Year: 1861

ground within tho time when proyisions in the fort


would be exhausted. In purely military point OF


view this reduced the duty of the Administration in the


to the mere matter Of getting the garrison safely


out ftLe fort.


! 1t was believed, however, that to 30 abandon that


position under the circumstances would be utterly r


inous: that the necessity under which il was to be
done would not be fully understood that by many Ii
would be construed as part of voluntary policy;
that at home it would discourage the friends Of tho


Union, emboden its adversares, and 20 far to insurs
the letter recognition abroad that in fact it would
be our national destruction consummated.
! This could not be allowed. Starvation was not yet
upon the garrison and ere II would be reached, Fort
PickeDs might be re-enforced. This last would be
clear indication of policy, and would enable the coun-
try TO accept the evacuation of Fort Sumter as
military necessity. An order at once directed TO
be sent for the landing of the troOTs from
the steamship Brooklyn Into Fort Pickens. This order
could not go by land but must take the longer and
surer route by sea.


The first return news from the order was received
iust one week before the fall of Sumter. The LEWIS


itself was that the officer commanding the Sabine, TO
which vessel the troops lad been transferred from the


Brooklyn, acting upon some quasi armsice OF the late
Administration and of the existence Of which tho
present Administration, up to the time the order was
dispatched bad only too vague and uncertain rumors to


fix attention. hadrefused to land the troops To now re-
enforce Fort Pickens, before crisis would be reached
at Fort Sumter, was impossible rendered 80 by tho
near exhaustion of provisions in the stter-named fort


In precauon against such conjuncture the Govern
ment bad few days before commenced preparing an
expedition, as well adapted might be, to relieve
Fo, Sumter, which expedition was intended to be ut
mately used not ordng to current circumstances
The strongest anticipated case for using it was now
presented and resolved to send it forward, as
had been intended.


In this contingency also resolved TO notify the
Governor Of South Carolina that he might expect an
attempt would be made to provision the fort, and that
if the attempt should not be resisted there would be no
attemp. to throw in men, arms, or ammunition, with
further notice. in Of attack upon the fort
This notice accordingly given, whereupon the fort
was attacked and bombarded TO its fall, without even
awaiting the arrival Of the provisioning expedition.


1t thus seen that the assault upon and reduction Of
Fort Sumter in sense matter Of selfdefense
on the part Of the asssisnts They well knew that the
garrison in the fort could, by possibility, commh
aggression 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 which would on
that occasion be attempted, unless themselves, by
resisting 50 much, should provoke more.


They knew that this Government desired to keep
the garrison in the fort not to asSai them but merely


TO maintain visible possession and thus 10 preserve the
Union from actual and immediate dissolution, trusting
as herein before stated TO me discussion and the bah
ot-box for final adjustment and they assailed and re-
duced the fort for precisely the object TO drive
out the visible authority of the Federal Union and thus
force il TO immediate dissolution; that this was their
object, the Executive we'll understood, and having
said TO them in the Inaugural Address You can
have no conflict without being yourselves the aggres
sors."


He took pains not only to keep this declaration good,
but also eephe SO fart from ingenious sophisy
az that the world should mis1ndestand it. BY the
anair Fort Sumner, with lie surrounding circum-
stances, that point reached. Then and thereby
the assailans Of the Government began the conflict Of
without gun in sight in expectancy 10 re-
turn their fire. only the few in the fort sent 10
that barbor years before for their protection and
still ready to give that protection in whatever was
lawful In this act, dscarding all else, they have
forced upon the country the distinct issue-mmedate
dissolution or blood And this issue embraces more
than the fate of these United States. 1t presents to the
whole family Of man the question whether constu-
sional republic or democracy, q government Of the
feoPe, Uy tno peOplc, OF CANNOT
territorial integrity against its domestic foes 10
presents the question whether discontened individuals
too few in numbers to control the administration &c.
cordng TO the organic law in any case, can ALWAYS
upon the preenses made in this any other pre-
lenses or arbitrarily without any preense break up
their government and thus practically put end 70
free government upon the earth 1t forces 10 ask


Is there in all republics this inherent and fatal weak
nessl" Must government of necessity be too strong
for the liberties of its own people, or two weak to
maintain its own exstencei


So viewing the sue, choice was left but to call
out the war power Of the Government, and 30 TO rec
sst the force employed for its destruction by force for
its preseryation The call made aud the response
of the country was most gratifying, surprising in una
nimity and spirit the most sanguine expectations fd
none of the States commonly called Slave States ex-
cept Delaware, gave q regiment through the regular
State organization. few regiments have been or
zauzed within Others Of those States 10y individual
enterprise and received into the Government service


OF course the seeded States, called and to which
Texas had been oined about the time Of the inaugur
alton. gave no troops the of the Union The
Border States so called were not uniform in their 40
lion. some of them being almost Sor the Union, while
in Others such in Virginia, North Carolina, Ienes-
see, and Arkansas, the Union sentiment was nearly
and sileuced. The course taken in Virginia
was the most remarkable, perhaps the most imPo ah'


A Convention elected by the people OF that eIase
consider this very question of dsupting the Fe0ef1
Union WAS in session at the capital of Virginia wnen
Fot Sumter fell To this body the people had cno'e
a Largo nai,rty of professed Union men, Ai"'0.
i,nms Isiely after the fall of Sumter, many n'en'