Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-05-14

send a telegram to the authorities al Charles
ton, and it might prevent the disastrous con
sequences of collision at that fort between
the opposing forces 1t was the last effort
that would make to avert the calamities Of
war. The Assistant Secretary promised to
give the matter attention, but I had no Other
Intercourse with him or any other person or
the subject, nor have had any reply to the
letters submitted to you.
Very respectfully,
JOHN A. CAMPBELL.
Gen. DAVIS, President of the Confederate
WASHINGTON CITY, April Is, 1861.
SIR-On the 18th March ult, | left with
Judge Crawford, one of the Commissioners
of the Confederate States, note in writing
to the effect following:
81 feel entire confidence that Fort Sumter
will be evacuated in the next five days Ald
this measure is felt as imposing great re-
sponsibility on the administration.
81 feel entire confidence that no measure
changing the existing status. prejudicially to
the Southern Confederate States, is at pres
ent contemplated.
Il feel an entire confidence that an imme-
diate demand for an answer to the cOmmuni-
cation of the Commissioners will be product
i've of evil and not of good. 1 do not believe
that it ought at this time to be pressed.
The substance of this statement commu-
nicated to you the same evening Dy letter.
Five days elapsed, and called with tele-
gram from General Beauregard to the effect
that Sumter was not evacuted, but that Ma
jor Anderson was at work making repairs.
The next day, after cOnversing with you, /
communicated to Judge Crawford, in writing,
that the failure to evacuste Sumter was not
the result of bad faith, but was attributable
to causes consistent with the intention to ful
fill the engagement. and that as regarded
Pickens, should have notice of auy design
to alter the existing status there. Mr.. JUS
tice Nelson was present at these converse
TONS three in number, and l submitted to
him each of my written communications to
Judge Crawford, and informed Judge G. that
they had his Judge Nelson's) sanction. 1
gave you. on the 22d of March, substantial
copy of the statement | had made on the
18th.
The 3Oth of March arrived, and at that
time a telegram came from Gov. Pickens, in
1uiring concerning Col. LamoD, whose visit
to Charleston he supposed had a connection
with the proposed evacuation of Fort Sumter.
left that with you, and was to have al
answer the following Monday, (lst of April
On the LIST of April l received from you the
statement in writing: 81 am satisfed) the
Government will not undertake to supply
Fort Sumter without giving notice to Gov
p, The words Il am satisfied" were for me
to use as expressive of confidence in the re-
mainder of the declaration.
The proposition as originally prepared
was, The President may desire to supply
Sumter, but will not do So" &C., and your
verbal explanation was that you did not be-
lieve any such attempt would be made, and
that there was no design to reinforce Sumter.
6ona ri hQro hp nj ed o.
es of the previous month, but, with the YER
bal explanation, did not consider it mat
ter then to complain of. l simply stated to
you that bad that assurance previously.
On the 7th of April l addressed you let
ter on the subject of the alarm that the pre-
parations by the Government bad created,
and asked you if the assurances l had given
were well or ill-founded. In respect to Sum-
ter your reply was, "Faith as to Sumter. fully
kept-wait and see." In the mornings pa
per 1 read, "An authorized messenger from
President Lincoln informed Gov. Pickens
and Gen. Beauregard that provisions will be
sent to Fort Sumter-peaceably or otherwise
by force" This was the 9Th of April, at
Charleston, the day following your last as
surance, and is the evidence of the full faith
was invited to wait for and see. In the
same papers. l read that Intercepted dis
patches disclosed the fact that Mr.. Fox, who
had been allowed to visit Major Anderson. on
the pledge that his purpose was pacific, en-
ployed his opportunity to devise plan for
Supplying the Fort by force, and that this
plan had been adopted by the Washington
Government, and was in process of execu-
ton. Ny recollection of the date of Mr..
Fox's visit carries it to day in March. !
learn he is near connection of a member of
the Cabinet. My connection with the Com
missioners and yourself was superinduced by
4 conversation with Justice Nelson. He in
formed me of your strong dispositions in ia
vor of peace, and that you were oppressed
with demand of the Commissioners of the
Confederate States for reply to their first
letter, and that you desired to avoid it if pos
sible at that time.
told him l might perhaps be of some ser
vice in arranging the difficulty. came to
your Office entirely at bis request and without
the knowledge of either of the Commission
ers. Your depression was obvious to both
Judge Nelson and myself. l was gratided at
the character of the counsels you were de-
sirous of pursuing and much impressed with
your observation that civil war might be
prevented by the success of my mediation
You read letter of Mr.. Weed to show how
irksome and responsible the withdrawal
of troops from Sumter was. A portion of
my communication to Judge Crawford on the
18th March was founded upon these remarks,
and the pledge to evacuate Sumter is less
forcible than the words you employed. These
words were: Before this letter reaches yoa
"a proposed letter by me to President Davis
Sumter will have been evacuated.
The Commissioners who received those
conclude they have been
abused and overreached. The Montgomery
Government hold the same opinion. The
Commissioners have supposed that my COM
munications were with you, and upon the by
pothess were prepared to arraign you before
the country in connection with the President.
L placed peremptory prohibition upon this
as being contrary to the term of my commu-
nications with them. 1 pledged myself to
them to communicate information upon what
considered as the best authority, and they
were to conide in the ability of myself, aided
by Judge Nelson, to determine upon the cred
Utility of my informant.
think no candid man who will read over
what have written, and considers for mo-
men what is going on at Sumter, but will
agree that the equivocating conduct of the
Administration, as measured and interpreted
in connection with thess promises, is the
proximate cause of the great calamity.
l havea profound conviction that the tele-
grams of the 9Th of April of Genaral Beau
regard, and of the 10th of April of General
Walker, the Secretary of War, can be referred
TO nothing else than their belief that there
has been systematic duplicity prscticed on
them through me- 1t is under an oppressive
sense of fhe weight of this responsibility that
submit to you these things for your expla-
nation. Very respectfully,
[Signed1 = JOHN A. CAMPBELL,
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court u. S.
Hon. WV. II. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
DIsPAfcHEs
10 L. p. Walker, Secretary Of War:
An authorized message from President Lin
colin just informed Governor Pickens and
myself that provisions will be sent to Fort
Sumter peaceably, or otherwise by force.
.AAs& INIT - .f- =
Cen. p. g. A. Beasregord: - 49,
If you have no doubt as to the authorized