The Meeker herald., 1906-06-30
BEGINNING OF CIVIL WAR.
How President Lincoln Net the CriYis
Of the Southern Re-
bellion.

1AyS wCNl Ou, anu Ny LAC AhuuIG VA
April the confederate government
found itself forced to fatal choice
Either 1t must begin war, or allow the
rebellion to collapse. All Its 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
a 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, haG
offered them the beenft of the mails.
Even now. all he proposed to do was 20
send bread to Anderson and his hum
CRY soldiers. His prudent policy
placed them where, as he had told
them. they could have no war unleIc
they themselves chose to begin It.
They did choose to begin 1t. 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:
end in the dim light of dawn on April
-, 1861, Just as the outline Of Fort
Sumter began to show itself against. a
Frightening sky the shot that opened
tho 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 a will. Anderson held out
for day and half, until his cart
ridges were all used up, his flagstsff
had been shot away and the wooden
buildings inside the fort were on IRE.
Thep, 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 II 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 9 rival government founded upon
slavery as its Cornerstone" should
never succeed. In one of his speeches
or the journey to Washington Mr.. Lin
cola had said that devoted as he was
N peace. 1t might become necessary
to put the foot down firmly" Tina!
time had row como. On April Is, the
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. aGd
directing congress to meet in special
session on July 4, 1861. The north raj.
lied instantly to the support of the
government, and offered him twice tht
number of soldiers he asked for.
4 Nothing more clearly shows the diff.
ference between President Lincoln ant
President Buchanan than the way ir
which the two men met the acts o.
the southern rebellion, says Helen Nc
| olay, in ST. Nicholas. President Blu
chsnan temporized and delayed wher
he had plenty of power. Presiden
Lincoln, without a moments hestta
ton, accepted tine great and unusua
responsibility thrust upon him, art
at once issued orders for buying ships
moving troops. advancing money t.
rommittees OF safety, and for othel
military and naval measures for. which
al the moment he had no express al
thority from congress.