New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-28


o, We may web pause and consider to what depths
# degradation sud humiliation the American Govern
neDt is approaching il the lowest has not aireauy
,ecu rcachee
TIE Committee DO proposeto diecuss here whe'ner
is wise or poll at the present tine 10 employ tne
" hole POWER of the Government under All encuh-
stances and at hazards 10 punch offenders agaiut.
It's laws. In times Of extensive civil commouoh anu
prudence may dictate great caution anu ,o
IN tho exercise of acknowledged powers snu
when whole communities assume the ATTITUDE OF Fo!o-
luton against established Government LOT req, VI I'M
agnary wrongs il may be wise 70 listen 10 the'f COM
plants with attention, and not py any uinHess,S
iiuor sQainst palpable violations OF law provoke pas
sions already unduly and unrcasonably excited but
when growing discomfort assumes the position OF actuh
hostility; when instead of seeking redress under eH-
listing FORMS resort is had TO force and The purpose Is
boldly avowed by overturniDB the Government 10
which their allegiance is DUE cannot zee Inc WIS
dom Of policy which permits treason 10 perform It's
work without hindrance mOiestatlon- hIi VIC
cannot sanction policy IN the Executive Depnl ~
of this Government which processes purpose OF exc
cutting it's laws and protecting Its property from uhuM
fnl violence and vet remDius ioa1tive when reVouoh
is actually impending, and entertalns 1,enuy ileI
course with embassies insiigaed by ana ero%inB ou'
Of the hghe.t type Of treason TO the Feoeral Cos' "
ton. , ,r. - IL;
The President Acknowledges the obligation oil his
oath 10 protect and defend the Constitution and enforce
the laws made in obedience TO ITS requirements, ue
the right of Secession and yet in the correspondence
before us we have the evidence that with fpli koWl
edge that the authority of the Government mas peeh
act nj defiance its dignity insuted, ana It's nag oi'no
ored he vet nepotiates with treason and commits the
Government 70 partial recognition OF the revouoh-
ary movement for its destruction. Tor any coSoef-
efons of policy he may be justified In suspendlng the
exercise OF it's powers we know Of no h ma ,hs S
iustify course of action which ignores the theory
upon which the whole foundation OF the Government
rests IL the fact that the Government has the power
10 prote itself from domestic violence may not pru-
IDENTIFY be acted upon under any apprehension Una. any
,f irtl
already in open rebellion, 1t woHld be some eohsoa-
ton 10 such of the citizens Of the United States as are
still loyal 10 the Copson TO feel assured that the de-
sire 10 .held traitors from the consequences OF their
acts may not result in the utter Decentralization oil all
Federal authority and dignity.
II we recur TO the contents of the correspondence To
which we have referred there is but little TO commend
il to favorable consideration. The communication Dy
the commissioner" of South Carolina TO the Presi
dent CONVEYS in the most unqualified terms an mputa-
tion of bad faith upon the President and oil necessity
upon the Government of the United States on account
OF the occupation Of Fort Sumter by mb]0r Anderson
and bis command II is clearly intiDa'ed that some
agreement previously made by the Presdent respect
ing the occupation OF the forts in the harbor OF Charles
ton had been violated. From this charge the freti
dent has undertaken to defend himself, and TO uDnh
excuses for the action of the Government IN respect 10
the occupation OF its forteses and the disposition
of its own troops The fact that the Safe OF South
Carolina intended 10 rebel against the government Oh
the United States was well understood loIg before her
ordinance of secession was actually adopted. ne
probable consequences of such action II was aso well
known would be an attempt the part OF the State
10 take possession of all the forts arsensls, magazines
and other public property within her limits. Under
such circumstances, nothing would seem TO be clearer
than the duty of the President to provide in due time
an adequate force for the protection OF f the pubic
properly in danger Of assault. Instead however, OF
taking such G course, the President seems TO have
been in communication with those engaged in rebellion
aud sort of understanding appears 10 have been had
early in December that action should be taken by
~ he tied
command charged with the defense Of the forts In the
haIbor Of Charleston.
On the 9th Of December, 1860, the Representatives
In Congress from the State OF South Carolina furnished
the President with written statement under their sig
natures expressing their strong conviction that the
forta In the haibor Of Charleston would not be al
or moested prev iourly the action nj tho Con-
Sention Of ,ba, State then shout TO assemble and they
boped and believed not until offer bad been made
through accredited representative 10 negotiate ior
an smicahle arrangement Of oil matters between the
State and the Federal Government rorided tha'
no Reinforcement shall be cent these forts and Their
relative military status sbsll remain as at present..
AT the time tnis paper presented the Pretldeni
objected to tie word "prorided" as il might as be
pressed it, be construed into an agreement on bis part
| which he "never would make" Ii was, he thinks,
obvious there coud be no such agreement made and he
says il was regarded in effect the promise OF highly
honorable gentlemen 10 exert their influence for the
purpose expressed Tie purpose OF the President was
wen known not TO reinforce the fort, in Charleston
harbor until they had been acnslly attacked OF until
|
tackled aud we are informed by lis communication be-
fore MS that in respect to these forts he acted in the
same manner that he would have done If he had EN-.
tered into formal agreement with parties capable OF
contracting IL does not therefore, appear 10 be ma
tersl whether in strict technical sense there was
was not an agreement TO the effect indicated In the pa
per lodged with hin by the Representatives in Con-
gress from tie State Of South Carolina. Ii IL perfectly
clear that at that time il regarded certain South
Carolina would attempt TO secede from the Union, and
intended to obtain possession Of these forts, either by
force negotiation. With knowledge Of these pur-
poses the President determined TO send the officer in
command retnforcements and he has acted in this
respect in the manner be would have done II
he had made formal agreement to that effect.
In THE disclosure the committee il not able TO resist
the inference that in the b. ginning OF the revolutionary
movement against the Government Of the United
States there were relations Of extremely friendly
character between thOse who contemplated rebellion
and hose whose duty it to suppress il. We can
not but regard il most extraordinary fact that par
ties notoioufly contemplating the disruption OF the
Government, should before hand stipulate with its
ecutive authority in respect 20 the moot convenient
and least dangerous mode for making the rebellion cue
Cessiul While the President has avowed bis deiermi-
nation execute the laws be does 10 have
arded treason 10 the Constitution Of tho United Star
contemplated and existing among the crimes con-
demued by the laws Of the Land and deserving punish
7 ment.
That crime, the highest known to the laws OF the
world appears in history 10 have assumed milder
FORM 10 be treated with make tenderness by the au-
tbores II tie Government against which the crime il
penetrated We do not think the history OF any Gov
cr1nent furnishes in this respect any parallel 10 tie
policy Of our own, and we cannot believe that any
government, however powerful, can long survive the
Inauguration Of and perlstence III, such policy We
therefore regard IL duty TO condemn In the most
emf hattie terms the pueued by the President in
recognizing or substantially holding diplomatic COM
muI icalion ith the TebcOus auth0e5 OF the State
Of South Carolina. Tic dignity OF the Government
required nj least that the President should 1T aHd
M irDupRs decline all u(QOCIatiOug with "A