Newbern weekly progress., 1861-04-23
REPLY OF THE CONFEDERATE COMMIS-
SIONERS TO MR.. SEWARD.

The Commissioners of the Confederate
States, who have been in Washington for seve-
raj weeks, endeavoring to induce the admins
tration to effect peaceful adjustment of our
national troubles having failed in their mission,
have left for Montgomery, to report the result
to President Davis. Their final reply to Secrc-
tary Seward, (who recently addressed them a
note refusing to receive them in their diplomat
ic character) is said to be written with ability,
and reflects severely on the administration, tax
ing the ground that they (the commissioners
have exhausted every resource for d peaceful
solution of the existing difficulty, and that if
civil war results, on the head of the federal
government will rest the responsibility. They
charge the administration with gross perfdy,
insisting that under the shelter Of the pretcxt
and assertion that Fort Sumter was to be cvacua-
ted an immense armada has been despatched
to provision and reinforce that port
They repeat that they had almost daily indi-
rect assurances from the administration that
Fort Sumter was positively to be abandoned,
and that all the governments efforts were to be
directed towards peace. The Commissioners
allege that the government at Montgomery was
earnestly desirous OF peace, and that, in accord
ance with its Instructions as we'll as their own
feelings, that left no means uneXhauSted to Sc
cure that much desired end but all their efforts
having failed, they were now forced to return
to an outraged people with the object of their
mission unaccomplished, and they express the
firm conviction that war is inevitable.
Yhe New York Meas, speculating upon the
probable result of sending the war fleet to the
South, remarks:
There are those who gloat over the pros
pect of coming butchery-who, Ike vultures,
scent in anticipation the carnage about Fort
Sumter, and glory in the fatal blow that di-
vides the Union, as they hope forever Their
horrible eXutations at this moment, when civil
war is about to commence show that the par
tv to which they belonged had this very end
of disunion and war in view when thav initia-
ted their political aggressions against the South.
Upon the Republican party and the Republi-
can Administration will fall the deep condem-
nation which must follow this most wicked and
unnecessary proceeding.
1--WE care not to speculate upon what par
ticular point of southern territory the expedi-
ton is to be hurried We have no interests in
the storming of the beleaguering batteries
around Sumter, or of conveying to 1t reinforce
ments under the protection of vessels shielded
by sand bags. These floating Malakofs may
prove match for the cordaroe batteries OF
sand and iron rails that have been got up to
command the approaches to Sumter, but in the
experiment we take little interest There is
one horrible reality which swallows up every
| other consideration it is that war may have
already broken out. That the crime of Cain
may be repeated here, and our American soil
may be crimsoned with blood shed in fraternal
strife 1t is well that the grave has closed over
Washington and his companions of the Revo,
luton and that the men who founded this
republic do hot witness its fall.'