The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-23 00:00:00

any officer could have taken such a step, 'not only without
orders, but against orders.' What the State did was in
simple self defence ; for this act, with all its attending cir-
cumstances, was as much war as firing a volley ; and war
being thus begun, until those commencing it explained
their action and disavowed their intention, there was no
room for delay; and even at this moment while we are
writing it is more than probable, from the tenour of your
letter, that reinforcements are hurrying on the conflict, so
that when the first gun shall be fired there will have been
on your part one continuous, consistent series of actions,
commencing in a demonstration essentially warlike, sup-
ported by regular reinforcements, and terminating in defeat
or victory. And all this without the slightest provocation ;
for, among the many things which you have said, there is
one thing you cannot say—you have waited anxiously for
news from the seat of war in hopes that delay 'would furnish
some excuse for this precipitation. But this 'tangible
evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act on the part
of the authorities of South Carolina,' which is the only
justification of Major Anderson, you are forced to admit
' has not yet been alleged.' But you have decided, you
have resolved to hold by force what you have obtained
through our misplaced confidence, and by refusing to
disovow the action of Major Anderson have converted
his violation of orders into a legitimate act of your
executive authority. Bo the issue what it may, of this
we are assured, that, if Fort Moultrie has been recorded
in history as a memorial of Carolina gallantry, Fort Sum-
ter will live upon the succeeding page as an imperishable
testimony of Carolina faith.
" By your course you have probably rendered civil war
inevitable. re it so. If you choose to force this issue upon
us, the State of South Carolina will accept it, and, relying
upon Him, who is the God of Justice as well as the God of
Hosts, will endeavour to perform the great duty which lies
before her hopefully, bravely, and thoroughly.
" Our mission being one for negotiation and peace, and
your note leaving us without hope of a withdrawal of the
troops from Fort Sumter, or of the restoration of the statu
quo exieting at the time of our arrival, and intimating, as
we think, your determination to reinforce the garrison in
the harbour of Charl eaten, we respectfully inform you that
we purpose returning to Charleston to-morrow afternoon.—
We have the honour to be, sir, very respectfully your obe-
dient servants,
4( H. W. BARNIVELL,
if I. H. ADAMS, Commissioners.
" JAME,s' L. ORR,
" To his Excellency the
President of the United States."
The following is the endorsement upon the docu-
ment :

"Executive Mansion, Wednesday, 3.30.14
" This paper, just presented to the President, is of such
a character that he declines to receive it."

FROM THE GAZETTE OF _LAST NIGHT.

.....J. ~, ~....,‘l. ...... .......

ST. 'JAMES'S PALACE, JAN. 18.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint William Stokes,
Esq., M.D., to be one of the Physicians in Ordinary to her
Majesty in Ireland.
CROWN-OFFICE, JAN. 21.
MEMBER RETVRNED TO SERVE IN TH E PRESENT
PARLIAMENT.

County of Pembroke—George Lord Phillips, Esq., in
the room of the lion. John Frederick Vaugb an Campbell,
commonly called Viscount Emlyn,now Earl ,Cawdor, anni•
moned to the House of Peers.
WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, Lilt. 22.
Royal Regiment of Artillery—Second Certain Thomas
Henry Pitt, from the Supernumerary. List, to be Second
Captain, vice Brabazon, deceased ; Lieutenant Charles
Dalrymple Gilmour to be Second Captain., vice Noble,
who resigns. The undermentioned gentlemen Cadets
from the Royal Indian Military College, at Addiscombe,
to be Lieutenants, viz. :—Alfred Edward Turner, James
Fox Brough, Charles Wigram Long, Ed ward Stedman,
Herbert Frederic Gairnes, Henry Haugh.ton Hardinge,
Arthur Napier Pearse, Charles Henry bir ragge, William
John Rose Harrison, and Wyndham Hughes Hallett.
Corps of Royal Engineers—The undermentioned gentle-
men Cadets from the Royal Indian Min try College, at
Addiscombe, to be Lieutenants with temporary rank,
:.—Bellow Charles Pye, Ralph Rhenins Evans
Brockman, Andrew Abercrombie Jopp, Robert John
M'.Jlure, William Arthur James Wallace, and Bindon
Blood,

BANKRUPTS.
Daniel Robert Richards, boot and shoe manufacturer,
Birkenhead.
Charles Robertson, baker and flour dealer, Liverpool.
Joseph Radcliffe, butcher, Dobcross, Yorkshire.
Thomas Phillip Ponton, grocer, Wrexham, Denbigh.
shire.
Thomas Flood, woollen manufacturer, Gomersal, York-
shire.
John Rogers, draper, Merthyr Tydfil.
Thomas George Tomkins, bookseller, 163, Strand.
John Risley, dealer in shares, Lombard-street, City.
Charles Watson, grocer, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Robert Lang, farmer, Forest Farm, near Scorton, York-
shire.
Walter Elliott, grocer, Bedminster, Dorsetshire.

SCOTCH BANKRUPTS.
William Lyon M'Phun, builder, Glasgow.
John Campbell, Esq., Edinburgh;
James Campbell, draper, Ayr.
James Duncan, watchmaker and jeweller, Dumfries.
Robert Brander general merchant, tossiemouth.