The Van Buren press., 1861-01-25

'A"y "SS" usost proper " iuct-oSt It's pow
er OF resistance. You ara also authorized
to take similar steps whenever you have
tangible evidence of a design to proceed to
a hostile act
The President continues in his lettcr to
the Commissioners
These We're the inst instructions trans
mitted to Major Anderson before his reno
val to Fort Sumter, with q single exception
in regard to a particular which does not, in
any degree. affect the present question.
Under these circumstances it is clear
that Maj. Anderson acted upon his own re
spoLsibility. and without authority. unless
indeed he had tangible evidence Of design
to proceed to hostile act on the part Of the
authorities Of South Carolina, which has
not yet been alleged; still he is brave and
honorable of6 or. and justice requires thai
he should not be condemned without fail
hearing. BE this as it may, when learned
that Maj. nderson had left Fort Moultrie
and proceei led to Fort Sumter, my first
promptin2s were to command him to return
to his former position. and there to awai.
the contingencies presented in his instruc.
tions. This could only have been don
with any degree of safety to his command
by the concurrence of the South Carolina
authorities. but before any step could pos
sibly have been taken in this direction, We
received information that the Palmetto
tioa.ed out to the breeze at Castle Pinckney
and that O large military force went owe,
last night. the 9th. to Fort Moultrie. Thu,
the authorities of South Carolina, witt ou,
waiting or ask n ; Tor any explanations, and
doubtless believing as You have addressed
1t, that the officer had actel not only with
out. but against my orders. on the very next
day after the night when the removal was
made. seized by a military force two of the
forts in the harbor Of Charleston. and have
covered them with their own flags instead
of that of the United Ststes.''
The President says that under these cir
cumstances he cannot withdraw Maj An
derson. and he does not see how the defense
of Fort Sumter can be construed into O
menace against Charleston.
On the first of January the Commission.
.ers reply. They say they are not particu
lar rs to the character in which they are
recognized. SO that their com mmunications
are laid before Congress. The letter is mex,
directed to correcting errors into which
they say the President has fallen, in quot.
ing their language. They then review the
Presidents message on the question of the
forts, etc., and say +" You remove a dis.
tiuguished and veteran officer from the com.
mand at Fort Moultrie. because he attempt
ed to increase his supply OF ammunition
you refuse to send additional troors to tn.
same garrison. when applied for by the off
Ger appointed to succeed him you accepted
L. ~c A.
nent member of your Cabinet rather thar
allow the garrison to bo strengthened
You compelled an officer stationed at For
Sumter to return Immediately to the arse
nal forty muskets, which he had taken t.
arm hi, men. You expressed no: to one
but to many Of the most distinguished o
our public characters. whose testimony vii
be placed on tho record whenever it is nee
essary, your anxiety lor peaceful termina
tion ot this controversy. and your willing
ness no, to disturb the military s;a,u, o
the forts. if commissioners should be sen
to the government. whose communication
you promised to send to Cong,ess. Yo
received and acted on assurances from tn
highest official auth or;ties OF South Caro-
lima. that no attempt would be made to dis
turb your possession of the forts and prop
erty of the United States. if you woul,
not disturb their existing condition until tn
commissioners had been sent, and the at
tempt to negotiate had failed.
You took from the members Of tn
House of Representatives written memor
andum that no such attempt would be mad
provided that no reenforcements should b.
sent into those forts, and their relative mill
tary status should REGAIN as at present an,
although you attach no force to the accept
anec Of such paper; although you consid
er it as nothing more in effect than tn
promise of highly honorable gentlemen. a
an obligation on one side without cores
ponding obligation on the other, it must b
remem bered, if we are rightly informed
that you were pledged. if you ever did sen,
reinforcemen;s, to return 1t to those frou
whom you had received it. before you exc
cutel yonr resolution. You sent orders L
your officers. commanding them strictly T.
follow line of conduct in conformity wit
such an understanding.
:" Besides all this. you had received form
| al and official notice from the Governor Q
South Carolina. that we had he,n appoint
oil Commissioners. and were on our way t,
Washington. You knew the implied con
di.ion under which we came; our arriva
was notified to you, and an hour appointed
for an interview.
Wearrived in Washington on Welns
day at three o'clock, and you appointed al
interview with MS at one the next day. Earl,
on that day. Thursday, the news was rcceiv
ell here of the movement of Maj. And
erson. The news was communicated to yol
Immediately. and you postpon ID our meet
ing until half-past two o'clock ON Friday
in order that you might consult your Cabi
| net.
On Friday we saw you. and we then call
ed upon you 10 redeem your pledge. Yo
could not deny it with tho facts we hav
stated, and in the face of the crowning an,
conclusive fact that your Secretary of Wa
| had resigned his seat in the Cabinet. upol
the publicly svowed gronnd that the actiol
of Major Anderson had violated the plcdg
cd faith of the government. and that unles
tho pledge was instantly redeemed be va
dishonored. Denial was impossible. Yo
did not deny it. You do not deny it now
but you seek to escspa from. IS Obligation
i, on :ae ground, first, that We have tsrmina,
ed all negotiations BY demanding .. . p.s
liminary the withdrawal Of tho Unite
States troops from tho harbor of Charles
ton and sscoi.d. that the authorities {
South Carolina, instead of asking explains