The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-08-15


ami brought 10 the GROUND within the time when the
provisions would De exhausted. IL q military IoHnt
% view, ;hls reduced the duty Il the Administrator
In the case 70 q mere matter II taking the garrison
safely from the Fort. l. was believed. however, that
o. abandon that position, under tEe circumstances,
would be utterly rula-us; that the necessity under
which I- was 90 le done would not De- fully uIIcr-
stood; fEl- rs many d. would Dee construed IsI part
o. vu-uG'-l- policy: thar II home j. wound t'Scnur-
age tie friends ot rhe Union emH,lieu IFS .tve--1-
r--. aul 70 far y insure 20 tme latter a rec guiti.u
abroad, that IN fact, u would be- our NATIONAL de-
-trlctau This could not be allowed.
Starvation was not YET urau the garrison, and ere il;
would be reached, For; Pi-Ecus might be reinforced
This last would be a clear Indication oi policy,
AID would better enable tae country 10 accept the
evacuation a. a military necessity.
ASSAULT oN -uIFTER-
IN order was AZ once directed 10 lee sent FOR the
landing u The troops from the steamship BrJ1.lga
into Fort Plczens. The order could hot - 10y land.
but must take the longer and slower route by sea.
The first return news from the order was received
but one week before the fall Of Fort Sumpter. The
news itself was, that the officer commanding the 81
hIlg, o. which ves-c. the troops had been transferred
from the BrODEigu-lctin upon some guIs-armis,ice
Of the late Administration existing up 10 the time the
order was dIspttchei-had only vague ami uncertain
rumors 10 tx MS attention and had refused 30 land
the troops 10 reinforce Fort PIckeLs before 4 crisis
would be reached NJ Fort Sumpter. which was i'm
possible, rendered by tire near exhaustion Of prOvI-
siOus IN the latter named Fort. In probation against
Slcu . CONJECTURE. tLs Government itA 4 4t" ltN>
before commenced preparing an expedition, rs might
be, 10 relieve Fort Sumpter. which expedition was in
tended TO be ultimately used or not, according TO cir
cumstances. The strongest anticipated case for using
II was now presented, and 1t was resolved 70 send It
forward. as had been intended. In this contingency
II was also resolved 10 notify the Governor Of South
Carolina that he might expect an attempt would be
made 10 provision the Fort, and that II the attempt
should not &c 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, notice
was To be given accordingly. NhereupJn the Fort
was attacked and bombardei to its fall, without even
awaiting the arrival Of the provisioning expedition.
II i thus seen that the assault upon and the re-
ductiOn Of Fort Sumpter was in no sense a matter Of
self-deteuse on the part Of the asSailants. They well
knew that the garrison in the Fort could by no posi-
bility commit aggression upon them. Iney knew
they were expressly notified that the Giving Of bread
10 a few brave and hungry men Of the garrison was
all that would on that occasion be attempted unless
themselves, by resisting 50 much, should provoke
more. They knew that the Government desired to
keep the garrison in the Fort, not 10 GsSail them, but
TO merely maintain visible possession. and thus TO
preserve the Union from actual and immediate disso-
luton, trusting, as hereinbctore stated, TO time, dis
cussiOn and the ballot-b box for final adjustment: and
they assailed and reduced the Fort for precisely the
reverse object. to drive out the visible authority of
the Federal Union, and thus force it 10 immediate
dissolution. That this was their object the EXecu-
tive well understood, and having said TO them in the
Inaugural Address, yOu can have no conflict with
out being yourselves the aggressors,' he took pains
not only to keep this declaration good, but also to
keep the issue so free from the power Of ingenious
~sophistry that the world should not be able to misun-
derstand it. BY the affair NJ Fort Sumpter, with its
surrounding circumstances, that point was reached.
Then and there the assailants of the Government be-
gan n conflict Of arms without n foe IN sight, or IN
expectancy to return their fire, save only the few in
the fort, who were sent to that harbor years before,
for their own protection. and who were still ready 10
give that protection in whatever was lawful. In this
act, describing all else, they have forced upon the
country the destructive is~sue-immediate dissolution
or blood.
