Litchfield enquirer., 1864-10-27
Who Commenced the War

One " lie well SUCK C0' IS that tOld Dy the Peace Democracy, that the administration of Mir. Lincoln is responsible for the war in which the country s involved. We have this asserted iu the Chicago Platform we have it reiterated daily iu the Copperhead presses and by Cop peshead speakers. The following, published in the Confederate States Register for 1860 and 1861, under the head of Remarkable Events," shows conclusively upon whom rests the respo instability of plunging the country iato civil war
 Dec, 27, 186O-Capture of Fort Moultrie and Castle Pinckney by South Carolina troops. Capt. Coste surrenders the revenue cutter Aiken. e. '...ta5. F..
 Jan. 8, 1861.-Capture of Fort Pulaski by the Savannah troops
 Jan. 3.-TAe arsenal of Mount Vernon, Alabama, with 10000 stand of arms, seized by the Alabama troops '.... Jan 9-The steamship Star of the West fired into and driven off by the South Carolina bait cries on Morris Island. Failure of an attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter.
 Jan 10.-Forts Jack son, St. Phillip and Pike near New Orleans, captured by the Louisians troops. . aa 4 E aza -,...-s@-rr qsa.ss..
 Jan I4.-Capture of Pensacola Navy Yard and Forts Darancasan Nc Rae. Major Chase shortly afterwards takes command and the siege of Fort Pickens commences.
 Jan. lS.-Surrender of Baton Rouge Arse ; nal to Louisiana troops.
 Jan. 31.-New Orleans Mint and Custom House taken Feb. 2.-Seizure of Little Rock Arsenal by l Arkansas troops.
 Feb. 4.-Surrender of the revenue cutter Cass to the Alabama authorities .-.... | Feb. S.-Provisional Constitution adopted. February 9.-Jei'erson Davis of Missls sippi, and Alexander Stephens of Georgia elected President and Vice. President. | Feb. l6.-General Twiggs transfers public 1 property in Texas to the State authorities = Gel Waite, U. $. A., surrenders San Antoni' to Col Ben McCulloch and his Texan rangers | March 2.--The revenue cutter Dodge seized by the Texan authorities. -.
 All these acts were committed previous te the inauguration of MT. LINCOLN, and most Q them while the people of lhe Free States wer endeavoring, through Peace Congress, theI in session at Washington, to avert the evils Q war. by yielding up many of their established rights. On tho l2th dny of April, Fort Stump ter was bo,nbardsd by the rebels; on the 18th I it surrendered, and on the l4th it was evacua l ted by the troops of the United States. Unti l this time, Commissioners from the Cunfeder l ate States were in Washington, at the Nation al Hotel making arrangements for prosecuting war against our Government-purcha arms, ammunition, clothing, machinery, and all things essential to the success of the rebellion. Until that day, treason was as free to speak in the Capitol of the Nation as in Charleston, Montgomery or Richmond. Until that time many of the present leaders of the rebel armies, and officers now in the rebel navy held commissions in the army and navy of the United States. Until that time, by no act or i word, had Mr. LINCOLN lhe had then been President only Az days) manifested, . purpose to prosecute war against the South.s If any thing more were needed to show that the people of the North are entirely guiltless ol the ruin which has marked the last three and half years-if anything were wanting to show the utter falsity of the assertions o the Chicago Convention, its Speakers aud its Presses, it is found in the declaration of Hon A. H. STEPHENS, (Vice-President of the Con I federate States), who, on the 3lst day of Jan uary, l86l-32 days before Mir. LINCOLN was inaugurated- solemnly foretold the '' des Olation desolate which rebellion would bring upon the South, and thus clearly and justly declared where the blame would rest: a This step (the secession of Georgia) once taken, can never be recalled and du the bale fsl and soithering consequences that must fol- low las you will see) soiN reston the Copventior tor aU coming time. When we and our pos terity shall see our lovely South desolated by the demon of war. which this act of yours wll inevitably invite and call forth when our greer fields of waving harvests shall be trodden dowr by the murderons soldiery and fiery car of wal sweeping over our land-our temples of justice laid in ashes, all the horrors and desolations o
 war upon us-wHo BUT THIS CONVENTION WILL Bl HELD REsPoNsIBLE FOR IT and who but him
 who shall have given his vote for this unwiss and ill-timed measure las l honestly think ant believe) shall be held to strict account for thi. suicidal act, by the present generation, ant probably cnrsed and execrated by posterity fo I all comiming time, for the wide and desolatins ruin that will inevitably follow this act yol now propose to perpetrate3 aaizse 2 .Pause, entreat you, and consider for
 moment what reasons you can give that vii
 even satisfy yourselves in calmer moments
 what reasons you can give to your fellows ferers in the calamity that it walf bring upol
 us. What reason can, you give to the nation
 Of the earth to justify iti They will be th cam ahd d4Ebetaks lndges'i 'ih the case aud [