Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-01-14


At the beeiHaiug Of these unhappy troubles
! L determined that No act OF mine should Ia
crease the ezcitenen in either section OF the
country. 1.-THE political confiict were to end
ID civil warit was my determined purpose
MOTTO commence Is. nor even TO furnish an
excuse for II by any act of this Government.
3iy opinion remains unchanged, that jasffee
| as well as sound policy require Us still to seek
a peaceful solution OF the Question at issue
between the North and the South. Enter
tanning this conviction. / -reiraIoed even from
! sending reinforcemeuls 10 Major Anderson.
who commanded the forts in Charleston har-
b0r. until an absolute necessity for doing so
should make itself apparent, lest II might IN
justly be regarded as 4 menace Of military
coercion, and thus furnish, If not proVOea-
ton, at least a prGteXt Tor an outbreak Oa the
part Of South Carolina. No DecessitY for
these reiufOrcenIeuts seemed to exist. I was
assured by distinguished and upright gentle
men of South Carolina that no attack upon
Major Anderson was intend d. but that, on
the contrary. il was the desire OF the Stale
authorities, as much as it was my own, to
avoid the fatal consequences which must even
tuaIly follow military collision.
And here l deem Il proper TO submit for
your Information copies Of communication
dated 2Sth December, 1850, addressed to me
By r. ". BaFnwell. J. Il. Adams. and James
l. Orr. f'Commissioners" from South Caro-
lima, with the accompanying documents and
copies Of my answer thereto, dated 3lst De
cember.
In further explanation of Major Ander-
sons removal from Fort M0ultTje TO Fort
Sumter, it is proper 20 state that, after my
answer TO the South Car0nina Commissions
ers. the War Department received letter
from that gallant officer dated on the 9Th
December, 1860, the day after this move
niph tho fJifpy-54sr av-frHrf-
Il will add, as my opinion, that many
things convinced me that the ~ hOrities Of
the State designed to proceed to q hostile
act" (EvideHHy reiersinG to the orders
dated The llth December, Of the late Secre-
tary of War; 'Uuder this impression [
could not hesitate 10 move my command
from q fort which we co1id not probably have
held longer than torty-eight or sixty hours
to this one, where my power Of resistance IS
increased to very great degree"
1t viii be recollected that the cOncluding
part Of these orders was in the following
terms;
1.-The smalluess Of your farce viii not per-
NIT you, perhaps, TO occupy more than one
OF the three forts, bot an attack on or at
tempt TO take possession oil either one OF
then will be regarded Us an act Of hostility
aud you may then put your command into
either Of them which you may deem most
proper 10 increase its power Of resistance.
You are also au horized % take similar de- !
feusivc steps whenever you have Tangible /
eFid ,nce Of a design TO proceed to hostile !
act"
Il Is said that serious approximations are to !
some extent entertained, IN which do not
share, that the peace Of this District may be
disturbed before the 4h Of March next. In
any event, it viii be my duty to preserve II, |
and this duty shall be performed.
In conclusion. Il NAV be PERMITTED TO me |
to remark that / have often warned nay cGun-
trymen of the dangers which now surround |
US. This may be the last time l shall refer
TO the subject officially. 1 feel that my duty |
has been faithfully. though 1t may be ImPer |
iectiy. performed; and, whatever the result |
may DC, shall carry to my grave the cOn- |
that at least meant well tor my
country. JAMES BUCHANAN.
WASHINGTON, January s, 1861.