The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-06-30
BEGINNING OF CIVIL WAR.
How President Lincoln Net the Crisis
Of the Southern Re
bellion.

Days went on, and by the middle OF
April the confederate government
fcund itself forced to a fatal choice.
Either it must begin war, or allow the
rebellion to collapse. All its claims 10
independence were denied; the COM
missiOners 1t 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, hac
offered them the beenft OF the mails
Even now. all he proposed to do was %
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 unlesE
they themselves chose to begin 1t.
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 II Anderson refused TO surrender;
and in the dim light of dawn on April
II, 1861, just as the outline of Fort
Sumter began to show itself against a
Frightening sky the shot that opened
the civil war rose from a rebel battery
and made its slow and graceful curve
upon Sumter. Soon all the batteries
were in action, and the fort was reply
ing with q will Anderson held out
for a day and a half. until his cart
ridges were all used up, his fagstSi
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
70 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
been 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 it's cornerstone" should |
never succeed. In one of his speeches
or the journey to Washington Mr.. Lin
cola had said that devoted as he was
10 peace. It might become necessary
to put the foot down firmly" Tina.
time had row come. On April rs, the /
Gay after the fall OF Fort Sumter. all /
the newspapers of the country printed 1
the presidents call to arms, orderlns
out $4,000 militia for three months, and
directing congress to meet in special |
session on July 4. 1861. The north raj.
lied instantly to the support of the
and offered him twice the
number OF soldiers he asked for.
Nothing more clearly shows the diff.
between President Lincoln anc
Buchanan than the way in
which the two men met the acts OF
the southern rebellion, says Helen Mic.
olay, in ST. Nicholas. President Blu.
chsnan temporized and delayed when
he had plenty of power. President
Lincoln. without a moments hesita-
ton, accepted the great and unusual
responsibility thrust upon him, and
at once issued orders for buying ships.
troops. advancing money TO
OF safety. and for other
military and naval measures for which
81 the moment he had no express az.
thority from congress.