Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-07-11
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

WASHINGTON, July 5.
Fellow Citizens of the Senate and House of Rep.
resentdtiues.
Having been convened on an extraordinary
occasion, SO authorized by the Constitution
your attention is not called 10 any ordinary sub.
jects of legislation.
Al the beginning of the present Presidential
term, four months ago, the functions of the
Federal Government were found 10 be generally
suspended within The several States of Soutl,
Carolina, Georgia. Alabama, Mississippi, Lou
isiana. and Florida, excepting only those Of
the Post Office Department. Within these
States, the forts, arsenals. dock-yards. Custom
Houses and the like, including the noreable
and stationary property in about them. had
been seized and were holden in open hostility to
the Government, excepting only Fort Pickens,
Taylor and Jefferson, on and near the Florida
coast. and Fort Sumter. ia Charleston Harbor,
Sonth Carolina.
The forts thus seized had been put in APPROX
cd condition. New ones had been buill, and
armed forces had been organized, and were or
ganizing. all avowedly with some hostile pur-
ose. The forts remaining in the possession Of
the Federal Government, in and near these
States, were either bcsicged or menaced by
warlike preparations, and especially Fort Sum-
ter was. nearly surrounded by well protected
hostile batteries. with guns equal in quality TO
the best of lis own, aud ouinun bering the lat
ter as perhaps ten TO one. A dispropoi tioGate
share of the Federal muskets and rifles had,
somehow found theirway into these States, and
had been seized. 10 be used agains. The Govern
mcnt. Accommodations of the public revenue
lying within them had len seized for the same
ubiect. The navy was scattered in distant seas
leaving but very small part of it within the
Immediate reach of the Government. Officers
OF the Federal army and navy had resigned in
great numbers. and of those resigning, a large
propor ion had taken up arms against the Gov
ernment. .-
Simultaneous in conncxion with all this, tie
purpose to sever the Federal Union was openly
a,owed. In accordance with this purpose, an
ordinance had been adopted in each of these
Stat, 8, declaring the States respectively to he
81 parated from Che National Union.
A lo-mula for institituting combined Gov
eminent of these States had been promulgated,
nd this illegal organization, in the character OF
Confederate States, was already inyoking re-
cognii, and intervention from foreign powers
Pending ills condition of things aad bclicv-
iEg it 10 be an imperative duty on the incoming
Executive to prevent, if possible, the consum-
nation of such attempt 10 destroy the Federal
Union, choice OF means to thai end became
Indispensable. The choice was made, and was
declared in the Inaugural address. The policy
chosen looked to the exhaustion of all peaceful
measures b fore resort to any stronger ones.
IL sought only to hold the public places and
property not already wrested from the Govern
ment and TO collect the revenue, relying for
the rest on time, discussion and the ballot box.
1t promised a cQq1ll2ce of its mails at gov
ernmene cxPeas $ery people who were
resisting the Goveknabeft. and it gave repeated
pledges against any disturbance 10 any Of the
IL oro of botr
Of all that which President might consti-
tutionally and juslifably do in such case,every-
thing was forborne without which it was be-
lieved imp ssi lie to keep the Government on
loot.
On the 5th day of March, the present incum-
bent's first full day in office, letter of Major
Anderson s commanding at Fort Sumter, writ
ten on 2Sth of February, and received at the
War Department, ON the 4th of March, was by
that department placed in his hands The let
ter expressed the profess ional opinion of the
writer that rcintOrcements could not be thrown
into that Fort within the time for relief, rem
dercd necessary by the limited supply of proyi-
sions, and with a view of holding possession of
the same. with force of less than 10000 good
and well disciplined men. This opinion was
concurred in by all the officers of his command
and their memoranda on the subject were made
enclosures of Maj. Anderson letter, The whole
was immediately laid before Lieut.. Gen. Scott,
wn,. at once concurred with Maj. Anderson 8
opniou. On reflection. however, be took full
time for consuitst ion with other officers, both of
the army and the nav, and at the end OF four
DAYS, came reluctantly but adncidedly to the
same conclusion as before. He also stated. at the
same time, that not sufficient force was theie
al the control of the Government. or could be
raised and brought to the ground within the
time. Then the provisions in the Fort would
be exhausted in apurely military point of view.
This reduced the duty of the Administration
in the case to the mere matter of getting the
garrison safely out of the fort. 1t was believ-
ed, however, that TO so abandon that position,
under the circumstances, would be utterly ruin
ous; that the necessity under which it was to
be done would not be fully understood; that by
many it would be construed as part of a VOL
untary policy; that at home it would discourage
The friends fthe Union. embolden its adverse
RIGS, and go far 10 insure TO the latter recogni-
lion abroad; that, in fact. it would be our na-
tional destruction cor summated.
This could not be allowed. Starvation was
not vet upon the garrison, and ere it would be
reached, Fort Pickens might be rcinlorced.-
This last would be clear indication Of policy,
and would better enable the country to accept
the evacuation of Fort Sumter as a military ne
cessity. m ID So -i.e
An order was at once directed to be sent for
the landing of the troops from the steamship
Brooklyn into Fort Pickens. This order could
not go by land, but must take the longer and
slower route by sea. The first return news
from the order was received but one week before
the fall of Fort Sumter.
The news itself was that the officer COM
manding the Sabine, to which vessel the troops
had been transferred from the Brooklyn, acting
upon some quasi armistice of the late Admins
tration, and of the existance VI which the late
Administration, up to the time the order was
dispatched, had only too vague and uncertain