Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-10
Slgnedi
JOIN MCQUEEN,
N. L. BONHAN,
W. W. BoVCE, IS
LAWRENCR n. KEITT.


,'i tsThe world knows that never sent any
/ reinforcements into Charleston harbOr, and |
have certainly never authorized any change
to be made in their relative military status. q"
The President then gives an order sent by
Secretary Floyd, on the llth Of December to
Maj. Anderson, in which the Secretary Of
War says that to avoid difficulty, he viii
send no reinforcements; that Maj. Anderson
must be careful to do nothing to provoke ag-
gressiOu, butmust hold the forts to the last
extremity if attacked. He further remarks;
s'The smallness Of your force will not per-
NIT YOU, perhaps, to occupy more than one Of
/ the three forts but an attack on, or attempt
to take possession Of either of them, viii be
| REGARDED as an act Of hostility, and you may
/ then put your command into either Of them
/ which you mayideem most proper TO increase
/ its power of resistance. You are also su-
thorized 70 take similar steps whenever you
/ have tangible evidence Of design to proceed
10 4 hostile act"
These were the last instructions given to
Maj.oAnderson, and be therefore acted upon
his own authority in removing. rsdll he is
brave and honorable officer, and justice re-
quires that he should not be condemned with
out fair hearing" The President says that
his first impulse had been to order MAJ. An
derson back to Fort Moultrie, but 'ibeioreany
step could possibly have been taken in this
direction, we received, information hat the
Palmetto flag foated out to the breeze at Castle
Pinckney, and that a large military fore
went over last night, the 9th, to Fort MOul
trie. Thus the authorities OF South Carolina,
without waiting or asking for any sxplana-
tons, and doubtless believing as you have
expressed it, that the officer had acted not
only acted without, but against my orders,
on the very next day after. the night when
the removal was made, seized by a military
force two of the forts in the harboF Of
Charleston, and have covered them with their
own flags instead Of that. Of the United
States" SEEDS si 5-- go
at is under all these circumstances that
am urged Immediately to withdraw the
troops from the harbor of Charleston, and am
informed that without this, negotiation is
impossible This cannot do; this l will not
do. Such an idea was never thought Of by
me in any possible contingency. No allusion
had been made to it in any Communication be-
tween myself and any human being"
The Commissioners, on the lst of January,
sent to the President their reply to this COM
municatiou, which reply was couched in 50
undigni6ed a manner that the President de-
clined to receive it. They accuse him of
knowingly misrepresenting factsi of violating
repeated pledges; and Of evading the real
issue. They conclude thus:
"Be the issue what it may; Of this we are
assured, that if Fort MOultrie has been re-
corded in history as a memo ial Of Carolina
gaIlantry, Fort Sumter viii live upon the
succeeding page as an imperishable testimony
OF Carolina faith. By your course you have
probably rendered civil war inevitable. Be
il so; If you choose to force this issue upon
Us, the state of South Carolina will accept it,
relying upon HimWho IS the God Of Justice
as well as the God of Hosts, and will endeavor
to perform the great duty which lies before
her, hopefully, bravely and thoroughly.
''0ur mission being one for negotiation and
peace, and your. note leaving US without hope
of g withdrawal Of the troops from Fort
Sumter, Of the restoration of the StatV ggo
existing at the time OF our arrival, and inti-
mating as ne think, your determination to
Reinforced the garrison in dhe harbof Of
Charleston, We respectfully inform you that
we propose returning to Charleston to-mor-
row afternoon" 5s9