Military Preparations at the North
The New York Herald, of the 6th inst., gives accounts of what is going on in this way, in anticipation of a coercive policy on the part of the Washington administration. It says that on the 5th inst., Gov. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, besides being closeted with Lincoln an hour, had an interview with Secretary Cameron and Gen. Scott, and at 11 o'clock the same night, had a private interview with one of Gen. Scott's confidential officers. There is no doubt, it adds, that Pennsylvania will be put on war footing immediately.
Massachusetts is said to have six thousand six hundred and seventy men, all equipped and ready to march at twelve hours notice. Among them, says the Herald are two flying artillery batteries, almost as expert in drill as the best regulars, and several dragoon and cavalry corps, not surpassed in efficiency by any in the volunteer militia, in the United States. The infantry corps are well drilled.
New York State, according to the same authority, is pledged to furnish ten thousand men at forty eight hours notice, and other states in proportion.
Illinois and other Western States, adds the Herald, are begging to be called into the field.
Well, "forewarned, forearmed," is the lesson to be drawn from all of this.
...A Western Congressman, who has satisfied himself as to the purposes of the administration, by an interview with the President within the last twenty-four hours, remarked that "blood will be spilled in less than ten days." The unmistakable symptoms of an impending strife render it all too probable that his evil prophesy will be verified.
The federal administration does not mean to engage in any aggressive demonstrations. Its men of war are not put in fighting trim, and its troops are not collected in large bodies for a war subjugation. It simply intends to strengthen, protect, and defend, in case of attack, all Southern forts still in its possession, excepting Fort Sumter, which it is ready to abandon in order to avoid useless bloodshed. It will use all the resources at its command to collect the revenue.
Of course, all this gossip and vaticination must be taken only for what it is worth. We give it as we find it.
I will admit to having to look up "vaticination."
Massachusetts is said to have six thousand six hundred and seventy men, all equipped and ready to march at twelve hours notice.
New York State, according to the same authority, is pledged to furnish ten thousand men at forty eight hours notice, and other states in proportion.
Illinois and other Western States, adds the Herald, are begging to be called into the field.
Like I wrote in post 19, Lincoln couldn't have done much of anything without the support of the Northern States that elected him—twice. And maybe he gets a bad rap.
If the Governor of Pennsylvania took an interview with the Administration on April 5th, then when was he called to that interview by, no doubt, the President?
Come to think of it, Col. Lee had his famous interview with Gen. Scott on April 20th. So when were his orders cut, and by whom, at whose request, on what date? Lee had to come from San Antonio.
And if Massachusetts had that many men trained up to a razor's edge for war, then when did the State begin training them, and at whose instigation, and with what purpose? This had been going on for a while.
And the South was the "aggressor" because they put out a call for large numbers of (yet) non-existent troops?
Please.
The apologetics keep flowing out from their fountainhead, only less and less convincingly as time goes by.