Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-07-12
Presidents Message.
Fsllow- citizens of the Senate and House {
Representatives

| Having been convened IN eXtraOrdlnar
session as authorized by the constitution
your attention is not called to any ordinar
) subject of legislation. At the beginning
the present Presidential term, four month
ago, the functions of the Federal governmel
were found to be generally suspended with
the several States Of South Carolina, Louis
ana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Flol
ida excepting those only of the Postoffice De
partment.
Within these States all the forts, arsenals
dock yards, custom houses, &C., including a
the movable and stationary property in an
about them, had been seized and held in ope
hostility to this government, excepting onl
Forts Pickens, Taylor and Jefferson, on an
near the Florida coast, and Fort Sumter, il
Charleston harbor. The forts thus seized ha,
been put IN improved condition; new one
had been built and armed other forces ha,
been organized and were organizing, all avoW
edly for the same hostile purpose.
The forts remaining in the Federal posses
sion in those States, were either beseiged O.
threatened by warlike preparations, especially
Fort Sumter, which was nearly surrounded
| by we'll protected hostile batteries, with gun.
equal in quality to the best of its own, anC
outnumbering the latter ten to one. A dis
proportionate share of the Federal muskets
and rifles had somehow found their way into
| these States, and had been seized to be useC
against the government Accommodations Of
the public revenue had been seized for the
same object. The navy was scattered in dis.
! tant seas, leaving but a very small part of il
within the immediate reach of the govern.
ment
Dfficarc of {ho Ea1oro1 hol i
in great numbers, and of those resigned, a
great portion had taken up arms against the
government. Simultaneously, and in connec-
ton with all this, a purpose to sever the Fed
eral Union was openly avowed. In accord
ance with this purpose an ordinance had been
reported in each Of these States, declaring the
States respectively to be separated from the
Federal Union.
The formula for instituting combined gov
ernment for these States had been promulga-
ted, and this illegal organization in the char
acter Of the Confederate States was already
asking recognition, aid and intervention from
foreign powers. Finding this condition of
things, and believing it to be an imperative
duty upon the incoming executive to prevent,
if possible, the consummation of such attempt
to destroy the Federal Union, choice of two
things to the end became Indispensable This
choice was made and declared in the inaugu-
raj address.
The policy chosen looked to the exhaustion
of all peaceable means Before a resort to any
stronger one, sought only to hold the public
places and property not already wrested from
the government, and to collect the revenue,
relying for the rest on time, discussion and the
ballot-box. [ promised the continuance of
the mails at the governments expense to the
very people who were resisting the govern
ment, and gave repeated pledges against any
disturbance Of any Of the people, or any Of
their rights, of all that which President
might justifably and consttutionaly do in
such case. Everything was forborne with
out which it was y iieved possible to keep the
government on foot.
On the 9TH of March, the present incum-
bents first full day of Office, letter from Ma
jor Andersen, commanding at Fort Sumter,
written on the 2sth of February and received
at the War Department on the 4th of March,
was by that department placed in his hands.
This letter expressed the professional opinion
of the writer, that reinforcements could not
be thrown into that fort in time for his relief,
rendered necessary by the limited supply of
provisions, and with view of holding posses
sion of the same, with a force of less than
10000 well disciplined men.
This opinion was concurred in by all the Of
fcers of his command, and their memoranda
on the subject were made and enclosed in
Maj Anderson's letter. The whole was i'm
mediately laid before Lieut.. Gen. Scott, who
at once concurred with Maj. Anderson's de-
cision. On reflection, however, he took full
time in consulting with other officers, both of
the army and navy, and at the end of four
days came reluctantly but decidedly to the
same conclusion as before. He also stated at
the same time that no such sufficient force
was then at the control of the government, or
could be raised and brought to the ground
within the time when the provisions in the
fort would be exhausted.
In military point of view, this confined
the administration to the mere matter of get
ting the garrison safely out of the fort. 1t
was believed, haweyer, thai TO SC abandon that
situation under the circumstances, would be
utterly ruinous-that the necessity under
which it was to be done would not be fully un-
derstood-that by many it would be construed
would discourage the friends Of the Union,
embolden its adversaries, and go far to insure
to the latter recognition abroad, and that in
fact it would be our national Instruction.
This could not be allowed Starvation was
not yet upon the garrison, and ere it would be
reached Fort Pickens might be reinforced
This last would be clear indication Of policy,
and would better enable the country to ac-
cept the evacuation of Sumter, military ne
cessity Then an order was at once directed
to be sent for the landing of troops from the
steamship Brooklyn into Fort Pickens.
This order could nos 60 by land, but must
take the surer and slower route by sea- The
first returning news from the order was re-
ceived Just one week before the fall of Sumter
The news itself was that the officers COM
manding the Sabine, to which vessel the
troops had been transferred from the Brook
lyn, acting upon some armistice of the late
Administration, of the existence Of which the
present Administration, up to the time the Or
der was dispatched, had only too vague and
uncertain rumors to fix attention, had refused
to land the troops.
10 now reinforce Fort Pickens before the
crisis would be reached at Fort Sumter, was
impossible, rendered SO by the mere e4haus-
ton of provisions in the latter named fort In
pIcCduCIOIl ouCI q COhtltAs9VI1SJ3 liIO
government had few days before commenced
preparing an expedition as well adapted as
might be to relieve Fort Sumter, which expe
dition was intended to be ultimately used or
not, according to circumstances. The strong
est anticipated case fer using it wss now pre-
sented, and it was resolved to send it forward
as had been intended.
In this contingency it was also resolved to
notify the Governor of South Carolina that he
might expect an attempt would be made to
provision the fort, and that if the attempt
should not be resisted, there would be no at
tempt to throw in men, arms or ammunition
without further notice, or in case Of an at
tack upon the fort. This notice was accord
ingly given, whereupon the fort was attacked
and bombarded to its fall, without even
awaiting the arrival of the provision expedi-
ton.
1t is thus seen that the assault upon and
| 90 q