Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-07-12

homharled 10 ils Eili without even awaiting tho
arrival Of lhc provisioning expedition
i lt is thus thai the assault upon and reduction nt
y Fort Sumter WAS IN no scIse matter Ut sclfd :
7 irnse on The part NJ the ts.piluis. They we'll
knew that The garTison III he lori could BY no pos.
sibiliiy commit aggTrssicns upon them. They
knew they were expressly notified thM thc giyinl.
I OF bread 10 the few brave and hungry men Of the
garrison was all which would on that occasion l,a
attempted unless themselves, hy resisting 80 mueh
shuuld provoke moro. They knew that this gov,
crnment desired 10 keep the garrison in tllc fort.
not 10 assail thcm but merely 10 maintain visible
puSsrssiOn, and thus tO preserve the Unon from
actual aul immediate dissolution; trusting, ~.
her en- stated, to time, discussion aud the ballo
box dior final adjustment. They assailed and 70
dHce the fort for precisely the reverse object to
drive out the visible authority Of the federal unlon
and thus force il TO immediate dissolution.
That this was their object the executive we'll
understood aud having said 10 them, in tie inau-
gural adsress, +" lou eau have no conflict without
being yourselves the first aggressors,n he took
pains NOT only TO keep this declaration good but
also io Keep the free from the power Of in
genou, sophistry, as that the world should not 10
able 10 misunderstood IL
By the affair at Fort Sumter, with It's stirroun,i.
ing circumstances, shat point was reached them
and thereby the assailants OF the government be-
gan n conflict Of arms without q gun in sight or
IN expectancy to return their fire, only tho
few in the fort sent that harbor years bcinrc for
thcf own protection ana SUI ready TO give them
protection in whatever was lawts
In this act tscsrling all else, they have forced
upon the country the distinct issue Of immediate
dissolution or blood. This issue embraces moro
than the fate Of these United States. 1t presents
20 the whole family OF man the question whether
constitutional rel ublic or democracy, govern
lnent OF the people by the same people, can or
not maintain its territorial integrity and its domcs
tic peace IL presents the question whether dis
contented individuals, too few in numbers to con-
troll an administration according to organic law, il,
any case, can always EPon the pfctenecs made IN
tbs case or on any ether pretencc, or arbitrarily
without any pretensc, break NJ their government,
and thus practically put an end to free governs
meut upon the clrta.
Il forces Us to ask, Is there, in all repablics,
this iGherent fatal weakeness, Must govern
ment OF necessity be too strong for the liberties Of
its own people, or too weak 10 maintain its own
existence
So viewing tie issue, no choice was left bat 10
call out the war power Of the government, and so
to resist force employed for its desruction by forca
for its preservation. The call was mule, and the
response of the country was most gratifying, sur
passing in unauimity and spirit the most SAN
guine expectation.
Yet none of the states commonly called slave
states, excepting Delaware, gave a regiment,
through regular State organic atoms. A few regi-
ments have been raised in some other of those
States by individual enterprise, and been received
OF course, the seeded States, so called to whica
Texas had been joined about the time of the nau,
gdraton, gave no troops to the cause of the Union
The border States, called, were not uniform
in their action, some OF them being almost for the
Union, while IN others, as in Virginia. North Cars
olina, Tennessee aud Arkansas the Union senti-
ment was nearly represzed.
The course since taken ia Virginia was the most
remarkable, perhaps the most Important A con-
venton, elected by the people OF tat State to
consider this very question OF disrupting the eer-
al Union, was ia session at he capital OF Virginia
when Fort Sumter fell 10 this body the people
had chosen large majority of professed Union
men. Almost Immediately after the fall of Fort
Sumter, many members Of that majority went
over to the original disunion minority, and with
them, adopted an ordinance Withdrawing from the
Union. Whether this change was wrought by
their great approval of the assault on Sumter, or
their great resentment at the governments resist,
ance to that assault, is not definitely known.
Although they submitted the ordnance for rat
ihcation to q vote by the people, upon day then
more than a month distant, the conyen-
tion and the legislature which was also in session
~ the same time aud place, with leading men Of
the State not members OF the legislature, innie-
diately commenced acting as if the State were al
ready out OF the Union. They pushed military
vigorously forward all over the state
They seized the United States armory at Harper's
Ferrys and the navy yard Ut Gosport, near Nor
folk They received, perhaps invited into the r
State, large bodies of troops, with their warliks
appointments, from the called secetled States
They lormariy entered into treaty OF temporarv
alliance aud corporation with the SO called con-
Tolerate States, and sent members to their Cons
gress at Montgomery; and finally they permitted
the insurreetionary government to be transferred
to their capital at richmond.
The people OF Virginia have thus allowed this
giant insurrection 10 rage within their borders.
fh h.ac I.ftl.
with it wherever it finds it, 1t has the less regret
as the loyal citizens have in due form claimed its
protection there Loyal citizens this government
IS bound to recognize and protect, in Virginia and
elsewhere
In the border States there are those who favor
a policy which they call armed neutrality-that
is, an arplng OF those States to prevent the Union
forces from passing one way the disinion sorces
the other way, over their soil. This would be dis
union completed. Figurativey speaking it would
be the building of an impossible wall along the
line Of separation and yet not quite an impassa-
bic one, for under the guise OF neutrality, they
would tie the hands OF the Union men, and freely
pass supplies from among them to the insurrcction
lists, which they could not do as open enemies.
At stroke, it would take all the trouble off the
hands of the seeessionists, except only what pro-
ceeds from the external blockade. Ii would 20 for
the dsunionsts that which of alt things they most
lesIre, feed them well, and give them dlsupion
idelity to the constitution, no obligation TO main
tain the Union, and while very many who have
favored it doubtless loyal citizens it is never
heless very Injurious in its effects.
Recurring TO the action of the federal govern
nent, it may be stated that at first a call was
made for 10000 militia, and rapidly following
his, a proclamation was issued for closing tho
ports Of the insurrectionary districts by proceed
ng in the nature of blockade. So far all was be-
iesed to be strictly legal.
AT this point the insurrectionsts announced
heir purpose to enter upon the practice Of priya-
eering. Other calls were made for volunteers to
'erye for three years unless discharged,
iud also for large additions to the regular army
'nd navy These measures, whether strictly legal
'r not, were venturei upon what appeared to be
! popular demand, aud public necessity, trust
ng then as now THAT Congress would readily rat
ty them. Il is believed that nothing has been
lone beyond the constitutional competency of Con-
,ress.
Soon after the first call for militia, it was con-
idered duty to authorize the commanding gen.
raj, in proper case, according to his discretion,
suspend the privilege Of the writ Of habeas cor
'us, or IN other words to arrest and detain with
ut resort to the ordinary processes and forms of
ava such individuals he might deem danger
as TO the public safety. This authority has pur-
osely been exercised, bat very sparingly. New
rtheless, the legality and propriety OF what has
zen done under il are Questioned, and the atten-
ufsf fh H.