The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1861-07-17
LINCOLN'S MESSAGE.
A SYNOPSIS BY TELEGRAPH.

ern Congress says that at the beginning o
the present Administration, the Fedora
Government was found to be suspended il
several States, except in regard to its pos
tai functions. The national property, ex
cept Forts Pickens, TayIor Jefferson ant
Sumter, had been seized, and put in an of
fensive position other forts had beer
built, an army organized and being organ
lied with avowedly hostile intent, and the
Federal force in these States beseiged O
menaced. a dispropor,ionate amount o
arms and munitions ofwar had somehow
found its way into the rebelious States
the accumulations of the national revenue:
within the rebel borders was seized the
Federal Navy was scattered aud Federal
Army and Navy officers had res gned in
great numbers. Ordinances declaring thei'
separation from the United States had been
passed, and these States, under the title Of
the Confederate States, We're applying to
foreign powers for recognition and assis
tance The incoming Administration be
lieved it to be an imperative duty to pre-.
vent the threatened diSmemberment Of the
Union. In the choice Of means towards
this Indispensable policy, that method was
chosen which was Indicated in The Inauyu.
raj. The Government exhausted all peace
ercion. 1t was seeking only to hold the
public places and property, and to continue
the unresisted collection of tie revenue, re-
lying upon time, discussion and the ballot
box for the rest /; promising, in the mean
time, the continuance of the mails. Every
thing was to be foreborne compatible with
keeping the Government on foot.
On the 4th of March, letter was re
ceived from Major Anderson, commanding
Fort Sumter, stating that the place could
not be held. On further consultation, Gen
Scott considered that the force AT the dis
posal of the Government was not adequate
to the relief Of Fort Sumter, without i'm
mediately victualIing it. The duty of the
Administration was thus reduced TO the
safe withdrawal of the garrison. 1t was
believed, however, that the abandonment
ofSumter would be utterly ruinous that
the action would be misunderstood as dis
couraging the friends OF the Union and EN-
boldening its enemies. and as encouraging @
the recognition OF the Confederate States
abroad that, in fact, it would be the ma
tional destruction. If this course was una.
yoidable, previous to Sumier's starvation
Fort Pickens might be reinforced, thus in
dicating the policy of the Administration
and preparing tile public mind for The evnc
uation of Sumter as n military necessity
Orders were Immediately issued for the
reinforcement of Pickens, and a. it was i'm
possible to transmit these orders by land
they were sent by sea. The first relurn lo
this order was received the week before
the fall of Sumter. The Brooklyn, under
Buchanan's quasi armistice, refused 10 land
troops to reinforce Pickens before the crisis
should be relieved ut Sumter.
In order TO prevent the evacuation OF
Sumter before Pickens could be reinforced
the Government planned an expedition to
yictual Sumter, to be used or not. as cir
cumstances might require. Contingencies
requiring the cOnsummation of his plan
Governor Pickens was nothed that If ht
victualiDg was not resisted, to attempt
would be made to throw in men, arms Of
ammunition, without giving him notice.
the fort, however, was taken without wait
Ing for the victualling expedition thus tn,
attack on Sumter could in no sense be sale
to have been in se.fdefence. The assail
ants knew tha: in no event could For
Sumter be nischicvous and they wer.
notified that feeding hungry men was tn,
only object f; that Government only wished
to maintain nominal possession Of the fort
thus preserving the Union from dissolution
box for final dustment. The fort was as
sailed for one object to drive out the vsi
Bile Federal authority, thus forcing imme
diate dissolution. This the Executive un
derstood, and having inaugurated ho,tiIities
you can have no conflict without being
yourselves the aggressors.
President Lincoln took pains to keep this
declaration good in the circumstances sur
rounding the Sumter affair. Then these
Confederates began the conflict they have
forced upon the country the destructive is
sue Of immediate dissolution, embracing
more than the fate of the Union,as il solves
the question whether government OF The
people can maintain the integrity Cf its ter
ritory against domestic foes, and whether q
band of individuals. too few 10 control tn,
Administration by organized law can break
up the Government, thus ending the frees
Government on earth. IL forces this cues
ton, must "A government be too strong fol
the liberty OF a people, or too weak TO main
tain its own existence Z No choice Wa,
left but to call out the war power Of th,
Government to resist the force employed
for it's destruction. The response ID th,
call for troops surprised the most sanguin,
expectations, Delaware, alone, however, o.
al the slave States, responding. A few
regiments havs been raised 10 slave State,
by individual enterprise, and accepted.
The Border States were not uniform 10
their action. The course taken by Virgin.
In Is the most remarkable and Important
A Convention to consider this question, in
session when Fort Sumter fell, with large
Union majority, went over, and carried the
State out of the Union. They made exten
sive military preparations, seized the Fede-
raj property, received large bodies OF Con-
federate troops, entered INTO treaty with
the Confederate States.sent Representatives
10 the Confederate Councils. and permitted
lhe insurrecnonary Government 10 he trans.
Fsrsd 10 the sdRissl q Virginia. The Gov