Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-09
FROM WAsHINGTON.

WAsHINaToE Feb. g.
The President, In q message transmitted 10 both
Houses 20 Gay gives she correspondence between
lished, The following 4 the substance 81 the
concluding part
,E January. 81, 1850
Amer stating the refusal to surrender Fort
sumter 70 be occasion for war and Sfating tbs
question 70 be one Of mers property, be saws =
II The evils OF war are 20 be encountered, e.
pecially calamtous civil war elevated atatesrnnn
ship would seem TO require It should be accepted
a. u avoidsbe alternative OF something still
more disastrous; such &C national dishonor or
measures materially Affecting tbs lafety or per
manent interests 0f the people that Sbould Be
deliberately made and entered upon, and OF SET
purpose, but that war should be the Incident or
accident attendant on p0licY professedly peace.
fu, aud not required TO effect the object Whsch IL
avowed 40 the only end Intended aud can Only
be excused where no warning has been given a.
TO consequences. South Carolina cannot by her
silence appear 70 aequiesce In imputstion that she
isguilty Otan act Of unproVOked aggression In
firing ON the Star Of the West Though an un.
armed vessel, she WEs hlled wi h armed men en-.
terlng her territories against her. f0 ~ "a
CIV PickIns' instructions 70 him accompanv
Secretary Holt replied BY soknowisdring N.
Presidents receipt Of Haynes letter He ant
gives a summary OF Haynes Instructions, which
are, In eject
/ do not come as q military man to demand the
surrender Of fortress, but as q legal officer of
the state-its Attorney General-to claim for the
Z .
nent domain, and 70 pledge the State TO make
good all Injury 70 rights OF property which arise
from the exercise Of the claim. he proposition.
therefore. is 70 buy Fort Sumter, sustained BY tho
declaration, In effect, that II South Carlina 4
NOT permitted 70 make the purchase she will SEX.
the fort BY force OF arms. As Invitation for ne
gOuati0n to transfer the proper between friend
| " governments, this proposal impresses unusual
| form. he has. however, Investigated the claim
N which It PROCESSES to be based apart from the
de laration that accompanies Il. The title Of the
| Unlred states to the fort Is complete and lncon
! leslable. Were ia intere In the property proD
I rrty In ordinary aooeptation Of the tern. n
| might pr baby be subjected to tn exercise OF
/ The act of eminent domain but a has politioaI
relations to Il Of much higher and more imnosing
/ character than those Of mere prOprieforship
! II has absolute juri>dict on over the fort and
| soil on which 1t lands which Is clearly incom
/ patible with claims Of eminent domain. Thsau
/ thority was derived from the peaceful cession of
! South Carolina herself, under provision Of the
/ Constitution of the United States South Caro-
/ lima can no more assert the right of eminent do.
/ main over Sumter than Maryland can over the
| District Of Columbia. The President however
/ relieved further necessity Of pursuing this In
Quiry BY the fact that be has not the Constitution
! al power to oede or surrender t.
The question Of reinforcing Fort Sumter was
80 fully disposed Of in my letter of the 22d of Jan
uary to Senator slidell, copy of which accom-
| panies this, that its discussion need not he re-
| newed. then said At the present moment Il q
not deemed necessary 70 reinforce MAJ. Anderson,
because he makes no such request Should his
safety, however, require reinforcements, every
effort will be made 70 supply them, can add
nothing 70 the explioitness of this language,
which still applies % the existing state
In a letter Of Senator Davis, and others, TO
YOURSELF hey say Il Is especially due from South
Carolina 70 lr State 70 say nothing Of other
slsvehOlding States. She should as far as CON
sstent with her honor avoid Initiating hostllties
between her and the United States or any other
power, and you now give the President the graf
tying assur nee thst nth Carolina has every
disposition to preserve public peace and since he
ia sincerely animated BY the same desire Il would
seem this common patriotic object must be Of Ger
tain attainment. 1t is difficult, however to re-
con lie this with the de laratiOn of your part that
South Caroliuais own dignity as q sovereignty
an the safety of her people, prompts her TO de-
mand this property and not longer to be used a.
a military post by the Government she no longer
acknowledge After ing that In case an at
tempt BY foreign ports to capture the Charleston
batteries Fort Sumter would be exsrted for her
prot ctiop.
He say How the presence Of q small garrison,
actuated by saoh spirit, can compromise with
the dignity or honor of South Carolina, the Pres
ident Is st Z loss to understand The attitude
that the Cover ment has often declared Is men,
acing, defiant, nor unfrendly. If announcement
80 repeatedly made, Of the Presidents pacific
purpoees In continuing the occupation of Fori
Sumter until the question is settled BY competent
authority, has failed TO impress the government
Of South Carolina with the forb caring conduct OF
his administration for the last three months, Il
should be received as conclusive evidence Of biz
sincerity, and if this foFbeaTauce be not accepted
then neither language nor conduct can possibly
furnish such pledge,
IT. with All tie multiplied proofs OF the Presi
dents anxiety for peace, tbs authorities of South
Carolina shall assault Fort sumter Gud peril the
lives Of the handful OF brave and loyal men shut
up within its walls and tus plunge our common
country in the horrors Of civil war, then upon
them and those they represent must rest the re.
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