Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-08-15
Abandonment of Font umter.

Necessity Kneoos Lao There are periods in the his
tory and individuals when the force this
proverb illustrated The law rather the demands of
Justice setrespct national honor, and the vndcation of
nationality the eyes of Europe all demand that we
should retain possession Fort Sumter any and every
sacrifce and in this nation dee ply impress
sed with the paramount importance of 40 doing than ia
Abraham Lincoln the President of the United States He
feels and recognizes his duty in the prems but the Law
of necessity steps in puts at defiance his wishes and his du
ty and selny fOrbds his attempting hold relieve the
noble Fortress promptly snatched from the hands the
and Traitors of Charleston by the timely action
Major Anderson Buchanan and his traitor Cabinet
deliberately planned tie robbng of under
the superintendence Of, and with tie connivance
OF the miserable fellow John B. Floyd, whose portrait
now hangs SO conspicuously in the Rogues Gal
Celery of city police and all know that when Ma
handed its restoration the Rebels and Buchanan actually
yielded to the demand until threatened with danger to his
yielded to necessity but in yielding determined
TO accomplish by and uesse what he had
the courage to do openly He accordingly refused to
NIT the Fort to be reinforced could been in those
days with the and stores enable hold
brought against it, and 1t not until Morris Island had
been fortified that he sanctioned the abortve attempt
succor made by the Star Of the West and counter
manded that order before it carried into effect
From Christmas until the fourth of March, the traitors
countenance and support from Mr. Buchanan which
could be afforded them and when he retired from Office on
ne AN INST ne goated over the conviction that he had
rampant that they hey ond the control
And the one great source of his gocaton was that Fort
Sumter was without provisions and that of necessity the
garrison must surrender from starvation before it would be
IN the power OF the Republican Administration to relieve
and reinforce it.
Of course Abraham Lincoln could know nothing of this
treason and when in his inaugural he spoke of occupying
the public forts and collecting the revenues little dream
ed that his predecessor had REASONABLY arranged to make
the abandonment of Fort Sumter political necessity He
was soon apprsed however that the treason of his
decessor had cunningy devised for him the most
modification that could be inflicted and that he had
presented to him the alternative of permitting An
derson and his command te starve or promptly to
Withdraw them, and ignomniousy permit the fort to
garrison or TO supply them with provisions are
equally impossible, because James Buchanan and his
traitors desgnedy refused do while it was in
their power to do it, and compelled the commandment of the
Fort quietly to permit the construction of works in his i'm
mediate vicinity and under the range his guns which
would eectuay prevent bis being relieved when an honest
anans final act of treason has been consummated He IRA
vented the late Congress passing giving power the
executive to call for volunteers occupy and recapture
the pubic forts and he esignedIy left Fort
sumter IN position which renders relief physically impos
sDe without an army of from ten twenty thousand
ana the employment Of naval force greater than can
saunng say the Republican President q DO your worst
we nave desgnedy withheld you means of reey
ing and holding Fort SUMTER and invite you the pleas
1g aefnatve OF permitting Anderson and his command to
tafoe within fifteen days, of gnomniously Abandoning
20 nest OF traitors and rebels whom we have nrsed into
as the only certain mode Of destroying the Re-
Such the simple the case as thew are
ca 70 the new President upon his assuming the rens of Gov
ernmen and we speak adysedy from knowledge when
say that while the country has been wckedy made to
peeVe that the time OF the Administration has been
PIED with the disposal of Offices four hs of all the hours
spent In by the Cabinet have been devoted to-
Fort Sumter and avert from the the shonor
abandoning II to the miserable traitors who for months
nave Deen IN open rebellion against the authority of the
Generals Scott and Totten, and all the mill
tary and naval chiefs at Washington have been
eVey pan which military science could conceive or militia
DARING suggest has been atentivey considered and ma