The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-07-22


was reached.
Then and thereby fire assailants Of
the government began the conflict OF
. arms. without n gun in sight or in cs-
tpectancy to return their fire, save on
IL the few in t'e fort. cent to hat
harbor years before for their own pro-
lection, and still ready to yield that
protection in every thing that was
lawful.
IN this act, discor,iing all cIsc.thcv
have forced upon tn. country the di-
rect issue-immediate dissolution or
blood. And this issue embraces more
than the tate of these United States,
1t presents to the whole family of
man the question whether constit,t-
tional republic or democracy gov
ernnent OF the people by the same
pcuple-can, or cannot maintain is
territorial sovereignty against its own
domestic foes. 1t presents the ques-
ton whether disseminated individu
ais, too few i'll numbers to control ad
law in any case, can always upon
the pretcnccs made in this casr, or in
any other pretenses. or arbitrarily
without any 1'retence, break up their
government, and thus practically put
an end 10 free government on earth.
1t forces us TO ask, is there in all
Republics this Inherent and fatal
weakness! Must Government Of
NECESSITY he too strong for the lihrr-
ties of it's own people, or too weak TO
maintain It's own existence SO view
ing tt.c issue,uo choicrj was left bat to
call out the war power of the Govern
mcnt, and so 20 resist force employed
for its destruction by force for preser-
vatIon.
This call was made and the res
pousc of the country WAS most graft
:ving, surprising in unaniIrFtr and
spirit and the most sanguiue cxpecta-
;iOn. Vet none of the States commonly
called slayc>fatcs, except Dclewarc
gave. regiment through REGULAR
Stat. organisation. theirs ni these
States by individual enterprise, and
eccived into the t'nvcrntncui service.
Dtcuursri he -ere,icd States, so called.
aud To which Texas had been Joined
about the time of the Inauguration,
gave no tro"p.: 10 The cause Ct The
Union.
The Rordrr States So callrd. ~cr"
nor uniform ia their action. som" OF.
of them being almost for the
Union, while in others, A. Virginia,
North Carolina. 7 'rUuce.,.p aud Ark
allsas. the / ninu="n:iincui was nearly
and ~i!,ruccd.
The course taken by Nir-inis WIS
tia" most rcmarknbie, perhaps Ike most
important. \ convention elected by
the people OF that ~ta'r 10 consider
This very question OF disruptiig' til,
I cdcraI nion WIS in session at
the Capita! of Virginia when sum
ter fell.
To this hody. the people had chosen
a large majority Of proteSsed ! mon
men. Almost immediately after the
fail ot Fort Sumter. many members 81
that majority went over to dI-union
minority, and with them adopted an
ordinance for withdrawn" iie Stat"
W itrtAvF this cAa''Se was wrought
by then great approval 't III" assault
on ort sumter or their great resent
'ncnt al me ''"'eFi'i'i'h' resistance
I" that assault Is not ""fi'''eiv
kn"wi'.
Although inry S"pn''tt'" the "I1''-
nance tor ratlheatl"h 70 F"'o "' ,l''
people, to be taken on cay theh
somewhat NOR" 'iai !. hfo''th"i7'"''''
the Convention ana the tcsisii''"F''
"h'ch was ais" IN session al me s''i'r
tune ana place with lcadlh@ men o'
state no' hAe"'Cfa OF eifhrr' i'ni.tt'-
atr!v conIlenc'dactiiiS as II the9tate
"ere aire"iy out "i 'ho | mon.
heF P"T"e" 'i'i'''S,'' - F'ri'"',''' ''i''
forward an overt the state;