Newbern weekly progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1858-1863, 1861-04-02
Docs Lincoln GeanA'eace or War

WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH 27, 1861.
Docs Lincoln NEeanN'eace or War {!
This is a question in which every man, wo-
man and child in this great land are interested,
and one which Lincoln owes 1t to himself, to
humanity, to the present generation and to pos
terity to answer Does he mean peace or war
Will he acknowledge the independence Of the
seeded States and suffer them to go in peace
with the privilege to manage their own affairs
in their own way, or does he mean to coorce
them? If the people Of the seeded States and
those of all the other slave States are as cor
rupt, rude uncivihzed and brutal as Black Re
publican papers and leaders make them out to
be we should suppose they would be glad to
let us all go, and think it a happy riddance.
But no. they know the goose which lays the
golden egg, and while they wish to pen it they
do not seek its life. They want to keep the
South so they can use the South, for on the
trade of the South they have grown fat.
Those in this State who assume to speak for
Lincoln say he means peace but believing that
the editor Of the n. 7. 7ri6uae did more than
any one northern man to elect Lincoln and that
heis in his confidence and has right to speak
for him. Will show what he advises In
the I9t6une Of Saturday last we find the fol-
lowing article, which, we suppose foreshadows
what is most probably to be the policy Of Lin
coins administration as regards the seeded
States VIII the people Of the border States
stand by and see the work Of destruction sub
jugation and murder here recommended, car
ried out? Ifnot in the name of ali that is sa-
cred and honorable among meh and nations
why delay? DO they mean to wait until the
federal hounds have commenced the work of
slaughter at Pensacola; or do they yet~thnk
that there is nothing in all this As far as
Lincoln has gone he has stood up to tile Chi
cago platform and the inaugural, and we have
no just cause to assume that he will not in his
own good time commence the work of co1lci0n
III the seeded States. We believe it will be
commenced, unless the border slave States
place themselves in position to defy him and
his power Had all the Southern States gone
ont nothing would ever have been heard of CO.
erciom, but on the contrary propositions for re-
construction, peace and the establishment Of
new guarantees would have come from the
North. The dilatory, vacillating policy Of the
border slave States has given aid and comfort
to the Republicans, we care not whether it was
meant or not and if the work Of coercion does
commence and the plains around Pensacola be
lit up by the ravages Of fire and sword the bor-
der States Will have much to answer for. They
have only to say to the Washington Govern
ment, these things shalt not be-thcse calami-
ties shall not be brought upon our brethren in
IA Il
their holes or tcrrapins cnsconcng themselves
in their shells Lincoln and his an0r c0ul,SeLLoys
would back down and hide themselves; but let
the border slave States keep up their present
undecided position and continue their acqui-
eSccnce to and seeming admiration for the 6cuu-
ties of LincoIn's pacit" policy and his term of
office will not expire before they will be to3ccd
to take up arms either for or against their
brethren in the seeded States But all this
time we are keeping the reader from the IN
structions Of the TriduHe to the Government
of which it is the principal organ. Here is the
article we beg of our intense Union friends to
read and ponder it:
FORT PICKENS
The country is sick at heart over the ncccs-
sary withdrawal of Anderson from Fort Sum
ter. 1t had better stop crying over what can't
be helped and spend its time in prcvcn ting a
similar humiliation at Fert Pickcns.
If not relieved, in six weeks from this time
Fort Pickens will have to lie abandoned Just
like Fort Sumter, and for the same rcason.-
Fort Picllcns and its approaches arc being
gradually commanded by sand batteries. If
it be not forthwith garrisoned and provisiOned
for siege, it cannot be done at all. 1t must
be surrendered without blow; for the Uni
tod States n 6pfnatc tbo Ctoy
ernment cannot maintain the position, it ought
to yield it up without struggle. If this be
done, then the Confederate States will become
one of the nations of the world and the Unit
ted States of America will cease to be a first
rate power
We know that the Administration does not
contemplate this, for in that case it would as
disgracefully betray the country as did Bl1-
chanan. As it does not purpose this, it. must
mean to maintain the integrity of the Union;
and to this the holding Fort Pickcns seems to
absolutely essential. The only question
then is what is necessary to accomplish that
purpose. The first step is to garrison the
fort, and provision it forthwith to its utmost
capacity. But this is not all When garri-
soned and provisioncd, it will still be attacked
by the revolutionary forces under competent
officers. No matter how full of men the forts |
may be- siege is mere question of time
After few weeks of battery in breach, its |
walls will be heap OF RUNS, and the beSleg- !
ing forces will mount to the assault. For gar
risOns and provisions alone will not secure |
the fort nor the dignity of the United States |
The siege will be successful unless it be
raised 1t can be raised only by a superior
land force driving off the besieging force
Three or four thousand men can take the fort
by the regular process of a siege in three Or
four weeks from the opening of the battaries |
if undisturbed But five seven thousand |
men will at once arrest their proceedings and
drive them from the siege; all their works
will be destroyed and their battering trains ta-
ken by such force. The United States must
therefore instantly begin to organize this force
to raise the siege of Fort Pckens.
If this work is begun at once, the revou- |
tonary authorities will be driven to adopt one
of two courses Either they must abandon !
all idea of siege and leave the fort unassailed
or they must hold in readiness a force of five
or six thousand men to support and cover the
To +l,, +ol toto