The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1861-01-17

edge tnaIs Inuuccu US W urge upon you -
policy which had, to recommend it, its
own wisdom and the weight of such au-
thority.
AS to the second point, that the authori-
ties of South Carolina instead of asking
explanations and giving you the opportu-
nifty to vindicate yourself, took possession
of other property of the United States,
We would observe, first, that even if this
were so, it does not avail you for defence,
for the opportunity for decision was af-
forded you before these facts occurred.
We arrived in Washington on Wedness
day. The news from Major Anderson
reached here early on Thursday, and was
Immediately communicated to you. All
that day men of the highest consideration
men who had striyen successfully TO lift
you to your great office-who had been
your tried and true friends through the
tronbles of your Administration, sought
you, and entrcated you to act, to act at
once. tr-.
They told You that every hour compli.;
Gated your position. They only asked
you to give the assurance that if the facts
were so-that if the commander had acted
without and against your orders, and in
violation of your pedges-that you would
restore the status you had pledged your
honor to maintain. You refused to decide
Your Secretary of War-your immedfaAe
and proper adviser in this whole matter
wait anXiously for your decision until he
felt that delay was becoming dishonor.
More than twelve hours passed, and
two Cabinet meetings had adjourned, be-
fore You what the authorities of South
Carolina had done, and your prompt de.
cission at any moment of that time would
have avoided the subsequent conplica-
tons. But if you had known the acts Of
the authorities of South Carolina, should
that have prevented your keeping your
frth? What was the condition of things2
For the last sixty days you have had IA
Charleston harbor not force enough to
hold the forts against an equal enemy.
Two of them were empty; one of those,
too, the most important in the harbor.
1t could have been taken any time Yeu
ought TO know better than any man that
it would have been taken but for the eff ;
forts Of those who put their trust in your
honor.
Believing that they were threatened by
Fort Sumter especially, the people were
with difficulty restrained from securing,
without blood, the possession of this inn
portant fortress. After many and reitera-
ted assurances given on your behalf, which
we cannot believe unauthorized, they de-
termincd to forhear, and in good filth
sent on their Commissioners to negotiate
with You They meant you no harm;
wished You no iii. They thought of yol
kindly; believed you true; ;and were Will
inc, as fur as was consistent with duty, to
spare you unnecessary and hostile collis-
ion. Scarcely ha,l their Commissioners
left, than Major Anderson waged war.
30 other words will describe his action.
1t vas not q peaceful change from one
fort to another; it was a hostile act i'll the
highest sense, and only justified i'll the
presence of superior enemy and i'll in,-
minent peril. lie Abandoned his position,
spiked his guns, burned his gun-carriages,.
made preparations fov the destruction Of
his post, and withdrew under cover of the
NIGHT to IL safer position. This was war.
No nan could have believed (without the
assurancel that any officer could have tar
ken such step, "not only without orders,
but against orders" What the State did
was in simple seli:dcience; for this act,
with all lis attending circumstances, was
as much war rs firing volley; and, war
being thus begun, until those commencing
it explained their action and disavowed
their intention, there was 40 room for de-
lav, and even at this moment, while we
are writing, it-is more than probable from
the tenor of your letter, that reinforce
mcnts are halrying into the conflict, so
that when the first gun shall be fired,
there will have been Oil Your part one'eon-
tinuons consistent series Of actions COM
+ mencing in Il demonstration essentially
warlike, supported by regular reinforce
ments, and terminating in defeat or yicto-
ry. And all this without the slightest
provication for, among the many things
which yon have said, there is one thing
YOU cannot say-you have waited anxious
iy for news from the seat of war, in hopes
that delay would furnish some excuse for
this precipitation.
But this tangible evidence of q design
to proceed to hostile act on the part of
the authorities Of South Carolina" which
is the only justification of Major Anderson,
YOU are forced to admit "has not yct been
alleged" But You have decided. You
have resolved to hold by force what you
have obtained through our misplaced con-
idence, and, by refusing to disavow the
action of Major Anderson, have converted
his violation of orders into legitimate act
of your Executive authority.
BE the issue what it may, of this We