Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-07-12
to send it forward as had been intended

to send it forward as had been intende
in this contingency.
1t was also resolved to notify the Gov
ernment of South Caroline that sh
might expect an attempt would be mad
to provision the fort, and that if the at
tempt should not be resisted. there wo',
be no effort made to throw in men, arms
or ammunition, without further notice
or III case Of an attack upon the Fort =
This notice was accordingly given
whefenpoh tbs fort vas attacked ahS
bombarded to its fall, without evel
awaiting the arrival of the provisioning
expedition.
It is thus seen that the assatllt upon
and the reduction of. Fort Sumter, wa
in no sense a matter of self defence OF
the part of the ASSISTANTS. They vel
knew that the garrison ih the fort could
By no possibility commit aggression
upon them. They knew they were ex-
pressly notified that the giving of bread
to the few brave and hungry men of the
garrison was all which would on that
occasion be attempted, unless themsel-
yes. by resisting so much, shoul1 pro-
NoAG AuGW EAaaL GtAC gov
ernment desired to keep the garrison in
the fort, not to assail Them, but TO mere
ly maintain visible possession; and tlitis
to preserve the Union from actual and
immediate dissolution, trusting. as here
iRbefore stated, to time, discussion, and
the ballot box, for final adjustment; and
they sssailed and reduced the fort for
precisely the reverse otject--Io drive
ont the visible authority of the Federal
dissolution.
That this was their object the Execu-
tive well understood and having said
to theth in the indfgural address: "You
can have no conflict without being your
selves the aggressors, he took pains
not only to keep this declaration good,
but also to keep the case so free from
the power of ingenious sophistry, as
shat the world should not be able to
it. By the affair at Fort
Sumter, with its suttoH1ding circum
stances, that point was reached, and
thereby the assailants of the fort begun
The conflict of arms, without gun IN
sight Gf in expectatio to return their
fire, save only the few in the fort, sent
to that harbor years before, for their own
and still ready to giva that
in whatever was lawful.
in this act, discarding all elses they
have forced npoh the country the de-
structive issue of immediate dissolution
or blood, and this iesne embraces more
han the fate of these United States. 1t
presents to the whole family Of man. the
question whether a Cons titutional Re
public or Dem ocracy, Government of
the people, can or cannot maiEftGin its
Territorial integrity against It's oSn do
nestle foes. It presents the question
whether discontented individuals, too
ew in numbers to control administration
to organic law, in any case,
md Always upon the prc,ence made in
his case, or on any other pretsnces, or
without any pretence, can
break hp their government. and thus
practically put an end 10 fee government
lpon the eafth.
1t forces MS to ask: ';Is there in all
Republics this inherent and fatal weak
ness? Must a government of necessity
be too strong for the liberties of its ON n
people, or too weak to maintain its own
So viewing the issne, no
,hoice was left but to call ont the war
power OF tho government, and so to re-
sist force employed for its destruction by
force for its preservation. The cali was
made, and the responce of the country
was most gratifying, surprising in I'M
animity and spirit, the most sanguine
Yet no one Of the States
called Slave States, except
Delaware, gave a regiment through reg
liar state organization.
A few regiments have been organized
within some others of those States by
enterprise, and received into
he government service. OF course the
eceded States, so called, and to which
Texas had been Joined about the time OF
he Inauguration gave no troops to the
,ause of the Union. The Border States,
30 called. tsele not dhffoIfn III their ac-
ion, some Of them being almost for the
Union. while in others, as Virginia.
North Carolina. Tennessee and AIkan
'as, was nearly repressed and sileneed
The course taken in Virginia Sas rhe
most remarkable-perhaps the most i'm
4 convention. elected by the
people Of that State, to consider this
very question of disrupting the Federal
Union, was in session at the capital of
Virginia when Fort Sumter fell To
his body the people had chosen large
majority OF professed Union rre1. Al
most Immediately sitter the fall OF Sum
has of that
vent over to the original disunion mi
lority, and with them adopted an ordi-
nance for Withdrawing the state from
he Union.
Whether this change was wrought by
heir great approval of the assault upon
Sumter, or the great resentment at the
resistance to that assault,
s not definitely known. Although they
admitted the ortffno nre for ratification,
10 vote OF ths peoPle. TO be taken on
. day then somewhat more than a month
Instant, the Convention and the Epgfs
ature which were also in session at the
same time and place, with leading men
IF tie state, not members of either, i'm
commenced acting as if the
State were already out of the Union -
They pushed military preparations Wig
orously forward alf oEer the State.
They seized the United States Armory
1t Harper's Ferry and the Navy Yard at
Iosport near Norfolk. They received,
perhaps invited into their State. large
bodies Of troops with their warlike ap
Dointments. from the so called seeded
State. They formally entered into a
.reaty of TEMPORARY allegiance and CO.
operation with the so called Confederate
States, and sent members to their Con-
yress at Montgomery; and finally, they
permitted the inSurrect:onary Govern
nent to be transferred to their Capital at
The people of Virginia have thus al
owed this great insurrection to make
is nest withihiher borders, and this Gov