Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-09-15
Who Commenced the war

The rebel leaders are in the habit of
speaking Of the present war as one in
augurated by President Lincoln, and as
an unprovoked aggression on his part.
The Northern copperheads very general
ly in their speeches, resolutions and
newspapers try to delude the unwary
with similar language. The latter are,
in fact In the habit OF treating it sub
stantially as rebellion of the United
States authorities against their rightful
masters Of the South, fer which there
was no just occasion.
In electing President Lincoln, the PEG
pie of course only exercised their consti-
tutional right of voting for the man of
their choice. Shall this fundamental
right be insisted on, or shall the consti-
tuition be so amended that the political
leaders of certain slaveholding states
shall dictate for whom the people of all
the states shall vote /?
When President Lincoln was inaugu-
rated he found war already COM
menced. It was rebellion against the
constitution and laws of the United
States, which his official oath as presi-
dent bound him to uphold and main
tain. The following acts of war against
the Union had been committed by South
ern rebels when Mr. Lincoln took his
seat in the presidential chair commit
ted during the democratic presidency Of
Buchanan. The list is taken from
Southern almanac: .
Dec. 81 1860.--Capture of Fort Moul-
trie and Castle Pincllney by South Caro-
lima troops. Capt. Costa surrenders the
revenue cutter Aiken.
Jan. 3, l861.-Capture of Fort Pulaski
by the Savannah troops.
Jan. 3.--The arsenal Of Mt. Vernon,
Alabama, with 10000 stand of arms,
seized by the Alabama troops.
Jan. 4.-Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay
taken by the Alabama troops.
Jan. 9.-The steamship Star of the
West fred into and driven off by the
South Carolina batteries on Morris ISL
and. Failure OF an attempt to reinforce
Fort Sumter.
Jan 1O.-Forts Jackson, St. Phillip
and Pike, near New Orleans captured by
the Louisiana troops.
Jan. 14-Capture OF Pensacola Navy
Yard and Forts Barancas and Nc
Rae. Major Chase shortly afterwards
takes command, and the siege of Fort
Pickens commences.
Jan. 18.-Surrender of Baton Rouge
arsenal to Louisiana troops.
Jan. 31-New Orleans mint and Gus
tom house taken,
Feb. 2.-Seizure of Little Rock arsen-
mai by Arkansas troops.
Feb. 4.-Surrender of the revenue cut
ter Cass to the Alabama authorities.
Feb. s. - Provisional constitution
adopted
Feb. 9.-Jeferson Davis of Mississip-
ri and Alexander H. Stephens Of Geor-
gia, elected President and Vice Presi-
dent.
Feb. 16.--Gen. Twiggs transfers pub.
lie property in Texas to the state au-
thorities. Col. Waite, U. s. A., surren-
ders San Antonio to Col. Ben. McCul-
Ioeh and his Texan rangers.
March 2.-The revenue cutter Dodge
seized by the Texan authorities.
In view Oh IHese l&ClS, u paper printed
out of the country and which conse
quently has no party interest or bias IL
the matter,-the Montreal Witness
pertincntly remarks as follows:
:'Now all these were warlike and trea
sonable acts, and all we're committed Jefey
Mr.. Lincoln entered office. 1t is simpl,
ridiculous to say that he commenced
the war. On the 18th of April For
Sumter was bombarded; on the 18th
was surrendered, and on the 14th it wa
evacuated. 1t was not till the las
named date that Lincoln issued his frs
call for volunteers to put down the re
bellion in the United States With thes
facts before them, can any one continu
to call the present struggle in the states
Mr.. Lincoln's war.