Year: 1861

sented, and it was resolved to send it forward, rs
had been intended in this contingency. 1t was
also resolved to notify the Governor of South
Carolina that he 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 notice accordingly given, where
upon the fort was attacked and bombarded to its
fall, before awaiting the arrival of the provision
ing expedition.


! 1t is thus seen that the assault upon and reduc-
tion of Fort Sumter was in no sense a matter Of
self defence on the part of the assailants. They
know that they expressly notified that the
giving Of bread to the few brave and hungry men
of the garrison was all that would on that occasion
be attempted, unless they themselves, by resisting
so much, should provoke more. They knew that
this government desired to keep the garrison in
the fort. not to assal them, bnt merely to main
tain visible possession, and thus to preserve the
Union from actual and immediate dissolution,
trusting, hereinbefore stated to time, discus
sion, and the ballotbox for final adjustment and
they assaed and red nced the fort for precisely the
reverse object-to drive the out the visible author
ity of the Federal Union, and thus force it to i'm
mediate dissolution.


That this was their object the Executive wei
understood, and having said to them, in the inaug
ural address, "You can have no conflict without
being yourselves the aggressors," he took pains
not only to keep this declaration good, but also to
lyoo G. g.
the world should not misunderstood it. BY the
affair at Fort Sumter. with its surrounding ercum-
stance, that point was reached. Then and there
by the assailants Of the government, began the
conflict, without a gun in sight or expectancy to
return their firing, save only the few in the fort
sent to that harbor years before for their own pro-
tection and still ready to give that protection in
whatever was loyal. In this act, discarding all
else, they have forced upon the country the dis
tinct issue of immediate dissolution Or blood, and
this issue reflects more than the fate of these Uni.
ted States. 1t presents to the whole family of
man the question whether a constitutional republic
| or democracy-a government of the people, the
| same peOple-can or cannot maintain its territOri
al integrity against its own domestic foes. 1t
presents the question whether dscontented per-
sons too few in numbers to control the administra-
ton according to the organic law in any case, can
always, upon the pretences made in this case, or
any other pretences, or arbitraii ilv without any
pretencc, break up their government and thus
practically put end to free governments upon the
earth. 1t forces to ask is there in all republics
this inherent and fata' weakness? Must gov
ernment of necessity be too strong for the libcr
ties of the people, or too weak to maintain its
own existcnce7


So viewing the issue, no choice was left but to
call out the power Of the government, and so
to resist the force employed for its destruction by
force for its preservation. The call was made,
and the response of the country most gratifying
surprising in unanimmty and spirit the most sam
gune expectation Yet none of the States common
y called slave States, except Delaware, gave re g-
ment through the regular State organizations. A
few regiments have been organized within some
other of those States by Individual enterprise, and
received into the government service. Of course
the seeded States, so called, and to which Texas
was joined about the time Of the Inauguration
gave no troops to the cause Of the Union. The
border States, so called were not uniform in their
action. some of them being almost for the Union,
while in others. as Virginia, North Carana, Ter :
nessee and Arkansas, the Union sentiment was
nearly repressed and silcnced.


Tho course taken in Virginia was the most re-
markable, perhaps the most important. A con-
vention elected by the people of the State to con-
slider this very question of disruptng the Federal
Union. was in session at the capital of Virginia
whe" Fort Sumter fell To this body the people
had elected u large majority ofprofessed Union
men. Almost Immediately after the fall of Sump-
ter. members of that majority went over to the
original minority, and, with them, adopted an or
dnance for withd:awng the State from the Union.
Whether this change was wrought by their great
resentment at the governments resistance to that
assault. is not definitely known. Although they
submitted the Ordnace for ratification to vote of the
people, to be taken somewhat more than month
distant, the convention, and the Legislature,
which was also in session at the same time and
place, with leading men of the State not belong
ing to either, Immediately commenced acting if
the State was already out Of the Union. They
pushed military preparations vigorously forward
all over the State. They seized the United States
armory at Harper's Ferry and the navy.yard at
GOsport, near Norfolk. They received, perhaps
invited. into their State large bodies OF troops,
with their warlke appointmen nts from the so-caled
seeded States. They formerly entered into a
treaty Of alliance with the so-called confederate
States," and sent members to their Congress at
Montgomery. And finally they permitted the In
surrectionary government to be transferred to
their capite. at Richmond.


The people of Virginia have thus allowed
this giant insnrrecton to make its nest within her
borders, and this government has no choice left
but to deal with it where it finds it. and it has the
less to regret as the loyal citizens have. in due
form. claimed its protection These loyal citizens
the government is bound to recognize aud protect
as being in Virginia.


In the border States, so called-in fact, the
middle Statcs-there are those who favor policy
which they call armed neutrality; that is an arm
ing of those States to prevent the Union forces