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ere　it　would　be　reached　Fort　Pickens　might　be　reinforced。　　This　last

would　be　a　clear　indication　of　policy；　and　would　better　enable　the

country　to　accept　the　evacuation　of　Fort　Sumter　as　a　military

necessity。　　An　order　was　at　once　directed　to　be　sent　for　the　landing

of　the　troops　from　the　steamship　Brooklyn　into　Fort　Pickens。　　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　Fort　Sumter。　　The　news　itself　was　that　the

officer　commanding　the　Sabine；　to　which　vessel　the　troops　had　been

transferred　from　the　Brooklyn；　acting　upon　some　quasi　armistice　of

the　late　administration　（and　of　the　existence　of　which　the　present

administration；　up　to　the　time　the　order　was　despatched；　had　only　too

vague　and　uncertain　rumors　to　fix　attention）；　had　refused　to　land　the

troops。　　To　now　reinforce　Fort　Pickens　before　a　crisis　would　be

reached　at　Fort　Sumter　was　impossiblerendered　so　by　the　near

exhaustion　of　provisions　in　the　latter…named　fort。　　In　precaution

against　such　a　conjuncture；　the　government　had；　a　few　days　before；

commenced　preparing　an　expedition　as　well　adapted　as　might　be　to

relieve　Fort　Sumter；　which　expedition　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　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　effort　to　throw

in　men；　arms；　or　ammunition；　without　further　notice；　or　in　case　of　an

attack　upon　the　fort。　　This　notice　was　accordingly　given；　whereupon

the　fort　was　attacked　and　bombarded　to　its　fall；　without　even

awaiting　the　arrival　of　the　provisioning　expedition。



It　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　well　knew　that　the　garrison　in　the　fort　could　by　no

possibility　commit　aggression　upon　them。　　They　knewthey　were

expressly　notifiedthat　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　so　much；　should　provoke

more。　　They　knew　that　this　government　desired　to　keep　the　garrison　in

the　fort；　not　to　assail　them；　but　merely　to　maintain　visible

possession；　and　thus　to　preserve　the　Union　from　actual　and　immediate

dissolutiontrusting；　as　hereinbefore　stated；　to　time；　discussion；

and　the　ballot…box　for　final　adjustment；　and　they　assailed　and

reduced　the　fort　for　precisely　the　reverse　objectto　drive　out　the

visible　authority　of　the　Federal　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　aggressors；〃　he

took　pains　not　only　to　keep　this　declaration　good；　but　also　to　keep

the　case　so　free　from　the　power　of　ingenious　sophistry　that　the　world

should　not　be　able　to　misunderstand　it。　　By　the　affair　at　Fort

Sumter；　with　its　surrounding　circumstances；　that　point　was　reached。

Then　and　thereby　the　assailants　of　the　government　began　the　conflict

of　arms；　without　a　gun　in　sight　or　in　expectancy　to　return　their

fire；　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　lawful。　　In　this　act；　discarding　all　else；　they　have

forced　upon　the　country　the　distinct　issue；　〃immediate　dissolution　or

blood。〃



And　this　issue　embraces　more　than　the　fate　of　these　United　States。

It　presents　to　the　whole　family　of　man　the　question　whether　a

constitutional　republic　or　democracya　government　of　the　people　by

the　same　peoplecan　or　cannot　maintain　its　territorial　integrity

against　its　own　domestic　foes。　　It　presents　the　question　whether

discontented　individuals；　too　few　in　numbers　to　control

administration　according　to　organic　law　in　any　case；　can　always；　upon

the　pretenses　made　in　this　case；　or　on　any　other　pretenses；　or

arbitrarily　without　any　pretense；　break　up　their　government；　and　thus

practically　put　an　end　to　free　government　upon　the　earth。　　It　forces

us　to　ask：　Is　there　in　all　republics　this　inherent　and　fatal

weakness？　　Must　a　government；　of　necessity；　be　too　strong　for　the

liberties　of　its　own　people；　or　too　weak　to　maintain　its　own

existence？



So　viewing　the　issue；　no　choice　was　left　but　to　call　out　the　war

power　of　the　government；　and　so　to　resist　force　employed　for　its

destruction　by　force　for　its　preservation。



The　call　was　made；　and　the　response　of　the　country　was　most

gratifying；　surpassing　in　unanimity　and　spirit　the　most　sanguine

expectation。　　Yet　none　of　the　States　commonly　called　slave　States；

except　Delaware；　gave　a　regiment　through　regular　State　organization。

A　few　regiments　have　been　organized　within　some　others　of　those

States　by　individual　enterprise；　and　received　into　the　government

service。　　Of　course　the　seceded　States；　so　called　（and　to　which　Texas

had　been　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　othersas　Virginia；

