Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-01-11
snail ne sent into lhose forts. and their rcla-
two military status shall remain as at pres
JOHN MCQUEEN,
NJ. j.. EONHAM,
w. w. BOfCE,
t1,pI'<-,.r \, Vrys ,,,,r,
LAURENCE n. KE!TI

w. w. BOTCE,
y. LAURENCE y. KE!TT.
! HG%h;agta n, F,c.DfLcf 9, lSGv.''
: And hcTr mist, IN Justice TO u,vsrlf rcnrryr
/ tba'. "a: the tme the paper WIS presented to m,
| objected to ihc word ''providc.i" as it minhi
! be construed into IN -ngrccmcnt on my par {
. whlrh never would lnukr. They SAID tlm,
n"ililn" WAS further from th"ir in,. n..on-thcv
d'd not 50 undrrstand it, .ind should not 50
! consider it. II is evident they could enter in,u
| no reciprocal agreement with me ou the s,ll.i"c,
| lhry did not profess 70 have authority to ,,o
il'i* and were actin. IN their Individual char
accr considered j; n"tin:i..; n,or,. in cfrr.;
than the pr"rni$. Of hgliv honorable. ..nrlcn.n
! |" exert their influence for the purpose cx.
! pressed
| III" cN"ht has proven i!ir. they have faith
!niy kept trei: promise, ;.likou, have never
| since received 81 Inc from any onc 81. thcm cr
| lfom any member oI Tie Cuuveiiiuu on H..
| subject. 1t is well known il was my dc,clm;
nation. AMI this freely expressed, not to rein
force the forts i'll The har5or :,ni thus p o,iuce q
collision, until t!cy had been actually attacked
| or until had certain evidence that .hcy were
! about to he attacked. This paper | rccniycd
| most cordially, and considered il rs Il !."rry
c'Gcn that lc:cc n:i e't still hc l.rc.lI.y. ala
| That time might he thus given inr reflection,
lhis Is III" wii"ic ;"un,l;'iuu .ur The alleged
lir'!@r Bat nclr'! lit tn: same ;.:arnrr ::
wonid have done lad entered into Il positive
and formal agreement with parties capable &.
contracting, alrho"i! S:ciI agreement Y a!d
have hcru "n my Part. !rc!:: '"c n::,I"c Of to-
Official duties, impossible. IN. worid know.
That nave never sent an: rc!u!c.l,!i.rli:s iL
the irris in ti.Iirstoi h:,,!rr. H::t Law,
certainly never authorized any change y hc
hiade III their relative military .i..!., i;y...
M. upon his si;hieti refer ~tu 10 Az or.lr;
Issued ny the Secretary OF War, on the li:
| inst. to Major Anderson. ht:; 10: ~. iIgh; &
nay notice until the 2!s, i..S:. |, j.: II; fol-
lows:
"-ucmo morGnGan. IF !'rrLn| I.s.!~r!:.a% ip Moo.
-i"der"2", l4 Ari;",ry, Cu.4u.a"Limg For
Woritric. South CGritma: 's
i"u are aware I: the @rcat anxiety CT The
Secretary Of Wax tat co!!:s:tTis OF the .:roI,.
with The people Of this State siail Lc aYv:l,j
;t!!l oi iiS studied discrimination! TO 1:r:uc !;
coarse with reference to ;i.c military force l
forts III this hnrbcr which SHALL guar. .a.il,s
*ach Il collision. lie has, :h,rc!urc carr::.ny
ahstained ircm increasing the force rt ,nis
point. o. taking a!;y l!cas'ies whi:., :::i:,!:t ADD
I" The present c*ri'"' state of the luli;: i.i.r!
or which would 'hrow ary ,!,:.!'; on \ e conli,
dence hr feels liza: South Carolina will u.; at.
tempt by Violence H. obtain possession ui' fhc
public works or interfere with lEcir ccc:,.
rancy.
"Ert a3 TIC counsel a!:l ac,s oE RAJ, a,:.;
l'npUl3Ne persons n'ay possibly 'liSuririMi these
expectations OF Tie Government, Ec dcc.., i;
proper that you S!:"r:il h.. ,vcu:,cI with IN
% ',
lie has, therefore. di;cctc., me verbally 10 give
you such il .:ruci:uns.
