Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-22

On the contrary, they had ever reason 10
wait snd see whether conservative party
would not rise there. Meanwhile thsy aid
eveyy thing consistent with that oath TO
maintain kind relations. They consented TO
give mp Fort Sumter virtually, and retain II
only nOminally. They would leave three
men there simply to represent the United
States. TO eYacuate 80 long as o possibility
ofre. enforcement remained, would have been,
on the part Of the President, perjury and
treacheIy. But his proposition Of conditional
evacuation said most plainly, "Au that /
can do to avoid civil war, shall be done
am willing to forego some revenues, TO
trust q fort TO your power, until the people
Of both sides shall have, chance, as they
have not yet had, TO face this emergency.
1 am the President Of the People and what
they confirm ] win execute" As for the
idea, SO paraded for effect Of Coercion Of
"subjugation," it was transpsrentiy absurd /;
none but fool, surely not Mr.. Davis or his
shrewd companions, could believe that the
United States would desire TO capture and
hold in her bosom six or fifteen States ut
terly hostile TO her. What good could il do
to coerce the fang Of the South Carolina
rattle-snake into her blood2 Who wants
nation with one half traitors and haters7
IL was silly falsehood, which could tell
only IN States where two-thirds of the peo-
How was this calm and conscientious
position Of the President metz With a
bomb shell. Simply that South Caro-
lima was not attacked; there was no
dream in any ones mind that the seventy
four men in Fort Sumter could con.
quer that State; there was no proposition
TO re- enforce them-those seventy-fou men
stood in Fort Sumter for Abraham Lineoln's
oath to America and his God and both de-
manded of him that he should not let them
starve.
Why then was Sumter attacked 2 whv has
civil war been inaugurated2 There are
no two answers to this question even con-
jecturable. The enemies Of the Govern
ment had not from the first any idea of
peaceable Secession. Their idea from the
first was to usurp the seat of
Government at Washington. To this
end the Border States were necessary.
But how can these be wheeled into rank
with the Southern Confederacy2 The only
difficulty in the way is a remaining Union
entiment-sentiment mark youl It is
nothing more. In Eastern Virginia, In
Maryland, in other Border States, they had
some old lingering sentiments about the
Union. But what is a sentiment against
question of life and death-for such it will
become, says Mr.. Davis, when the Border
States are battle fields; what is a rhetorical
flight of the American eagle to q flight of
negroes at 81, 900 per head from each mans >
estate. The immediate interests always
rule. So Mr.. Davis compeIs the reluctant
Border States into his line. He has no fear
that there will be any armed neutrality in
any State; Mr.. Jefferson Davis is not weak
enough to be deceived by the Union talk 10
Border States. = .t
Mr., Pryor, Of Virginia, arrives in Charles
ton. He is an agent there to say to South
Carolina that the time to strike has come
His words were: / assure you, that lust so
certain as to-norrow's sun will rise upon us,
jnst so certainly will Virginia be member
of the Southern Confederacy. We will put
her in in less time than can be calculated
by the clock, If you but strike a bLosO P'
This is on Wednesday night (l0th) Friday
morning a shell lights in sumter. That
shell decides the fate of the fifteen States.
Thus was this war forced upon the free
States. Those who gave the first act of war
knew that the oath was registered which
must resist. 1t was meant to be war to
usurp such positions of the Government,
especially Washington, as would enable
them 10 dictate the terms of the division
which we all know must come in the end.
What, then, is the issue In the contest2 1t
is not whether we shall remain united
people or not. We all know that to be i'm
possible. 1t is whether slavery or freedom
shall have eminent domain in America. 1t
is whether Mr.. Davis shall sit in the White
House and dictate terms of capitnlation to
the free States. 1t is whether the people of
America shall govern themselves, electing
their own President, or whether dozen
politicians in Montgomery shall force their
President upon them with the bayonet. For
after having shamefully conceded to slavery
for years all that was needed to fatten it to its
YNVnG ant Aok1 L..
begins now to realize the proverb that "Man
never fastens chain around his brothers
neck but God is sure to fasten the other end
of it about his own" So long as it was
only the African, we could all join in en-
slaving him; then when we wish to move
ourselves, we find that our Hail Colum oia
has changed to Columbiad Hail In this
whole contest the slavery question was the
mere touchstone of the civil liberty OF
100000 of whites, on whom about one
third the number in the South proposed to
put moral, mental and political handcuffs,
We are very stupid in not having found out
slavery yet. 1t is a very old defendant
against liberty; ten thousand trials they have
had before the tribunals of Justice and Rea,
son, and slavery was always beaten; and
then it always, and by simple instinct, took
10 aTms-to its own dear gunpowder argu.
ment and Bowie. knife logic.
And here | must say something that
much dislike to say. All but seven years o.
my life werG spent in the midst of slavery
and the seven years out of the South has
convinced me that only very, very few na-
tives of the North really known the nature
of the foe that is now at their doors. That
foe is utter barbarism. You know very well
that were the North to conquer Southern
city not drop of unnecessary blood would
be spilled, There is no hatred of Southern
people in the hearts of the Northern meu
but rather such tendoEnessas would be exer.
eised toward sick or delirious persons. But
in my opinion, at least, two-thirds of the
Southern people really aud actually hate the
Northern people. 1t was long time before
/ could overcome the detestation toward
them, which naturally imbibed from those
aroundme. And it is my deliberate convic
tion that conquest of the North by thu
South would be the deadliest and bloodies
page in history. -, ...t.|
This hatred toward Northern people ma,
seem strange and incredible to you, becausl
you can see no reason for it. Yet you know
very well the nature of the institution a
the basis Of their society. It is proRg. AuG
over every wrong in this world hangs hair
suspended sword. Thus, fear becomes
second nature; shaking leaf is as the auakl
of insurrection; fear is cruel and suspicious
They have managed to distort every Northern
face into the face of foe. Plutarch tells u
of Bessus the P@Onian, who being
with wantonness for pulling down a nest o
young spaTrows and killing them, said tina
he did so because hesparrows were constantly
accusing him of the murder of his father
What the twittering of innocent sparrow
was to the parricide, has been to slavery tht
| ordinary and natural works and manifesto
tiOps of freedom. When before has so larg
majority as the Free States have over t6
Slave borne so long with outrages agains
their citizens and commerce, at the sam
time buying and conquering new States 70
slavery, and invariably, until this once Civ
| ing the South pro slavery Presidents2 2 Th
arrows which Freedom has sent into tn
camp Of Slavery have been such as were in
eIitable, and always peaceful; those arrow
| which are and must be drawn from Free
dom's qniveT are the railroad, the free pres
free opinion and free speech, and that AFRO,
L IL -. 4 II -