North　Carolina；　Tennessee；　and　Arkansasthe　Union　sentiment　was

nearly　repressed　and　silenced。　　The　course　taken　in　Virginia　was　the

most　remarkableperhaps　the　most　important。　　A　convention　elected　by

the　people　of　that　State　to　consider　this　very　question　of　disrupting

the　Federal　Union　was　in　session　at　the　capital　of　Virginia　when　Fort

Sumter　fell。　　To　this　body　the　people　had　chosen　a　large　majority　of

professed　Union　men。　　Almost　immediately　after　the　fall　of　Sumter；

many　members　of　that　majority　went　over　to　the　original　disunion

minority；　and　with　them　adopted　an　ordinance　for　withdrawing　the

State　from　the　Union。　　Whether　this　change　was　wrought　by　their　great

approval　of　the　assault　upon　Sumter；　or　their　great　resentment　at　the

government's　resistance　to　that　assault；　is　not　definitely　known。

Although　they　submitted　the　ordinance　for　ratification　to　a　vote　of

the　people；　to　be　taken　on　a　day　then　somewhat　more　than　a　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　members　of　either；　immediately　commenced　acting　as　if　the　State

were　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　invitedinto　their　State　large　bodies　of

troops；　with　their　warlike　appointments；　from　the　so…called　seceded

States。　　They　formally　entered　into　a　treaty　of　temporary　alliance

and　co…operation　with　the　so…called　〃Confederate　States；〃　and　sent

members　to　their　congress　at　Montgomery。　　And　finally；　they　permitted

the　insurrectionary　government　to　be　transferred　to　their　capital　at

Richmond。



The　people　of　Virginia　have　thus　allowed　this　giant　insurrection　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

regret　as　the　loyal　citizens　have；　in　due　form；　claimed　its

protection。　　Those　loyal　citizens　this　government　is　bound　to

recognize　and　protect；　as　being　Virginia。



In　the　border　States；　so　called；in　fact；　the　middle　States；there

are　those　who　favor　a　policy　which　they　call　〃armed　neutrality〃；　that

is；　an　arming　of　those　States　to　prevent　the　Union　forces　passing　one

way；　or　the　disunion　the　other；　over　their　soil。　　This　would　be

disunion　completed。　　Figuratively　speaking；　it　would　be　the　building

of　an　impassable　wall　along　the　line　of　separationand　yet　not　quite

an　impassable　one；　for　under　the　guise　of　neutrality　it　would　tie　the

hands　of　Union　men　and　freely　pass　supplies　from　among　them　to　the

insurrectionists；　which　it　could　not　do　as　an　open　enemy。　　At　a

stroke　it　would　take　all　the　trouble　off　the　hands　of　secession；

except　only　what　proceeds　from　the　external　blockade。　　It　would　do

for　the　disunionists　that　which；　of　all　things；　they　most　desire

feed　them　well　and　give　them　disunion　without　a　struggle　of　their

own。　　It　recognizes　no　fidelity　to　the　Constitution；　no　obligation　to

maintain　the　Union；　and　while　very　many　who　have　favored　it　are

doubtless　loyal　citizens；　it　is；　nevertheless；　very　injurious　in

effect。



Recurring　to　the　action　of　the　government；　it　may　be　stated　that　at

first　a　call　was　made　for　75；000　militia；　and；　rapidly　following

this；　a　proclamation　was　issued　for　closing　the　ports　of　the

insurrectionary　districts　by　proceedings　in　the　nature　of　blockade。

So　far　all　was　believed　to　be　strictly　legal。　　At　this　point　the

insurrectionists　announced　their　purpose　to　enter　upon　the　practice

of　privateering。



Other　calls　were　made　for　volunteers　to　serve　for　three　years；　unless

sooner　discharged；　and　also　for　large　additions　to　the　regular　army

and　navy。　　These　measures；　whether　strictly　legal　or　not；　were

ventured　upon；　under　what　appeared　to　be　a　popular　demand　and　a

public　necessity；　trusting　then；　as　now；　that　Congress　would　readily

ratify　them。　　It　is　believed　that　nothing　has　been　done　beyond　the

constitutional　competency　of　Congress。



Soon　after　the　first　call　for　militia；　it　was　considered　a　duty　to

authorize　the　commanding　general　in　proper　cases；　according　to　his

discretion；　to　suspend　the　privilege　of　the　writ　of　habeas　corpus；

or；　in　other　words；　to　arrest　and　detain；　without　resort　to　the

ordinary　processes　and　forms　of　law；　such　individuals　as　he　might

deem　dang