Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-02-08
Mission of EX-President Tyler to
President Buchanan.
REPORT. or MIR. TYLER.
MR.. TYLER TO GOV. LETcuER.

| PRESIDENT Buchanan.
REPORT or MIR. TYLER.
MR.. TYLER TO GOV. LETcHER.
10 the Governor of the State Of Virginia:
| Dear Sir: | received your communica-
ton notifying ane Of my appointment, by
the General Assembly, as Commissioners
to the President of the United States, with
instructions respectfully to request the Pres
ident to abstain, pending the proceedings
contemplated by the action of the General
Assembly, from any or all acts calculated
to produce collision of arms between the
States which have seeded or shall secede
and the government Of the United States,
on the afternoon of Monday, the 2lst inst
BY the mail Of that day; and, in disregard
OF serious state Of indisposition, under
which had laborcd for some time previous,
resolved, at all hazards to myself person
ally, to carry out, SO far as l could, the pa
tl,otlc wishes of the Legislature. By the
earliest conveyance reached Richmond on
the evening of the succeeding day, (Tues-
day. 22d. } and, having had an interview
with your Excellency and my CO. commits
sioner, proceeded by the morning train of
cars next Day, "wednesday 23d, for the
city of Washington, which reached on the
afternoon Of the same day. am thus par-
ticular in giving precise dates, so that the
Legislature may perceive that with all pos
sible promptitude and despatch, | obeyed
their wishes, and also to show that | was
duly sensible of the Importance of time in
the whole proceeding. Immediately after
reaching Washington, addressed note
(marked No. y to the President of the u
nited States, informing him Of my arrival,
and asking an early hour to be designated
by him to enable me to place him in posses
sion of the wishes and feelings Of the Legis-
lature Of Virginia, and the Instructions
which 10 the form of her legislative resolves,
all having direct reference to the disturbed
and painful condition OF public affairs, was
DESTROYS Of laying before him. He respond
ed by note, and left it optional with myself
to select eight o'clock of that evening, or an
early hour the next morning for the time of
the proposed conference Ny note No 2,
for reasons therein set forth, informed him
that should wait on him in the morning
Of the ensuing day. Ny note announcing
my arrival, if the objects which had brought
me- to Washington had any consideration in
the mind Of the President. he would, | did
not doubt, suspend any hostile movement
against any seeding State in the interval
Of time between its date and the hour at
which should wait upon him the next
morning, and supersede the necessity of a
night visit.
On the next morning at the hour of ten
| repaired to the Presidents mansion, and
met from him a warm and cordial reception
| lost no time in handing him your letter
Of appointment, attested by the seal of the
State and the Legislative resolutions. lie
said that they were the first full copies of
the resolutions which he had seen and at
ter reading them he remarked that be con-
sidared them very important, and was good
enough to add that, being borne by myself,
he should feel it his duty to make them the
subject of a special message to Congress -
Either | suggested or he voluntarily re-
marked most probably the latter, that he
commentator to Congress, with whom, be
said, rested the entire power over the sub
ject of war and peace, to abstain from all
action of hostile character until Virginia
should have had fair opportunity to exert
all her efforts to preserve the public peace
and restore harmony to the Union, | said
to him that my mission was to him; that
he was Commander in- chief Of the army and
navy could regulate the movement of sol
Il ND oh, !
that everything Virginia desired was that
the statue quo should be observed I rep
resented to him that the people of Virginia
were almost universally Inclined to,peace
: and reconciliation. That need not inform
him Of the sacrifice the State had made for
the Union in its initiation or of her instru-
mentality in the creation Of the Constitution
That ner efforts to reconstruct or preserve
depended for their success. on her being
permitted to conduct them undisturbed by
outside collision. He replied that he had
in NO measure changed his views as present
ed in his annual message. That he coult
give no pledges: that it was his duty to en-
force the laws, and the whole power restec
with Congress He complained that the
South had not treated him properly; tha
they had made unnecessary demonstration
by selling unprotected arsenals and forts
thus perpctrating acts Of useless bravado
which had quite as we'll been left alone.
suggested to him that while those things
were q ADMITTEDLY calculated to fret and If
ritate the Northern mind, yet he would Sc,
in them only the necessary results of popu
lar excitement, which, after all, worked nj
mischief in the end, if harmony between
the States was once more restored Iha
the States wherein the seizures had beer
made would account for all the public prop
erty, and, that in the meantime, the agen.
ces for its preservation were only changed
He repeated his views of the obligations
which rested on him could give no pledges
but those contained in his public acts, ano
required again 70 The proceedings OF the Leg
islature and his intention to send them te
Congress in special message accompanied
with a strong recommendation to avoid the
passage of any hostile legislation. asked
if might be permitted to see the sketch Of
the message, to which he unhestatingly re-
piled that he would take pleasure in show
ing it to me next morning.
Much more occurred in the course Of
an interview which lasted for an hour and
a half, all, however, relating exclusively to
the above topics, and left him entirely sat