Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-07-11


justment. They assailed and reduced the fort
for precisely the reverse object, to drive out the
visible authority Of the federal Union, and thus
force it to immediate dissolution.
That this was their object, the executive well
understood, and having said to them, in the in
augural address, "You can have no conflict with
out being yourselves the aggressors" he took
pains not only to keep this declaration good,
but also to keep the case so free from the pow
er OF ingenious sophistry, as the world should
not be able to misunderstood ii.
BY the affair at Fort Sumter, with it surroun-
ing circumstances, that point was reached then,
and thereby the asSailants of the government
began a conflict OF arms, without gun in sight
or in expectancy to return their fire, save only
the few in the fort, sent to that harbor years be-
fore, for their own protection and still ready to
give that protection in whatever was lawful.
1t is thus that the assault upon and the re-
duction of Fort Sumter was in no sense a mat
ter of self-deiense on the part of the assaiants.
They well knew that the garrison il the fort
could by no possibility commit aggressons up
on them. They knew they were expressly no.
titled 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
themselves, by resisting so much should pro-
woke more. They knew that this government
assai them, but merely to maintain visible pos
session, and thus to preserve the Union from
actual and immediate dissolution trusting. as
herein stated, to time, discussion and the ballot
box for final adjustment. They assailed and
reduced the fort for precisely the reverse object,
to drive out the visible authority Of the federal
Union, and thus force it to immediate dissolu-
ton.
That this was their object, the executive we'll
understood, and having said to them, in the in
augural address, "You can have no conflict with
out being ourselves 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 sophstry, as that the world should
not be able to misunderstood it.
BY the affair at Fort Sumter, with its sur
rounding circumstances, that point was reached
then, and thereby the assailants of the govern
ment began a conflict of arms, without gun
in sight or in expectancy to return their fire,
save only the few in the fort sent to that har-
Dor years before, for their own protection and
still ready to give that protection in whatever
was lawful.
In this act, discarding all else, they have
forced upon the country the distinct issue of
immediate dissolution or blood. This issue
embraces more than the fate of these United
States 1t presents to the whole family of man
Il
or democracy, government of the people by
the same people, can or cannot maintain its ter
ritorial integrity and its domestic peace. 1t
presents the question whether discontented in
divduas, too few in numbers to control an ad-
ministration according to organic law, in any
case, can always, upon the pretences made in
this case, or on any other pretense, or arbitra-
rily, without any pretense, break up their gov
ernment, and thus practically put an end to free
government upon the earth.
1t forces us to ask, Is there, in all republics,
this inherent fatal weakness? Must govern
ment of necessity be too strong for the liberties
of its own people, or too weak to malntan its
own existencep
SO viewing the issue, no choice was left but
to call out the war power of the government,
and so to resist force employed for its destruc-
ton, by forces for its preservation. The call
was made and the response OF the country was
most gratifying, surprising in unanimity and
spirit the most sanguine expectation.
Yet none of the states commonly called slave
states, excepting Deleware, gave regiment,
through regular state organizations. few
regiments have been raised in some others of
those states by individual enterprise, and been
received into the government service.
Of course. the seeded states so called, to
which Texas had been joined about the time of
the Inauguration, gave no troops to the cause
Of the Union.
The border states, so called, were not uniform
in their action, some of them being almost for
the Union, while in others, as in Virginia, North
Carolina Tennessee and Arkansas, the Union
sentiment was nearly repressed.
The course since taken in Virginia was the
most remarkable, perhaps the most important.
A convention, elected by the people of that
state to consider this very question of disrup-
ting the federal Union, was in session at the
capital of Virginia when Fort Sumter fell. To
this body the people had chosen large major
ity of professed Union men. Almost immedi-
ately after the fall of Fort Sumter, many MEM
bers of that majority went over to the original
dsunion minority, and with them, adopted an
ordinance withdrawing from the Unirn. Wheth-
er this change was wrought by their great ap-
proval of the assault on Sumter, or their great
resentment at the governments resistance to
that assault, is not definitely known.
Although they submitted the ordinance for
ratification to a vote by the people, upon day
then somewhat more than a month distant, the
convention and the legislature which was also
in session at the same time and place, with lead
ing men of the state not members OF the leg
islature, Immediately commenced acting as ii
the state were already out of the Union. They
pushed military preparations vigorously for
Waru all over tne Stdle. lHel stlLeu inc Sui-
ted States armory at Harper's Ferry, and the
navy yard at Gosport, near Norfolk. They re-
ceived, perhaps invited into their state, large
bodies of troops, with their warlike appoint
ments from the so called seeded states. They
formerly entered into treaty of temporary al
lance and cooperation with the so called con-
federate states, and sent members to their Con-
gress at Montgomery; and finally they permit
ted the nsunectonary government TO be trans
ferred TO their capital at Richmond.
The people of Virginia have thus allowed this
giant insurrection to rage within their borders,
and this government has no choice left but to
deal with wherever it finds it. 1t has the less
regret, as the loyal citizens have in due form
claimed its protection there, Loyal citizens this
government is bound to recognize and protect,
in Virginia and elsewhere.
In the border states there are those who favor
policy which they call armed neutrality-that
is, an arming of those states to prevent the
Union forces from passing one way or the dis
union forces the other way, over their SOIL
This would be disunion completed. Figura'
lively speaking, it would be the building OF an
impossible wall along the line OF separation
and yet not quite an impassable one for under
the guisc OF neutrality, they would tie the hands
of the Union men, and freely pass supplies
from among them to the insurrectionlsts, which
| they could not do as open enemies AT
stroke. II would take all the trouble off the
| bards Of IN, secessionists except only what