Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-07-13

matter of self defence on the part Of the
assailants. They we'll knew that the garrison
in the fort could by no possibility commit
aggression upon them. They knew--they
we're expressly notifed--tha. the giving OF
bread to the few brave and hungry men Of
the garrison was all which could, on that
occasion, be attempted, unless themselves by
resisting so much should provoke more
They knew that this Government desired to
keep this garrison in the fort not to assail
them, but merely to maintain visible posses
sion, Trusting, as hereinbetoTe stated, to time,
discussion, and the ballot.box, for final
adjustment And they assaled and reduced |
the fort for precisely the reverse object--to |
drive out the visible authority Of The Federal |
UUiOn, and thus force it to immediate disso
luton.
That this was the object, the Executive well
understood and having said to them in the In.
augural address. you can have no con hic with
out being yourselves the aggressors " he took
pains not only to keep this declaration good but
also TO keep the free from the power Of
ingenious sophistry that the world should not
be able to misunderstood it. By the affair at
Fort Sumpter, with its surrounding circpmstan-
ces, that point was reached. Then and thereby
the assailants Of the Government begain the con-
fict OF arms without gun in sight or in expec-
fancy to return their fire. save only the few in the
fort, sent 10 that harbor years before for their
own protection, and still ready to give that pro.
lection, and still ready to give that protection in
whatever lawful. In this act, discarding all
else they have forced upon the country the dis.
tinct issue--immediate dissolution of blood. And
this issze embraces more than the fate Of these
United States. 1t presents to the whole family
of man the question whether Constitutional Re-
public or Democracy government of the peo.
hv tbp
its territorial integrity against its domestic foes
1t presents the question whether discontented in
dividuals, too few in numbers to control the Ad.
minisratiun according to the organic law in any
case, can always, upon the pretences made in
this case or any other preence, break up their
government and thus practically put an end to
the freest government upon the earth. 1t forces
MS to ask Is there in all Republics this inhesent
and fatal weakness Must a government of ne.
cessy be too strong for the liberties of its own
people or too weak to maintain its own existencel
So viewing the issue, no choice was left but TO
| call out the war power of the Government, and
to resist the force employed for its destruction
by force for its preservation.
| The call was made, and the response OF the
country wac most gratifying, surprising 10
nnauimity and spirit the most sauguine ex-
! pectatious. Yet none Of the States common
! ly called slave States, except Delaware, gave
regiment through regular State organiza
! tion. A few regiments have been organized
within some others of those States by iDdvd.
! ual enterprise, aud received into the Govern.
ment service. OF course the seeded States
so called, and to which Texas had been Joined
about the time of the Inauguration, gave no
troops TO the cause Of the Union. The Bor-
der States, SO called, were not uniform in their
action, some of them being almost unanimous
Al IL -. =. 4
North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, the
L non sentiment was nearly repressed and Ell
fenced. The course takeu in Virginia was
the most remarkable, perhaps the most impor
tnnt. A convention elected by the people ol
that State to consider this very question o
disruptiDg the Federal L nion was 10 session
at the capital Of Virginia VIXEN Fort Sumter
fell To this body the people had chosen
large majority of professed Union men. AL
most Immediately after the fall of Sumte
many members OF that majority went over t.
the original disuniOn minority, and with then
adopted the ordinance for Withdrawing thu
State from the Union. Whether this chang
was wrought by their great approval Of the as
sault upon Sumter, or the great resentmen
at the Governments resistance to that as
sault, s not definitely known. Although the
submitted the ordinance for ratification to
vote Of the people, to be taken on day thel
T somewhat more than O month distant, tb
, Convention and the Legislature, which was il
session at the same time and place, with lead
/, ing members Of the State not members OF Ell
, ther Immediately commenced acting as if tb
State were already out Of the Union. The
pushed their military preparations vgorousl
forward all over the State. They seized tn
q United States armory at Harper's Ferry, an
t the navy.yard at Gosport, near Norfolk
q They received, perhaps invited, into thei
I State large bodies OF troops, with their wal
a like appointments, from the so-called secede
: States. They formally entered into treat
Of temporary alliance aud cooperation wit
q the so called Confederate States, and ser
/. members to their Congress at Montgomer.
!. and finally, they permitted the insurrectiop,
!. ry Government to be transferred to their caI
v ital at Richmond
!, The people of Virginia have thus allowe
this giant insurrection 10 make its nest Will
i 10 ber borders, and this Government has q
a choice left but to deal with it where it fnC
n il, and it has the less regret as the loyal cit
n zeus have, in due form, claimed its protectio
d These loyal citizens this Government is bonn
: to recognize and protect as being Virginia.
"a ln the Border States so called, in fact II
a Middle States there are those who favor VIII
!. they call 90 armed neutrality that's su arr
v ing of those States to prevent the Union 70
II ces from passing one way or the Disunion Il
" other, over their soil. This would be Disu
o ion completed, fgurstively speaking,
10 woald be the building Of an impossible We
: along the line of separation, and yet not qui
81 an impossible one, for under the guse OF ne
a. trality it would tie the hands Of the unit
as men, and freely pass supplies from among the
ri TO the insurrect:onists, which it could not {
,e as all open enemy. At u stroke il wou
s. take all the trouble of the bands OF secessio
,e except oaly what proceeds from the extern
"a blockade. 1t would do for the Disunionis
q. that which, Of oil things, they most desire
n, feed them well, and give them disunion wit
,d out a struggle Of their own. 1t recogniz
tx 10 fidelity to the Constition, no obligation
: maintain the Union and, while many W
,is have favored 1t are doubtless loyal, it is De
n. ertheless very Injurious in effect.
On Recurring to the action OF the Goyernmel
it may be stated that at first call was ma
ad for seventy. five thousand militia, and rapid
an following this proclamation was issued I
to closing the ports of the iusurrectionary d
as tricts, by proceedings in the nature Of bloc
a | ada Sn far this w halievad IN he trrI