Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-01-03
FROM WASHINGTON.

| Washington, Dec. %. The news Of the
| capture of Fort Moultrie and PiDckney reach
ed the Government while the Cabinet meet
| inc was beingIheld. The South Carolina Com
! missioners are IN conference with the officers
of the Government, and demand that the
troops shall be Immediately Withdrawn, and
unless this is done they will return immedi-
ately to South Carolina and p: epare for the
| work.
II is said that the South Carolina Com
missioners. In view oil the alleged supulauons
| On the part of the President that the garri-
| sops at Charleston should not be augmented
nor the military stutus Of the posts changed,
requested the President to Inform them wheth-
or Major Anderson's movement was by has or
the War Departments "7ders. Mr. Buchan-
| an responded negatively, adding that Major
| Anderson acted on his own authority. The
| commissioners then TrYursteG the President
! =. remand Major Anderson to Fort Moultrie.
! but on this point the Canine bod nut come
| to a conclusion when it adjourned.
The Cabinet continued IN session nearly
| .;-- - ~, ~,A adje',' nod until to
II orrow. without coming to conclusion with
regard to the South Carolina affair.
Major Anderson's proceeding is generally
commended tor this among Other reasons ::
| That while the comparative weakness OF Fort
Moultrie might provoke az attack from
| the mob, the impregnabllity OF Fort Sumter
| places 1t beyond such a contingency, as it can
| be reduced only by regular protracted siege,
| thus avoi ling immediate collision.
Washington, Dec. %. The result of the
| Cabinet meeting has created great excite
ment.
As it was never stipulated or agreed by the
President that troops should be Withdrawn
from the forts around Charleston harbor, the
Ia. Hna. consider Ifsalf
any obligation to do So
As to the request of the South Carolina
Commissioners for the restoration OF the mill
tary stores, this is considered by the larger
portion of the Cabinet as an ImposSibility
Secretaries Floyd, Thompson aud Thomas,
who hold to the constitutional right Of seces-
ion, were sepal ated on the South Carolina
question from their Cabinet associates.
There was no positive decision at the meet
ing to-day, although the prospe is certainly
not favorable to the Commissioners, and this
statement is strengthened by the fact that
Secretary Floyd to day resigned his Office.
1t is said that Secretary Thompson would
also have resigned were 1t not that the Inves-
tigation is pending concerning affairs of the
Interior Department in connection with the
abstraction of the Indian Trust Bonds, an IN
vestigatiun v hich he asked for in vindication
OF Ills own lOuOT anu
4 report prevails that Secretary Thomas
has resigned, hut this results from his indecis-
ion as to whether he shall remain in the Cabi-
net and his generally believed earnest sym
patty with SecI etaLy Floyd.
Washington, Dec 80. The President a.
cepted Mr.. Floyd's resignation yesterday.
The cause OF Mr.. FIoyd's resignation was the
refusal by the President to consent to an
Co., H. tuithlra al of tho from,
Fort Sumter. The Secretary deemed such
course necessary to prevent civil war and
bloodshed, and as there has been mutual
understanding that there should be no change
in the condition of the forts in Charleston
harbor, and that South Carolina should not
make an attack upon the troops in them or
otherwise interfere with the property of the
government, the movement of Major Ander- |
son was entirely wrong, which could only be
repaired by Withdrawing the troops.
Mr. Floyd will soon return to Virginia.
1t is not certain that Major Anderson will |
remain at Fort Sumter The troops may be |
remanded to Fort Moultrie, provided that sat
assurances are g ven that they will
not be disturbed by the South Carolinians.
1t is generally believed that General Scott
submitted to the President several days since
plans for the blockade of Charleston, and for
strongly reinforcing all southern garsons, and
suggesting other military preparations, which
it is said, were not received favorably.
New York, Dec. 80. The Washington
of the Herald says that Secre-
tdry rioy tad -, --.-:.:~r7 - tL PHI
that unless Major Anderson was withdrawn
he should resign. Gen. Butler OF Massachu-
sets, it is thought, will succeed Mr.. Floyd.
The Herald also has dispatch, TO the eff
q 1.l.o ~ af Charlpst0n had |
been seized, and that her captain, citizen
Of Charleston had resigned.
Lieutenant Foster commanding the slave !
prize Bonita, now at Charleston, took the /
Slave captain on a writ of habeas corpus be-
fora State Judge, VIII remanded the prisoner
to the custody of Foster for want OF jurisdic-
ton. As the Lieutenant was returning to the |
Bonita, mob rescued the slave captain.