Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-03-21
From Washington.
W.ssINeroN, March, IL 1861,

w ASHlNGIONJ AaiCu3 IL 1OO1s
An extra session of Congress is now al
most certain. 1t cannot be avoided unless
the Government is to exist at the will of the
rebel States. Mr.. Lincoln favors the pas
sage of a bill similar to that drawn up by
John Cochrane in the last Congress, giving
the Elective power at any time to declare
Savannah, Charleston, Mobile, New Or
leans and other ports no longer ports of
entry. This would settle the revenue diff
fieulty in ten days. Notice would instant
be given 10 foreign Governments, and our
revenue cutters would complete the work.
Tue Fort Sumster question is one ofab-
sorbing interest in all political circles. On
Sunday several Western members of Con-
gress had an interview with the President
and besought him not consent to the evac-
uation of the fortress unles it was abso-
lutely a military necessity. Ben. Wade
is reported to have said, "If the Admins
tration follows in the footsteps of Buchanan
in this matter, it will prove the Hopkinsian
theology to be true-it will be damned
before it is born" But the Administration
will do no such thing. IfSumter is aban-
doned it will be Mr.. Buchanan's, not Mr..
Lincoln's fault, and the facts will show it.
1t is however true that Messrs Blair and
Chase were yesterday very much opposed
to giving the order to evacuate to Major
Anderson for the present at least, and it is
generally understood that Mr.. Seward
favors the withdrawal of the troops.
Evidence is rapidly accumulating at the
War Department going to show that Major
Anderson has been playing deep game
for three months, and one which has de-
ceived his military superiors. For many
weeks the steady tenor of his daily dis
patches has been, "Send no reinforcements
or supplies-I need neither troops nor
provisions, Therefore let me alone" Sud
denly-the moment that Mr.. Lincoln
takes the reins of Government-the tune
changes, and now Anderson cries, "Send
me supplies, or l starve-send me more
troops, or it will be impossible to defend
the fort" Why is this sudden change?
Was not Major Anderson perfectly aware
six weeks ago that the batteries which
were being erected at every commanding
point in Charleston harbor would soon
render reinforcements impossible! If so,
why did he not complain of the military
works which were intended to compass
his destruction and warn his Government in
time? 1t is stated on very good authority
that he did no such thing, and that Mr..
Holt admits at least an apparent discrep-
ancy between Anderson's former and later
dispatches. The American people certain
ly will not condemn man unheard, and
last of all men Maj. Anderson; but he
will if he leaves Fort Sumter, need to
clear up some of these misty points. 1t
is suspected in some quarters that Mr..
Buchanan, upon his own responsibility,
sent secret agent to Fort Sumter more
than eight weeks ago, advising Ander-
son to take the course he has done fully
aware that the result would be the loss of
the fortress His justification of the act
would be that bloody conflict would
thereby be avoided, and civil war averted,
This pretext has served him for all his
traitorous and imbecile acts, and it can be
made to do duty once more to cover up the
disgrace consequent upon the Fall of Sum-
ter. D.W.B