The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-03-21

may it no. 30 that tho frmness Of the
Government may b more conspicuously
| illustrated, aud with less offence, If il
should yield what, after all, may be re-
gardcd, in . great measure, as point Of
pride, rather than meedlessIy, as many
would regard it, plunge the country into
war! The exception to = rule often
brings into greater distiuctness, or, in
other words, "proves the rule" itself.
The question Of principle being dis.
posed Of, that Of policy may we'll be con-
sidered; not AZ determining the former,
but as throwing additional light upon it.
In the first place, il is doubtless true
that the officers of the army and navy,
however legal they may be in their feel.
ings, and however prepared to obey the
orders Of the Government, would feel il
to be the most painful duty of their lives
to 60 to the reinforcement Of Fort Sum
ter. They must naturally reluct against
taking up arms against their countrymen
in bloody conflict 10 time Of peace, or
at least without proclamation of war. l.
it wise or humane to subject their loyalty
to 30 severe test, unless there is the
mos: imperative necessity for so doing.
Again, the leaders Of resolution ar
IDENTIFY desire that the attempt at rein
forcetnsnt should he made. They would
if ossible, put the Government in false
position, as seemingly striking the first
blow. Their only hope Of success 10
their ra7olutionar, movement is By pro
vokiug . Var, 10 which the border States
would make common cause with the &c.
ceded, aud DO dragged into eventual %.
cessiou. Is it best to crafty them!
In the next place. the true Union men
Of the South, who are the best judges Of
their own position, aud Of the public
sentiment Of their own section, desire
that the relief Of tho fort should not be
attempted. They are strongly Of the
opinion that they would be greatly
strengthened ut home, and the loyalty Of
the oubtful confirmed, BY the solid Is.
suranc CO thus given that tho policy Of the
Administration 10 not Of suhjuga,ion, but
Of self defence-that it is pacific and
concilatory. They feel that South Chr.
DINA should be treated not as . revoltcd
province, but as q disobedi mt child, to
whom forbearancc should be shown, Of d
who should be reclaimed BY n wise pa.er-
ual authority, but not destroyed.
Lastly, our Government is a peculiar
IL ia nf tha saif.
government Of the people. 1t is founded,
not so much on brute force, as on moral
power. If by that moral power it can
achieve a bloodIess victory over those
who have coDspired against it, if it can
accomplish peaceful SOLUTION Of our IA
tional troubles, and in time bring ba.k
the seeded States into their orbit of
obedient revolution round the central su
thority, it would afford spectacle for
the admiration of the world. In all 9th.
er countries, a revolution such as We
have experienced, would have caused riv
ers Of human blood to aow; if in our own
it shall be subdued by the natural aud
Legitimate operation of the Government
in the execution of the laws, and by the
returning conviction gifts superior bles-
sings and adaptedness to our political
condition,it will be the most Sublime, and
perhaps ultimate, triumph of.epresenta
tive institutions.
We have thus favored the policy of
peace in the present emergency. We
II ay have erred, for to err is human: but
if 10, We feel confident that We have err
ed in the direction in which the public
mind Of the country is tending. Very
few Of US. We apprehsnd-even those who
have been most strenuous for the nam
tenance Of the Government by the high
hand Of power-do not find that gradu.
al "chsnge has come over the spirit OF
our dream" with. u the past few weeks,
and that time has softened the asperites
of our feeling Should not this fact le,
mind US of the danger that the clearness
of our vision may be obscured by the ex,
element Of the hour, and admonish us
that We do not allow any remains of U.
man passion and vindctlve sentiment to
incite US to course our calm and more
deliberate jud .lnent might not approve.
Let US all look at the present difficult es
calmly, trus,insly, in the full conviction
Of right and purpose of duty, and ia
cheerful reliance upon that Providence
which has heretofore guided our destin.
las a. people, and We may yet be ena.
bl. d to say: 1t is we'll with the couu
try.
For ourselves, We are willing to leave
tho grave question to the decision OIL
those to whom it is committed by the
Constitution and the laws. upon whom
its chief responsibility rests, and who en-
JOY the best opportunities Of forming I
broad and comprehensive judgment upor
it; and We have all confidence that this
decision, as it will be guided by honesty
and sobresy, by wisdom and patriotism
so it will receive the general and gcner
Gus approval Of the American people.
The Truth from Charleston.