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

Starvation was not yet upon the gar
rison, and ere it would be reached Fort
Pickens might be reinforced
This last would be a clear indication
Of policy, and would better enable the
country to accept the evacuation of Fort
Sumter as military necessity. An or
der was at once directed to be sent for
the landing Of the troops from the steam
ship Brooklyn into Fort Pickers. This
order could net go by land, but must take
the longer and slower route by sea.
The first return news from the order
was received just one week before the fall
of Fort Sumter. The news itself was
that the officer commanding the Sabine,
to which vessel the troops had been trans
ferred from the Brooklyn, acting upon
some quasi armistice of the late admin
istration, and of the existence Of which
the present administration, up to the
time at which the order was dispatched,
bad only too vague and uncertain rumors
to fix attention, had refused to lard the
troops. 10 now reinforce Fort Pickens
before a crisis could be reached at Fort
Sumter was impossible, rendered so by
the near exhaustion Of provisions in the
latter named fort.
In precaution against such a coniunc-
ture, the government had few days be-
fore commenced preparing an expedition,
as well adapted as might be, to relieve
Fort Sumter, which expedition was in
tended TO be ultimately used or not, ac-
cording to circumstances The strong
est anticipated case for using it was now
presented, and it was resolved TO send it
forward
AS had been intended in the eontin-
gency, it was also resolved to notify the
Governor of South Carolina that he
might expect All attempt would be made
to provision the fort, and that if the at
| tempt should not be resisted, there would
be no effort to throw in men, arms or
ammunition without further notice, or in
case Of an attack upon the fort. This
notice was accordingly given, wheroupoh'
the fort was attacked and BON barded to
its fall without even awaiting the arriv-
al of the provisioning expedition.
1t is thus seen that the assault upon
and reduction of Fort Sumter was in no
sense matter Of self-dcfeuce on the part
of the assailants. They knew that the
garrison in the fort could by no possibili-
ty commit aggression upon them. They
knew they were expressly notified that
The giving of bread to the few brave and
hungry men Of the garrison was all
which would on that occasion be attempt
ed, unlasa themselves, by resisting SO
much, should provoke more.
They knew that the government de-
sired to keep the garrison in the fort, not
to assail them, but merely to maintain
visible possession, and thus to preserve
the Union from actual and immediate
dissolution, trusting, as hereinbofore stat
ed to time, discussion and the ballot
box for fnal adjustment; and they as
sailed and reduced the fort for precisely
the reverse objcet-to drive out the visi-
bic authority of the Federal Union, and
thus force it to immediate dissolution
That this was their object the Executive
well understood.
Aud having said to them IN the in
augural address ''you can have no con-
ilict without being yourselves the aggres-
sors," he took pains not only to keep this
declaration good, but also to keep the
case so free from the power Of iDgenius
sophistry, as that the world should not
be able to misunderstood it, BY the af-
fair at Fort Sumter, with its surround
ing circumstances, that point was reach
4 ed
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 years before
for their own protection, and still ready
to give that protection in whatever was
lawful.
In this net. discarding all else, they
have forced upon the country the distinct
issue--immcdiate dissolution or blood
And this issue embraces more than the
fate Of these United States 1t repre-
sents to the whole family of man the
question whether constitutional repub-
lie or democracy, government of the
people by the same people, can or can
not maintain its territorial integrity
against its own domestic foes. 1t pre-
sents the question whether Disconnected
individuals, too few in numbers to con-
troll administration according to organic
law in any case, can always upon the pre-
fences made in this case, or on any other
pretences, or arbitrarily without any pre-
tence, break up their government, and
thus practically put an end to free go
yernment upon the earth.
1t forces us to ask Is there in all re-
publics 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 exist
euce? SO viewing the issue, no choice
was left but to call out the war power Of
the government, and so to resist force
employed for It's destruction by force for
its preservation.
I This call was made, and tho response
Of the country was most gratifying, sur
passing in unanimity and spirit the most
sanguinc expectation. Yet none Of the
States commonly called slave States, ex-
cent Delaware. gave q Regiments through
regular State organization a few regi-
ments have been organized within some
other ofthese States BY individual enter
prise, and received into the government
service OF course the seeded States,
SO called, and to which Texas had been
joined about the time Of the Inauguration,