Shreveport daily news., 1861-07-16

NO. 68.
North Carolina, Tennessee and Ark
ansas; the Union sentiment was nearly
|repressed and silenced.
The course taken by Virginia was
the most remarkable, perhaps the most
important. A convention elected by
the people of that State to consider
this very question of disrupting the
Federal Union was in session at
the Capital Of Virginia when Sum
ter fell.
To this body the people had chosen
a large majority of professed Union
men. Almost Immediately after the
fall Of Fort Sumter, many members Of
that majority went over to disunion
minority, and with them adopted an
ordinance for Withdrawing the State
from the Union.
Whether this change was wrought
by their great approval Of the assault
on Fort Sumter, or their great resent
ment at the Governments resistance
to that assault, is not definitely
known.
Although they submitted the ordi-
nance for ratification. to a vote of the
people, to be taken on q day then
somewhat more than a month distant,
the Convention and the Legislature,
which was also in session at the same
time and place, with leading men Of
State not members of either, immedi-
ately commenced acting as if the State
We're already out of the Union.
They pushed military preparations
vigorously forward all over the State;
they seized the United State armory
at Harper's Ferry, and the Navy
Yard at Gosport, near Norfolk; they
received, perhaps invited into their
State large bodies of troops, with
their warlike appointments from the
so called seeded States. They for
mally entered into a treaty of tempo
rary alliance and cooperation with
the so called Confederate States, and
sent members to their Congress at
Montgomery; and finally, they per-
mitted the insurrectionary Govern
ment to be transferred to their Cap-
ital at Richmond.
| The people Of Virginia have thus
allowed this great insurrection to
make its nest within her borders, and
this Government has no choice left
but to deal with it where it finds it.
And it has the less regret, as the
loyal citizens have, in due form,
claimed its protection. Those loval
citizens this Government is bound to
recognize and protect as being Vir-
ginians.
In the Border States, so called-in
fact, the Middle States-there are
those who,favor policy which they
call an armed neutrality; that is, the
arrning OF those States to prevent the
Union Iorce> passing one way, or the
disurion the other, over their soil,
This would be Gisnnion completed.
Figuratively speaking, it would be
the building Of AT impossible wall
along the l;ue OF separation; and vet
not ute an ilnpass*hle one. for, I'M
dec the gslse OF neutrality, it would
tie the hands OF the Union men and
freely pass supplies from among them
to the iusurrectloniSts, which it could
not DO as an open enemy. At
stroke, ii wou.d take all the trouble
OF the haut!sot secession, except on
ly what proceeds from the external
blockade.
1t would do for the Disunionists
that which, of all things, they most
desire-feed them we'll and give them
disunion without struggle of their
own. It recognizes tno fidelity to
the Constitution-no obligation to
maintain the Union; and while very
many who have favored it are doubt
less loyal citizens, it is nevertheless
very injurious in effect.
| Kpc11rriner tn the action Of tha