"lou are ca-cfu!y to avoid every &c. w,.:c!.
would ncedie2siy ,c.l TO provoke acgrcs.;un,
and Tor that reason you arc not. wi:!oH: nvgrs.
SHY, to take NJ any position which culi.! he
construed INTO the asSunii.ia.l o. q: hostile a,;
iusic: hut you ARE to i.o!l possession of The
forts i'll III: l''rlor, a If attacked. Vol. arc TO
defend yourself 10 The i:is: cA,"en.ily.
!. " Ac S:."..iic:S Of yuI!" :n.c. will no. Ecr.
;ni, YOU, pciaps. to occupy mo-" thau ole .;
the ;hrce forts. but attack on, oy a.rr,nI, f.
take possession OF. either CT them, will Lc 70.
/ -a"'lcd as IN act CT hostility, and you nav
then put yo;lr command into either of 1lci.
! which yon mny dccll most proper. to incrcas.
| its power Of resistance. You arc also author.
ized to take similar steps whenever you hayc
tangible evidence Of design TO proceed 10 !.
! hostile act.
u. z. BUTLER,
"Assistamt Ai.iu,a!.l-l;rncr,i
Fort Noultr", :. c., December II lSio."
This IS in conformity to n.y instructions to
| Major Buell..
! JOHN i. FLOYD
| Secretary uf War"
! . These were the last instructions transmit, cd
! 20 Ma ior Anderson before his renewal To Font
! Suiatrt with single exception, in regard to :.
! particular which does lut in any decree affect
| the present question, Cn!cr itcsc c."cums,au
! ,iis own responsibility and wi;hrnt authority.
unless, indeed he had :. tangible evidence Of a
! design 10 proceed 10 hostile nst' Oh the part
! Of ii.c auiLnrits Of south Carolina wljr!l La;
lct been alleged. Sill! he is :. brave an;thoaa
orah!c officer, and justice re,luirvs that 5ic
should not be condemned without 4 far ltar
inx. -
! Be tins as it may. when learnedihat Major
Antc"sof,{lad left Fort Moul,r;e :s1id. proceeded
10 Fort Sumter, NY first; i,-omriiigs were TO
! command him to return 10 Zig former position,
and there ;o.,wiit tic contingencies present.
! in his instructions. .Ehisswould only haye.b
done, with any degree W safety 10 the con-.
t!nana by tie eoneayrcnce-of ths.. South Caro-
lima authoritias as.s 4 But before any steps octll
possibly have hen taken in tlis direction, NC
received iaforI1 ion that The '.Palmctlo laS
foated out to 1L9 &ecze mt Castle Pinckey, and
large military foFce wSnt over last nigh: (the
2Itl9 10 Fort Moultrie.''
! Thus, the authorities Of South Carolina, with.
out waiting or. asking for any explanations.
and. doubtless, believing, as you have expressed
il. that the officer had acted not only without,
| but against, my orders, on the very next day
| after the night when the removal was made.
| seized, by military force, two Of tie three
| Federal forts in The hurbor of Charleston, anl
have covered them under their own flag, in
stead of that of ilie United States. At this
| gloomy pcTiol of our history, startling eyehts
| succeed each other rapidly.
/ On the very day, the 9th instant. that pos.
session of these two forts was taken the Pal
ineLto flag was raisf over the Federal Custom
| House and Post Office in Charleston. aid on
the same day every officer of the Customs
! Collector, Naval Officer, Surveyor and Apprai.
ser-rcsigned their Offices Aud this although
it was vel, known, from the lnl gunge7o my
Message, that, OIL Executive officer fetIny
self bound to collect tliercyenme n, the port Of
Charleston under the existing laws. In the
| harbor Of Charleston we now find three forts
con fronting eacl. other, over an of :Ghlch the
Federal flag foated only fobr.days .aeo; but
now over two.of them this fag has les snIl
planted. and The Palmetto fug has been siN
stituied in its stead.
| Ifis under all these circumstances that am
urged in,med ediately to Withdraw the ,roops from
Isths abatbor Of Char lesion, and am informed
tfAt without fhist negotiation is impossible.
This cannot do. this will not do. Such OH.
! idea was nyer thought of, by inc in any posi-
blecontingeney N9allusion had;been made
in any Communication between myaelf and any
human being: But, the inference is, tIIat apl