The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1906-05-31
BEGINNING OF CIVIL WAR.
How President Lincoln Met the Crisis
Of the Southern Re
bellion.

Days went on, and by the middle o.:
April the confederate government
fcrrd itself forced 70 a fatal choice.
Either SO must begin war. or allow the
rebellion o. collapse. All its claims TO
independence were denied. the com
m%isslouers IL sent 10 Washington On
the pretense that they were agents Of
o foreign country were politely refused
a hearing. yet not one angry word, or
q single harmful act had come from the
BLACK Republican" president In his
inaugural be had promised the people
% the south peace and protection, hac
offered them the beenht Of the mails.
Even now. all he proposed TO do was 20
send bread TO Anderson and his hun
CRY soldiers, His prudent policy
plsced them where. as he had told
them. they could have no war unless
they themselves chose to begin e.
They did choose TO begin il. The re-
belllon was the work Of ambitious men.
who had no mind 10 stop az that late
day. and see their labor so for nothing
The officer In charge Of their batteries
va ordered TO open FIRE on Fort Sum
ter II Anderson refused 20 surrender;
enc in the dim light Of dawn on April
y. 1861. just as the outline OF Fort
sumter began 20 show itself against a
frightening sky the shot that opened
the civl war rose from q rebel battery
and made It's slow and graceful curve
uron Sumter. soon an the batteries
were TN action. and the fort was reply
ing with a will Anderson held out
for s day and a half. until his cart
ridges wore an used up, his fagstsT
had been shot away and the wooden
bindings inside the fort were on ire.
Then. 8s the ships with supplies bad
not yet arrived, and he had neither
food nor ammunition, he was forced
20 surrender.
The news Of the nring upon Fort
Sumter changed the mood o. the
country as if by magic BY deliberate
act of the confederate government It's
attempt az peaceahle secession had
been changed to active war. The con-
fcdcrates gained Fort Sumter. but In
doiur SO they reused the patriotism o.
the north 10 q firm resolve that this
Insult 20 the flag shoald be ~redressed.
and that the ]uurighte1us experiment
OF a rival government founded upon
slavery as its cornerstone should
never succeed. Ia one OF his speeches
on the journey 60 Washington Mr.. Lia-
cola had said that devoted as he v9c
% peare, % might become necessary
90 put the foot down hrmly Th1.
time had row come On April 30, the
Gay after the fan OF Fort sumter an
the newspapers OF the country printed
the presidents call to arms. ordering
out $4,000 militia for three months. aud
directing congress 60 NEE, in special
sCksion ON July 4. 1861, The north raj
lied instantly 20 the support of the
government and offered him twice the
number OF soldiers ne asked for.
Nothing more clearly shows the DIFF
I ference between President Lincoln and
President buchanan than the way Ga
which the VI men met the acts 90
the southern rebellion. says Helen Me
olay. Ia ST. Nicholas President Bu-
I chapan temporired and delayed when
ho had plenty OF power. Presideai
I Lincoln. without q moments hcsita-
ton. accented the great and unusual
responsibility thrust upon him. and
al once issued orders for buying ships,
moving troops. advancing money %
committees OF safety, and for other
military and naval measures for witch
ID the moment he had no express 40.
thority from congress