The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-10-14

snail presently show. without warrant
of law or justice, to inaugurate ana
wage against the South one Of the most
cruel, wicked and relentless wars OF
which history furnishes any record or
parallel Is there any wonder then that
the representatives OF the Grand Army
of the Republic would have US be silent
about the facts which we have referred
to, and not teach the truths Of this his
tory to our children. when we thus con-
denim them out OF their own mouths?
But we come now to consider VINO We're
the aggressors, who inaugurated this
wicked war? We think it important to
make this inquiry, for the reasons already
given and because we apprehend there
is a common impression that -inasmuch
as the South fired the first gun at Fort
Sumter, 1t really thereby brought on the
war, and was hence responsible for all the
direful consequences which followed the
firing of that first shot. Nothing could
be further from the truth. Mr.. Hallam
in his Constitutional History of England.
states universally recognized principle
when he says:
1.-The aggressor in a war Chat IS, he
who begins TT is not the first who uses
force, but the first who renders force
necessary
Now which side. according to this high
authority, was the aggressor in this con-
| hict? Which side was it that rendered the
| first blow necessary?
Says Mr.. Stephens in his War Between
! the States:
| 81 maintain that it Ohe wary was in
| augurated and begun, though no blow had
! been struck, when the hostile fleet. styled
| the Relief Squadron with eleven ships
carrying two hundred and eishty-five guns
| and two thousand four hundred men, was
| sent out from New York and Norfolk,
| with orders from the authorities at
| Washington to reinforce Fort Sumter,
! peaceably if permitted, but forcibly IL they
must
! He further says:
| 1.-The war was then and there inaugu-
rated and begun by the authorities at
| Washington General Beauregard did not
| open fire upon Fort Sumter until this
| feet was, to his knowledge, very near the
| harbor of Charleston, and until he had
| enuuired of Major Anderson. in command
| oe the fort. whether he would engage to
| take no part in the expected blow. then
! coming down upon him from the ap-
| preaching feet?"
LINCOLN'S DUPLICITY.
| Governor Pickens and General Beaure-
gard had been notified from Washington
| of the approach of this fleet and the OBJ
! jects for which it was sent. but this notice
| did not reach them lowing to treachery
| and dup!iclty practiced by Mr.. Lincoln
| and Mr. Seward on the commissioners
sent to Washington by the Confederate
| Government, which are enough to bring
| the blush of shame to the cheek OF every
| American CITIZEN until the fleet had
| neared it's destination But Anderson re-
fused to make any promise, and when he
| did this. it became necessary for Beaure-
| gard to reduce the fort as he did. Other
| wise his command would have been eX-
! 2osed to two fires-one in front and the
| other in the rear.
| I wish I had the time to give here the
| details of this treachery and duplicity
I practiced directly by Mr. Seward, but. as
| he says, with the knowledge OF Mr. LIN
| coin The Confederate Commissioners had
| been sent to Washington, as they stated
| in their letter to Mr.. Seward, to treat with
| him with a view 10 a speedy adjustment
| of all questions growing out OF this poiiti-
| cal separation, upon such terms OF amlty
| and good will as the respective interests
| geographical contguity and future wei
| fare of the two nations may render nee
essary."
| I can only state that although MI.
| Seward refused TO treat with the commls-
sioners directly, ne did so through the
| medium of Justices Campbell and Nelso.
| of the Supreme Court of the United
l
! the commissioners were given TO Under
| stand that Fort Sumter would be eVacu-
| ated within a few days, ana they were
| kept under that impression up to the hh
| OF April, 1861, although during that inter-
| val of twenty-three days the ''Relief Squad
, rom was being put III readiness LOT rem
! forcing Sumter And even on that date
/! (the date after the squadron was ordered
| TO SAID, Mr.. Seward wrote Judge Campbell
! Faith as to Sumter fully kept; "all
| and see'' when he must have known that
! nothing was further from the TRUTH ano
| as events then transpring concluslVely
| showed Judge Campbell wrote two letters
I to Mr. Seward, setting out all the details
| of the deception pracuced on the Com
| missoners through him ana justice Nei-
| son and asked explanation OF his con-
| duct But no explanation was over given
| simply because there Was none that could
| be given. And Mr.. Stewards own memo
| randum, made by him at the time, SHOWS
| that he was acting all through this mat
| ter with the knowledge and approval OF
! MI. Lincoln. History affords but few
| parallels, if any, of such base conduct or
| the part of those occupying the high and
| responsible positions then held by thes5
men. The only excuse that can be given
for this conduct is that they regarded
| it as a legitimate deception TO practice ii
| a, war which they had then already IT.
| augurated.
MIR. Geo. Lunt, Of Massa chusetts. In
! speaking of the occurrences at Fort Sum
ter uses this cautiously framed language
as the question of which side commenced
the war is one about which the North is
! very sensitive AS we know on the 7th
OF April. 1861, President Davis said:
| with the Lincoln administration rests
| the responsibility of precipltating COLI
| sion and the fearful evils of protracted
! civil war
! And so Mr.. Lunt says:
Whether the appearance of this flee
| the Relief SQUADRON under the circum-
| stances could be considered a pacific OF
| hostile demonstration may be left to in
| ference. Whether its total inaction dur
ing the fierce bombardment of the fort anG
| its defense continued for days, and unit
| its final surrender, justly bears the aspec,
Of an intention to avoid the charge OF
aggression, and to give the whole affair
j the appearance of defense merely, may
! also be referred 10 the judgment OF the
! reader
The question also occurs. he says
whether this sudden naval demonstra-
ton was not a palpable violation of the
| pr0n1iSe faith 70 Sumter f,l1y l-ent