Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-07-06

reached Then and there, by the assailants
Of the GovernmenL began the conflict with.
out , qua In sight or expectancy to return
helE hrinR, save only the few In the tort
sent 70 that haFbor years before for their "
protection, and still ready TO give that pro-
lection In whatever was loyal. In this oct,
discarding all else, they have forced upon the
country the distinct issue Of immediate dis
solution or blood, and this Issue embraces
more than the fate OF these United States.
Il presents 10 the whole family OF man
the question whether a constitutional re-
public or democracy, a Government of
the people by the same people can, or cam
not maintain It's territorial integrity against
its " domestic foes. 1t presents the ques-
ton whether discontinued persons, 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 pretenoes, or
arbitrarily without any pretence, break
up their Government and thus pract-
ably put an end to free government up
en- the earth. It forces US to ask, as
there in all republics this inherent and fatal
weaknessi Must g government Of necessity
be too strong for the liberties OF the people,
or too weak to maintain its own existence2'
So viewing the issue, no choice was lett but
to call out the war power Of the Govern
ment, and 90 to resist the force employed for
It's destruction by force for its preservation
The call was made, and the response Of
the country was most gratifying, surPass-
ing II u~nanimity and spirit the most SAN
gune expectation. Yet mont Of the States
commonly called slave States, except Della
ware, rave a regiment through the regular
State organization. A few regiments have
been organized within some other Of those
States BY individual enterprise, and re-
ceived into the Government service. OF
course the. seeded States, so called, and to
which Texas had been Joined about the
time Of the Inauguration, gave no troops 70
the cause of the Union. The Border States,
SO called, were mot uniform In their action,
some Of them being almost for the Union,
while in others, ss in Virginia, North Caro-
lima, Tennessee and, Arkansas, the-UniOu
sentiment was nearly repressed and 81
fenced. The course taken in Virginia was
the most remarkable, perhaps the most I'M.
portsnt. A Convention elected by the peo-
pie of that State to consider this very ques-
ton Of disrupting the Federal Union was
in session at the capital OF Virginia when
Fl. Sumter fell To this body the people had
chosen q large majority OF professed Union
men. Almost Immediately after the fall Of
Sumter members Of that majority went over
to the original minority, and with them
adopted an ordinance for Withdrawing the
State from this Union. Whether this change
was wrought by their great approval of the
assault OF Sumter, or their great resentment
at the Governments resistance 10 this as
sault is not definitely known, although they
submitted the ordinance for ratification to a
vote Of the people, to be taken on a day
then somewhat more than a month distant
the Convention and Legislature which wal
also in session al the sam time and place,
with leading men Of the State, not members
Of either, Immediately commenced acting as
If the State was already out of the Uniol.-
They pushed military preparation vigorous
ly forward sll over the State. They seized
the United States armory at Harper's Ferry
! and the Navy Yard at Gosport, near Nor
folk; they received, perhaps invited, into
their State large bodies of troops with theil
warlike appointments from the so-callpd Sc
coded States. They formally entered into 6
> treaty Of alliance with the so-called Cenfed.
crate States, and sent members to theil
= Congress in Montgomery, and, finally
they permitted the insurrectionary govern
ment to be transferred to their Capitol at Rich,
! mond. The people of Virginia have thu.
allowed this giant insurrection to make il
nest within her borders, and this Govern
nent has no choice left but TO deal with
: where it finds it. and it has the less TO regre
: as the loyal citizens have in due form claimel
, its protection. Those loyal citizens tn
: Government is bound to recognize and pro
|. tect as being in Virginia. In the horde
!. States so-called, in fact the middle States
; there are those who favor q policy which
they called armed neutrality; that Is, al
"a army Of those States to prevent the UnioI
: forces passing enc way or the disunion tn
other, over their soil. This would be dis
union completed, aguratiFely speaking. l
would be the building of an impassabl
wall along the line OF separation, and ye
: not quite an impossible, for Under III
: guise of neutrality, it would tie the hands o
the Union men, and freely pass suPpliesfron
among them to the insurrectionists which /
J cUald not do as an open enemy. Alta stroke i
would take all the trouble of the hands of ss
3 ~eession, except only what proceeds from III
external blockade. It would do for the dis
unionists that which OF all things they mos
: desire-feed them well and give them dis
J union without q struggle of their own. l
! recognizes no fidelity to the Constitution, N
: obligation to maintain the Union Will
) very many VITO have favored it are doubt
! less loyal citizens It is nevertheless very In
a inrfouG N afaot
: Recurring to the aetion of the Govern
t ment, 1t may be stated hat ct first 8 cal
was made for $4,000 military, and rapidly
e following this g proclamation was issueI
for closing the ports of the insurrectinnary
T districts, hy proceedings in them of a block
ade. So far all was believed to be strictly lie
q gal. At this point the insurrectionists an
q nounced their purpose of entering upon tn
T practice of privateering. Other calls wert
made for volunteers to serve three years, IN
: less sooner discharged; and also large I'D
e ditions to the regular army and navy. Thesl
t measures whether strictly legal or not, werl
ventured upon what appeared to be a popu.
= lar demand for 8 public necessity, trusting
8 readily satisfy them. Il Is believed thaI
. uDluluR HAS Docu uOuc UtyOuu buO COusutu
E tional eempsteney Of Congress. Soon aftel
f the first call for militia it was considered {
e duty to authorize the Commanding General
in proper cases, according to his discretion
, to suspend the privilege of the habeas corpus
: or, In other words, 70 arrest and detain with.
out resort to ordinary processes and forms 0
: law, such individuals as he might deem dan,
: gerous to the public safety. This author
ity has ~purposely been exercised, bat
very sparingly nevertheless the legality
and prOpriety of what has been done undel
it are questions, and the attention Of The
country has been called to the proposition
that one who Il sworn to take care that the
laws be faithfully executed should not him
|, self violate them. OF course, some consid.
| Grafton was given to the questions Of the
power and pEopriety before this matter wat
acted upon. The whole Of the laws, which
t we're required to be faithfully executed