Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-01-14
To his Eacelleney James Buchanan, President Of
To- The United States: u ..Iffn-r.-F .f. ..

hope and DelleV6 not until an OHer mas Deen
made through an accredited representative, h
negotiate for an amicable arrangement OF oil
mattersbetween the State and the Federal Gov
ernmeni, provided that no reinforcements shall
be sent !ato those forts, and their relative mill
itary stltus shall remain as OF present. H
t.' JOHN MCQUEEN,
M L. BONHAM, i''r
W. W. BoYCE,
LAWRENCE M. KEITT.
WAsHRoToN, Dec. 9, 1860.
And tere must, in justice to myself, re
mark thlt at the time the paper was present
ed to me, objected to the word "provided," "
as 1t might be construed into an agreement on
my part, which / never would make. They
said that nothing was further from their in.
tention--they ibid not so understand it, and !
should net 30 consider it. II is evident they
could enter intosno reciprocal agreement with
me on the subject. They did not profess to
have authority to do this, and were acting in
their individual character. | consider it as
nothing more, in effect, than the promise of
highly honorable gentlemen, to exert their In
fluence for the purpose expressed The event
has proven that they have faithfully kept this
promise although Ihave never since received a
line from any one of them, or from any men,
Der Of the Convention on the subject. 1t is
we'll known that it was my termination, and
this freely expressed not to reinforce the forts
in the haIbor, ana thus produce a collision, un
til they had actually been attacked, or until |
had certain evidence that they were abont to be
attacked. This. paper received most cordial.
ly, and considered IL as happy omen that peace
might be still preserved, and that time might
be thus given for reflection. This Is the whole
foundation for the alledged pledge.
| pnfT I OBJ To-, .ho I
have done, had entered into positive and for.
NAL agreement with parties capable OF contract.
ing, although such an agreement would have
been, on my part, from the nature of my official
duties, impossible. The world knows that
have never sent any reinforcements to the forts
In Charleston harbor, and have certainly never
authorized any change to be made sin their rela-
tive military status" Bearing upon thissubject,
refer you to an order issued by the Secretary of
War, on the llth inst, to Major Anderson, but
not brought to my notice until the 2Ist inst. It
is as follows:
"MEMoRANDUM OF VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO MAJOR
ANDEReoN, FIRST ARTILLERY, COMMANDING font
MoULTRIr, 8, C.
You are aware Of the great anxiety of the
Secretary Of War that collision of the troops
with the people OF this State shall be avoided,
and Of his studied determination to pursue
course with reference to the military force and
forts in this hSrbor, which shall guard against
such collision. He has, therefore, carefully
abstnined from increasing the ioroe at this point
or taking any measure which might add to the
present excited state of the public mind, or
which would throw any doubt on the confidence
he feels that South Carolina will not attempt by
violence. to obtain possession Of the public works
or interfere with their occupancy.
But as the counsel and acts of rash and i'm.
pulsve persons may possibly disappoint these ex.
pectations of the Government, he deems it pro.
per that you should be prepared with instructions
to meet so unhappy contingency. He has,
therefore. directed me vsrhaOiy, to give Sou
such instructions
You are carefully to avoid every act which
would needlessly tend to provoke aggression,
and for that reason you are not, without neces.
sity to take up any position which could be con.
strued into the assumption Of a hostile attitude;
but you are TO hold possession Of the forts In this
harbOr, and If attacked, you are 10 defend youy.
self TO The last extremity. The smalness of your
force Will not permit you, perhaps to ocoupy
more than one Of the three forts, but an attack
on, or attempt to take possession Of either of
them, will be regarded as an act of hostility,
and you may then put your command into either
of them which you may deem most proper to in.
crease it's power of resistance. You are also
authorized TO take similar steps oheneuor you haue
tangible Evidence Of design 10 proceed 10 hostile
act
DIP. BUTLER, Asst Adj. General.
FORT MoULTRIE, s. c. Dec. IL, 1860.
This is in conformity to my instructions to
Major Buell.. .-. L.l. -. a..
JOHN B. FLOYD, Sec. of War.
These were the last instructions transmitted
to Major Anderson before his removal to Fort
Sumter, with a single exception, in regard to
particular which does not in any degree affect
the present question. Under these circumstan.
COS, it is clear that Major Anderson acted upon
his own responsibility, and without authority,
unless, indeed, he had tangible evidence Of a
design to proceed to hostile act' on the part
of South Carolina, which has not vet been al.
legged. Still, he is brave and honorable officer,
and Justice requires that he should not be con.
demned without a fair hearing. 5' los
Be this as it may, when Ilearned that Major
Anderson had left Fort Moultrie and proceeded
to Fort Sumter, my first promptiugs were to
command him to return to his former position.
and there to await the contingencies presented
in his instructions. This would only have been
done with any degree Of safety to the command
by the concurrence of the South Carolina au.
thorities. But before any step could nos.
sibly have been taken In this direction, we re.
ceived information that the "Pametto fac
hoated out to the breeze at Castle Pinkney, and
large military force went over last night ftbe
27th) to Fort Moultrie" Thus the authorities
Of South Carolina, without waiting or asking
for any explanations, and doubtless believing,
as you have expressed it, that the officer had
acted not only without, but against my ORDERS
on the very next day after the night when the
removal was made, seized by q military force
two OF the Federal forts in the harbor OF
Charleston, and have covered them under their
own flag instead of that Of the United States.
So At this gloomy period Of our history, startling
events succeed each other rapidly. On the very
day, the 9th instant, that possession of these
two forts was taken, the Palmetto flag was
raised over the Federal Custom House and Post
Office in Charleston; and on the same day every
officer Of the Customs Collector, Naval Officer,
Surveyor and appraiser--resg their Offices.
And this, although it was we'll known from the
language of my Message that, as an Executive
officer, felt myself bound to collect the reyen-
ue at the port Of Charleston, under the existing
laws In the harbor of Charleston We now fud
three forts confronting each other, over all of
which the Federal flag Aoated only four days
ago; but now, over two Of them, this flag has
been supplanted, and the Palmetto flag has been
substituted in its stead. IL lie under all these
circumstances that l am urged Immediately to
withdraw the troops from the harbor Of Charles.
ton, and am informed that without this negotia.
ton is impossible. This cannot do--this I
will not do Such an idea was never thought
Of by me in any possible contingency. No such
allpsion had been made in any communication
between myself and any human being. But the
inference is that Tam bound to withdraw the
troops from the only fort remaining In the pos
session of the United States in the harbor Of
Charleston, because the officer there in com