Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-01-18

the question be lranaFsrred from political Assem-
bles TO The ballot box, and the people ttemss slve,
would speedily lySredress the serious grievance.
which the South have suffered. But, in Heaven.
name, let thetrial be made before we plunge iutd
| armed conflict upon the Nero assumption that
there is no other alternative. Tine ia a great
conservative. power. Let us pause at this mo.
mentous point, and afford The people, both North
and SoultSa ah opportunity for rehectious yodi,i
that South Carolina. had been convncedof this
truth beiofe:hersPrecipitate' action ~.
of tie have not t yet IT, seeded svei" ,he
| forts, nrsenals aud Magazines Of Tie United
States have been seized. This is by far the mos,
serious step whiclfhas beeTtaken since the com
| nnencemeni Of tho droubles. This public prop.
erty has long besntsft without garrsons and
troops for it's projection. because no person doub
ted its security under the flag Of the country in
any State of tho -Uuion. besides. our small
army has scorcsly been sufficient to guard our
rsmote frontiers against Indian incursiona The
seizure OF this property. from all appearances:
has been purely aggressive and notrin resisto zee
10 any attempt TO coerce State or States TO re-.
main in the Union
At the beginning of these unhappy II .bles I
determined that no act OF nline ST. ,ul reas.
the excitement in either section. of the country,
II the POLITICAL coafiict were to end in a civil
war, 1t was my determine j purpose not to com:
mence IT, nor escu to fprnish an excuse for it by
sany act OF this Govcrnfient. My opinion re.
mans uheha"ged, thatjustice as well M sonnd
policy, require still to seek peaceful solution
Sot lhe qnestior.s nt issne between the Noab.and
"e oou;n. aiming this con vicon,
eae'eo ls':ln sending renlOrccnents to M1jcF fHs
derSon, who commanded the for,sSn Chaf'ieston
narror, until an absolute necessity for doing go
Should make itself apparent, lest it might un-
Jostiy De regarded ms menace Of military coer.
con, nnd"thns furnish, if not a provocuton ut
least ptetext for an outbreak the part of
South Carolina. No necessity for these rein
forcemenis seemed TO exist. was assured by
distinguished and upright gentlemen Of South
Carolina That no attack upon Mpjor Anderson
was " intended but that. on thsaconraryEit was
Tho desire ofsthe Statsanthoriiies, as much rs il
was my own, to avoid the fatal consequen nce es
which must eventually follow a military COLI
sion.
Aud here deem it proper to submit for your
~ formation copies of communication dated
ssSth December, 1860 addressed tome by II. w,
barnwell,-J. Hp Adams, and James L. Orr,
accompanying doedfenis, and copies of my IN /.
swer thereto, dAfeds8 sc December
In further explanation of Major Andersou's
removal ftofn Fort MoGtrie to Fort Sumter, IT is
proper to state that, after my answer to the South
Carolina Commiss'oners, the War Department
received letter from that gallant officer dated
OH the 27th December, 1860, the day after this
movement, from which the following is an ex-
troct:
IL will add, as my opinion, that many things
CONVINCED me that the authorities of the State
designed TO proceed 10 hostile act" Evidently
referring to the orders duted The III December
OF the late Secretary OF War; Under this
impression I.could not hesitate that it was INV
solemn duty to move my, command from fort
which we could not probably hays heid longer
than fortyeigRttor or sxty 1iodss TO thisonss where
my power of Issisianees increased To- very
greatdegIeesS 4sSssT.
1t will be;IeeolIec.e chat 4be concluding part
OF the orders was inStbe following terms :.
The srnalIriess Of your force will not permit
YOU perhaps, to occhpy orasthan one Of the
possession of tefrber one of them will 81 regarded
as, an act~of hostility, and you may the s6ut
your command into either of ffiien, which YOU
may deem most PROPER, to increase its power of
resHsance. fon, are also authorized 10 take
sin'ilur defensive stepaw henever you have tangi-
acl,2 :
It is said that serious spprehe,lsons afe 10 some
extent entertained, in which do not share, that
tho peace Of this District may be disturbed
before the 4tts of March next. In any event it
Will be my dnty. to preserve it, and this duty,
shall be performed :.
In co"clusipns il may be permitted 10 ME to
remark that afafe Often wafnedEiny country
men of.the 4dapgers which now surround us-
This may betislast time shall Iefsrao lie subject
officially ! fee! that my duty hass Been faith
fully. though it. may be ipRerfectly, perfyfmed;
and whatayesthe result may b., I shaH carry
to my grave The consciousn ess that I at 9east
-. ya BUCHANAN