Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-04-25

n FfoImeCy HulHhllcas
President Lincoln, 10 the peroration of
his inaugural Address, delivered on she
4th Of March, 1891, gave stterance to those
prophetic words: ~
"1he mystic call of memory, stretching
from every battle field and patriot orope 20
every living heart and hearthstone, al over
this broad land, ,oiH vet ssueH ne cords of
Union sohen again touched, as surlu thev
s0iH be, By The better angels Of our nature
Truly and eloqueptly uttered The pro-
diction has been ful6lled--the things spok-
en- Of has come to pass. And yet Il sound
ed then like the vain babbliugs Of onthusi-
asm. The most prescient men sought in
vain signs Of the coming popular Revolution.
The public mind was abandoned to the in
tensest lethargy. The public heart beat
faint and languidly An the pulses Of life
throbbed sluggishly and uncertainty. Tho
shock Of the the rebellion seemed TO have
stunned the nation. Timidity, indecision,
placid despair, seemed to have thoroughly
possessed the popular mind. The fatal her
esy of "Peace" appeared to have sealed all
the springs Of action. Statesmen were
stricken with moral paralysis. Ssges were
dumb in the presence Of the overshadowing
crisis. The masses, grouping in darkness,
cried 10 vain for light to guide there IN
certain footsteps.
Nor was this the worst. The weight of
authority was against coercion. II was
demonstrated that we had no. right, under
the Constitution, to save the country The
knife of the assassin was at our throats;
but we are told we must not arrest the
murderous hand, lest in so doi5g we yiolat-
cd Constitutional obligations. The atmos-
phere was saturated with secessionism.-
Treason stalked unchallenged- through our
streets at noon day. State Conventions TO
lsympatbise with the rebels, to promise
them "aid and comfort" to assure them
they were in the right, to denounce "coer-
cion," and threaten 'counter revolution at
home" were held. Bands of ruffians to as
sist traitors in arms were being drilled in
our larger cities. Our workshops-our
foundries-our arsenals--our powder miles
-were busy forging the impliments Of war
with which TO strike down the Government
Ship loads Of munitions for rebel camps
were dispatched from Northern ports, in
broad day, under the eye and sanction of
Federal officials; and when a Superinten-
dent of police had the temerity to seize a
few boxes of arms ordered by the rebel
Government, the Mayor ofa Northern city
sent dispatch to one of the chief fconspira-
tors apologizing for the act disavowing the
''outrage," and promising that it should not
be repeated
Social life was tainted to the core with
the virus of Secession. 1t became the fash
ion of the day to pooh-pooh at "Coercion."
Apologies for Treason became part of the
stock in trade of club and bar room talk
Contrasts between JEFF. Davis ard Mr.. Lin
coln-in which the former was panegyrized
as a Statesman and the latter derided as a
clown-were simpered by scented dandies
and languishing bellies. Indeed "Our Best
Society" became the nursery of species
| of dillerantism more dangerous and moro
disgusting than open dsloyalty.
But the guns that opened upon Sumter
awoke the slumbering heart Of the Nation.
The "mystic call of memory iOas awakened"
the cords of the Union were 'tstruck" and
our rescue and saved US from the doom of
Oewards. Thank COP, the dormant pat
riotism of the country has been awakened
the people have been aroused to con-
sciousuess of their danger and responsible
ties-and the cause of constitutional Liber-
ty has been saved on this Western Contin-
ent. The crisis is past; the worst that can
happen to us has happened; the old Ship,
upon which all our hopes are embarked,
lonce more obevs her hahn and rides into
quiet waters.-Al5any Journal.