The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-07-18
pRs,SIDENE,s MESSAGE,


House Df irpyesGHtdutes.
Having been convened in cxtraordIl
ary convention rs authorized by q
Constitution, your attention is called
no ordinary subject of legislation
At the beginning of the present pres
dcntial term, four months ago, the iunt
tons of the federal government wer
found to be generally suspended with
the several states of South Caroline
Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Geo,
! gia and Florida, excepting those onl
of the post Office department..
Within these States all the forts, arse
nails, dock yards, custom houses, dc
including all the movcable and station
ary property in and about them, ha'
been seized and held in open hostilit,
to this government, excepting only FITS
Pickens, Taylor and Jefferson on an1
near tho Florida coast, and TT. Sumter
in Charleston harbor. The forts thus
seized had been put in improved con
dition: new ones had been built and
armed; other forces had been organized
and were organizing, all avowoa.y fol
the same hostile purpose.
The forts remaining III federal poses.
sion in those States, were either hosiag
cd or threatened by wa1like prerara-
tons, especially Fort Sumter, which
was nearly surrounded by well protect
cd hostile batteries, with guns equal in
quality to the best of its own, and ont
numbering tie latter rs ten to one
4 lisproportionatc share Of the federal
nu,l>c,s and rides had somehow found
their way into these states, and had
been seized to I,c used AGAINST the GOV,
ernmcnt. Accommodations Of the public
revenue had been seized for the same
object. The Savv was scattered in
distant seas, leaving hut 2 small part o.
il within immediate reach cf tie Coy.
ernmcnt
Officers oftho falcral army haa re-
SIGNED III -reat numbers. and OF those
resigned, great portion had taken np
arms against the government. Simulta-
neouSlv. AMI III connection with all this
a prrposc'to scycrthe federal union was
openly ayowed. In accordance with
t,is purpose, an ordinance had been re-
ported in each Of these States, dcclar-
inc tho Statesrcspectivelv to be separat-
ed from the federal union.
IT. formula for ins,itutinr a com
bined government for these States had
been promulgated and this Illegal organ
ization in the character of the Conted-
crate states was already asking rccog
milton, aid and intervention from for
cign powers. Finding that condition
Of things, and believing it to be an i'm
perative duty upon the incoming exec
utlve TO prevent, ifpossible. the consul
nation Of such attempt to destroy the
federal Union, a choice Of two things
to that end became indispensable. This
choice was made and declared in the
inaugural address.
The policy chosen looked to the OK
haustion of all pcaceable means. Be
fore resort to anystonger one. sought
only to hold the public places aud prop
erty not already wrcsted from govern
ment and to collect the revenue, relying
for the rest on true discussion and the
ballot-box. Ipromised the continuance
Of the mails at the governments cx-
pense to the very people who were re-
sisting the government, and gave repeat
ed pledges against any disturbance of
any of the people, or any Of their rights
or all that which president might JUS
tifiable and constitutionally do III snch
case. Everything was forborne with
out which it was believed possible to
keep the government on foot.
On the fifth of March the present in
cumbant's first full day in Office, q letter
from Mai. Anderson, commanding at
Fort Sumter, written on the 2sth Of
February and received at the war de
nartment on the 4th Of March, was by
that department placed in his hands,
This letter expressed the professiona
opinion Of the writer that reinforcement
could not be thrown into that Fort il
time for his relief, rendered neccssar,
by the limited supply ofprovisions, an'
with view Of holding possession Q
the same with y force Of less than 90,
900 we'll deciplined men.
This opinion was occurred III by al
the officers Of his command, and thei
memoranda on the subject were mad