Elkhorn Independent, April 19, 1861

Ere this paper reaches them, all of our readers will have learned the humiliating intelligence that Fort Sumter has fallen—that the brave and gallant Anderson and his noble band, after making a desperate fight for thirty hours, were compelled by a continual bombardment from every side, and superior numbers, to surrender to the traitors. Every true man deplores war, and is willing to make reasonable concession to avoid it; especially do men lament the necessity of a war when as it were, brother is to lift up his hand against brother, and neighbor against neighbor. When we remember how long the North and the South have been united by ties of blood and a common interest—when we remember how long we have shared the same glory that has been won on many a hard fought field—when we remember how long the two sections have shared the blessings of peace and prosperity together—when we remember how many haughty planters have wo[o]ed and won the fair daughter of our northern homes—we cannot but deplore the necessity of a war, which shall bring these two sections in deadly conflict. But the time has come when, "forbearance ceases to be a virtue." Rem[em]bering all these ties of common interest, the people of the North have been long-suffering, patient and slow to anger. They have seen their people treated in a manner unworthy of any civilized community, whipped, tarred and feathered, robbed and driven from communities whither they had gone to follow some peaceful pursuit, and in many instances murdered outright.—They have seen all manner of outrages and indignities committed upon their citizens for no cause save perhaps being suspected of entertaining opinions contrary to those of others. They have seen traitors called to occupy the highest positions in the Government, and have seen them use those positions to further the ends of treason by robbing the government of its means, and transferring its weapons of defense and munitions of war into the hands of the enemy, thus disgracing their positions and demoralizing the country. They have seen an unarmed vessel as it was on its way to supply a government fortification, fired into by rebels, and driven from a harbor belonging to the government—the people have seen all these things, and many more of a like character, which are familiar to all our readers, all of which they have endured for the sake of peace—and last of all, they have seen a fort belonging to the government, attacked and its brave garrison compelled to surrender to lawless rebels, the flag of the country disgraced and government dishonored—until now the people are arising in their majesty to put down the traitors, and THEY WILL DO IT. All over the free states, and in many of the slave states, the people are by thousands flocking around the standard of the "Star Spangled Banner," which has conquered on every field, and been borne aloft in triumph for eighty years, and IT WILL TRIUMPH AGAIN. Eighteen millions of freemen, are arising in their majesty, and the war of extermination to all traitors to the country will soon commence—and it will continue until treason is crushed out. We say let the war go on until the blood of Sumter is avenged—until the flag of the Free, which has been insulted and disgraced, shall be vindicated, and until every traitor, whether high or low, shall meet a traitor's reward.