The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-07-06


the latter named Fort. In precaution against
such conjuncture, the Government had a few
days before it commenced an expedition as well
adapted as might be to relieve Fort Sumter,
which expedition was intended to be ultimately
used or not, according to circumstances. The
strongest anticipated case for using 1t was now
presented, and it was resolved to send it for
ward as had been intended. In this contingent
cy it was also resolved to motif the Governor
of South Carolina that he might expect an at
tempt would be made to provision the Fort,
and if the attempt should not be resisted, there
would be no attempt to throw in men, arms or
ammunition, without further notice, or in case
of an attack upon the Fort. This notice was
accordingly gwen, whereupon the Fort was at
tackled, and bombarded to its fall, without
awaiting the arrival Of the provisioning expedl
ton.
1t is thus seen that the assault upon and re
duction of Fort Sumter was in no sense mat
ter of self defence on the part of the assilants.
They we'll knew that the garrison in the fort
could by no possibility commit aggression upon
them. They knew that they were expressly no
titled that the giving of bread to the few brave
and hungry men Of the garrison, was ali that,
on that occasion, would be attempted, unless
they themselves, by resisting so much, should
provoke more. They knew that this government
desired 10 keep the garrison in the tort, and not
to assal them, but merely to maintain visible
possession, and thus to preserve the Union from
actual and immediate dissolution, trusting as
herein before stated to time, discussion and the
ballot box, for a final adjustment; and they as
sailed and reduced the fort for precisely the re-
verse obect--to drive out the visible authority
Of the Union, and thus force it to immediate
ruin. That that was their object the Executive
well 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 good,
but to keep the case 50 far from ingenious soph
istry so that the world should not misunderstood
it. BY the affair at Fort Sumter with it's sur
rounding circumstances their point Was reached
then, and thereby the assalants OF the govern
ment began the conflict of arms, without IL gun
In sight or eXpectance 10 return their fire, save
only the few III the fort sent to that harbor ears
before for heir own projection, and srill ready
to give that protection and whatever was law
fui. In this act, describing all else, they have
forced upon the country, the distinct issue Of
immediate dissolution, or blood, and this issue
embraces more than the fate Of these United
States. 1t presents to the whole family OF man
the question whether Constitutional Republic
or Democracy, Il government Of the people, can
or cannot maintain It's territorial integrity
against Its domestic foes. 1t presents the ques
ton whether dlscon tened Individuals, TOO few
in numbers to control the administration ac.
cordlng to the organic law III any case can al
ways upon the pretenccs made in this case OK
any other prclense, or arbitrarily, without any
pretence, break up their government and thus
practically put an end to free government on
the earth. It forces US to ask, /: there in all
republics that inherent and fatal weakness .
Must government of necessity be too strong
for the liberties of its own people, Or too weak
to maintain its own existence? So viewing the
issue, no choice was left but to call out The
war power Of the Government, and 80 resist the
lcrce employed for its destruction by force for
It's preservation.
The call was made and the response of the
country was most gratifying, surprising in
unanimity and spirit the most sangune expec-
tation, yet none of the States commonly called
the Slave States, except Delaware, gave Il reg-
ment, through the regular State organization.
A few regiments have been organized within
some other Of those States, Ivy Individual en-.
terprisc, and received into the Government SER
vice Of course the seeded States, SO called,
and to which Texas had been joined about the
time of the Inauguration, gave no troops to the
called, were not uniform in their action, some
of them being almost tor the Union, while in
others, as in Virginia and North Carolina, and
Tennessee and Arkansas, the Union sentiment
was nearly repressed and sllenced. The course
taken in Vrg mia was the most remarkable
perhaps the most important. Convention
elected by the people of that State to consider
this very question OF disruption, was in session
at the Capital Of Virginia when Fort Sumter
fell. In this body the people had chosen large
majority of protested Union men, Almost I'M
mediately after the fall of Sumter, many mem
bers of that majority went over to the original
disunIon minority, and with them adopted an
ordinance for withdrawing the State from the
Union. Whether this change was wrought by
their just approval OF the assault on Sumter
and their just resentment ut the Governments
resistance to that, is not definitely known. AL
though they submitted the ordinance for rauiti
cation to vote of the people to be taken on u
day then somewhat more than month distant,
the Convention and Legislature which was also
in session at the same time and place with lead
ing men of the State, not members of either,
Immediately commenced acting as if the State
was already out Of the Union They pus.4ed
military preparations vigorously forward all
over the State. They seized the U. s. Armory
at Harper's Ferry and Navy Yard at Gosport,
near Norfolk. Tney received, perhaps invited
large bodies Of troops with their warlike ap-
pontments from the 50 called seeded States.
They formally entered into a treaty of tempo-
rary alliance with the so-called Confederate
States, and sent members to their Congress at
Montgomery, and finally they permitted the in
surrectionary government to be transferred to
their Capital at Richmond The people OF Vir-
ginia have thus allowed this great instruction