TIE IMPORTANCE OF TIE ISSUE.
This issue embraces more than the fate of these
United States. 1t presents to the whole family of
democracy, a government of the people by the people,
can, or cannot, maintain its territorial integrity
against is own domestic foes. Ii presents the question,
whether DISCONTINUED individuals, too few in mum
bers TO control the Administration according to or
ganic law in any case, and always upon the prctences
made in this case, can absolutely, without any pre-
tence. break up their Government and thus practic-
ally put an end to free government upon the earth.
1t forces us to ask, is there in all republics this IN
hercnt fatal weakness Must Il government, of
necessity, be too strong for the liberties of other peo-
pie, or too weak to maintain its own existence : =
COURSE OF VIRGINIA.
The course taken in Virginia was the most remark
able. perhaps the most important. A Convention,
elected by the State to consider this very question of
disrupting the Federal Union, was ii session mt the
capital Of Virginia when Fort Sump:er fell. To this
body the people had chosen a large majority of pro-
fessed Union men. Almost Immediately after the fall
of Sumpter, many members Of that majority went
over to the original Disunion minority. and with
them adopted an ordinance for Withdrawing the State
from the Union. Whether the change WAS wrought
by their great approval of the assault Oh Sumpter, or
the great resentment at the Governments resistance
to that assault, is not definitely known. Although
they submitted the ordinance for the ratification TO n
vote of the people, 10 be taken on i day somewhat
more than n month distant, the Convention and the
Legislature, which was also in session ut the same
time and place, with leading men of the State, not
members et either body, commenced acting as II the
State were already ont of the Union. They pushed
military preparations vigorously forward all over the
State. They seized the United States ArmOry at
Harper's Ferry. and the Navy Yard ut GospOrt, near
Norfolk. They received, perhaps invited, into their
State, large bodies of armed troops. with their war
like appointments, from the so-called seeded States.
They formally entered into n treaty of temporary
alliance with the so-called Confederate States, and
sent members to their Congress at Montgomery. And,
finally, they permitted the insurrection government
to be transferred TO their capital ut Richmond. The
people of Virginia have thus allowed this giant insur-
rection to make its nest within its borders, and the
Government has no choice left hut to deal with it
where it found it, and it has the less regret, as the
LOYAL citizens have in due form claimed its protection.
Those loyal citizens this Government i bound to recognize
AMI project. rs being Virriuians. In the Border States, so
called, Int in fact the Middle States, there are those who favor
a policy which they call "aTmed neutrality that IS ariAins oi
those states % prevent the Union forces passing one way, or the
i-H-i..-I f.1I-,,ivaiy, s,,.sti1r, u ,yo,1ri H.. H.. bniIIiI. ~
an impossible wall along che line Of separation, and yet not
4ltt an lilli~0Aiht 'F. l-. uthAff NG- -AFH "' N't'A'A u Z
"ouli Is ,I mn a"a 81 ., Su,L ngr' tv 1bI.IIS T. I ca1rI p ~" 81
Is an open enemy. At a stroke, It would take an the trouble
of the hands 81 Secession except only VIVA proceeds rom
the external blockade. It would do for the pisuuiouists ttat
which 81 all things they most de-ire-tcI them well, and give
them Di,uuiou without a struggle of their own. It recognizes
no fidelity To the Constitution. NO obligation To maintain the
Union and while very many who have favored It are doubtless
loyal, II Is nevertheless injurious in effect. and embarrassing
the action Of the Government.
First. "A call was made for 5000 militia. and rapidly follow
ing this "A proclamation was issued for closing the ports % the
iusurract1nary districts by proceedings i'm the nature If a
blockade. - far. all was believed U bee strictly legal A.
this point, the insurreciDnists announced their purposes to
enter upon the practice of priyateeru-. Other calls were
made Tor volunteers 20 serve three years. unless sooner dis
CHARGED. aaI also for large additions o. ths regular Army and
Navy. These measures. whether strictly l-.al or not. were
yenturei upon under what appeared "a popular demand and a
public necessity Trusting then. as now, that Congress would
readily r4ufy them. IL Is believed that nothing has been done
the Constitution or the competency II Congress.