Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-08-09
NUMBER III

force which could be brought against Il and It
was not Until after Morris Island had been fortified
tha5 ne sanctioned tho abOrtiYe astsBDt at succor
made By the Star Of tSs Wesf; and even counter.
effect.
From Christmas until the fourth Of Mareh, the
traitors sad rebels Of Charleston and the cotton
Ststes received every eountenance and support from
Mr.. Buchanan which could be Afforded them; and
when Be retired from ofhee on the 4th inst he
glosted ever the conviction that he had fostered
rebellion and treason until they had become 50 ran
pant that they were beyond the control Of his sue
cessGT. and the ore great source Of his gloFifca-
lion WAS that Fort SURdsr without provisions;
and that Of necessity the garrison must surrender
from starvation before it would be in the power Of
the Republican Administration to relieve and rein
| force il.
Of eourse Abraham Lincoln could know nothing
Of this treason and when in his inaugural he spoke
I Of occupying the public Forts and collecting the
Revenue he little dreamed that MS prsQseessoF lad
REASONABLY arranged to make the abandonment Of
| Fort S,rEier a political necessity. BE Was soon Ep-
| prised, however, that the treason OF ms pre-
| decessor had cunningly devised for INN the
most serious modification thas eO1a se
inflicted; and that he had presented 70 nm tne
alternative of permitting Anderson and nis com
mand to sfarue or promptly to withdraw them and
ANONYMOUSLY permit the Fort to fail INTO 'e nands
o. the rebels To reinforce the garrison OF 20 sa
ply them with pro visions, are equaHy lmpOsslOle
because James buchanan and his assoclS'e 'saisors
power to do il; and compelled the eommanaahs ?.
the Fort quietly to permit the construction OF
works in MS immediate vicinity and undr the tsnAs
Of his guns which would efeetualiy prevent ms pc
ing relieved when an honest man assumed the 6OF-
erHment On the 4th Of March. Buchansn's maj
ct Of treason has been s)nsummated- he preTent-
I'd the late Congress passing l1w giving power
70 the Executive to call for volunteers 10 occupy
and reeapture the public Forts and Arsenais ana
he designedy left Fort Sampler in position Whicn
renders relief physically impossible without an
army Of from ten 70 twenty thousand men, and tbe
employ ment Of a naval force greItar than We eau
command and he and his myrmidO1s now exuitngiy
and tauntI1gy say to the Republican President DO
your worst We have designedly withheld from
you the means Of relieving and holding Fort h1ihP
ter and We invite you TO the pleasing Alternative o.
permitting Anderson and his command to StdTus
Wltaln FIFTEEN days, OF Of ignominlOusy abandoning
1t to a nest of Traitors and Rebels whom We have
nursed Jnhl existance az the only certain mode Of
destroying the Republican Party"
Such are the simple facts Of the case as they ara
presented TO the new President upon his assuming
and from knowledge when we say, that while the
country has been wiekedly made 20 believe that
the time of the Administration has been occupied
with the disposal of Offices. four-ffths OF all the
hours spent IN consultation BY the Cabinet lave
been devoted TO the consideration Of the all-im-
pnrtsnt queshon-how to cave Fert SEslter, and
avert from the Government the dishOu0r OF aban-
dOning il 10 the miserable traitors who for months
have been in open rebellion against the authority
of the Government Generals Scott a7d Fotiels
and all the military ard naval chiefs at Washing
ton. have been consulted; every plan which mili-
tary science could conceive, military daring
suggest, has been attei vely co dered and us~
turely weighed, with hopa, at least, that the
work Of the traitor Buchanan was not so complete
as he and his associates supposed But all in vain.
