Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-03-15
a Virtue OF Necessity.


A Virtue OF Necessity.
An attempt is being made to construe the
rumored order for the evacuation Of Fort
Sumpter by the Government troops into an
act of pacifcation on the part Of Lincoln's
administration. 1t deserves no such credit.
The fact is, dispossession or starvation were
the alternatives. Tore-inforce was imposs-
ible; and Maj Anderson had but fifteen
days provisions. When, therefore, the
ruffian President and the petty despot 1t.
General find that their schemes of murder
and blood cannot be carried out, they en-
deavor to make virtue of necessity, and
encourage their hirelings to proclaim it as
an act of pence and good will towards the
Southern States. While they are doing
this, what policy are they pursuing on the
frontiers ? If their purposes are peace, why
are they Withdrawing all the troops from
our distant and exposed Territories, with a
view to their concentration at or near Wash
ington city The troops have been ordered
from New Mexico, for instance, which leaves
600 American citizens, and their entire prop
erty, exposed to the assassin blade Of the
Mexican and the devastating raids Of forty
! thousand Indians. It is brutal and iend-
ish sacrifice of those who have gone there
under the promise Of protection from our
government, and who are now, after invest
ing their means in different pursuits, left to
the tender mercies Of two hostile races.
We can see nething but esar, aoar, in the
entire movements and acts Of Lincoln. -
Take his inaugural, which we consider a
plain, bold gross and rufhanly declaration to
plunge the country into civil war, and con-
slider it in connection with the character of
the determined. changeless and ruling spir-
its of his Cabinet, Chase and Blair, and it
seems to us that the Interior purpose is very
evident.
Mark, also, the resignation Of the most
intimate official associates of Gen Scott,
Adj Gen Cooper and aid -de-camp Col. Lacy.
These gentlemen knew the intention of their
superiors, and hence, rather than take up
arms in hostile intent against the South,
they surrendered their commissions. The
truth is, Scott and Lincoln know that any
attempt to reinforce Fort Sumpter would
prove failure. The determined spirits
and brave hearts of the South would never
have permitted Inducements to have
reached Fort Sumpter until the men and
resources of the Southern Confederacy had
been exhausted The forbearance, there
fore, of the administration is the magma
nimity Of the high way robber who has been
defeated in his murderous purposes, and as
sumes the garb of friendship until q more
favorable occasion presents itself for the
execution of his criminal designs. If hos
tile intent against the South were not the
ruling motive with Lincoln and SCOTT, why
concentrate the almost entire force Of the
military at the seat of government def
ant and threatening insult to Virginia and
Maryland? X is holding the lash Of aboii-
ton power and hate over tba back of Vir-
ginia, and telling her that any attempt on
her part to assert her independence or re-
sumo her original sovereignty, will call
down upon her the vengeance of merce-
nary army, controlled and directed by a
Western rufTian and vain, conceited and
heartless modern Nero. VIII Virginia sub
nit to this insulting and degrading menace
Is there son of her soil who would not
prefer to fall into az honored grave, with
the flag Of his native State, free from one
spot Or blemish, floating over him, than to
drag out the existence of a slave to Black
Republican tyranny and oppression? Ev-
cry man, woman and child who has a Vir-
ginia heart and upon whose cheek no tinge
of cowardice rests, cannot but raise voice
and an arm Of resistance to defend t he sa-
cred honor and fair fame Of this blessed Old
Commonwealth