Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-30
"Fort Sumter to be Surrendered.n


In leader under this heading, our cotem
porary, the Appeal, seems to be much disap-
pointed at the determiNation of Lincoln's Ad-
ministration to surrender Fort Sumter. 1t
certainly is movement not expected 10y the
and not only not to be justified, on
any apparent grounds, by the Republican
party but equally unjustifable in the view of
any of the friends of the Union at large We
look upon it as complete surrender Of the
Federal Government to South Carolina and
the Gulf Confederacy. 1t may produce peace,
and so far be all right, but it disgraces the
character of our Government and makes US Il
laughing stock for the earth. 1t may bring
peace in this way: An Administration
which would abandon the public property
and surrender it to rebellion, would do any
thing, no matter wat, that was demanded oil
it by rebels 1t loves peace so well that it
would sacrifice the authority of the Govern
ment to obtain it. There mill be peace, of
course, what else can there be, when the
Government yields everything? If the Sc
ceding States 60 right on in their course,
without being resisted, what more do they
want?
The surrender of Fort Sumter is not
military necessity" 1t was within the
power of the Federal Government to rein
force it by land or sea. What else had the
a., tbop 10 chi inc Of Or
down to the Charleston harbor OF troops
through the border States? A military ne
cessity.' Humbug The Government means
to knuckle, and that is the whole secret.
Possibly. it may come ont all right, and
peace be restored and the Union preserved,
but it will be saved by the establishing of a
precedent which leaves the Government
weaker than water, and subject, forever
hereafter. to be dictated to by the pettiest
States within the Confederacy.
We cannot say that we regret .he contem-
plated surrender of Fort Sumter. There has
been so much inaction, SO much pusillanimity
on the part of the Federal Government. that
it really seems too late to do anything
worthy of the time and the occasion. The
period seems to have passed when decided
action would have availed. and perhaps it is
better to allow such States as dissatisfied
to go off at tangent and fetch up where they
will without let or hindrance, reserving for
California the privilege of remaining where
her interests hold her, under the flag of the
Union and the shelter of the old Federal
Constitution.
There will be no war. How can there be,
when the Government refuses to support its
authority? AT least the war will not come
now, but it must come eventually, fer a sep-
aration of the States will place two powers
adjoining that are antagonstc, freedom and
slavery, and then will ensue an "irrepressi-
bic conflict" such as Seward never meant in
his use of that memorable expression.
Peace, we say. may be brought about. by
the evacuation of Fort Sumter, and peace i:
good thing, temporary though it be. but il
will be peace bought at the expense of the
dignity of the American Government and the
glory Vi lDc AulSIlCdIl OOulelil)liOl
Government that cannot maintain its own
authority that permits revolution to tri-
umph without striking blow to put it down
that proclaims its power and refuses to en-
force it that "bows down in the dust to the
feet of traitors" That is the whole story
and secessionsts know it as well as we dc
who are now saying it. Of course it is t.
their interest to oppose coercion, but they
know as well as we that it is the prime duty
of the Government to execute its authority
or crumble to atoms in the attempt.
Still, we say. it may be all for the best
Perhaps the seeding States, after they gel
the Federal Government thoroughly cowed
may condescend to dictate something tc
which the Government will only be toe
happy to agree.