The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-07-12


rumors to ax attention, had refused 20 land
the troops. To now reinforce Fort Pickans
boforo crisis would be reached at Fors
Sumter was impossible rendered 80 BY the
mere exhaustion of provisions in the latter
named Fort. In precaution against such q
conjuncture,t the government had few days
before, commenced preparing an expedition
as we'll adapted as might bo, to relieve Fort
Sumter. which expedition was intended to
be ultimately used or not, according 10 cir
eumstances.
The strongest anticipated case for using
II was now presented. and IL was resolved TO
send il forward as had been intended. In
this contingency IL was ALEC resolved to
notify she Governor of South Carolina that
he might expect an attempt would be made
to provision the Fort, and that If tho attempt
should not be resisted, there would be no
attempt to throw in men, arms or ammuni-
ton without further notice. or in case Of an
attack upon the Fort. This notice was ac-
cordingly given, whereupon the Fort was
attacked and bombarded 20 its fall, even
without awaiting the arrival of the provis-
ioning expedition. 1t is thus seen that the
assauIt upon and reelection of Fort Sumter
was in no sense matter of solf-dofense on
the part of the assailants; they we'll know
that the garrison in the Fort could by no
possibility commit aggression upon them.
They knew they we're expressly notified
that tho giving of bread to the few brave
and hungry men Of the garrison was all that
would on that occasion be attempted, unless
themselves, by resisting 80 much, should
provoke more; they knew that this Gov
ernment desired to keep the garrison in the
Fort not to assail them, bus merely to main.
tain visible possession, and thus to preserve
the Union from actual and immediate diso-
luton, trusting, as hereinbefore stated, to
time discussion and tho ballot-box for final
adjustment; and they assailod and reduced
! the Fort for precisely the reverse object, to
drive ont tho visible authority of tie Fed
eral Union, and thus force il to immediate
dissolution That this was their object, the
Executive we'll understood. and having said
70 them in the Inaugural Address, "You can
have no conflict without being yourselves
the aggressors," no took pains not only to
n keep this declaration good, but also to keep
4 the case so far from ingenious sophistry
/. that the world should not misunderstand IL.
al BY the affair OF Fort Sumter, with its sur
- rounding circumstance, that point was
reached. Then and there, BY the assailants
of the Government, began the conflict, with
i out gun in sight or expectancy to return
l. their firing, save only the few in the fort,
q sent TO that harbor years before for their
% own protection, and still ready to give that
m protection in whatever was loyal. In this
:. act, discarding all else, they have forced
upon the country the distinct issue of imme'
diate dissolution or blood, and this issue
l. embraces more than the fate Of these United
10 States. II presents TO the whole family OF
II man the question whether constitutional
e republic or democracy, government OF
/. the people by the same people. can or cannot
| inf ;ta tarriSarial inia0rtkv a0aInat Itg
. own domestic foes. 1t presents the ques'
- - ,ion whether discontented persons. too few
= in number to control the Administration
G according to the organic law in any case, can
q always, upon the pretences made in this
IA case, or any other pretences, or arbitrarily
E, without any pretence, broak up their Gov
a. ernment, and thus practically put an end to
"a free government upon the earth. Ii forces
\, us 10 usk, "Is there in all republics this in
"A hereut and fatal weakness Must gov
~ ernment of necessity be too strong for th'
vs. liberties of the people, or too weak to main
oi tain its own existence So viewing tn
mt issue, no choice was left but to call out tn
do war power of the Government, and 80 to re
me sist the force employed for it's destruction
to by force for it's preservation.
The call was made, and the respons
in Of the country was most gratifying. sur
70, passing in unanimitv and spirit the mos
A. sanguine expectation. Yet none OF th
n. States commonly called slave States, el
VT. cept Delaware, gave q regiment throug
bv the regular State organization. A te'
40 regiments have been organized With
nal some other of those States by individul
ots enterprise, and received into the Govern
mo ment service. OF course the sece6e
he States, so called, and 10 which Texas ha
, a been Joined about the time Of the inaugu
oe ration, gave no troops to the cause OF Ii
eli Union. The border States, SO called
on. were not uniform in their action, some
m. them being almost for the Union, while
ect others. as in Virginia, North Carolin
ms Tennessee and Arkansas, the Union sent
aid ment was nearly repressed and silencet
nee The course taken in Virginia was IL
his most remarkable, perhaps the most in
,oL portant. A Convention, elected by th
no people Of that State to consider this veI
,be question Of disrupting the Federal Uniol
bn, was in session at the capital OF Virgin
ba when Fort Sumter fell. To this body Il
me people had chosen large majority OF pr
in fessed Union men. Almost immediate
MD after the fall Of Sumter, members OF tn
th.l mdlOIhJ WChh ONOh W shS
'ort ity, and with them adopted an ordlnan
civ for Withdrawing the State from this Unio
the Whether this change was wrought by tn
ERE great approval Of the assault on Sumt'
out or their great resentment at the Cover
ver ment's resistance to this assaults not de
The nitely known. Although they submit
ma the ordinance for ratification to vote
, 10 the people. to be taken on day th
od somewhat more than a month dista
az a the Convention and Legislature Will
ome was also in session at the same time O
the place, with leading men Of the State
40 members Of either. Immediately co
;,;en menced acting as il the State was a!rea
ma. out Of the Union. They pushed militia
preparations vigorously forward all o'
alton the State they seized the United Sta
sre it Armory at Harper's Ferry, and the Ma
q re- Yard al Gosport, near Norfolk they
dca- oeived. perhaps invited. into their 81! 81!
Q the large bodies Of troops. with their warlI
Fort annointments, from the so'called seced
'n an states. They formally entered into
II the .II:onoa nth the a6.calleu CO