Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-07-11
Presidents Message.
PellOr citizens Of The Senate and Hous'
Of Representatives.:

the beginning OF the present Presidential
trem, four months agO, the functions OF
the Federal Government were found 10 be
generally suspended within the several
States OF South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama. Mississippi, Louisiana aud Florida,
excepting ONLY those OF the y. o. Depart
ment. Within those States all the forts,
arser,als. dock yards custom houses, and
the like, including the movable and stat
ionarv property n and about them, had
been seized and were held IN open hOstil
ity TO this Government. Excepting only
Forts Plckens, Tay or and Jefferson, on
and near the Florida coast, and Fort sum
ter ia Charleston harbDr Tie forts thus
seized had been put IN approved condition
and new ones had been built, and armed
forces had been organized and were or
paniznp. all avowedly with the same
hOsti purpose. The forts remaining iu
the Fcueral possession, IN and near those
States, we're either besieged or meuaced
bv wanike preparations, ami, especiily
Fort Sumter WAS nearly surrounded by
well protected hostile batteries, with guns
equal in quality 10 the best OF ITS own,
and outuumOermg the latter perhaps ten
eral muskets and rifles had somehow
found their way into those States and had
been seized to be used against the Gov
eminent. Accumulations 10 the public
revenue lying within them had been seq.
ed for the same object. lhenavy Was scat
tered in distant seas, leaving but a small
part within the immediate reach Oi the
Go, ernment. Officers oil the Federal army
had resigned in great numbers; OF those
resiening a large proportion had taken zap
arms against the Government.
simultaneously. and IN connection with
all this, the purpose 10 seve. the Federal
Union was openly avowed. In accord
ance with this purpose nm ordinance had
been adopted ia each OF these States de-
claring tue States, respectively, 10 be sep
arated from the National Union. A for
mua for insitiuting a combined Govern
ment OF the States had been promulgated.
and this Illegal organization. ot tAr char
ncter OF "Couieierite States" was al
ready invoking reco- -nitloh and interven
ton from foreign powers
Finding this condition of things and be-
lIeviug II ~ be al imperative duty upon
the incoming X,cut,ye ~ prevent u pos
sihle the consuIum ,tion oi such attempts
to DESTROY the Federal UulOn, Il choice OF
MEANS 10 tnat end became Indispensable.
TINS choice WAS muue and Was declared
ia the iEau .ural address. The policy
chosen looked TO the exhaustion OF az
peaceabie measures before = resort TO any
stronger ones. 1t sought 10 hold the pub
lIc places and proprety not already wrtst.
Ell from tac Government, and 10 collect
revenue, relying tor the rest on time, dis
cuS,ion aud The ballot box. lt promised
"a continuance OF the mai, at the expense e
o. the Governments, 10 the very people
VINO were tcsistug the GONcrument And
/ Il gave repeated p,rdscs against any dts
turbance 10 any vi tue people or any OF
their rights. Ol all thI- which Pres ldeut
might cons tItutlOnAlly and Just.hdbiy do
H. such Il cast. Every thlnS was IOruOrne
without wnicn it @as Oeueved pusslUic to
keep tie government On foot.
Un the nitn Ol March, the present in
cumbvut'S hrst fuil day ia OilIce, a letter
rom MAJOR Auucr>on, commanding al
/ Fort sumter, wrlttcn OF tae @otn OF
+ February a:id recleved at the war depart
ment OH the 4Ih oI March, WAS 10y that
department placed IA ais hand. TINS let
/ ter tx PRESSED tile professional opInOu %
the writer that relnlUrcementS cOu.d not
J be thrown into the tort Ia tlmc tor ills re
/ liti, rendered necessary Oy the limited
supply OF provisions, ana with "A view Ol
/ holuIng POSSESSION OF tie same, with q
force y, less than -, ,00J vi we'll di>c,phn.
ed men. TINS OplulOn was concurrvd IIl
! bv all the officers OF his com .udnd. AND
Their mtmUrdnda on the subject were maJt
IN measures OF Major AndersOn's letter
The whole was immediately iaId before
Lieut.. Gen. Scott, VINO at once cOncurret
with MAJOR Andersou's opinion. On re-
ficctiOu. however, ue took Iul time tot
consu itttlOn with the officers both OF the
army and the navy, AT tue end OF tOul
days came Reluctantly, but decidedly, e
the same conclusion a. before. lie also
stated IT the same time that no such sur
ticlent force was then at the control OF tht
government, or could be raised and brought
10 the ground Within the time wacI
the rrOyISion ,Ot the fort would b.,
exhausted. In purely military point o
view thIs reduced the duty OF tile admin
lstratlon IN the case 10 the mere natter
oi getting the garrison safely out OF tn
fort. IL WAS believed, however, that 81
20 abandon that position under the cir
cumstances, would be utterly IA uinous
that the necessity under Wh cu il was {,
be done would not be fully uudcrs ood
that by mauv II would be constructed a. q
part OF a voluntary policy; tuat Al home d
would discourage the friends OF ID,
Union embOldru its adv,rsarles and L,
lar 10 insure 10 the latter recognition
abroad; that Ia fact il would be our nation
al destruction cOu>ummatcd. This cOult
not be ALLOW cd; starvation was not vC
upon the garrison anu ere il would b,
reached II. Pickcns mi ght be reinforced
Tins last would Lc clear indicati on a.
policy, and would better enable the cOuu
trv 20 accept the cracuatiUnp Fort sum
ter "A, "A minitary necessity. Then AN or
der was At once directed 10 be sent tor thl
landing OF the troops from the steam,hi,
Brooklyn into II. Pickens. This orde
could not 20 by land, but must take
longer and slower route by SEA. The fir,
return of news from the order was r-cei,-
I'd but one week before the al OF For
Sumter. The news itself was that th
officers commanding the Sabine. 10 whicl
vessel the troops had been Transferred from
the BROOKLYN; acting upon some quasi az
mistice OF the late Administration. and O
the existence ot which tue present 4 lrnin
istratlou, up to the time the order was dis
patched, had only too vague aud uncer
, tain rumors TO tx attention, had refuse
70 land the troops. To now reiuiorc
Fort Pickens before crisis would b
r. ached az Fort Sumter was impossible
rendered so bv the near exhaustion q
PROVISIONS in the latter naDed fort. /
precaution against such a coniuucture
+ the govern mrnt had iew dsvs before com
menced preparing an expedition as We