The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-05-27

ASlJ ludJ lueT0 WOulQ De a conflict blit
when or where no one could foretell II was a
day of suspense
Lincoln, at the time, had not served +broe
months as president. Between the time of his
election and his inauguration seven of the south
arm states had seeded. Soon after his inauenra
0on Virginia had seeded and before this thir
heth OF May Arkansas and North Carolina had
followed the example of Virginia Immediately
after the fall of Fort Sumter Lincoln had issued
his call for $4,000 troops Most of the northern
states, In loyal obedience to this call had sent
troops TO washington; but many of the states
near the border line between the North and the
South had dehed the call. Some of the questions
asked by the people of the North on this dav
must have been: "Win these states too, secede?"
can PRESIDENT Lincoln hold them in the Union?"
But a question, more momentous than these
which must have been asked by these peonIe
was: Can our troops at Washington defend the
ctty? For it must be remembered that IT was
only II days before this thirtieth of Nav when
northern troops had been fired upon bv mob
While they were passing through Baltimore on
their way to Washington.
Many people, at the time Interpreted this act
to mean that Maryland, too, was about to secede.
True the Union soldiers at Washington seemed
at this time to be successfully defending the
city; band of troops six days before this thir.
tieth of May had crossed the Potomac and had
taken possession of Alexandria. This had made
the Union people hopeful, but they were by no
means confident, for, at this time, they had Just
received news from abroad about the expressions
of joy which had just been made by certain Eu-
ropeans who predicting the immediate
downfall of the American republic. Then, too,
many of the news items about events of the
war which were appearing in the daily news
papers indicated that there might be some foun-
dation for the prediction of the people in Europe
Here are some the news items that the people
of the North were reading in their home papers.
The Boston Journal for this thirtieth of May con-
tanned the following telegraphic dispatches:
The report of the surrender of the United
States troops in Texas, under command Of Lieu.
tenant Colonel Reeve, the Confederate force,
under command of Colonel Van Dorm. is fully
confirmed"
General Mcdowell mas been informed that
General Lee, with $4,000 rebels, is advancing On
Alexandria"
The New York Tribune for the same date was
to its northern readers somewhat more hopeful
Here are some of its headlines:
Frank Blair Ordered to Fortress Monroe"
"Harpers Ferry Threatened. The Rebels Like
ly to Be Currounded"
10000 Troops to Rendezvous at Cairo"
These news items, taken from northern news
papers, reflect the general mood and spirit of the
people in the North who we're at the time read
ing the papers, Among them there was a spirit
Of uncertainty and doubt They we're uncertain
as to the strength and purpose Of the South
They doubted the ability of Lincoln, who had re-
Gently been elected by new and untried po
litical party. They were uncertain as to whether
be would yield to the demands of political bosses
Lincoln not trained soldier They were
uncertain as to whether he could succeed in the
management of his army.
But the people of the South, on this thirtieth
of May, were hopeful and confident Loyalty
from their point of view meant allegiance to
their states. They held that the general govern
ment had no right to interfere with their forma-
tion of new government. Their loyalty 20
their cause almost amounted to enthusiasm. They