Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-07-11

troops to reinforce Fort Pickens before crisis
would be reached at Fort Sumter. was impossible
rendered SO by the near exhaustion of provision:
In the latter named fort.
In precauiion against such a coniunciure, The
Government had a few days before commenced
preparing an expedition. rs well adapted a:
might be. to relieve Fort Sumter, which expe.
!.iiion was intended 10 be ultimately used ol
not, according TO circumstances. The strongest
anticipated case for using it was not presented
and it was resolved TO send it forward, rs had
been intended in this contingency. 1t was also
resolved to notify the Governor of South Caro-
lima, that he might expert an attempt would be
made to provision the Fort, and that if the at
| tempt should not be resisted, there would be
| no effort to throw in men, arms or ammunition;
without further notice. or in case of an attack
upon the Fort. This notice was accordingly
given, whercupon the Fort was attacked aud
bombarded 10 its fall without even awaiting
the arrival of the provisioning expedition.
1t Is thus seen that the assault upon and the
reduction of Fort Sumter was in no sense, a
matter of self-defense on the part of the assail-
ants They well knew that the garrison in the
fort could, 5y no possibility, commit aggrcssions
upon them. They knew they were expressly
notified that the giving of bread to the few
Lrave and hungry men OF the garrison was all
which would on that occasion he attempted, un-
less themselves. by resisting SO much, should
provoke more. They knew that the Govern
ment desired to keep the garrison in the fort,
| not to assaIl them, but to merely maintain visi-
bic possession. end thus to preserve the Union
from actual and immediate dissolution, trusting,
as herein before stated, to time, discussion and
the ballot-box. for final adjustment; and they
assaulted and reduced the fort for precisely the
revese ohicct-to drive out the isible nuihori-
Ioeo NJ fbo rpto md hue II IN
immediate dissolution.
That this was their object, the Executive well
understood, aPd having said to them in the In
augural Address. "You can have no conflict
without being yourselves 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 sophistry, as that the world
should not be able to misunderstood it, By the
affair at Fort Sumter, with its surrounding cir
cumstances, that point was reached. Then and
thereby the assailants of the Government be-
gun the conflict of arms without gun in sight
in expectancy to return their fire. save only
the few In the Fort. sent to that harbor years
before for their own protection, and still ready
to give that protection in whatever was lawful.
In this act, discHrding all else, they have
forced upon the country the distinct issue OF
immediate dissolution or blood; and this issue
embraces more than the fate of these United
States; it presents to the whole family of man
the question, whether constitutional republic
or democracy government OF the people by
the same people, can or cannot maintainits ter
ritorial integrity against lis own dom este ioes
Itpresents the question whether rdiseUnten:ed in
dIviduals, too few in number to control the Ad-
ministration, according TO organic law in any
case, and always upon the pretenses made in
this case, on any other prelenses. arbitrari-
ly without any pretense, break up their Govern
nent and thus practically put an end to free
government upon the earth. 1t forces us to ask:
Is there in all Republics this inherent and fatal
weakness? Must government of necessity be
too strong for the liberties of its own people, or
too weak to maintain lis own existence!
So viewing the issue, no choice was left but
to call out the war power Of the Government.
and 30 10 resist the iorce employed for its de-
struction by force for its preservation. The call
was made. and the response OF the country was
most gratifying, snrpassing In unanimity and
spirit the most sangune expectation. Yet none
of the States commonly called the slave States,
excel Delaware, gave regiment through their
regular Stale Organizaicn. A few regiments
kave been organized within some others Of those
States. by individual enterprise, and received
into the Government service. OF course the
seeded States, SO called, and to which Texas
had been joined about the tine OF the Inaugural
tion, 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. AMI Arkansas, the
Union sentiment was nearly repressed and 81
lenced. The course 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 disrupt
ing the Federal Union. was iu session at the
capital of Virginia when Fort Sumter fell. To
this body the people had chosen a large majori-
ty of prOfessed Union men. Almost immedi-
ately after the fall of Sumter, many members of
that majority went over to the original disunion
mino ity, and with Them adopted an ordinance
for withdrawing the State from the Union.-
Whether this change was wrought by their gen.
eral approval Of the assault upon Sumter, or
their great resentment at the Gorernmeat's re-
sstanee to that assault, is not definitely known.
Although they submitted the ordinance for the |
ratification TO vote of the people. 10 be taken |
on day then somewhat more than a month |
distant, the Convention and the Legislature, |
which was also in session at the same lime and |
place, with the leading men OF the State, not |
members of either, Immediately commenced |
acting as if the State were already out of the |
Union. ara M
The people of Virginia have thus allowed this
great resurrection TO make its nest within her
borders. and this Government has no choice left |
out to deal with it where it finds it; and it has
he less regre', as The loyal citizens have in due
orm claimed it's protection. Those loyal citi-
.ens this Government is bound to recognize, to
protect. ...#
They pushed military preparations vigor-
,usly forward all over the State; they seized |
The U. S. 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 |
formally entered into treaty of temporary al
lance and confederation with the so-calfcd |
Confederate States. and sent members to their |
Congress at Montgomery and finally. they per-
mitted the insurrectionary Government to be
to their capital at Richmond.
In the Border States. so-called, in fact the |
Middle States, there are those who favor pol
icy which they call armed neutralty-that is,
an arming Of those States to prevent the Union
forces passing one way, or the Disunion forces
lhe other, over their sell. This would be dis
union completed. Figuratively speaking, it
would be the building of an impossible wall
along the line of separation, and yet not quite
IN impossible one; for, under the guise of
neutrality, it would tie the hands of the Union |
men, and freely pass supplies from among them
10 the insurreclionists, which could not do as |
an open enemy.
Ata stroke, it would take all the trouble off |
tbe hands of the secessonsss, except only what |
proceeds from the external blockade. 1t would !
DO for the dsunionists that which of all things |
they most dcsirc-feed them well, and give |
them disunion without struggle of their own.
II recognizes no fidelity to the Constitution, no
obligation 10 maintain the Union. and while |
y L "a ,f.Sl.