Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-01-08
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY

Oentlemen: have had the honor 10 receive your
communication Of 2Sth inst, tog ether with cony
Of "your full powers of the Conve ntton of he
people OF South Carolina" authorizing Won to
treat with the Government Of the United States on
various Important subjects therein mentioned and
also a copy OF the ordinance bearing date on the
2Oth inst. declaring that " the Union now sub
| sisting between South Carolina and other states
under The name Of the United States of Amer
lea , is hereby dissolved -
In answer to this communication, have to saw
that nv position, as President of the United
States was clearly defined In the III essage tn Con
gress on the Sd inst In that stated that apart
from the execution Of the laws far as this NAV
be practicable, the Executive has no authority tn
decide what shall be the relations between the
FEDERAL Government and South Carolina He
| has been invested with no such discretion He
possesses no power to change the relations here
tofore existing between then much less 10 sc-
knowledge the independence Of that State This
would be to invest mere executive officer with
the power Of recognizing the dissolution of the
confederacy among our thirty-three soyereio n
States. 1t bears no resemblance to the recoqnI.
ton OF foreign de Jaeto government involving
no such responsibility. Amy attempt to do this
would, on his part, be naked act of usurpation.
IL Is, therefore, my duty to submit to Congress
the whole question In all its bearingsn
such is my opinion still l could, therefore,
character, and was entirely willing to comniuni.
cate to Congress any proposition YOU might have
70 make to that body upon the subject. OF this
you were well aware. 1t was my earnest desire
that such disposition might be made of the
whole subject by Congress, who alone possesses
the power, as to prevent the Inauguration of a
civil war between the parties In regard to the pos
session OF the federal forts in the harbor Of Charles
ton, and therefore deeply regret that In your
opinion, " the events of the last twenty four hours
rendered this impossible"
In conclusion, YOU urge upon me the imme-
dlate withdrawal Of the troops from the hsrbor of
Charleston, % stating that under the present cir
cumstances they are a Standing menace which
renders negotiation impossible, and our recent
tpna fl,,+ IL
bloody issue questions which ought 10 be settled
with temperance and judgment
ne reason for this change In your position H.
tnat since your arrival In Washington ian officer
Of the United States, acting as We Iyoul are an
sured not only without, but against Your (my) or
ders, has diSmantled one fort and occnnied
another, thus altering, to most important extent,
the condition of affairs under which we (youl
came" You also allege that YOU came here the
representatives OF an authority which could at
any time with the past sixty days have taken DOS
session OF The forts In Charleston harbor but which
upon pledges given In a manner that we (you) can,
not doubt, determined to trust to your fny) honor
rather than to its power"
This brings me to a consideration of the nature
OF those alleged pledges, and in what manner thew
nave been observed. In my message of the Sd Of
December last, stated In regard 10 the nronertv
OF the United States in South Carolina, that IL
- has been purchased for fair equivalent bv the
consent Of the Legislature of the State for t6s
erection OF forts, magazines, arsenals &c and
over the authority to exercise exclusive legislation
Ios occh lHtssly DY the constitution To
Congress tbs not believed that any attem pt will
be made to expel the United States from this pro
perty by force; but If in this should prove to be
mistaken the officer In command Of the forts has
received orders to act strictly the defensive lin
such contingency the RESPONSE bility for conse
9uences would rishtfully rest upon the heads of
the assailantsn
This SEEING the condition of the parties, on Sat-
uroay, 9th December, four Of the representatives,
from South Carolina called on me- and req up,ted
an interview. We had an earnest conversation
on the subject of these forts and the best of
preventing collision between the parties for the
purpose Of sparing the effusion of blood / ng.
gested, for prudential reasons, that 1t would be
oesi 10 put IN writing what they said to me YER
Daily; They did so accordingly, and on Monday
morning, the 10th instant, three of them presented
to me paper, signed by all the representatives
from south Carolina, with single exception, of
which the following is copy: -
10 ms ExesEteney James Buchanan,
President of the Unitsd Sfat.,.
In compliance with our statement to YOU YES
tefday, we now express to you our strong convic
lions that neither the constituted authorities, nor
any Dody OF the people of the State Of South Caro-
INA, Will either attack modest the United St,te.
forts In the harbor Of Charleston preyiousIv 10 th
acnon OF the convention, and we hope and be-
heve not until an offer has been made fb,onoh =,
accredited representative to negotiate for an ami
cable arrangement Of all matters between the
state and the Federal Government. provided that
no endorsements shall be sent into those forts
and their relative military status shall remain as
AZ present. JOHN MCQUEEN,
M. l.. BoNHAM,
w. w. BoYcE,
W., LAURENCE nj. KEIrr
washington, 9th December 1860
AUD here must, In justice to myself remark |
.naI az the time the paper was presented 10 me
ooyected 10 the word provided, )" as 1t might he
consumed Into an agreement on my part which |
never would make. They said that nothing was
TURNER from their intention-they did not 20
understand IL, and should not so consider II II
70 evident ttey could enter into no reciproc.i
agrseinent with me on the subject They did not
profess 70 have authority to do this and were at
ing In tnelr individual character Iconsider.d a.
az hotnlng more In effect than the promise ~
nIghiy honorable gentlemen to exert their inAn-
NE iof the purposes expressed.
Inc event has proven that they have fajtbf,Il,,
AeP. Ineif promise, although have never sincs
Iecelved line from any one Of them, or from anv |
mem Der on the subject. Il Is well known IN r,a.
ny determination, and this freely en- Dressed &C.
. Ieihiofce the forts In the harbor and thus pro.
luce collision, until they had been actusllY at
acked or until had certain evidence that }hev
we're about to be attacked lucy
MS paper received most cordially. and con-
ldefed IL os happy omen that peace mie ht stiiI
,e Pfesel ved, and that time might be thus Oliver |
or renecuon. This Is the whole foundstion ~, |
ne alleged pledge. But acted in the same msn. |
Ter as 1 would have done had entered ,ntn |
'osltve and formal agreement with pa,tie. go.
ne OF contracting, although such an agreement
soula nave been, on my part, from the nature az
omeisi duties, impossible. The world fneSs
nat nave novDf nknt a M II