Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-07-12

uniform in their action--some of them
being almost for the Union, while in 9TH
ers, as Virginia, North Carolina, Ten
nessc, and Arkansas, the Union senti-
mert was very nearly repressed and 81
fenced
The course taken in Virginia was the
most remarkable, perhaps the most i'm,
portant. A convention elected by the
people of that State to consider this very
question of disrupting the Federal Union
was in session at the capital of Virginia
when Fort Sumter fell.
To this body the people had chosen a
large majority of protested Union men.
Almost Immediately after the fall of Fort
Sumter, many members of that majority
went over to the disunion minority, and
with them adopted an ordinance for
Withdrawing the State from the Union.
Whether this change was wrought by
their great approval of the assault on
Fort Sumter, or their great resentment
at the governments resistance to that as
sault, is not definitely known.
Although they submitted the ordi-
nance for ratification to q vote Of the
people to be taken on day then some.
what more than month distant, the
Convention and the Legislature, which
was also in session at the same time and
place, with leading men of the State not
members of either, Immediately com
menced acting as if the State were al
ready out of the Union.
They pushed military preparations
vigorously forward all over the State +;
they seized the Uuited States 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 warlibe APP
pointments, from the so-called seeded
States. They formally entered into a
treaty of temporary alliance and co-ope-
ration with the so-called Confederate
States, and sent members to their Con-
gress at Montgomery and finally they
permitted the insurrectionary govern
ment to be transferred to their capital at
Richmond.
The people of Virginia have thus al
lowed this great instruction to make its
nest within her borders, and this govern
mont has no choice left but to deal with
it where it finds it,
And it has the less regret, as the loyal
citizens have, in due form, claimed It's
protection. Those loyal citizens this
government is bound to recognize and
protect as being Virginia.
In the Border States, so-called-in
fact, the Middle States there are those
who favor a policy which they call armed
neutrality; that is, the arming of those
States to prevent the Union forces passing
one way, or the disunion the other, over
their soil
This would be disunion completed
Figuratiyely 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 tic the hands of the
Union men and freely pass supplies from
among them to the insurrectionists, which
it could not do as open enemy At a
stroke it would take all the trouble of
the hands of secession, except only what
proceeds from the external blockade
1t would do for the disunionists that
Which of all things they most desire
feed them well and give them disunion
without struggle of their own. II re
cognizes no fidelity to the constitution
no obligation to maintain the Union; and
while very many who have favored it
are doubtless loyal citizens. it is never
theless very injurious in effect.
Recurring to the action of the 60
yernment, it may be stated that at first q
call was made for 5000 militia, and
rapidly following this proclamation was
issued for closing the ports of the insur-
rectionary districts by proceedings in the
nature Of blockade. SO far all was
believed to be strictly legal
at this point the insurrectionists an
nounced their purpose to enter upon the
practice of priyateering.
Other calls were made for volunteers
to serve three years, unless sooner dis
charged, and also for large additions to
the regular army and navy.
These measures, whether strictly legal
or not, were ventured upon under what
appeared to be popular demand and a
public necessity, trusting, as now, that
Congress would readily ratify them. 1t is
beloved that nothing has been done be-
yond the constitutional competency Of
Congress.
Soon after the FIRST call for militia, it
was considered duty to authorize the
commanding general, in proper cases,
according to bis discretion, to suspend
the privilege Of the writ Of habeas cor
pus; or, in other words, to arrest and
detain, without resort to the ordinary
processes and forms Of law, such indi-
yiduals as he might deem dangerous to
the public safety. This authority has
been exercised but very spar
ingly.
Nevertheless, the legality and propri-
ETY. Of what has been done under il are
questioned, and the attention of the coun-
try has been called to the proposition
that one who is sworn to take care that
the laws be faithfully executed, should
not himself violate them.
OF course some consideration was Civ
en- 70 the question Of power aud pT5pTi-
ETY. before this matter was acted upon.
The whole Of the laws which we're re-
quircd TO be faithfully executed we're
being resisted, aud failing Of execution
in nearly ope-third Of the States Must
they be allowed 10 finally fail Of cxccu-
ton, even had it been perfectly clear