Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-08-23
AN ERRONEOUS CONCLUSION.

which he expresses his belief that
if the Confederate government
had not fired On Sumter, and had
RETAINED from any like attack
upon the United States troops, or
the flag of the Union, the Confed-
eracy would have been success
fully established.
While this assertion may not
startlc, it certainly will surprise
students of history, for it is diff
cult to see how anyone with the
Co.onel's knowledge of the facts
can reach such a Conclusion.
Surely it is not warranted by
anything in the attitude of the
South. For forty or more years
her political leaders had been ac-
tive in creating and fostering a
public sentiment in that section
favoring secession from the Union
and the formation of a separate
government by the slave-holding
states. So we'll had they sue
ceeded in doing this they deter
mined, in the event of Linceln's
election, to go into open revolt.
From the time the presidential
nominations wers made up to the
day Of Lincoln's Inauguration
they were actively engaged in
making all the material prepara-
tions they possibly could in aid
of their determined purpose.
Through the cennivance of Floyd,
Buchanan's secretary of war,
northern arsenals had been strip
ped of ordinance and munitions
Of war by transferring their
stores to southern depots. South
Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Florida and Alabama
had already seceeded. and the
forts, navy yards, custom houses,
mints and other federal property
within these states had fallen inte
Confederate hands. The vessels
of the navy were scattered on dis.
tant stations. The little army
had been cut up into small de-
tachments and so distributed thai
its mobilization was impossible
Beauregard had made the mos
efficient disposition of his force:
for the reduction of Sumter
which it had been determined
should be neither provisioned no,
reinforced. The South had tht
military situation well in hand
Almost a month before the in
auguration of Lincoln the Con
federates had organized all th'
departments Of a civil govern
ment and installed their president
Whatever Union sentiment hat
existed III these states had beef
awed into submission. Ever,
overture Of compromise ant
peace based on her remaining ii
the Union she scornful1y rejected
So far as the South was concefn
ed secession was an accomplished
fact. It rested with the Unitet
States government whether ther'
should be war or not. Any at
tempt to provision Sumter, or t.
1epossess itself of the forts, arsen
ais, and other property seized b,
the South, would be casus bell
and would be forcib1y resisted
This was the defiant attitude o
the South when Lincoln was in
augurated.
Col. Mcclure has very clearl,
set forth the condition of the gov
ernment and the divided COUNSEL
of the North. There was nj
army, no available navy, little
desirable war material, an empty
treasury and sadly impaired cred
it. Truly, from military view
the government appeared to b.
utterly powerless to protect itself
let alone coerce the South
Southern leaders had skillfu11,
played upon Buchanan's natura
timidity to prevent any coercion
until they had matured thei
plans and rendered coercion quit
impossible. Always skilled il
mere casuistry, they easily con-
vinced Buchanan and his attor
ney-general not only Of the utte
absence of constitutional authori.
ty, bat of its hideous wrong an,
injustice. They compassed thi
the more easily because both tn
president and his attorneys -gener
al had been In lifelong sympa
thy with the South on all ques
tions. Public sentiment in th
North was divided and quite de
bauched. The pro.slavery dem
ocrats, of whom Fernando Woo
was perfect type, would hav
attempted anything in aid of tn
South. The commercial Mort
was anxious to avoid war, 70
that would bring destruction c