Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-01-09

orders to act strictly on the defensive. In
such O contingency, the responsibility for
consequences would rightfully rest upon the
heads of the assailants."
This being the condition of the parties, on
Saturday, Sth December, four of the Repre-
sentatives from South Carolina called on me,
and requested an interview. We had al
earnest conversation on the subject of these
forts, and the best means of preventing a
collision between the parties, for the purpose
of sparing the effusion of blood. suggest
ed. for prudential reasons, that it would be
the best to put in writing what they said TO
me verbally. They did so accordingly, and
on Monday morning, the 10th inst, three OF
them presented to me paper, signed by all
the Representatives from South Carolina
with single exception, of which the follow
ing is copy:
$40 HIS ElceLencv James Buchanan,
President United States:
In compliance with our statement to you
Yesterday, we now express to you our strong
convictions that neither the constituted au
| thorities nor any body of the people of the
State of South Carolina, will either attack OF
modest the United States forts in the harboE
| of Charleston previously to the action OF the
Convention, and we hope and believe not IN
| til an offer has been made through an accred.
| tied representative to negotiate for an ami
cable arrangement of all matters between
| the State and the Federal Government, pro-
yided that no achievements shall be sent
| into those forts, and their relative military
status shall remain as at present.
| JOHN MCQUEEN.
N. l.. BONHAM.
WV. BOYCE.
| LAURENCE NJ. KEITT.
Washington, 9th December, 1902
And here must, 10 justice to myself, re-
| mark that, at the time the paper was pre-
sented to me, I objected to the word "pro,
vided ;" as it might be construed into an
| agreement on my part which never would
make. They said that nothing was further
| from their intention-they did not SO under
| stand it, and should not so consider it. 1t
| is eviden. they could enter into no recipro-
| cal agreement with me on the subject. They
| did not profess to have authority to do this,
and were acting in their individual charac-
| ter. considered it as nothing more in ef-
| feet than the promise of highly honorable
| gentlemen to exert their influence for the
purpose expressed.
The event has proven that they have faith
fully kept their promise, although 1 have
never since received line from any one OF
them, or from any member of the Conven-
ton, on the subject. 1t is well known it
was my determination, and this l freely ex
pressed, not to reinforce the forts in the har-
Dor and thus produce collision, until they
had been actually attacked, or until had
certain evidence that they were about to be
attacked. This paper 1 received most cor
daily, and considered it as happy omen
that peace might still be preserved, and that
time might be thus given for reflection. This
is the whole foundation for the alleged
pledge. But acted in the same manner as
I would have done had entered into posi-
tive and formal agreement with parties ca
pable of contracting, although such an agree
ment would have been on my part, from the
nature of my official duties, impossible. The
world knows that / have never sent any re-
Inducements to the forts in Charleston har-
Dor, and 1 have certainly never authorized
any change to be made in their relative mill
tary status. Bearing upon this subject, L
refer you to an order issued by the Secre-
tary of War, on the 11th inst, to Major An
derson, but not brought to my notice until
the 2lst inst. 1t is as follows:
"Mernorandum of Verbal Instructions to Major
Anderson LIST Artillery, Commanding Fort
Moultrie, South Carolina:
"You are aware of the great anxiety of
the Secretary of War that collision of the
troops with the people of this State shall be
avoided, and of bis studied determination to
pursue q course with reference to the mill
tsry force and forts in this hsrbor which shall
guard against such a collision. He has,
therefore, carefully abstained from increasing p
the force at this point, or taking any meas
ures which might add to the present excited
state of the public mind, or which would
throw any doubt on the confidence he feels
that South Carolina will not attempt by vio-
lence to obtain possession of the public works
or interfere with their occupancy.
"But as the counsel and acts of rash and
impulsive persons may possibly diSappoint
these expectations of the Government, be
deems it proper that you should be prepared,
with instructions, to meet so unhappy a con-
tingencJ. He has, therefore, directed me
verbally to give you such instructions.
"You are carefully to avoid every act
which would needlessly tend to provoke agg-
erosion, and for that reason you are not,
without necessity, to take up any position
which could be construed into the assumption
of a hostile attitude; but you are to hold
possession of the forts in this harbor, and if
attacked you are to defend yourself to the
last extremity.
"The smallness of your force will not per-
NIT you, perhaps, to occupy more than one
of the three forts, but an attack on, or at
tempt to take possession of either of them.
will be regarded as an act of hostility, and
you may then put your command into either
of them which you may deem most proper,
to increase it's power OF resistance. You are
also authorized to take similar steps when
ever you have tangible evidence of design
to proceed to hostile act.
d. P. BUTLER,
Assistant Adjutant- General"
Sort MoULTRIE, S. c., December IL, 1860"
This is in conformity to my Instructions TO
Major Buell.. JOHN B. FLOYD,
Secretary of War;"
These were the last instructions transmitted
to Major Anderson before his removal to
Fort Sumter, with single exception, in re-
gard to a particular which does not in any
degree affect the present question. Under
these circumstances, it is clear that Major
Anderson acted upon bis own responsibility
and without authority, unless, indeed, he had
tangible evidence of a design to proceed to
hostile act" on the part of the authorities
of South Carolina. which has not been al
legged. Still he is brave and honorable
officer, and justice requires that he should
not be condemned without fair hearing
Be this as it may, when 1 learned that Ma
jor Anderson had left Fort Moultrie and pro-
ceeded to Fort Sumter, my first promptings
were to command him to return to his former
position, and there to await the contingencies
presented in his instructions. This would
only have been done, with any degree of
safety to the comm and, by the concurrence
of the South Carolina authorities. But be-
ken in this direction, we received information
that the palmetto flag foated out to the
breeze at Castle Pinckney, and a large mill
tary force went over last night (the 27th) to
Fort Moultrie."
Thus, the authorities of South Carolina,
without waiting or asking for any explana-
tons, and, doubtless, believing as you have
expressed it, that the officer had acted not
only without, but against my orders, on the
very next day after the night when the re-
moval was made, seized by military force,
two of the three Federal forts in the harbor
of Charleston, and have covered them under
their own flag, instead of that of the United
States. At this gloomy period of our histo-
~, startling events succeed each other rap
idly.
On the very day, the 9th instant, that
possession of these two forts was taken, the
Palmetto flag was raised over the Federal
Custom House and Postoffice in Charleston,