The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-22
Leads all Carolina Dailies i'm Circulation

duties and imports within their bor-
ders to government of their /choice
and framing-the Southern Confederacy
and We're in arms to protect those
threatened rights. To their way of
thinking, way of thinking in which
| they had been consistent from the be-
ginning, which had prevailed when the
| Union was formed, in the sense of which
! the contract of Union was made, the
North was now as much foreign gov
eminent to them as England or France.
Was there anything in the history of the
Southern people to give grounds for the
belief that after framing a system Of
government, formally establishing it and
delegating it to the power to hold these
| forts and collect these duties, that they
could have been guilty of the abys,nal
pusillanimity of suffering their whole
political organization to topple like card
house, at the breath of foreign ruler?
/ am proud to answer, nay.
Viewed in this, the true light, we see
that President Lincoln's inaugural. in
stead of making for peace, made most
decisively for war. For in the few
pregnant words above quoted, in that he
arrogated to himself the essential func-
tions Of the Southern Governmental
hold it's forts and collect it's taxes--he
threw down the gauntlet to the South
ern people and rendered peace with
honor to both sides impossible.
But the most serious charge of Col.
Mcclure very grave indictment is that
the Confederates fired on Sumter, a fort,
which in that it could not be reinforced
or relieved, was practically at their
mercy and thus brought on war after
Major Anderson had agreed to peace
full evacuation within three days, If not
molested In fact the whole indictment
rests on this charge. If it is the truth
and the whole truth then the Confeder-
ate Government must stand convicted
Of having "wantonly' plunged thirty
million people in war. But an examina-
ton of the war records shows that his
presentation of the case is entirely ex
parte l might say garbled.
Let US look at the facts in the case.
Before the inauguration of President
Lincoln March 4th, 1861. the seven
seeding States in the exercise Of rights
! above described had possessed themselves
of nearly all forts and arsenalS within
their borders. They held that while
these forts and arsenals had been erect
ed and equipped at the expense of the
States at large, they had contribut-
ed their part to this expense and that
this property represented their share of
the general assets; if it represented
more than their share they We're willing
to a fair appraisement and adjustment.
Not counting those on the Florida
Keys, whose possession was not just
then in question, the Confederate Gov
eminent had taken possession of all the
forts except Sumter and PickenS. AS it
happened these two We're about the two
most important in the whole Confed-
cracy. Fort PckenS commanded the en-
trance to Pensacola harbor, Florida;
Sumter commanded Charleston harbor,
South Carolina.
Now there were grave reasons, both
military and political, why the Confed-
crate Government should hold these two
important forts. Their possession by
another power not only laid the Confed-
eracy open to attack, but seriously inn
paired the prestige OF the new govern
ment at home and abroad. Therefore
strenuous preparations were made to
reduce them to extremity Still no pains
We're spared to get them by peaceful
means. Three peace commissioners
We're sent to Washington and long kept
there to negotiate with the Federal
government and adjust all difference
without war.
Neither the Southern nor the Northern
people desired war. Neither President
Davis nor President Lincoln desrej, war.
But as we have seen, unless President
Lincoln receded from the position taken
in his inaugural address, war was inevi-
table. For awhile it did seem that he
would reccde No immediate attempt
was made to relieve Sumter or Pickens.
Hope OF a peaceful settlement rose high
at the South.
Standing as we do, in the light of all
the facts, we know that this hope was
utterly dclusive. President Lincoln never
hesitated as to the position. 1t was not
the lack of will but the lack of power
that withheld his hand. 1t was also
| part of his, or his cabinets very shrewd
plan to so manipulate as to make the
South appear the aggressor If war came.
In proof of this | would refer any one to
| the account of tho cabinet meeting held
| on March 18th, 1861, as given in the Hay
| ard Nickoly life of Lincoln. OF all men
these two private secretaries of Lincoln
| knew the situation thoroughly They
distinctly state that Lncolns delay was
| ito gain a coveted choice of position,
and compel the rebels to attack and thus
consolidate the North
| Lack of space prevents me from quot
| ing at length either from this or from the
| war records. But they are accessible to
| all and by them my statements can cas-
| lily be verified.
| Early in April the Confederate Gov
eminent learned for certain that naval
expeditions, carrying both supplies and
reinforcements had been fitted out with
| the Southern coast as their detectives
When these expeditions sailed President
Davis held that the act constituted war
on the South and at once ordered that
Major Anderson's letters to his govern
| ment, which till then had been allowed
J to pass unnolested should be seized.
These letters disclosed the fact that Cap
, tain Fox, Federal officer from Wash
ington, who had been permitted by the
| Confederates to visit Major Anderson, as
was thought to arrange plan for evac-
uating Sumter, had instead matured a
plan to relieve the fort by means of a
strong boating party which was to be
| thrown in under cover OF darkness by
4 the coming fleet. In view of this dis