Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-07-10

them, but merely 10 MAINTAIN visible possess
ion. and thus to preserve the Union from ac-
tuar and imrnedi tie, dissolution, trusting, az
llereiu before stated, to time, discussion and
the ballot box for final adjustment ; and they
assailed and reduced the Fort for precisely the
reverse obiect--te drive out the visible author
ity of the Federal Union aud thus force it 10
Immediate dissolution. That this was their
object the Executive well understood and hav
sing said to them in his Inaugural Address
"You can have no conflict in which you are
not the aggressors," he took pains not only to
keep this declaration good, but also -eep the
case so far from ingenious sophistry that the
world should not misunderstood it. BY the
affair at Fort Sumter with its surrounding cir
cumstances. that point was reached. Then
and there. by the assailants of the Govern
ment without 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
protection i'll whatever was loyal. In this act
discarding all else, they have forced upon the
country tic distinct issue of immediate DISCO
luton or blood and Il is embraces more than
The fate of these United States. 1t presents to
the whole family of man the question whether
a Constitutional Republic or Democracy,a gov
eminent of the people; the same people, can or
cannot MAINTAIN IFS terri. torial integrity against
its own domestic foes. 1t presents the ques-
ton whether disconnected persons. too few in
numbers to control the Administration accord
ing to the organic law. in any case. can al
ways upon the pref lenses made in this case,
break up their Government. and thus put an
end practically to free government upon the
earth. 1t 70 Ces us TO ask, is there in all repub
lies this inherent and fatal weakness? Must
government of necessity be too strong fol- the
liberties of the people. or too weak to MAINTAIN
its own existence So viewing the issues, no
choice was left but to call out the war power
of the Government, and so TO resist the force
employed for its destruction by force for its
preservation. The call was made and the res
pOnse ofthe country was most gratifying, sur
passing in unanimity and spirit, the mast san
gnino expectation. Yet none of the Stats
commonly called slave States, except Delaware
gave regiment through the regular State or
ganzation. A few regiments have been or.
ganzed v thin some other of thoec States bv
individual enterprise. and of course receiucd
into the service of the Government. The secc-
ceded States, so called, and to which Texas
had been joined about the time of the inauga-
ration, gave no troops TO the cause OF the Uni
ON. The border States so called, were not un
form in their action, some of them being al
most for the Union, while in Virginia, n orth
Corolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, the Onion
sentineot was nearly repiessed and silenced.
The course taken III Virginia was the most re-
markable, perhaps the most important. A
convention elected by the people of that State
to consider this very question of disruptirg
the Federal Union was in session at the capt.
tol of Virginia when Fort Sumter fell To this
body the people had chosen large majority
of protested Union men. Almost Immediate
ly after the fall of Sumter, numbers of that
majority went over to the original minority
and with them adoeted an ordinance for with
drawing the State rom the Union. Whether
this great change was wrought by their appro
val of the assault OH Sumter. or their resent
ment ofthe Governments resistance to that as
soult, is not definitely known. Although the
ordinance was submitted for ratification to a
vote of the people, TO be taken somewhat more
than month distant. the Convention and the
Legislature, WI ich was also in session at the
same time and place, with leading men of the
State, Immediately commenced acting as if the
State ives already out of the Union. They
pushed military preparations vigorously for
ward all over the State. Thay seized the U.
s. armory at Harper's Ferry, and the Navy
yard at Gosport near Norfolk. They received
perhaps invited into their State, large bodies
of troops, with their waFlike appointments
from the SO called seeded States. Thew for
mally entered into treaty with the so called
Confederate States, and sent members to their
Congress at Montgomery, and finally they
permitted the insurrectonary government to
be transferred to their Capitol at Richmond
The people of Virginia have thus allowed
this giant insuTection to make its nest within
their borders, and this Government has 10
choice left but to deal with it where il finds it,
and it has the less TO regret, as the loval citi-
zens have. in due form, claimed its protection,
Those loyal citivcns the Government is bound
TO recognize and protect as being in Virginia.
I'm the Border States, so called. in fact the
Middle States. there are those who favor
policy which they call armed neutrality. that
is, an arming of those States to prevent the
Union forces passing ono way, or the disanion
the other, over their soil. This would be lis
union completely ffgurativelv speaking, it
would be the building of an impossible wall
along the line OF separation; and yet. not
quite an impossible one. for under the guise
Of neutrality, it would tie the hands of the
Union men and freely pass supplies from
among them 10 the insurrectionists, which it
coEld not do as an open enemy. At stroke
it woold take all the trouble off the hands of
secession except only what proceeds from the
external blockade. It would do for the disun-
ionists that which of al things they most de-
sire, feed them well and give them disunion
without a struggle Of their own. 1t rerogni-
ZVS no IutlltN 10 lhc OlStltullOn, no OOllGd-
ton to maintain the Union. While very ma
nv who have favored it are doubtless loyal cit
izens. it is nevertheless very injurious in
effect.
Recurring to the action of the Government
it may be stated that at first call was made
for 10000 militia, and rapidly following this.
Il proclamation was issued for closing the
ports of the insUrrectienary districts by a
blockade. So far all was believed TO be strict
y legal. ~. ..-.... .t....... .-......
AT this point the insurrcctiouists announced
their purpose of entering upon the practice of
privateering. Other calls were made for vol.
unteers to servo three years unless sooner dis
charged, and also large additions to the regu-
lar army and navy. These measures, whether
strictly legal or not, were ventured in upon
what appeared to be popular demand for a
public necessity, trusting then, as now, that
Congress would raify them. 1t is believed
that nothing has been cone beyond the con-
stitutional competency of Congress. Soon
after the fir call for militia, it was consider
ed a duty to authorize the commanding Gem
eral. in proper cases, according To his discre-
tion, to suspend the privilege Of the ba-
6eas corpus, or in other words to arrest
and detain without resort to ordinary
process and forms of law such individuals
rs he might deem dangerous to the pub
lie safety. This authority has purposely
been exercised but very sparingly; new
ertheless, the legality and prophet, of