Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-08-28
Why did not President Buchanan Re
lnforce the Forts at Charleston and
other Southern Cities

ment, dated Goth OF October last, labou
q week before the Presidents election, con
tains the following paragraph:
From knowledge OF our Southern
population, it is my solemn conviction
that there is some danger of an early ac
OF rashness preliminary to secession, viz
the seizure Of some or all of the followin!
posts: Fort jackson and st. Philip in Tia,
Mississippi, below New Orleans, both with
lout gmlisons; Fort Morgan, below Mobile
without garrison Fort Pickens and Nc
Rea, Pensacola harbor, with an INSULT
cient garrison for one; Fort Pulaski be
low Savannah, without garrison; Fort'
Moulrie and Sumter, Charleston harbor
the former with an insufficient garrison
the latter without any; and Fort Monroe
Hampton Roads, without a sufficient gar
riSon. In my opinion ali these work.
should be Immediately 50 garrisoned as tC
make any attempt to take any one oI
them by surprise or coup de main, ridicu
lous."
Gen. Scott here enumerates nine fort,
in six different States, all of which Forts,
he says, should be Immediately garrison
ed;' but he submits noplan for the pur-
pose, and dcsignates no troops available
iol that object. In supplementary let
ter written on the following day, Oct. 80
lie says, "Ihere Is one regular company at
Boston, one here at the Narrows, one at
Portsmouth, one at Augusta, Geo, and
one at Baton Rouge in all, .fge companies
only CiaiH rcact, II garrison and reinforce
the Forts mentioned" Five companies,
containing less than 400 men, to garrison
or reinforce nine Notifications, scattered
over six of the Southern
Nearly all Of our small army was at that
time stationed Oh the remote frontiers OF
our extensive country to protect the in
habitants and emgrants against the tom
hawk and scglping knife OF the savage,
and at the approach Of winter could not
have been brought within reach, for sev-
eral months. They were employed as
/ they had been for years. AT the period
when our for.ihcationS were erected, 1t
was not contemplated that they should be
garrisoned except in the event OF for
eign war, ard this to avoid the necessity
of maintaining a large standing army. No
| person then dreamed of danger from the
| States. 1t is a remarkable fact that after
several months had elapsed, and The Pres
| ident, at the instance of Gen. Scott, had
secured the whole country for forces TO
protect the Inauguration OF the President
Elect, all the troops that could be assem-
| bled at Washington rank and file, amount
ed to but six hundred and thirty. This
! is stated in message of President BuCh~
anan to the House Of Representatives,
TO have sent 400 men 10 Charleston at
ter the Presidential election, Nov. + to
garrison and defend three Forts an arsen-
al, custom house, navy yard and post
office, would have only been to provoke
collision. Undoubtedly the public props
erty was safer without than II would have
been With force SO totally inadequate
and it is fair 10 presume that such was the
Presidents opinion. Besides there was a
strong expression on the part Of the South.
ern States against any attack by South
Carolina upon the public property. For
this reason, it WAS not polite for them to
make an attack. Accordingly President
Buchanan remarked n his Message to
Congress Bird December last,-"it is not
believed that any attempt VIII be made to
expel the United States from this proper
ty by force" In this belief he was justi-
fed by the event; as there was no troub.
lie until after Major AEderso lretired from
Fort Mouluio to Fort Sumter, as he had
right to do, first having spiked his own
cannon and burned his gun carrla9cs.-
And suppose it should appear, as we are
Inclined TO think it will eventually that
Col. Anderson himself after his retire
mept to Fort Sumter, deemed n reinforce
ment unadysable, and so expressed him
self to the government? Would this. in
addition to the lack of troops before men
toned, Justify the President tBuehanan)
in not sending them forward
We have said that Gen. SCOTS letter
was dated Oct. 29th Con gress met about
five weeks afterwards, say on the 3rd OF
December, and the President IN his mes
sage at the opening of the session, called
the attention OF Congress to The subject
at much length. Had the light which lie
then she'd upon it been turned to practl-
cal account. and his advice been needed
we should have avoided the dreadful ira
/ tricidal war that is Low upon us "a waT
which according to present apr earancos
must end either in final separation, or IN
! the subiugation ofeleyen States to the pow
or of twenty-three. Our differ ences
would have been healed and our Union
preserved on its original basis. lie how
ever committed the whole subject to Con-
gress declaring his readiness to execute
the laws, to the extent Of the powers con
ferred upon him; at the same time decla'
ring the existing laws wholly inadequate
TO meet the exigencies growing out OF the
secession OF State orStates:-
at is therefore my duty to submit tc
Congress the whole question IN all It's
bearings. The course of events is SO rap
idly fastening forward, that the emergeen--
cy may soon arise when you may be called
upcn to decide the momentous question
whether you possess the power, by force
/ of arms, to compel State to remain In
/ the Union" w
But Congress did nothing. Week after
week and month after month passed away,
/ but they did nothing. They refused to
adopt any measures Of Cancellation Wor-
thy Of the name-they also refused tG
pass a Coercion law. Congress continued
/ in session until the expiration OF PreSi'
dent Buchanau's term OF service ana the