Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-07-11

and brought to the ground within the time
when the provisions in the fort would be ex-
hausted. In purely military point Of view,
this reduced the daty of the Administration in
the case to the mere matter of getting the
garrison safely out Of the fort. II was be-
lieved, however, that to abandon that position,
under the circumstances, would be ruinous;
that the necessity under which it was to bO
done would not be fully understood; that by
many it would be construed as pert of q vol
urtary policy, that at home, it would discour-
age the friends of the Union, emboIden its ad-
versaries, and 60 far to insure TO the latter a
recognition abroad; that in fact, it would be
our national destruction consummated. This
could not be allowed. Starvation was vet up
on the garrison, 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 evacu-
alton Of Fort Sumter as a military necessity.
An order was at once directed to be sent for
the landing Of the troops from the steamship
Brook lyn into Fort Pickens This order could
not 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 af-
ter the fall of Sumter. The news itself was
that the officer commanding the Sabine, to
which vessel the troops had been transferred
from the Brooklyn, acting upon some quasi
armistce Of the late Administration, and of
the existence Of which the present Admins
tration, up to the time the order was dispatch
ed. had only too vague and uncertain rumorS
to fix attention, had refused to land the troops
To now reinforce Fort Pickens before crisis
would he reached at Fort Sumter, was impOs-
sible, rendered so by the near exhaustion Of
provisions in the latter named fort.
In precaution against such conjecture, the
Government had few days before commenced
preparing an expedition, as we'll adapted as
might be, to relieve Fort Sumter, which expe.
dition was intended to be ultimately used or
not, according to circumstances. The strong
est anticipated case for using it was now pre-
Sented, and it was resolved to send it forward
as had been intended. Ia this contingency, it
was also resolved to notify the Governor of
South Carolina that he might expect an at
tempt would be made to provision the fort,
and that if the attempt ghould 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 given, whereupon the
fort was attacked and bombarded TO its fall,
without even awaiting the arrival of the pro-
visioning expedition.
1t is thus seen that the assault upon and
reduction of Fort Sumter was in no sense,
matter of self defence on the part of the as
sailants They well knew that the garrison
in the fort could, by no possibility, commit
aggression upon them; they knew-they were
expressly notfed-that the giving of bread
to the few brave and hungry men in the gar
rison was all that would on that occasion be
attempted, unless themselves by resisting so
much should provoke more. They knew that
this Government desired to keep the garrison
in the fort, not to assail them, but merely to
maiLtain visible possession, and TINS to pre-.
serve the Union from actual and immediate
dissolution. trusting, as hereinbefore stated,
to time, discussion and the bal!ot.box, for final
adjustment, and they assaed and reduced the
fort for precisely the reverse object, to drive
out the visible authority of the Federal Un-
ion and thus force it to immediate dissolu
ton. That this was their object, the Execu
tive we'll understood; and having said to them
in the Inaugural Address "you can have no
conflict without being yourselves the aggres-
sors, he took pains, not only to keep this de-
claration good but also to keep the case so
far from ingenious sOphstry, so that the world
should not misunderstood it, BY the affair at
Fort Sumter, with its surrounding circum-
stances, that point was reached. Then and
thereby the assailants of the Government be-
gan the conflict of arms, without gun in
sight or in the 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 what
ever was lawful. In this act, discarding all
else, they have forced upon the country the
distinct issue-lmmediate dissolution or blood,
and this issue embraces more than the fate of
these United States. ltpresents to the whole
family Of man the question whether Consti-
tutional Republic or Democracy, a Govern.
ment of the people, by the same people, can
or cannot maintain its territorial integrity
question whether discontented individuals, too
few in numbers to control the Administration
according to the organic law in any case, can
always upon the pretences made in this case,
or any other pretences, or arbitrarily without
any pretence, break up their Government, and
thus practically put an end to free government
upon the earth. 1t forces US TO ask, sis there
in all Republics this inherent and fatal weak
ness 7" Must q 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 so to resist the force employed for its de-
struction by force for its preservation The
call was made, and the response of the coun-
try was most gratifying, surprising in unan-
unity and spirit the most Sanguine expecta-
tions. Yet none of the States, commonly
called Slave States, except Delaware, gave
regiment through the regular State organiza-
ton. A few regiments have been organized
r,;N 81; or a.