The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-08-21
MIR. RUSSELL on THE WAR.

The following letter from Mr.. Russell 10 the
London Times, dated Washington, July sth,
contains suggestions, which We hope the persons
alluded to will profit by in the future.
There never was people which rushed 50
rapidly to the conclusion that the argument CT
force the great solvent and settler oi aispu 6
as our American brethren. See New YORK A0w
Just recolect what it was towards the elise Of
last March. Sumter cannot have made al these
banners, filled all these streets with soldiers
turned Laodceans into phrerized UuonisEs, aud
shut the mouths of the dissfected. People who
argued philosphicaly about the right ol secession
and the impotency of the Federal Government
to restrain State. from exercising that right have
all Of sudden begun TO find out I'VE must
maintain our glorious Union, We must have a
county; and then they GO eff into sopfistical
arguments on the other side about the Mlssis
sippi aud unity of peoples and political receSs
ties.
Had you always held this language, good gen
tlemen, you might never have had this present
contest. You strengthened the hands OF the
Secessionists, just as you weakened the hands OF
the United States Government, by the ind,tiar.
ence or actual hostility to i,s measures which
YOU displayed when il most required support
One half OF the indignation, half the strei gta
you exhibited after Sumter had fallen, nigh
have prevented its ever being attacked Why
are the Southerners so nach more rrItated
against New York than any other part oi the
Union but because, in their own words, - she
deceived US at the last moment: Up 10 the ta
king OF Sumter she pretended 10 be friendly, and
then, when that happened which she seemed TO
approve, she turns on US more savag,y than
even the Black Republicans" In taos, though
Cor mot TAsn.
cumstances, the tone OF the North in reference 10
vital points in policy must have Derpexed it al
most as much as the hostility OF the Secessonis,s
1t is all very wei. TO talk OF the outrage on The
| flag but before Sumter was fired on, the tag had
| been exposed TO insults sufficient. 1t had been
hauled down by force from the United States ar
senals The Star of the West carried it a
| much as Major Anderson's command, and she
was fired On ; one shot as a cdSas bella or cauSa
| 6eiii is as good as twenty. Why, when | arrived
| in the United States the newspapers were treat
| ing of the surrender of Sumter as an abstract
question; and the headings about it and Piekens
barely excited a languid curiosity in the minds
of many men, and Northern Journals, not meie
| ly in New York, but Pennsylvania aud Other
States, seriously warned the Government that II
| they attempted to hold the one reinforce the
other they would be responsible for the destruc-
ton of Union which at the time was maniiestly
destroyed. How the tone is changed now l
can recognize no reason for the change in events,
but can understand that behind all this surface
show-this varnsh ting which pretended to
reflect public opinion-there was solid, deep
and powerful mass, inert however, and needing
strong excitement TO set it in motion, which only
began to heave upwards and burst through the
glaze when heated by the news that the Star,
and Stripes had been shot away by Rebel hu!le,s