The Richmond palladium., 1862-02-08
WAYNr COUNTY


tsCH bCtShct8iv hcSSuC Act WIG @""'iy oc
lievcd or had reason to believe that war
!. was imminent, or that civil war would re
suit from this unholy. unprovoked, and God
; accursed rebri ilion Either the Senator frcm
e Delaware or myself is totally mistaken In
reference the condition of the 1unfry on
: the lst day Of March last. At Ihe risk of
: soma repetition, will call the attention Of
l the Senate again 20 the state of the country
D a, that time. have here very brief syn
: opsis OF the principal steps taken by the re-
{ bells in the inaug guratioa of the present dis
: astrous rebellion; and 1 will state them to
: the Senate.
: As early as the Goth Of December, 1S 60,
; South Carolina passed her ordnance Of Sc
leession. On the Goth Of the same month.
f she seiz.d all the public property in the har
Dor Of Charleston. and through her Govern
or accepted volunteers. who were, upon the
28th OF December. assembled in the neigh
borhood of Charles on. throwing up forti-
fcations. beleaugueriDg that city, and threat
ening the defenses of Charleston harbor.-
Any Of these acts. the least. is an act Of
war; that war did exist in the country as
earlv the 2Sth Of December. ls6o-war
openly levied against the Government of the
United States. On the 9th of January,
1861, Mississippi seeded; and upcn that
very dry, that Ill iated day, when Missssip-
pi inaugurated this feast OF blood and dance
of DEATH" the Star OF the West was fired
into, the flag Of her country that f,ated at
her masthead was insulted-thst proud flag
which. up TO that hour, had represented the
granduer. the unity, the nationality Of the
RepubIic-that flag. around whose historic
gloriss and proudest recollections of every
patriotic citizen clustered aud must cling
forever. There was an act Of war; and
n
that war did not exist, although the flag Of
the country was fired upon. and under what
circumstances? That fral bark spread her
white wings to The breeze. and was waited
on upon her errand of mercy to feed starv-
ing garrison. The very circumstances Of
that sacred mission would have melted the
heart of a savage bat. instead of compassion
an. protection. the Star of the West was
fired upon at the imminent danger OF sink
ing the ship; yes. fired upon by cannon s,o-
len FROG. the public srsenals: And yet gen.
tlemen tell US that war did no! then exist;
that 1t was not even imminent. and that
one had right TO apprehend a state Of war!
Oh. 10 ! the attack upon the Star of the
West was eminently friendly and pacific
They did not intend 10 make war upon the
Government of the United States; they only
intend to sink our ships, 10 sc Ze our forts to
plumber our arsenals. to rob our custom
houses. to starve ouI garrlsons--tiiaE WAS
all. They did not dream OF war; all these
acts were but their awkward way of express I
sin : their love for us. !
On the 10th of anuary. 1861, Alabama
and Florida saceded Oa the 2Ist of JAN
nary JetEs-son Dsvis withdrew from his seat 7
in the Senate. and in his retiring speech
htunted the hig OF The rebels ia Your faces
in the Senate Chamber. He l-ft here TO in
augurate a state of war and rebellion which
was TO desolate the country. and drive YOU /
from the capital. VIA did that happen
prior or subsequent To the l,t of N irch 1867 Il
On the 2lst OF January. 1861. he left the
Senate. On the Sh of February, 1861, Z
Davis was elected President of the Confed-
crate States, assuming thea. under pre-
tended and self c,nstitutcd government,
the very tille which my distinguished col
league was soon to bestow upon him. If +
this letter had not been written after that !
event was known TO the whole world. its
character would. perhaps, BE- materially
changed; but II was after every Senator
knew that he claimed to bs the head of \
rebel and insurrectionary gov ument; after
the recording pen of history had ehrouicled
the Inauguration of this terrible rebellion II
All the waters of another deluge cannot
wash out the stain of this terrible lreason.--
This, bear in mind. was all befo'a the st
of March, 1861. On the 21st of tebrusry
! SCI. Davis appointed his cabinet, assun-
ing the powers belonging to legally cleo. &.
led President of the United States, putting i
n operation his government. In moment
his fact was telegraphed all over the coun-
ry. Ii was secret here. You all knew
lot only that he claimed to I've President.
,ut that he had appointed his cabinet on the s
ll-s nk :
wards Louisisna and Texas passed their acts I
# secession--Loui>i,na prior to the list of $
iarch, and Texas after that date. $
From that hour. so far n they had il In {
heir power. the re esoluton was accomplished.
They had taken a final step. Their Pre- ST. Z
lent was elected; their Cabinet was appoint i
d.; their congress called ont volunteer :
roops to sustain their government. and I
hose troops were already in the field march
ng to the conquest Of your cities and fortiti- G
ations. Such was the condition Of things {
I the time when this letter was written {
on all remember it. You remember how e
he miasma Of treason poisoned the very air i
re brea,hed; how the shadows of the com !
ng storm darkened the whole heavens
hat storm which has since burst ir fury on I
he land. You remember that then we q
ardly felt safe even in the capital of the M. n
ion The officers of the Army AMI Navy q
those pested and spoiled children of the {
sepublic--were s leaving the ranks of the y
'ederxl Army. and taking service under the 5
ebellion. AT that time. it seems to me, We a
auuot ignore the fact that war was not only 4
a,minenI. but actually existed 10 our midst. Il
You recollect, Senators, another circum- I
tance OF dep humiliation to every patriot &
a the land. when your legally eleced Pres 3
len, OF the United States had 10 seek the i
over of midnight and an ignobls disguise D
, order to reach the capital Of that country t
hose Chief Magistrate he had been elected &
y the free voice OF the people. and under |
II the forms Of the Constitution. b
This was al before the 1st Of March. 1851 q
,e date of the letter. Bat. Mr. President, c
, whom vas this letter addressed In or 4
er TO get at the proper meaning and inter- a