Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-12-15

Why did the state of Virginia vote
in May, 1861, to secede from the
union? At first glance that does not
seem question very hard to answer.
Most of our readers in the north
would answer that Virginia obeyed
the same motives that swayed the
other states-fear for the institution
of slavery, threatened by the rise of
the republican party; sympathy with
the slave states, seven of which had
already announced secession, and
desire for a new confederation which
would safeguard slavery and respect
state rights as cherished by the peo-
pie of Virginia. But the question is
Of the bar of Virginia, Beverley B.
Munford, has written a most interest
ing volume to explain why it is not,
and he concludes that the secession
of the state was in reality due to the
decision of the federal government
to coerce the already seeded states.
That decision was embodied in the
call of the president of the United
States for $4,000 troops to enforce the
authority and laws of the United
States government determined to al
low without intervention the peaceful
secession of the seven states which
had declared themselves independent,
Virginia would have remained with
the northern portion of the old union.
This inference is to be drawn from
the account given of the tendency of
sentiment and opinion against slavery
in Virginia, and still more, on the
services the state had rendered I'm
forming the union, and the intense at
tachment to it that prevailed among
her leading men and in the mass of
her population. The argument in this
sense is presented by the author with
entire fairness, with great care for
accuracy, with marked ability, lucidIy,
and in logical order.
1t is profoundly touching picture
that he draws. especially with refer
ence to those citizens of Virginia who
neither approved of slavery nor profit
ed by it, who hated secession and
loved the union, but who felt them
selves forced to take up arms against
the right of coercion, though they
knew that their own success must be
the triumph of slavery and secession,
and though also they knew that the
prime movement that forced the cris-
is had been manipulated BY men
and tactics with which they had not
the least sympathy.
One cannot read attentively such a
story as this without an overawing
| sense of the blindness with which ma.
tons move in moments of crisis to
the determination of their destiny
When Mr. Lincoln took the oath 81
office, his resolution to do the duty as.
| signed to him was deep and sincere
His knowledge of what that duty dis.
/ tinctly was and what it would lead TO
/ as exceedingly vague. On the morrow
4 of his Inauguration concrete ques-
/ tion arose in connection with the vic.
1 tualing and reinforcing OF Fort
4 Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston.
Five Of the seven members Of his
/ cabinet advised against action as sure
to precipitate war. A month later ar
! ton was resolved on, but even then no
I reation was announced OF doing more
than to hold the property Of the United
4 States ceded- Internationally BY the
state. The leaders in South Carolina
partly through delibsrate design, part
" through rashness and Impotence
fired on the fort. and the most mo
mentous civil war Of al history wa