Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-02-16

'"'i S'e"C eonSlueralion ana profound cS-
tecm, Your obcdient servant,
Signed Isaac w. HAYNE,
Envoy from the Governor and Council of
South Carolina.
SENATE CHAMBEB, january 10, 1861.
Sir We have. been requested to present
to you copies of correspondence between GER
tain Senator's of the United States and Col
Isaac w. Hnync, now in this city, in behalf
of the Government of South Carolina and
to ask that you will take into consideration the
subject of said correspondence
Very respectfully, Your obcdicnt servants
Signed BEN FITZPATRICK.
S. r. MALLORY.
JOIN SLIDELL.
To His Excellcncy James Buchanan, Pres
ident United States.
WAR DEPARTMENT., January %, 1861.
IL hc Lion. BcV"mm FGt.Dofrich, S. R.
LRalto'W ana .John .SiidcN.
Gentlemen The President has received
your communication of the 10Th instant, with
the copy of correspondence between your
serves and others, representing States
which have already seeded from the United
states, on will have done SO before the 1st of
February next" and Col. Isaac w. lIayne
OF South Carolina in behalf of the Govern.
ment OF that State, in relation to Fort Sum
ter; and you ask the President to "takc into
consideration the subject of that correspon.
dcncc with this request he has complied
and has directed me to communicate his an
swer.
In your letter to Col. ITayne, of the 18th
INST you propose to him to defer the delivery
OF IA message from the Governor of South Caro-
Ina to the President, with which he has been
entrusted, for few days, or until the PrcSidcn;
aud Col. liayne shah have considered the sug-
geStlons which you submit. 1t is unneccssa-
ry to refer specially TO these suggestions, be-
cause the letter addressed to YOU by Col
lln!ync, Of the 17th instant presents clear
and dspcctic answer to them. In this he SAYS
AN not clothed with power to make the
arrangement you suggest; but provided you
can get assurances, with which you are entire
~ satisfied, that no rcnforccments will be sent
to Fort Sumter, in the interval, and that the
public peace will not be disturbed by any act
of hostility towards South Carolina, | will re
fer your communication to the authorities of
South Carolina, nnd, Withholding the commu-
n'cation with which [ am at present charged,
willawait further Instructions"
From the beginning of the present unhap-
py troubles, the President has cndeavored to
perform his executive duties in such manner
as to preserve the peace of the country, aud
to prevent bloodshcd This is still his fixed
purpose You, therefore, do him no more
than justice in stating that you have aSsurn-
ces Cfrom his public messages, | presumel.
that notwithstanding the circumstances mn
der which Major Anderson left Fort NIoultrie.
and entered Fort Sumter with the forces un
der his command, it was not taken. and is not
held with any hostile or unfiendly purnosc
towards your State, but merely as property of
the United States, which the President deems
1T his duty to protect and preserve" you have
correctly stated what the President deems to
be his duty lis sole object now is, and has
oc"', to act strictly on the defensive, and to
nW .orize no movement against the people of
South Carolina, unless clearly justified by
hostile movement on their part He could
not have given better proof of his desire to
prevent the effusion of blood, than by forbcar-
ing to resort to the use of force, under the
strong provocntion of an attack (happily with
out fatal resulD on an unarmcd vessel bear
ing the flag of the United States
am happy to observe that in your letter
to Col. llayne, you express the opinion, that
it is especially due from South Carolina 10
our States to say nothing of other savchold-
Ing States, that she should, as far as she can
consistently with her honor, avoid initiating
hOstilities between her and the Uuited States
or any other power" 70 initiate such hos
tilitics against Fort Sumter would, beyond
qucs tlon, be can act of war against the Unitcd
States.
In regard to the proposition of Col. Hryne,
Z" that no rciniorcenents will be sent 10 Fort
Sumter, in the interval and that the public
peace will not be disturbed by any act of hos
tllty towards South Carolina" it is impossi.
bile for me to give You any such nssuranccs.-
The President has no authority to enter into
such an agreement or understanding. AS AN
executive officer, lie is simply bound to pro
tcct the public property, so far as this may be
practicable; and it would he manifest viola
ton of his duty to place himself under en-
gagemcnts that he would not perform this du-
ty either for an indie mite or limited period.
At the present moment it is not deemed nee
essary to reinforce Major Anderson, because
he makes no such request, and feels quite Sc
cure in his position. Should his safety, how
ever require rclntorcements, every effort will
be made to supply them.
In regard to an assurance from the Prcsi-
dent " that the public peace will not be dis.
'turbed by any act of hostility towards South
Carolina" the answer will readily occur to
yourselves. To Congress, and to Congress
alone, belongs the power to make war, and it
would be an act of usurpation for the Execu-
tive to give any assurance that Congress would
not exercise this power, however strongly he
may be convinced that no such intention ex-