The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-05-25
Who Commenced it!

The Notional Ltsligeacsr in an able arti.
Gle reviewing President Davis. Ia mss-
sage, thus di.pcses of the charge that the
administration had, by the proclamation
calling for 5000 troops, commenced an
unprovoked war, &c. on the Confederate
States:
Having said thus much in respect to
the doetrInal part of Mr.. Davis message,
we are not called to remark on the 9nss-
tions OF fact which it raises which it raises
with regard TO the military movements
which are uow unhappily engaging tho
attention of the country in all its parts
We msy, however, be permitted to recall
to the memory Of our readers the fact
that p,ior 10 tho utterahce Of Mr.. Lis
coins Proclamation. calling out volunteers
10 the number of 1900, the government
of the Confederate States had, by bill,
provided for raising a military force Of
100000 men. This was done by an act Of
the Southern Congress, approved by
Mr.. Davis, on the 9th Of March last
Nhe first section OF the bill was conceived
by the following terms:
SEC. |. The Congress- or tie Confederate
States If 4 nsrira d. eaact, That in order to
provid. sp edily forces to repel invasion,
maintain tho rightiul possession Of the
Confederate States of America in every
poIt on of territory b,lorg:ng to each
STATE, and to secure the pubic tranquility
and Independence against threacened As
sault, the President he and is hereby au-
thori>ed to employ the militia, military,
and naval forces of the Confederate States
of America and ask for and accept tho
services of any number of vlluntee,s, not
~
may offer their services, either - cavalry
mounted rifle. artillery. or infantry. in
such proportion of these several arms ~
he NAV deem exr redient, to servo fer
twelve months after they shall be mus
tered into service, unless sooner dis
charged"
On the evening Of the 10Th of Apr5a
last, when the people of Montgomery,
Alabama, were rejoicing in the assured
prospect of Fort Sumpters fall, the fol-
lowing telegraphic despatch was sent forth
from that point to all parts Of the United
States:
MONTGOMERY, Friday, april IL. Ts6E-
An immense crowd serpnaded President
Davis and Secretary Walker, at the Ex.
change Hotel, tonight.
"The former Is not we'll, and did not
appear SSCTet!IN w aiheT appeared 8n0
declined to make speech, but in few
words of elastic cloquence told the news
from Fort Sumpter, declaring, in conelu.
sion, that before many hours the flag Of
the Coniederacy would float over the for
tress.
No mon, he said. could tell ,chere 1H1
WAR THIS DAY COMMENCED rouh en6y 6xt HS
wo"id prophesy that the flag ~h'ch n''c aoMnts
til. 5rec-c here ,ro,,id Roat orsr tie dosie efMs
old Capitol at Washington before the fysf #
Nay. Lrt them Try Southern Civdlry and
| test tie erfent of Southern resources ard u
malt foat evrptaaA,v over FanemI Hall ITSELF.
On the following 18th of April the
President Of the United States issued his.
! Proclamation calling forth the militia Of
the several States of the Union, to the aR
srecate number of seventy five thousand
| In the face Of the larger force authorized
to bs raised by the Confederate States
under tho act of the preceding March 9th.
and in presence o: the threatening decls-
ton publicly made by tho Secretary OF
War of the SAID Confederate States, who,
with any show Of truth, can throw all the
responsibility of the pending war mess-
urss on the Federal Government! The
| facts speak for themselves and sufheseossy
interpret TIE logic Of events
i.