Daily national Democrat., 1861-07-19

foe in sight or in Hflct of arms, without a
fire. save only the fe dancy, to return thelr
to that harbor years 6eftort who were sent
lection, and still ready to eF Their own pro
ton in whatever was lawful. that protec-
describing all else, they have fore 'hls aG''
country the destructive issue, immedooh Tue
solution or blood; md this issue emtuls-
more than the fate of these United States s
presents to the whole family of man the CUES
ton, whether a constitutional Republic OF
Democraey-a government of the people BY
the same people-ean or cannot maintain it;
territorial integrity against its own domestic
foes. 1t presents the question whether dis
contented individuals, too few In numbers &c
control the Administration according to or
game law, in ANY case, and always upon the
! pretenseS made in this case or on any other
pretenees, may, arbitrarily, without any pre-
tense, break up their Government, 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 weak
ness Must Government of necessity be
too strong for the liberties of our people, or
too weak to maintain its own existence. So
seeing the issue, no chance was left but to
call out the war power of the Government,
and to resist the force employed for its de.
struction, by force for its preservation. The
call was made and the response Of the country
was most gratifying-sur passing in unanimi-
ty and spirit the most sanguine expectations:
yet none of the States, commonly called
slave States except Delaware, gave regi-
ment through regular State organization.
A few regiments have been organl within
some Others of those States by individual en-
terprise, and received into the Government
sppVian OF thn epna1p1 StaIps n
called, and to which Texas had been Joined
about the time Of the Inauguration, gave no
troops to the cause Of the Union. Tie Dor
der States SO called, were not uniform in
their action, some of them being almost ma
.iority for the Union; while in others, as Nir.
GINA, North Carolina, Tennessee aud Arkan-
sas, the Union sentiment was nearly rcpressed
and silenced. The course taken in Virginia
was the most remarkable, perhaps the most
important, A Convention elected by the
State to consider this very question Of dis
rupting the Federal Union was in session at
the capital of Virginia when Fort Sumter
fell. 10 this body the people had chosen n
large majority Of prolessed Union men. Al
most Immediately the fall of Sumter 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 this change
was wrought ty their approval Of the assault
upon Sumter, or the great resentment at the
Governments resistance to that assault, is
not definitely known. Although they sub.
niittcd the ordinance for the ratification to
vote of the people, to be taken on day then
somewhat more than month distant, the
Convention and the Legislature, which was
also in session at the same time and place.
wi fla Lon dina ma Of ho l,.,
of either body, commenced acting as if the
State were already oat Of the Union. They
pushed military preparations vigorously for
ward all over the State. They seized the
United States Arnory at Harper's Ferry. and
the Navy Yard at Gosport near Norfolk
they received. perhaps invited into the State.
large bodies OF armed troops. with their war
like appointments, from the so-calied seeded
States; they formally entered into a treaty
of temporary alliance and co-operation with
the so-called Confederate States, and sent
members to their Congress at MONTGOMERY
and finally they permitted the iHsurrectiona-
ry Government to be transferred to their
Capital at Richmond The people Of Nir-
ginia have thus allowed this giant in5urrec-
ton to make Its nest within her borders, and
the Government has 70 choice left bat to deal
Win 1t " here IL found 1t, audit has the less
regret as tee loyal citizens have in due form
elnlmed sprotecticn. those loyal rltizers
this Government is bound to recognize and
protect, as beng Virginia. In the Border
states, 50 called, but IN fact the MiddIeStatos,
there are those who favor policy which
they call armed neutrality that is, an arm
ing OF those States TO prevent the Union
forces passing one way, or the Disuuion forces
the ether, over their soil. This would be