The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-07-10
Message Of the President
DELIVERED AT The
EXTRAORDINARY SESSION,
July 4Tu, 1861.
Filow-citi,ens Of tie Senate and House o
REPRESENTATIVES

your attention Is not called to any ordinary
subject Of legislation.
At he beginning of the present Prcsidcn
tial term, four months ago, the functions o
the federal government were found to b,
generally suspended within the severa
states of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama
Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, except
ing only those Of the Post Office depart
uicnt.
Within these states all the forts, arscna,s
dockyards, custom. houses, &c, including
all the movable aud stationary property il
and about them, had been seized and held
in open hostility to this government, except
ing only Forts Pickcns, Taylor and Jcffer
son, on and near the Florida coast. and Fit
Sumptcr, in Charleston Harbor. The forts
thus seized had been put in improved con
dilion, new ones had been built, and armed
forces had been organized and were organ
izing, all avowedly for the same hostile pur
poses. The forts remaining in the fedora
possession in and near those states were c
thcr besi.'ged or menaccd by warlike prepa
rations, especially Fit. Sumpter, which was
nearly surrounded by we'll protected hostile
batteries, with guns equal in quality to ths
best Of its own, and outnumbcring the lat
ter as perhaps ten to one.
A disproportionatc share Of the federal
muskets and rifles had somehow found thei,
way into these states, and had been seized
to be used against the government; accu
mutations Of the public revenue lying with
in them had been seized for the same oh
jcct. The navy was scattered in distan
seas, leaving but a very small part of i
within the immediate reach Of the govern
m.nt. Others Of the federal army had re
signed in great numbers, and of those re
signed great portion had taken up arms
against the government. .#w
simultaneously and in connection Will
all this, the purpose to sever the federal Tn
ion was openly avowed. In accordance
with this purpose an ordinance had been re
ported in each Of these states, declaring the
states respectively to be separated from til,
federal Union. The formula for institutne
a combined government for these states has
been promulgated, and this illegal organize
ton, in the character of the Confederate
States was already asking recognition
aid and intervention from foreign powers.
Finding that condition of things, and be
lievins it to be an impcrati- &C duty upon tn
incoming Executive to prevent, if possible
thu contamination of such attempts to des
troy the federal Unicn, choice of two
things to that end became Indispensable -
The policy chosen looked to the exhaustion
Of all peaccablc measures before a resort tt
any stronger one. 1t sought only to holt
the public places and property not alrcad,
wrested from the government and to collcc
the revenue, relying for the rest on time
discussion and the ballot box. l promised
the continuance Of tho mails at govern
mcnts expense to the very people who wcr
resisting the government, and gave repeated
pledges against the disturbance of any o
the people, or any of their rights. OF al
that which President might constitution
ally and justitiably do in such case, eve
rything was forborne without which it wa
believed possible to keep the government OF
foot. a
On the 9th of March, the present incum
bent's first full day in Office, letter from
Major Anderson, commanding at For
Sumpter, written OH the 18th day of Febru
airy, and received at the War Department
| on the 4th of March, was by that depart
mcnt placed in his hands. This letter ex
pressed the professional opinion of the wri
ter that reiniorcenents could not be throw
into that fort in time for his relief, RENDERED
necessary by the limited supply of provis
ions, and with view of holding possession
of the same with a force of less than 90, OO(
| well-disciplined men. This opinion wa
concurred in by all the officers Of his com
| mand, and their memoranda en- the subjec
were made enclosures Of Major Anderson
letter. The whole was immediately laid be
| fore Lieut.. Gen. Scott, who at once concur
red with Maj. Anderson in his decision o.
| reflection, however, he took full time il
consulting with other officers of both tn
army and navy, and, at the end of ur days
came reluctantly but decidedly to the sam
conclusion as before. lie also stated, at til
same time, that no such sufficient force wa
then at the control Of the government, o
could be raised and brought to the groun
within the time wheu the provisions in tn
fort would be exhausted.
In purely military point of view, thi
restricted the administration to the mer
matter of getting the garrison safely out q
the fort. 1t was believed, however, that t
| abandon that situation under the circum
stances, would be utterly ruinous; that tn
necessity under which it was to be don
would not be fully understood; that b
many it would be construed as part of
voluntary policy; that at home it woul
discourage the friends of the Union, embo
den its adversaries, and so far to insure
the latter recognition abroad; and, tina
in fact, it would be our national destruction
This could not be allowed. Starvation wa
not yet upon the garrison, and ere it woul
be reached, TT. Pickens might be reinforced
This last would be clear indication of DO
icy, and would better enable the country I
accept the evacuation of Fl. Sumpter as
military necessity then.
| An order was at once directed to be ser
for the landing of the troops from III
steamship Brooklyn into Fort Pickens-
This order could not 60 by land but mus
take the surer and slower route by sea-
! The first return news from the order wa
received just one week bfore the fall
Sumpter. The news itself was that tn
officer commanding the Sabine. to whic
vessel the troops had been transferred frol
the Brooklyn, acting upon some quasi-a
mstice of the late adninistration-and
the existence of which the present admins
tration, up to the time the order was di
patched, Nau only TOO vague ana uncertal
rumors to fix attcntion-had refused I
land the troops.
To now reinforce Fort Pickcns before I'll
crisis would be reached at Fort Sumpte
was impossible; rendered SO by the mel
exhaustion of provisions intae latter name
fort. In precaution against such contr
gency, the government had few days b.
fore commenced preparing an expedition
as well adapted as might be, to relieve T
Sumpter, which expedition was intcnde
to DC ultimately used or not according t
circumstances. The strongest anticipate
case for using it was now presented, and
was resolved to send it forward, as la
been intended in this contingency 1t wa
also resolved to notify the Governor (
South Carolina that he might expect an
tempt would be made to provision the for
and that, if the attempt should not be +,
sisted, there would be no attempt to thro