. Abraham Lincoln and the downfall of American slavery . eforce left to man the fortifications in Charleston harborby the treacherous Floyd, Buchanans Secretary of War,was only sixty-five men, instead of the one thousand ormore, usually required. The troops were now nearly fam~ished, and, after a few replies to the fierce cannonadingfrom the rebel batteries, the flag of the United States fellfrom Fort Sumter. On the following day, April 13th,according to stipulations under which Anderson had sur-rendered, the flag was again hoisted and saluted with fiftyguns. Then the brave fellows marched out
. Abraham Lincoln and the downfall of American slavery . eforce left to man the fortifications in Charleston harborby the treacherous Floyd, Buchanans Secretary of War,was only sixty-five men, instead of the one thousand ormore, usually required. The troops were now nearly fam~ished, and, after a few replies to the fierce cannonadingfrom the rebel batteries, the flag of the United States fellfrom Fort Sumter. On the following day, April 13th,according to stipulations under which Anderson had sur-rendered, the flag was again hoisted and saluted with fiftyguns. Then the brave fellows marched out, and thefortress was in possession of the troops of the rebelconfederacy. No words can accurately describe the burst of patrioticwrath that now swept over the North. The rebels hadinsulted the flag of the republic, had driven a little frag-ment of the widely scattered army out of one of thenational defences, and had hoisted over that work thenew-fangled emblem of a power that could never be recog-nized as lawful by any citizen of the United States. Up. EXCITEMENT IN THE NORTH. 259 to that moment there had been many loyal persons whowere doubtful as to the right of the National Govern-ment to coerce a State. The doctrines so sedulouslypreached during Buchanans last days in office had manysupporters in the free States. Even up to the day beforeSumter fell, prominent politicians were found in theNorth ready to advocate the organization of a great com-promise party, with the Union so reconstructed thatslavery would be recognized and protected everywhere bythe law of the land. In an instant, as it were, all thisrubbish was swept away by the flood-tide of patriotismthat rose in the States of the North. With a certainpassionateness that would listen no longer to talk ofcompromise, the loyal people demanded that the insultto the republic should be avenged and the culprits pur-sued. Up to that time, there had been no preparationsfor war except those that were privately and even secretl
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectslaves, bookyear1894
