New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-07


GEN. Scott and myself by leaving TO be inferred that
action rad been without the auction Of the Presi-
dent As he effort 10 reinforce Fort Sumter was The
most responsible act Of the War Department during
my brief eonnexiOn with s Administration, 1t Is due
alike 70 the public and TO my OVID reputation that the
caumnOus imputation cast upon it by the paragraph
quoted should be promptly me. and rented That re-
futation viii be frnbed by the following correspond
ence:
sR: Il with extreme regret have yust leaned that add
ona troops have been ordered Chsron This suee' has
Sna, mem % ~ peeSe uimo the orders for rein
reeunst Fort Sumter distinctly IN
without being previously considered and decided in Cabinet
n,ss in bpe but certainly DO concusicn was reached end
the War Department was not JUSTIFIED IN ordering reinforce
however ills morning the t time that the steamer s,sI
Of the West sailed oD New las, Saturday night with 250
Rs. gnssI tsc feel bound ressn my
son yonI eon'otiOnal advisers into your hands
"Ni.A high respect, your ooec'en sgr'Sn iio,,psou
"B F,o.uepcy J.xr. BUCHANAN
President of tn. t nj sste," T., 1851
"sIR: have received and accepted your naon,
.rdsr' Of :he Office Of secretary Of The ln,erer.
On Monday evening Sis, De,emee lS1O suspended ".
send The Brooklyn with endorsements to OFT sumter vi
ibis @ , yo on iSs Which , Won new rom Il:
would be speedily removed In eoneauenee Of your eaes
without being previously considered and decided in Cabinet
Til. promise faithfully observed on my part In order 70
Ssy ID JsnSsy, ssl ia which question Of tending
sumter was s,ag, di,su a both Oy yGS,
you his moment the answer Of Che South Cs,Olina Com
@ssy.s and RAD Il prodaosd much ndsioa The
members Of the Cabinet Alter further brief conversation
mn, BE- sent Judge Black sid a. he OIn,p,
Of nv decision this letter the Cabinet would be nrsni
q hea . RS no sSnb On my @ o
would be Immediately attacked ard hence tbs necessity o.
oa sdn T RS' on %cSt this
n a:..d in ma S's b. Sss ' %.,
justified in ordering without 20 nan
Wa 4 f.e Is IN Ill s
dAegeu. from that Of four Oldest colleague TIE
S,S'd re S.yy s INV Without uh
intercourse with myself than what hesrd or might have
asa o chat a0p though, yo% would reign i
ny decision deeply regret that you have been matsn In
|, certain you have not the less been mistaken; ,.
Yours, very repeatedly, JAMES BUCHANAN
Nothing can be added to the force and dstincnesso Of
the testimony thus borne by the President and the io
Oldest members OF his Cabinet. so far from the
movement, for the Reinforcement OF Fort Sumter nav
ing been concealed trick" it was repeatedly and
frankly discussed in the Cabinet, and when eoncil!-
sion was finally reached the resolution oil the fes-
dent was announced in terms as emphatic "a nc prop
ably ever addressed to Of hls Secretaries III IL
now all over md reenforCements must be soIt, was
his language; ard these words were spoken IN open
council the honorable Secretary OF the Interior huseH
being present IL was in strict accordance win The
command TIM. given that the Star of the West wos
chartered and tie renforcements sent forward mall
these circumstances the pubic viii took IN vain Tor any
traces Of "rick on the part q Cen Scott or OF TIE
Secretary Of War; II Is true t In TIE hope oil avoid
ing Waste Of human life, an cIdeayor was MADE 20
Conceal the expedition from the hottie Eools IN
charge OF the forts and batteries in Charleston habor
but this endeayor tie vigilance and zeal OF tue Sece
taIy defeated.
daily sanctioned by the President than il was by Gen
Scott and myself. II was gwen, not because Of any
dissent from the order the pant Of the PTesdf NJ but
because Of letter received that day rom NAL Ander-
son stating in effect, that he regarded himself a. Sc
eure in his position, and yet more because OF lntell-
gence which late on Saturday evening reached the De-
Jarment that heavy battery had been erected among
The rand hills at the entrance TO Charesion lhrbor
which would probably destroy any unarmed vessel
land such was the Star Of the West which might at
tempt 10 make ts way mp TO Fort S1mter. 1his I'M
portaut information faisiod the Government that there
was no present necessity for sending
and that when sent, they should 90, not in vesel of
commerce but oil Hence the couDlormand was
dispatched by telegraph TO NewYork, but the yossel
had sailed shOrt time before II Teached he o0e' 10
whom it was addressed
This plain statement il submitted in he belief that
before an integ ent and candid public, II VIII anOri
complete yinGcaion Of my conduct, as well n oil he
conduct oil that illustIiOas patriot and soldier, Lieut.
Gen Scott, whose stsulcss honor certainly needs no
defence al nv hands against the apeTson Of the pres
.It OF oil any other assailant.
il is well known that persistent ialsifcation OF the
pol;cy and conduct Of the late Administration, in it,
relations 10 the South, has proved potent nsiru-
mentality for inGaminI the popular mind Of that dis
tracted portion Of orr country, and thus giving an
eycr.inorcgtDg impetus TO the rcyoluiionj aud ,he
fact lla the telegraph and the press have been under
Inc absolute direction of those controlling this move.
men Las rendered resistance to this fundamentally
impracticable. Whatever purposes, therefore, Were
expected to be accomplished by the circulation Of the
paragraph which has been exposed, viii probably he
thn fa
pursue the poison into Ill it, ramiicaliors. II, how
ever this lanaton shall secuIeto me the confidence
Of those trueheared patriots who still love our Union
better than all the poils and power which revolution
can pgomise then shall little regard the condemnation
Of en who for the last two months, have neesiantly
denounced me throughout the South simply and solely
because have refused TO blaokcn my soul with per-
jury, by berayug the Government Of my country,
while i'm iis scryiCe j. H0LT.
HaJi.gtsS, MsT1h :, 1861.