The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-07-11

provision the fort, and that if the attempt
should not be resisted, there would be no at
tempt to throw in men, arms, or ammunition,
without further notice, or in case Of an attack
upon the fort. This notice was accordingly
given whereupoa the fort was attacked and
bombarded to its fall, without even awaiting
the arrival of the provisioning expedition.
It is thus seen that the assault upon and
reduction of Fort Sumter, was in no sense a
matter Of self-dcience on the part of the as
sailants Tney well knew that the garrison
In the fort could, by no possibility, commit
aggression upon thea they knew they we're
expressly notified that the giving of bread to
the few brave and hdagry lnen OF the garrison
was all which would on that occasion be at
tempted, unless themselves, By resisting SO
much, should provoke more.
They knew that this Government desired
to keep the garrison in the fort, not to assail
them, but merely to maintain visible losses
sion, and thus to preserve he Union from ac-
tual and immediate dissolution, trusting as
hcreinJefore stated, to time, discussion and
the 5allot-box for final adjustment, and they
assailed and reduced the fort, for precisely
the reverse object, to drive out the visible au-
thority CT the Federal Union and thus to force
it to immediate dissolution that this was
their object, the Executive well understood,
and having said to them in the Inaugural
Address You can have no conflict without
being yourselves the aggressors."
He took pains not only to keep this declara-
ton, but also to keep the case so far from in
gcnious sophistry as that the world should
not misunderstood it. BY the affair at Fort
Sumter, with its surrounding circumstances,
that point was reached. Then and thereby
The assailants of the Government began the
conflict Of arms without gun in sight or in
expectancy to return their fac save only the
few in the fort sent to that barbor years be-
fore, for their own protection, and still ready
to give that protection in whatever was lawful.
In this act, dscarding all else, they have fore
ed upon the country the distinct issue-im-
mediate dissolution or blood. And this issue
embraces more than the fate of these United
States. 1t presents to the whole family of
man the question whether a constitutional re-
public or democracy, q government Of the
people, by the same people, can or cannot
maintain ats territorial integrity against It's
own domestic foes. 1t presents the question
whether disccntented individuals too few in
numbers to control the administration accord
ing to the organic law in any case, can al
ways, upon the prctencGS made in this case or
any other pretenccs, or arbitrarily without
any prctence, break up their government and
thus practically put an end to free govern.
ment upon the earth. Itforces US TO ask, rs
there in all republics this inherent and fatal
weaknsss?' Must government Of necessity
be too strong for the liberties Of its own peo-
pie, or too weak to maintain its own existence
So viewing the issue, no choice was left but
to call cut the war power Of the Government,
and so to resist the force employed for its de-
structon by force for its preservation. The
call was made and the response Of the country
was most gratifying, surprising in unanimity
and spirit the most sanguine expectations.
Yet none Of the States commonly called Slave
States, except Delaware, gave a regiment
through the regular State organization. 4
few regiments have been organized within
some others of those States b7 individual en-
terprise and receiyef into tAc Government
service.
OF course the seeded States, so called, and
to which Texas had been joined about the
time Of the Inauguration, gave no troops up
to The cause OF the Union. The Border States,
so called, were not uniform in their action,
tome Of them being almost for the Union.
while in others, such as in Virginia, North
! Carolina. Tennessee, and Arkansas, the Union
sentiment was nearly rap.esscd and silcnced.
The course taken in Virginia was the most re-
marhable, perhaps the most important.
Convention elected by the people of that
State to consider this very question of dis
rrpting the Federal Union, was in session at
the capital Of Virginia when Fort Sumter fell.
TO this body tie people had chosen a large
majority Of professed Union men. Almost
Immediately after the fall of Sumter, many
members of that majority went over to the
original 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 upon SUMTER or
their great resentment at the Government S
resistance 10 that assault. is not definitely
known. tlthough they submitted the ordi-
nance for ratification to a vote Of the people
to be taken on a 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 the
State, not members Of either, Immediately COM
menccd acting as if the State was already out
Of the Union.
They pushed military preparations yigor-
ouslv forward all over the State. They seized
the United States Armory, Harpers Ferry,
and the Navy Ward at GOspcrt, near Norfolk
They received perhaps invited, ipto their
State large bodies Of troops with their Warlike
appointments from the so-called Seeded
States. They entered into a treaty of tempo
rary alliance with the so-callcd Confederate
States, and sent members TO their Congress,
at Montgomery, and finally they permitted the
iusurrcctionary Government to be transferred
to their Capitol at Richmond.
The people of Virginia have thus allowed
this giant instruction to make its nest within
her borders, and this Governments has no
choice left but to deal with it where it finds
it, and it has the less to regret as the loyal
citizens have in due form claimed its protec-
ton. Those legal citizens this Government
is bound to recognize AID protect as being in
Virginia. In the Border States, so called, in
fact the Middle States, there are those who
favor policy which they call an armed neu-
trality. That is an arming ef those States to