Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-04-12
Peace or War?

ing signs of the times, and should still
cling to the hope of peace And we do
not indeed, consider the prospects Of an
amicable termination of our difficulties as
by any means absolutely concluded. Not
withstanding the reported action of the
secession authorities at Charleston, there
is room for hope that it may yet be virtu-
ally withdrawn or nullifed. Lieut.. Tai
bot is there again, with dispatches from
our government which may change the
issues that were moving on toward rup-
ture. At the last advices, Gov. Pickens
and Gen. Beaurcgard were awaiting de-
cisive instructions from headquarters at
Montgomery. 1t is reported also, and
not contradicted, that a messenger from
our government has been sent to Mont
gomery. On all these circumstances,
therefore, aside from possible hesitancy
on the part of the secessionists to encoun-
ter the odium of taking warlike initia-
tive, hang the chances of providing a
peaceable extrication from the existing
crisis.
But still we cannot and we should not
shut our eyes to the ominous turn which
events connected with the fate of Fort
Sumter have recently taken. Major An
derson's supplies have been cut off vessels
have been ordered out of the range of fir
ing in the harbor the floating battery has
begun to be moved to it's destination
house has been blown up for the conven-
fence Of one of the rebel batteries; and
5000 men are being put in position for
the attack Such are the latest reports
These preparations are at last consumma-
ted it is said, because the government
will not submit to withdraw its own
troops from its own fort without subject
ing them to the ignominy of surrendering
to q foe who has made no effort to capture
them. Rather than to disgrace itself by
such pusilanimity, the Government will
content itself with keeping Major Ander-
son where he is, at the risk of saving him
by some means from starvation-aDd this
is considered sufficient provocation to open
the horrors of civil war
How perfectly in keeping with this is
the policy which POUNDS a disruption of
the Union on defeat in an election. But
such has been the spirit of the entire Sc
cession movement. It's leaders have de-
manded peace and indulgence, only that
they might prepare for aggression and
blood-shed. At Charleston they have
clamored for the preservation of the staus
q'to-that is, after they had stolen forts
and arsenals-while not day nor an
hour have they lost in changing the status
against us, by surrounding our handful of
troops with an almost impregnable net
work of Notifications.
But if our men were not reinforced, they
allowed that they should be provisioned,
and volunteered supplies themselves. Now
they withdraw them, and if we would
keep Major Anderson and his brave CON-
panions from starving by sending in a
little unarmed schooner with provisions,
they claim that the status is broken, and
they begin war. They will not even let
the government withdraw Major Ander-
son without he surrenders himself as a
prisoner, thus virtually acknowledging
that state of war has already been ex-
listing, which would be gross falsehood
on the part of the Federal Government.
1t has made no war, and it will not give
up its citizens as prisoners to any power
on earth.
1t becomes the people to look at these
things as they are, for it is their honor,
their interests, their standing before the
civilized world, their record making up
for all the future ages, which is concerned.
We are glad to sec the thick-thronging
evidences that they do take the right
view of this great issue-Boston Jow.
The SECESSION SOLDIERS. The Charles
ton correspondent Of the N. Y. Tribune
thus shows the character of the Wanted
secession soldiers: