New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1861-07-19
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FeItoao CitiSens OF the Senate and
House Of REPRESENTATIVES,:

House Of Representatives:
Having been convened in extraordinary
session as authorzed by the Const; ..,ltion
your attention is not called to any ordinary
subject of legislation. At the beginning Of
the present Presidential term, four months
ago, the functions of the Federal Govern.
ment were found to be generally suspended
within the several States of South Carolina
Georgia, alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana
and Florida. excepting those only Of the
Post Office Department. Within these States
all the forts, arsenals, dock yards, custom
houses, &C., including all the movable and
stationary property in and about them, had
been seized and held in open hostility to this
Government, excepting only fort Pckens,
Taylor and Jefferson, on and near the Flori
da coast, and Fort Sumter in Charleston
harbor. The forts thus seized had been at
in improved condition, new ones had been
built and armed. Other forces been organ
lied. and were organizing, all avowedly for
the same hostile purposes. The forts remain
ing in the Federal possession in and near
those States were either bsseiged or mcnaced
by warllke preparations Especially Fort
Sumter was nearly surrounded by well pro-
tected hostile batteries, with guns equal in
quality to the best of its own, and outnum-
bering the latter as ten to one. A dispro-
portienate share Of the Federal muskets and
rifles had found their way into these States
and had been seized to use against the Gov
ernment. AccumuIations of the public rev.
enue had been seized for the same object
The navy was scattered in distant seas leav-
ing buta small part of it within the immedi-
ate reach OF the Government. Officers of the
Federal army had resi- igned in great num-
bers, and of those resigned q great portion
had taken up rms against the Government
| Simultaneously and in connec ion with all
this, a purpose to sever til federal Union
Wa openly owed. n 4Cynrdance witt
| th@ our! ose, al ordinance !.d been reported
in each of these States, declaring the States
| respectively to be separated from tho Federal
Union. The formula for insttuting a COM
b'ned Government for these States had been
pro,nu gated, and this illegal organization in
the character of the Confederate States, was
alre ady asking recognition, aid. and inter-
vention from foreign powers. Finding this
condition of means, ana believing it to be an
imperative duty upon the incoming Execu-
tive to prevent ifp ossible, the consumation
of such attempt to dostrey the Federal Union,
choice of two things to the end became in
dispensable. This choice was made and de-
clared in the inaugural address. The policy
chosen look to the exhaustion of all peace
able measures before a resort to any stronger
one. 1t sought only to hold the public places
and property not already wrestcd from the
Government and to collect the revenue,
relying for the rest on time, discussion and
the ballot box. promised the continuan ce
of the mails at the Governments expense to
the very people who were resisting the
Government, and gave repeated pledges
against any disturbance of any of tile people
or any of their rights-of all that which the
President might consttutionally and justif-
ably do in such case. Everything was
forborne with which it was believed possible
to keep the Government on foot.
On the 5th of March, the present incumb
ent's first full day in Office, letter from Maj
Anderson, commanding at Ft. Sumter,
written on the 2sth of February and received
at the War Department on the 4th day of
March, was by that Department placed in
his hands. This letter expressed the profess
sional opinion of the writer that reinforce
ments could not BE- thrown into the Fort in
time for his relief rendered necessary by the
limited supply Of provisions and with a view
of holding possession of the same,) with
force ofSless than 10000 well disciplined
men. This opinion was concurred IN by all
the officers of his command and their memoir
anda on the subject we're made Enclosures of
Maj. Anderson's letter. The whole was i'm
mediately laid before Lieat- General Scott,
who at once eoncurred with Maj Anderson
in his decision. 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 reluctatly but decidedly to
the same conclusion az before. He also sta
| ted at the same time that no such sufficient
force was then at the control of the Govern
ment or could be raised or brought to the
ground within the time when the provisions
in the Fort would be exhausted.
In a purely military point Of view, this
confined the administration to the mere mat
ter of getting the garrison safely out of the