, 1861-03-11

e boS tS h oass1s
s,y Gf oRns1. sgaiHsst s01 a sa %
stone1s' to my on&hfcatton 70 them o. ~. 1, q,
was received and rahd. It produced nush 1nag:: a:
Sg the T sna follow
ing Language: lit IL now al over, and Telniofee-
ments m1sf be sent Judge Black gAi9. at tha Il
oz decision hat ssr tns "a IT,
aenting voice Indeed, the splEtt and tone .. INC
letter left no donbt on ny mind that Fort Sumter
>re.sity Of sending Endorsements there without
Whilst you al1nit "tbat on Wednesday, Jan. q,
this subject was again dfacuseed IN Cananet,, yon
say, :. but certainly no conclusion was reached"
In this your recollection Is entirely oHerenE ton
that Of your four eldest colleagues N ne taoaet
secretarieso of Waf and The Navy proceeded to act
upon 1t without any further intercourse W1tn ny
asif than What you heard e might haye heatd ne
cohseqHenee Of mydecieion. I deeply regret that
yoa 6ys ss sa3 Il gotlpt Of CT sft fhfuga + e
tain you have not the less been mistaken.
Yours; 'ezz rSsRsfsI1B51y: 54sfa BHcutsk,,
Hon. JAcoB THo1tsos. :: 49,.
Nothing can be added to tho force and dig
President and the four Oldest members OF bis
Cabinet. 90 far from the movement for the
reinforcement Of Fort Sumter having been
aconcea1ed trick,"- it Was repeatedly and
frankly discussed m-the Cabinet, and when
conclusion WINS finally reached, the resolution
emphatic rs he probably ever addressed to one
Of his Secretaries. - Il is now all over, and
reinforcements must be sent" Was bis 1an-
gnage; and these words were spoken IN open
council. the honorable Secretary OF the lute-
rior himself being present. It was IN strict
II, %f@Tver hat
the Star Of tile West was chartered and the re-
inforcements sent forward. In al these cir!
cuustances the public will look in vain for
any traces Of "trickn- on the part OF Gen
Scott or Of the SECRETARY Of War; It is true
that, in the hops Of faYoiding waste Of human
Life, an endeayor 1aB made to "eoncea" the
expedition from the hostile troops in charge of
these forts and batteries in Charleston harbor; !
bnt this cndeayor the vigilance and zeal Of the
The SeouuternsS1n spoken Of was not
more cordially sanctioned b the PRESIDENT
than it was by Gen. Scott aud mysen. 1t Was
given, not because & Of apy dissent rom aanae rae
Of letter received that day from Major an
derson, sitting, ii effect, that he regarded
himself as secure III his position, and yet more
because Of intelligence which late on Saturday
evening reached the Department that q heavy
battery had been erected among the sand hills
would probably destroy any nnarmed vessel
(and such Vas the Star Of the West) which
might attempt to make it's way up to Fort
Gunter. This important information satisfied
the Government that there Was no present ne
cessity for stndinE reinforcements, and that
when they should 60. not IN o vessel of com;
1ncrce, but Of war. -.Hense the countermand
Was dispatched hyz Telegraph to New York,
but the vessel had sailed short time before it
reached the officer to whom it was addressed
This plain statement js submitted in the be-
lief that, before an Intelligent and candid pub
lie, it will afford q complete yindication Of my
conduct, as well as Of the conduct Of that il
scott-whose stainless honor certainly needs
no defence at my hands against the aspersions
Of the preso'::: or Of any other assailant.
It is wi H'sown TINT q persistent flisifca-
tiun t. H. !u.!:cy and conduct Of the late Ad-
ntniatration, III its relations to the South, has
proved potent fundamentally for imfarning
the popular mind Of that distracted portion 81
our country, and thus giving an ever-incrcas-
lug impetus to'the revolution; and the fact
tlmt the telegraph and the press have been I'M
der the absolute direction Of those controlling |
this movement, has rendered resistance to this |
in5trumcntality impracticable.
Whatever purposes, therefore, were ex-
pccted to be accomplished by the circulation
Of the paragraph which has been exposed, will
probably be attained, since the au,idote now
offered cannot possibly pursue the poison into
oil Of its ramitcations II, however, this cx-
planation shall secure to me the confidence Of
those true hearted patriots who love our
Union better than al the spoi1s and power
which revolution eau promise, then shall
little regard the condemnation Of men who,
for the last two months have necessarily de-
nnuuced me throughout the South, simply
aud solely because have refused to hlacken
my eoul with perjury, by hetrayiug the Gov
ernment ofmy country while in lis service.
j. HOLT,