Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-07-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Felfow Citizen of the Senate and House of Rep
rcsenfGftres
Having been convened on an extraordinary
occasion, as authorized by the Constitution,
your attention is not called to any ordinary
subject of legislation. At the beginning of
the present Presidential term, four months
ago, the functions of the Federal Government
were found to be generally suspended within
the several States of South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida,
excepting only those of the Post Office De-
partment. Within these States, the forts, arse
nails, docks, yards, custom houses and the like,
including the movable and stationary proper
ty in and about them, had been seized and were
held in open hostility to this Government, ex-
cepting only forts Pickens, Taylor and Jeffer-
son on and near the Florida coast, and Fort
Sumter in Charleston harbor, South Carolina.
The forts thus seized had been put in an i'm
proved condition, ones had been built,
and armed forces had been organized and were
organizing all avowedly with the same hostile
purpose. The forts remaining in the posses
sion of the Federal Government in and near
those States were either besieged or menaced
by warlike preparations, and especially Fort
Sumter was nearly surrounded by well pro-
tected hostile batteries, with guns equal in
quality to the best of its own, and outnumber-
ing the latter as perhaps ten to one. A dis
proportionate share of the Federal muskets
and rifles had somehow found their way into
those States, and had been seized to be used
against the government. Accommodations of
the public revenue lying within them had been
seized for the same object. The navy was
scattered in distant seas, leaving but a very
small part OF it within the immediate reach of
the government. Officers of the Federal ar
my and navy had resigned in great numbers,
and OF those resigning large proportion had
taken up arms against the government. Sim
ultaneously and in connection with all this,
the purpose to sever the Federal Union was
| openly avowed. In accordance with this pur-
| pose an ordinance had been adopted in each
| of those States declaring the States respec-
| lively to be separated from the National u
Mon. A formula for inStituting a combined
| government of these States had been promul-
| gated, and this illegal organization in the
| character of the Confederate States, was al
| ready invoking recognition, aid and interven-
| tion from foreign powers. Finding this con-
| dition of things, and believing it to be an i'm
perative duty on the incoming Executive to
prevent, if possible, the consummaton OF such
| attempts to destroy the Federal Union, a
choice of means to that end became indispen-
| sable. This choice was made and was de-
| clared in the inaugural address. The policy
chosen looked to the exhaustion of all peace
| ful measures before a resort to any stronger
ones. 1t sought only to hold the public pla-
ces and property not already wrested from the
| government and to collect the revenue, rely
| ing for the rest on time, discussion and the
ballot box. 1t promised continuance of the
| mails at Governments expense to the very
| people who were resisting the Government,
and it gave repeated pledges against any dis
turbance to any of the people or any of their
rights, of all that which President might
| cOnStitntionally and justifably do in such a
| case. Everything was forborne, without which
! it was believed possible to keep the govern
ment on foot. On the fifth of March, the
| present incumbent's first full day in office, a
| letter from Major Anderson, commanding at
| Fort Sumter, written on the 28th of February
and received at the War Department on the
| fourth day of March, was by that department
| placed in his hands. This letter expresses
| the professional opinion of the writer that re-
| Inducements could not be thrown into that
| Fort within the time for his relief, rendered
necessary by the limited supply of provisions,
| and with view of holding possession of the
same, with a force of less than 10000 good
| and well disciplined men. This opinion was
| concurred IN by all the officers of his COM
| mand, and their memoranda on the subject
were made enclosures of Maj. Anderson's let
| ter. The whole was Immediately laid before
| Lieutenant General Scott, who at once con-
| CURED with Maj. Anderson in opinion. On
reflection, however, he took full time, cons nj
| ting with other officers both of the army and
| the navy, and at the end OF four days came re-
| luctantly, but decidedly, to the same conclu-
| sion before. He also stated at the same
| time that there was not sufficient force then
| at the control of the Government, or could be
| raised and brought to the ground within the
time when the provisions in the Fort would be
exhausted. In purely military point of view
| this reduced the duty of the Administration,
| in this case, to look to the mere matter OF
| getting the garrison safely out of the Fort II
was believed, however, that to so abandon that
position, under the circumstances, would be
utterly runous, and the necessity under which
it was to be done would not be fully under
| stood that by many it would be construed as
part of voluntary policy; that at home it
would discourage the friends of the Union,
embolden its adverSarieS, and go far to insure
| TO the latter a recognition abroad; that, in
| fact, 1T would be our national destruction con-
summated. This coald not be allowed. Star
vation was not yet upon the garrison, and ere
1t would be reached, Fort Pickens might be
reinforced. This last would be clear ndi-
cation ofpolicy, and would better enable the
| country to accept the evacuation of Fort Sum
ter as military necessity. An order was at
once directed to be sent for the landing of the
| troops from the steamship Brooklyn into Fort
| Pickens. This order could not go by land
but must take the longer and slower route by
sea. The first return news from the order was
| received but one week before the fall of T ort
| Sumter. The news itsolf was that the officer
commanding the Sabine, to which vessel the
troops had been transferred from the Brook
| lyn, acting upon some quasi armistice of the
late administration, and of the existence of
which the present administration, up to the
time the order was dispatched had only too
vague and uncertain rumors to fix attention,
had refused to land the troops. To now rein
force Fort Pickens before a crisis would be
reached at Fort Sumter was impossible, rem
dered so by the near exhaustion of provisions
in the latter named Fort. In precaution a.
,x1h
had, few days before, commenced preparing
Z an exneditinn g well adanfed nil nht hl