Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-04-06

and fomentlng agitation"
WHAT OF THE DAY AT no time since the frst
development Of the plans of the conspirators to
DESTROY the Union, has there been mere excite
nent In the public mind upon the subject enga-
ging the attention Of all, than now. main fea-
ture In their schemes has been the policy Of bring
ing about an armed collision between the forces
Of the Government OF tbs United States and the
partiIans OF tbs OlIgarchy In Arms. From frst
to last, that policy has been admitted to be the
only one through the execution of which hopes
have been entertained Of involving the border
states In the treason of those States whose local
governments have been usurped by the OligarchY.
Nearly every newspaper In the latter's interest
las been urging the importance to their cause, of
tae Inauguration Of civil war by assailing Fort
Sumter or Fort Piekens. We nigh fill the Star
with quotations from speeches In their conven-
tons, and publications in journals like the
Charleston MsrcnTy and Richmond Enquirer, ur-
ging an attack on Sumter or Pickens, as the only
possible means or so nrIng the Southern neart."
a. TO induce the border States TO make common
cause with the oligarchy. The remarkable pru-
dence displayed by the Government at this point
up to this time In the matter Of avoiding a coli-
sion with arms, has bafisd all the schemes Of the
usurpers, and rendered 1t SO plain to all that their
usurpation mus; soon come to an end through
the dead weight of its own monstrosity as that
the ohgarchy have already grown desperate.
Their military movements around and towards
Fort Pickens-all Of which are in palpable falsi-
hcaton Of the faith pledged In their quasi treaty
truce-made with the u United States ito leave the
military status In Pensacola bay precisely rs 1t
was when the truce was nlade) prove that, II they
can, they will surely very soon inaugurate the
civil war they have been trying to make, as ex-
planned above. Day By day, and hour by hour,
they have been violating the truce mentioned
above by erecting new batteries, designed to
render II difficult, IL not in possible for the Gov
eminent to communicate freely with Fort Pickens:
until 1t has become evident that their purpose is
to assail it, unless the Government here consent to
abandon IL TO them
We freely confess that we should regard its
abandonment by the Government as the wisest
conceivable policy. Except for local purposes
Tor the defence OF Pensacola and its Navy Yard
the possession Of Fort P.ckens is of no earthly
Importance to the United States; and to continue
to hold 1t when not designing at the same time
to maintain intact its wonted authority over the
town Of Pensacola, can mean nothing else than
that points Of so-called honor are entering into
the Governments policy in that quarter
we desire not To be misunderstood In this con-
necIion. The Government has an absolute legal
rigntto holdFort Pickens against the world, and
were u not That the relinq ushment Of that right
VIII surely result IN the very speedy downfall of
tue Ongafchy by action of those whom thew have
foooeo OF their liberties, We should counsel It's
maintenance at ali hazards. In She last sixty DAYS
tne usurPation has been losing ground throug bout
the souta with fearful rapidly. In that time IL
has become apparent to all that its authority is but
naked despctism, founded on the deliberate
purpose Of robbing tue people Of their eyery dis.
tinetive American liberty. Even Its chief apoIo-
gist. the New York Herald, has at length come
70 admit that fact a in is issue Of Yesterday "a
follows:
80 esut Harttre IN TnTs counrrv, have rig al IN
DC neafd In all matters affecting the public weaI
ARR SUBJECTED TO DzsP0rIsx xoRr onIoT
THAN THAT OF AUSTRIA Oh RUssI. N TuTIp
DARKEST DAYS, and are ind uced to submit bv the
asenanee OF an armed force raised and placed
IN lne Held when no enemy has threatened Ia vio-
late The integrity OF the SOIL;
We know well that tae life Of the OIigarchv,,
power under such circumstances will be meas
ured by days, and not by years, ualess they sue.
coed In diverting the attention Of the bona fl,
citizens Of the States they have 80 grievoEsIv
vronged, from due rejection on the means
through resort to which they have 80 "a, .pc-
ceeded- They can only thus divert their att. =
non oy turning the South into one vast camn
inAt baf - their purpose ali must now realize
WIN continuing to hold Fort Pickens strengthen
the authority Of the United States I'm or over IN.
seeded States in any conceivable way, Wm u,
eVacuafion-a mere local point as ii is-weaken
the cause of the United States as involved in the
imoroglo. In any conceivable point or way
VIII 1t not afford to the OIigarchy the yerv
opportunity Of inauguraung war, on which ali
their hopes Of finally establishing their authority
throughout the South, hinges Will not ifs aban.
donment insure the destruction Of the Oliparchy,,
existing power on the one hand, and IL, reten
lion uadef existing circumstances increase their
eAasss Of confirming their authority hundred
fold, on the other
In siew OF these facts only, do we counsel the
evacuation Of Picfens-as being worth thousand
fold more to the righteous cause of the Govern.
menf, Than the policy Of continuing to hold II.
This Is not the first occasion In the history of
semi-eeiIgerentd diplomacy, In which 2rea. battles
OF statesmanship have been won by a policy of
mastery inactvity-as we know well, this will
Be swiftly won, IL 1t be persevered In but few
months longer-and as the OIigarchy well know.
OF they would not labor so intensely as of late IN
Induce the Government at this Dol Mt to abandon II