Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1861-07-09

time when provisions III the fort would BE-
exhausted. 10 . purely military point Of
view, this reduced the duty Of the Ad-
minis,ration in the case to the mere matter
Of getting the garrison safely out Of the
fort.
1t was believed, however, that, to 30
abandon that position, under the eircum-
stances, would be utterly ruinous; that
the necessity under which it was to be
done, would not be fully understood;
that, by many, i, would be construed as .
part of voluntary policy; that, at home,
it would discourage the friends Of the
Union, emboldeu It's adversaries, and 60
far to insure the latter recognition
abroad; that, in fact, it would be our na-
! tioual destruction coDsummated.
This could not be allowed. Starvation
was not jet upon the garrison, snd, ere is
would be reached, Fort PIckens might be
re-euforced. THIS las. would be clear
indication Of policy, and would enable the
country to accept tue evacuation of Fort
Sumter as n military necessity. An order
was at once directed to be sent for the
Iauding Of the troops from the steamship
Brooklyn into Fort Piekens. This order
could not 90 BY laud, but must take the
logger and surer route By sea. The 6rss
return news from the order vas received
jlst one week before the fall of Sumter.
The news itself was that the officer com-
mapdiug the Sabine, to which vessel tho
troops had been transferred from the
Rrn,ElrD ooff
tice Of tie late Administration, aud Of tho
existence Of which the present Admins
ua,iou, 10 to the time the order was dis
patched, had only too vague and uncertain
rumurs to tx attention, had refused to
land the troops. To now re enforce Fore
Pickeus, before q crisis would be reached
ut For, Sumter, was impossible, rendered
SO BY the near exhaustion Of provisions in
the Entertained fort.
Ia precauiion against such a copjunc.
ture, the Government had, few days be-
fore, commenced preparing al expedition,
Us we'll adapted as might be to relieve
Fort Sumter, Which expedition was inteu-
dcd to be ultimately used or not, accord
ing to surIeu, circumstances. The strongest
anticipated case for using it was now
presented, aud it was resolved to send it
forward, as had been intended.
Iu this contingency, it was slsoresolved
to notify tho Governor Of South Carolina
that be nigh, expect an attempt would
be made TO provision the fort, aud if the
attempt should not DO resisted, there
would be no attempt to throw in men,
arms, or ammunition, without further
notice, or in case of au attack upon the
fort TLis notice was accordingly given,
whereupon the fort was attacked and bon-
barded to its fall, without even awaiting
the arrival Of the provisioning expedition.
1t is thus seen that the assauls and re-
matter Of scf-defence on the part Of the
assai!ants. They well knew that the gar
risOn 10 the fors could BY no possibility
commit aggression upon them. They
knew they were expressly notified thas
the giving Of bread to the few brave aad
hungry men Of the garrison was all that
would on that occasion be attempted, VI.
less themselves, b. resisting SO much,
should provoke more. They knew that
this Governmeu: desired to keep the gar
rison in the foIt, not to assail them, but
merely to maintain visible possession, and
! thus to preserve the Union from actusl
AID immediate dissolution, trusting, as
| heretofore stated, to time, discussion, and
the ballo.-b box, for fnal adjustment and
they assailcd and reduced the fort for pre-
cisely the reverse Otject-to dive out tho
visible authority of the Federal Uuion, and
thus force it iGto immediate dissolution.
That this was their o! jsct the Executive
well understood. Aud having said to
them, in an luaugura! Address, "you can
have no coufct without being yourselves
the agsrsssors," be took paius cot only to
keep tha. declaration good, but also to
keep the case SO free from the power Of
sophistry, as that the world should not be
able to misunderstood Blythe Affair at
Fort Sumter, with the surrounding cir
cums,auces, that point was reached.
Then, and thereby, the assailants Of the
Government began the conflict Of arms,
without gun in sight or in expectancy
to return their FIRE, save only the few in
the fort, sent to that harbor yesrs before
for their own protection, aud still ready to
give that protection in whatever vas law
. full.
In this set, demanding oil else, they
have forced upon the country the dissiucs
issue-immedia.e dissolution, or blood
Aud this issue embraces more than tho
fate Of these United States. 1t presents
to the whole family Of man the question
whether constitutional republic or dem.
ocraey, government of Tho people by the
, same people, can or can not maintain it's
territorial integrity against its own domes-
tic foes. 1t presents the question wheth-
er discou,ented individuals, too few in
number to control the administration ae-
cording to organic law in any case, can
always, upon the pretences made in this
case, or on other preteuces, or arbitrarily
without any pretencc, break up their gov
ernment, and thus practically pu. en- end
to free government upon the earth. IL
forces US to ask, Is there in all Republics
! this inherent and fatal weakness? Must
a 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