Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-07-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
DELIVERED AT
THE EXTRAORDINARY SESSION,
lilly A. 1891.

as auther1zed by the Constitution, your atten- !
ton is not called to any ordinary subject of lesis-
latiol.
AT the beginning of the present Presidential
term four months ago, the functions OF the Feo-
eral Government were found to be generally sus- /
pended within the several States of South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, louisiana
and Florida, excepting those only OF the Post
office Department.
within these States all the forts, arsenals, dock
yards, Custom houses, &C., including all the
movable and stationary property IN and about
them, had been seized and held in open hostility
70 this Government, excepting only Forts Pick
ems, Taylor and Jefferson, on and near the
Florida coast, and Fort Sumter, in Charleston
Harbor. The forts thus seized had been put IN
improved condition. new ones had been built, and
armed forces had been organized and were or
gaming, all avowedy for the same hostile
purpose. The forts remaining in the Federal
possession in and near those States were either
ieseged or menaced by warlike preparations, es-
pedally Fort Sumter, which was nearly sur
rounded by well protected hostile batteries, with
guns equal in quality TO the best OF its own, and
ounumbering the latter perhaps ten to one
A dsproportionate share of the Federal mus
kets and rifles had somehow found their way into
these States and had been seized to be used
against the Government; Accommodations OF the
public revenue lying within them had been seized
Tor the same object. The navy was scattered in
distant seas leaving but very small part OF 1t
within the immediate reach of the Government.
Officers of the Federal army had resigned in great
numbers, and Of those resigned = great portion
had taken up arms against the Government.
Simultaneously. and in connection with all
this, the purpose to sever the Federal Union was
openly avowed. In accordance with this purpose
an ordinace had been reported in each of these
States, declaring the States respectively to be
separated from the Federal Union. The formula
for introducing a combined government for these
States has been promulgated, and this illegal or
yanization, in the character Of the Confederate
States was already asking recognition, aid and
intervention Fl ON foreign powers.
Finding that condition of things, and believing
il tn be an imperative duty upon the incoming
Executive to prevent, if possible. the consumma-
ton of such attempts to destroy the Federal
Union choice of two things to that endbe
came indispensable The choice was made, and
was declared in the inaugural address. The pol
icy chosen looked to the exhaustion of all peace
able measures before n resort to any stronger
ones II sought only to hold the public places
and property not already wrested from the Gov
eminent, and to collect the revenue. relying for
the rest on time, discussion and the ballot box.
promised, the continuance Of the mails at gov
ernment's expense to the very people who were
resisting the government, and gave repeated
pledges against any disturbance of any of the
people. or any of their rights. Of all that which
a President might constitutionally and justifably
do in such case, everything was foreborne, with
out which it was believed possible to keep the
government on foot.
On the fifth of E,rch, the present Incumbent
first full day in Office, a letter from Major An
derson, commanding at Fort Sumter. written on
the 2Sth of February, and received at the War
Department on the 4th of March. was by that
), Department placed in his hands. This letter ex-
Al Al
reinforcements could not be thrown into that fort
in time for his relief rendered necessary by the
limited supply of provisions, and with view of
holding possession of the same, with force of
less than % 900 well disciplined men. This opin-
ion wac concursed in by all the officers of his
command, and their memoranda on the subject
we're made enclosures of Major Anderson's let
tiers. The whole was Immediately laid before
Lieut.. Gen. Scott, who at once concurred with
Maj. Anderson in his decision. On reflection,
however. he took full time in consulting with
other officers of both the army and navy, and, at
the end of tour days, came reluctantly. but deci-
dedly, to the same conclusion as before. He also
stated, at the same time, that no sufficient force
then At the control of the government nor
could be raised and brought to the ground within
the time when the provisions in the fort would be
exhausted ~ asses insa 80
In purely military point of view, this restrict
ting the garrison safely out of the fort. II was
believed, however, that to so abandon that situa-
ton, under the circumstances, would be utterly
ruinous; that the necessity under which it was to
be done would not be fully understood; that by
many it would be construed as part of a yolun
tary policy; that at home it would discourage the
friends of the Union, embolden its adversaries
and 60 far to insure to the latter a recognition
abroad; and that in fact, it would be our national
!, destruction. This could not be allowed. Starva-
ton was not vet upon the garrison, and ere il
would be reached, Fort Pickens might be rein
forced. This last would he clear indication of
policy and would better enable the country to ac-
cept the evacuation Of Fort Sumter as q military
necessity then. ae917 80 81
An order was ut once directed to be sent for
the landing of the troops from the steamship
Brooklyn into Fort Pickens. This order could
B not 60 by land, but must take the surer and
slower route by sea. The first return from the
order was received just one week before the fall
of Sumter. The news itself was that the officer
commanding the Sabine. to which vessel the
troops had been transferred from the Brooklyn,
acting upon some quasi armistice Of the late Ad-
ministration--and Of the existence Of which the
present Administration. up to the time the order
was dispatched, had only too vague and uncer-
tain rumors to fix attention-had refused TO land
the troops. ~ is5i. 81. -afflsb
5 To now reinforce Fort Pickens before the
E crisis would be reached at Fort SUMTER was i'm
2 possible, rendered so by the mere exhaustion of
provisions in the latter named fort. In precau:
ton against such a contingency, the Government
had few days before commenced preparing an
expedition, as welladapted as might lie, to relieve
Fort Sumter, which expedition was intended to
be ultimately used or not, according to circum-
stances. The strongest anticipated case for using
it was now presented, and was resolved to send
cit forward, as had been intended in this contin
gency II was also resolved to notify the
b Governor of South Carolina that he might ex
pect an attempt would be made to provision the
fort, and that, if the attempt should not be re-
sisted, there would be no attempt to throw in men,
arms or ammunition without further notice, or in
case of an attack upon the fort. This notice was
accordingly given, whereupon the fort was at.
tackled and bombarded to its fall, before awaiting
the arrival of the provisioning expedition.
1t Is thus seen that the assault upon and reduc-
ton of Fort Sumter was in no sense a matter OF
selfdefense on the part of the assailants. They
well knew that the garrison in the fort could by
no possibility commit aggression upon them
They knew that they were expressly notified that
the giving of bread to the few brave and hungry
men of the garrison was all that would on that
occasion be attempted, unless they themselves
by resisting so much, should provoke more. They
knew that this Government desired to keep the
garrison in the fort. not to assail them, but
W 70 maintain Vsloie possession, ana mus 10 pre-
serve the Union from actual and immediate dis
solution. trusting, hereinbefore stated to time
discussion and the ballot box for final adjustment
and they assaied and reduced the fort for pre-
cisely the reverse object-to drive out the visible
authority of the Federal Union and thus force il
to immediate dissolution. ta5I
That this was their object the Executive well
understood, and having said to them, in the inau-
gural address, "You can have no conflict without
being yourselves the aggressors." he took pains
not only to keep this declaration good, but also
to keep the case so far from ingenious sophistry
that the world should not misunderstood it. BY
the affair at Fort Sumter. with its surrounding
circumstances, that point was reached. Then and
there, by the ASSISTANTS of the Government, be-
gan the convict, without gun in sight or expec-
fancy to retr-n their firing, save Only the few in
the FORT sent to that harbor years before for their
own protection, and still ready to give that pro-
lection in whatever was loyal. In this act, dis.
cartling all else, they have forced upon the coun