Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-03-28
TOWANDA: ::
THE SURRENDER OF FORT sUMpTER.

]
king preparations to evacuate the post, having
been allowed to exercise his own Judgment as
to the method of leaving.
The country is now about realizing the sad
effects of the armstiee which James Buchanan
made with the Southern disunionists. That
faithless public officer was actuated by a
double purpose in this execrable transaction.
He not only secured personal ease himself du-
ring the remaining portion of his term, but he
was resolved to embarrass his successor in Of
! fee. The people WILL however, place the re-
sponsibility in the right quarter, cunningly as
! the yianOus scheme was devised. In bis dis
honorable retreat at Wheatland the curses of
betrayed people will reach him, and if he is
capable of any feeling at all, his last few years
will be years of torture and misery. Had he
been true to his country-true to the solemn
oath which he took on his entrance into Of
! fice-true to the common instinct Of a man
and patriot-the American flag would now
be flying from every fortin Charleston barbor,
and the secession movement would have been
crushed in the out-start.
Mr. Lincoln, when he took bis place at the
head of the nation, found himself in the midst
OF a wreck. What man may do he can and
will do but let US not require Of him more
than this If Su-ptcr could have been saved,
he would have saved it but the highest mill
tary authority in the country has declared
that this, with the forces at the command of
the government is impossible. Had Lincoln
oycrrucd this counsel and diSregarded this au-
thority, he would have proved to the world
that he was obstinate, but not wise; foolhardy,
but not courageous His courage would have
been the courage Of the duelSt, with the dis
honorable difference that be was ready to
throw away other mems lives instead of bis
own.
The Washington correspondent Of the Phil
adeIphi Press holds the following truthful
language in regard to this subject;
"Now that we are in the face of new COM
plications andsnew dangers, il is we'll that the
responsibility should be located where it Justly
belongs We can now understand why Mr.
Buchanan waited upon, and paltered in so
many senses with the Southern consprators-
Why he permitted the chiefs Of Secession to
remain in his Cabinet, and why, when they
retired, he fettered the hands of the three
brave and patriotic spirits who succeeded
these chiefs. Completely controlled by the
Disuniou leaders in the Cotton States until his
Cabinet exploded he was sufficiently managed
by them after this explosion to yield to their
exacting demands, and to prevent the rein
rorcement Of the United States tOrtresses in
the South The unwOnted spectacle of taking
no steps until it was too late to relieve Major
Anderson, while the enemies Of tie country
were surrounding him on all sides with bat
teres aad preparations of war, has resulted
in leaving him completely at the mercy Of the
South Carolina troops. PoSterity will hold
James Buchanan to an awful account for not,
as long ago as October or November, 1860,
taking time by the forelock, aud throwing
troops, arms and ammunition into the Southern
forts, in advance OF the treason at that day
boldly proclaimed His inertneSs, his refusal
to do any thing. was not Initiated by his Cab
net. His Secretary Of the Navy sent off our
ships.of.war to distant and to foreign stations;
and his Secretary of war threw into Georgia,
South Carolina, Mississippi, and New Orleans
an incredible amount of ammunition and
arms while his Secretary of the Treasury
busted himself in undermining the credit of the
National Government, by disseminating the
doctrine that this Union could not aud should
not stand in the event of Lncoln's election
Where have these proceedings left our coun-
try to-day? How does Mr. Lincoln find him
! self on entering upon the discharge of his
| hir,bJ Jrtioc Tho tp he fOuul in,
the opinion freely given by the venerable
Lieutenant General of the Army of the
| United States, Winfield Scott, who declares
! that Fort Sumpter cannot hold out ten days
against the South Carolina troops and bat
teries, and that it could not be reinforced
without an army of ten thousand men, backed
by our entire navy. Hence it is that the opin-
| ion begins 20 be entertained and announced of
recalling Anderson from Fort Sumptcr, in or
der to spare the effusion of blood. Late in
telligence announces that fifteen days hence
Major Anderson and his troops will be at the
point of starvation ; and highly distinguished
authority argues in this wise: Shall we let
them surrender and thereby give the South
ern conSpirators chance to rejoice? Would
! it not be better if the Government should say
to South Carolina, You have been misled IN
the belief that the Republican party, if in
power would cncroach upon your rights, and
bring upon the country civil war. We with
draw onr troops, and thus show you that you
were mistaken. We could have laid Charles
ton in ashes, but we forbear, believing that
time will teach you that you are wrong. that
your best interest is to return to the Union,
and that nothing but humiliation and disgrace
will await you outside OF it, You are still
our brethren, and, therefore, we do not wish
to shed your blood" / am not giving you my