fegimeas have been organized With
I some other OF those States by indivldua
Il entti prise, and received into the Govern
: rnent Sc nyice O. course the secede
e States, so called, and to which T. xas ha
J been Joined abolt the time of the lnaug
u uratiou, gave no troops 20 the cause G
i the Union Tie Border States, so call
c ed, wee not uniform in their action, som
of them being almost Tor the Union, Will
o IN others, as IN Virginia, North Caroline
l. Tennessee and Arkansas, the Union sen
1t timent was nearly repressed and silencee
IL The course taken in Virginia was th
II most remarkable, perhaps the most In
IT portaat Convention elected by tn
it people of the State to consider this yer
l. question of disrupting the Federal unio
sr was in session at the capital OF Frsinl
, when Et. Sumter .ell. 10 this body I'll
y people had chosen a large majority
is professed Union men Almost immed
Is ately after the fall cf Sumter members
d that majority went over to the Origin
A. minority, and with them adopted an o
lnarce fos Withdrawing the State fro
of this Union. Whether this change W;
n- wrought by their great approval of IL
n. assault on Sumter, or their great resen
r. ment at the Government resistance
,r this assault is not definitely known, a
n though they submitted the ordinance f,
lis ratification to vote of the people, to
lie taken on a day then somewhat more thi
he month distant. the Convention and lie
es islatare which was also in session at 4
OF sane rfme and place, Bith leading men
be the State, not members CT either. imm
ch diately commenced acting as if the Sta
IL.