Year: 1861

the circumstances would be utterly ruin
Gus; that the necessity under which it was
to be done would not be fully understood;
that by many it would be construed as a
part of voluntary policy; that at home
it would discourage the friends of the Un-
ion, embolden its adversaries, and 20 far
to insure to the latter a recognition abroad;
that in fact it would be our national de-
struction consummated.


This could not be allowed. Starvation
was not yet upon the garrison and ere it
would be reached Fort Pickens might be
reinforced. This last would be clear in
dication of policy, and would better ena.
bic the country to accept the evacuation Of
Fort Sumter as military necessity
Then, an order was at once directed to be
sent for the landing Of the troops from the
steamship Brooklyn into Fort Pickeus.-
This order could not go by land, but must
take the longer and slower route by sea.


The first return news from the order was
received just one week before the fall of
Sumter. The news itself was that the of
fcer commanding the Sabine, to which ves
sci the troops had been transferred from
the Brooklyn, acting upon some quash ar.
mistice of the late Administration, and of
the existence of which the present Admin.
istration, up to the time the order was dc.
spatched had only too vague and uncer-
tain rumors, to fix attention, had refused
to land the troops. TO now reinforce Fort
Pickens before crisis would be reached
at Fort Sumter was impossible, rendered
so by the mere exhaustion of provisions in
the latter named Fort. In precaution a.
gainst such conjecture, the Government
had few days before, commenced prepar.
ing an expedition as well adapted as might
be, to relieve Fort Sumter, which cxpedi-
tion was intended to be ultimately used or
not, according to circumstances.


The strongest anticipated case for using
it was now presented, and it was resolved
to send it forward as had been intended.
In this contingency it was also resolved to
notify the Governor of South Carolina that
ne might expect an attempt would be made
to provision the Fort, and that il the at
tempt should not be resisted, there would
be no attempt to throw in men, arms or
ammunition without further notice. or in
case of an attack upon the Fort.-This no.
tice was accordingly given, whereupon the
Fort was attacked and bonbarded to its
fall, even without awaiting the arrival of
the provisioning expedition. 1t is thus
seen that the assault upon and reduction
OF Fort Sumter was in no sense a matter of
self defense on the part of the assailants;
they we'll knew that the garrison in the
Fort could by no possibility commit ag-
gresslon upon them.


They knew they were expressly notified
that the giving of bread to the few brave
and hungry men of the garrison was all
that would Oh that occasion be attempted,
unless themselves, by resisting so much,
should provoke more; they knew that this
Government desired to keep the garrison in
the Fort not to assail tbem but merely to
maintain visible possession, and thus to
preserve the Union from actual and imme-
date dissolution trusting as hcrcinbefore
stated, to time, discussion and the ballot
oox for hnal adjustment and they assailcd
the Fort Tor precisely the reverse object, to
drive out the visible authority of the Ped.
eral Union, and thus force it to immediate
dissolution. That this was their object.
the executive well understood, and having
said to them in the Inaugural Address
you can have no conflict without being
yourselves the aggrcssors, he took pains
not onl y to keep this declaration good, but
also to keep the case SO far from ingenious
sophlstry that the world should not misun-
derstand it.


But the affair at Fort Sumter, with its
surrounding circumstances, that point was
reached. Then and there, by the assail-
ants Of the Government, began the conflict,
without gun in sight OF expectancy to re.
turn their firing, save only the few in the
fort sent to that harbor years before for
their own protection, and still ready to
give that protection in whatever was loy-
al. In this act, discarding all else, they
have forced upon the country the distinct
issue Of immediate dissolution of blood, and
this issue embraces more than the fate of
these United States. 1t presents to the
whole family of man the question whether
constitutional republic or democracy q
government of the people by the same peo-
pie, can or cannot maintain its territorial
integrity against its own domestic foes.-I
1t presents the question whether discon-
tented persons, too few in number to con,
troll the Administration according to the
organic law in any case, can always, upon
tie pretences made in this case, or any
other pretences, or arbitrarily, without any
pretence, break up their Government, and
thus practically put an end to free govern
ment upon the earth. 1t forces US to ask,