Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-04-06
The Southern Forts -Tortugas and Kew
West


day, Mr., Breckenridge moved to take up his
resolution to remove the troops of the United
States from the Confederate States, and called
the yeas and nays on his motion. If this
motion should prevail lie %oud accept tho
substitute offered by the Senator from North
Carolina The vote on this motion he should
consider to be a test vote on this question:
III Senators intend to express opinions against
the proposal, or desire to oeSprcss no opinion,
they will vote down the proposition if they
do wish to express opinions, or are in favor
of the views of the resolution, they will sup,
port the motion At
/ Mr. Rice Oemocrat) would accept tie res
olution offered by the Senator from Kentucky,
but should hesitate as to the substitute of
the Senator from North Carolina. That was,
going little too far. He did not perceive
what right the Senate had to undertake to
advise the President in reforcuce to the col
lection of the revenue under existing laws
Mr. Wade hoped the resolution of the
Senator from kentucky (Nir, Brcckinridge)
would be taken up, and that they should
have square vote upon it. For one lie was
willing to give his opinion of what the policy
of the Government ought TO be. lie did
not know what the policy of Government is,
or what it will be, but he could tell what it
ought to be, and would like an opportunity
to do so.
Mr.. Rice said that the Senator from Ohio
had not disappointed him lie know that
Scnator to be a brave, bold, outspokch man
AS to the matter of advising the President
in regard to the collection of the revenue, he
(Mr R.) felt it to be going beyond TIE proper
province of Scnator. In IL case where the
President is to act under the authority of
law, lie should not undertake to Interfere,
and he regretted that the Senator FROM Ken.
tucky CIR. Brockinridgc) had gone so far as
to Indicate n readiness to accept the amend
ment of the Senator from North Carolina.
MIR. Clingnan wished to get am expression
of the Senate on both points viz the re-
moval OF the troops and collection of reve-
nue.. The President, under existing laws,
has no power to collect revenue in seeding
States and ought not to make the attempt
MIR. Ritc did not think it proper fur the
Senate to advise the President in regard to
matters which involve tile execution of cx-
listing laws. 1t is for him to act in such ca
scs tor himself. Whilst up he would inquire
OF the Senator from Kentucky, (Nir. Breck-
lnridgc) if his resolution extends to the is
lands to the South of the main land in the
Gulf States ! If it includes those islands
nc (alr R) would never advise the with
drawal of the troops from them. Key West
and the Tortugas are not within the limits of
the Confederate States, and in 20 respect be.
long to them. They are the property of this
Union, and will be kept and defended by this
rUnion at all hazards.
Mr.. Brcckinridge said that his resolution
simply asked for the Withdrawal of the troopy
from the limits of the Confederate States.
He supposed that those limits include the
Tortugas and Key West, because TortugaA
and Key West are in Florida. But if any
Senator chooses to amend the resolutions he
(Nir. B.) had offered, so us to exclude those
places from its operation, that would be
subject for grave consideration and deliberate
discussion. lie (Mr. 3D. did not consider
the incmsi IN of those places in the objects of
the resolution as essential to the public peace
ut this timc,, md would be willing to see
tho"c forts excepted from the scope Of the
resolution. He Hoped yet to see a re union
of oil the States back again, but that could
rot be until all the troops had been removed
from the seeded States lie hoped there
would lie a new Union FOUNDED an the old
principles of tic Constitution But if au
ultimate separation should take place, lie
hoped the Union States would not copy the
policy of Crest Britain aud hold places as
Stragetic pGints-!ikc Gibraltar, for instance
lie would agree to except the forts ut Kew
West and Tortugas.
Mr.. Rice WAS in favor Of peace. IF the
stceduG 5tatts vii ii:syt o; go::,g, lie wished
they would so in peace. He would give
them the forts on their immediate coast (; lie
would divide the navy with them; lie would
so further, aud, if necessary, would relieve
them from their share Of the public debt
All this he would do to secure peace. But.
as to Key West and Tortugas, the North will
always hold them, for they belong to it. He
would not givcup these forts under any cir
.cumstances.
Mr.. Douglas should vote to take up the
resolution. lie thought it would bc wise i'm
the President to withdraw the troops from
Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens, because thcy
were the only points where collision could
arise But the resolution Of the Senator
from Kentucky goes for including the forts
at Key West and Tortugas in the limits of
the Confederate States. This position he
CHR. Do denie6. Tie Confederate States
are a revolutionary Government, and can
hold only what they have in actual possession.
They can take nothing by implications He
wished the President to remove the troops
from Sumter and Pickens bccmusc those forts
are for local defence alone, and we can have
no object in holding them except with the
view TO mgkins them the basis of future mil.
itary operations against the seeded States,
which he did not suppose was policy intcl.-
ded. But he would not pass resolution nc.
knowledging that this revolutionary Govern
ment of the Confederate States have n rioht