There stands the isolated naked faet-k0rt Slaatsr
cannot be Tsisrsd because If tie treason Of he late i'd
and Moor anderson and his command
must perish By stayvGiion unless lsithdraleR-
What, then is TO be done Could the President
leave them to starve? Cd Bono Would the sac
Fifce of handful Of gallant men TO the treason Of
thieves and rebels, have been grateful to their
countrymen! But says the indignant yet thought
less Patriot, think Of the humiisdCa and siOuOr
Of abandoning Sumter to the rebelsw We do think
Of it. ard weep tears Of blood ever the humiliation
thus brought upon the country by the Traitor Pres
dent who has just retired to Wheatland 70 glOat
over his consummated treason. And we are az
sured, too, and do not doubt the truth Of the
rance that when Abraham Lincoln was compelled
10 yield his reluctant consent to this most hUmat-
ng concession 70 successful treason, he did not at
tempt TO suppress the sorrow and tears which Il
called forth But he had no alternative. ~Neeessi-
3 O1rS no dJ5 and TO cave the lives Of the gallant
men who have SO long held Fort Sumter against an
overwhelming force Of heartless traitors and un-
,rincipied rsbels. whose treason has been STEPPED
n fraud and theft vulgsrly known Southern
.hvslry" the President Of the United States in the
Ter for the evacuation Of S1uater.
Had war, not peace been his Objsct-had be de-
ired to raise throughout the mighty NCrth feeling
# indignation, which in ninety days would have
every slave on the continent and driven
heir masters into the sea if needs 5e-he had only
0 have said: "Let the garrison Of Fort Sumter do
heir duty and perish beneath its walls; and on the
esds Of the Traitors and Rebels Of the Slavery
ropsgandists be the consequence Such 4 de-
isiOn would have carried JOY 70 the bOsoms Of
'hilps and Garrison and their fanatieal associates,
ShO justly consider abOlitiOnism and disuniOn
anonymous; but it would have brought upon the
ountry such scenes Of horror as the mind shrinks
rom ntemplating. Verify the blood Of the mar
yrs would have been the seed Of negro enlazcipd-
m" For every patriot soldier thus sacrificed to
he evivsl Of the African Slave trade and the es-
of hideous SlaveOcrscy at the South,
en- thousand negro slaves would have been eman-
ipated and as many Of their masters been driven
1tO the ocean to expiate their crimes on earth.
But Mr.. Lincoln desired to rouse no such feel
lg of revenge among the people Of the free
tates. He kuew-nO man kaeW better-that he
ad but to hold to Fort Sumter agreeably TO
be plainly expressed viii of the people and leave
; gallant garrison to the fate prepared for them
y rebels and traitors, TO Insure an uprising which
7Ould at once have wiped out slavery from the
ace of the c0untry and with it, all engaged in this
trOciOUs rebellion against the Government. But
is purpose ls peace, net war. His object IS 10
tore. rebuild aCd 70 preserve the Government, and
be Constitution which enacted II; and bis great
i'm Is, while maintaining the Constitution and en-
DrciI the laws, to bring back good men to their
llegiance, and leave the thieves and rogues and
who compose the great mass Of the reb-
Is uRder the cOgnOmen Of Southern ChiYalry,' to
he uninterrupted enjoyment Of their own precious
Ociety and the reflections which time must awake
ven in them. lie is mindful Of his oath register
d in Heaven 10 preserve the Constitution and en-
lrce the laws; and be feels that bis mission is 70
sclaim and not extinguish, most assuredly he
Ould have left Fort SUmpteT 20 its fate; and that
lte would have been speedy, certain, and absolute
humiliation the traitors in rebellion against
le Government and 10 the very existence Of the
lstitutiOn OF slavery on the American Continent.
ut he has been faithful to his oath Of oce and 70 the
Onsu,uton; and by yielding 10 the necessity Of
le and listening TO the cry Of humanity, slave
has had accorded to it its last Victory over free
ON and the Constitution of the United States.
The dee d has been accomplished; the sacrifice has
cen made; Traitors and Rebels again triumph
IT. and the Stars ami Stripes are again to be DIS
Onored in the sight of the Nation Of astOnished Eu-
1pe. The hag Of the Union is 70 be pulled down,
I'd the bloody banner OF Pirates. FreeoOoters,
ebels and Traitors, is to be run up 10 wave tri-
mphsntly over Sumter and be saluted from hund-
eds OF guns in the Rebel camp, amid the cheers Of
l0usands whose senseless gascOnade and bragado-
o vaunting have long since disgl listed brave men
I'd honest citizens. And yet, zoe approve The act A
ait0r President rendered il q necessity; and hu-
anity demanded thar Abraham Lincoln should sac
flee all personal feelings, and gracefully yield 70
at necessity and the deliberately planned treason
pom which it is based. His eOuntrymen will sus-
in him in this discharge of an humiliating but an
operative duty but with him, they feel that the