Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1906-06-01
BEGINNING OF CIVIL WAR.
How President Lincoln Met the Crisis
of the Southern Re-
bellion.

Days went on, and by the middle OF
April the confederate government
found itself forced to a fatal choice.
Either it must begin war, or allow the
rebellion to collapse. All It's claims TO
independence were denied; the COM
missloners it sent to Washington on
the pretense that they were agents of
foreign country were politely refused
hearing, yet not one angry word, or
single harmful act had come from the
"Black Republican" president. In his
inaugural he had promised the people
of the south peace and protection, had
offered them the beenfit of the mails.
Even now, all he proposed to do was 20
send bread to Anderson and his hun
cry soldiers. His prudent policy
placed them where, as he had told
them, they could have no war unless
they themselves chose to begin it.
They did choose to begin it. The re-
bellion was the work of ambitious men,
who had no mind to stop at that late
day, and see their labor go for nothing.
The officer in charge of their batteries
was ordered to open fire on Fort Sum-
ter il Anderson refused to surrender;
and in the dim light of dawn on April
l2 1861, just as the outline of Fort
Sumter began to show itself against
Frightening sky the shot that opened
the civil war rose from rebel battery
and made it's slow and graceful curve
upon Sumter. Soon all the batteries
were in action, and the fort was reply
M 1nll
| for day and half, until his cart
ridges were all used up, his flagstaff
| had been shot away and the wooden
| buildings inside the fort were on fire.
Then, as the ships with supplies had
not yet arrived, and he had neither
food nor ammunition, he was forced
! TO surrender.
The news of the firing upon Fort
Sumter changed the mood of the
country as if by magic. By deliberate
act of the confederate government its
attempt at peaceable secession had
hcen changed to active war. The con-
| federates gained Fort Sumter, but in
doing so they reused the patriotism of
the north to a firm resolve that this
insult to the flag should be redressed,
and that the unrighteous experiment
of rival government founded upon
slavery as its cornerstone" should
never succeed. In one of his speeches
on the journey to Washington Mr. Lin
coin had said that devoted as he was
to peace, 1t might become necessary
to put the foot down firmly" That
| 4 nv, he
cay after the fall of Fort Sumter, all
the newspapers of the country printed
the presidents call to arms, ordering
out $4,000 militia for three months, and
dir Getting congress to meet in special
session on July A, 1861. The north raj.
lied instantly to the support of the
government, and offered him twice the
number of soldiers he asked for.
Nothing more clearly shows the diff
ference between President Lincoln ant
: President Buchanan than the way II
which the two men met the acts o.
the southern rebellion, says Helen Mic
olay, in ST. Nicholas. President Bu
chanan temporized and delayed wheI
he had plenty of power Presiden
Lincoln, without moments hesita
+, ton, accepted the great and unusua
responsibility thrust upon him, ant
at once issued orders for buying ships
moving troops. advancing money 4
committees of safety, and for othe
> military and naval measures for whicl
/ al the moment he had no express au
j thority from congress.