Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1861-01-16


having made this request for exp ana'ion, we
added, "And, i'll conclusion, We would urge
upon YOU the immediate withdrawal OF the
truops troops from The harhor of Charleston.
Under present circumstances, they are stand.
ing menace which RENDERS negotiation impos.
sib e,n &c. Under present circumstances
What circumstances? Why, clearly the &C.
cupation OF For, Sumter and the disnanling
of Fort Moul,ric by Major Anderson, in the
face Of your pledges, aud without explanation
o. practical dsnvuwa. Aud there is nothing
in the letter which would or could have pre-
vented yuu from declining to Withdraw the
tro"ps and Uti.ring the restoration of the
Status to Witch you were pledged, it such
had been Your desire. 1t would havr been
wiser and better, in our opinion, 10 have
Withdrawn the troops and this opinion we
urged upon YOU, but we demanded nothing
but such an explanation Of the events ot the
last twenty.four hours as would restore our
confidence in the spirit with which the ne.p.
tiariuns should be conducted.
In relation to this withdrawal of tie lrGopS
from the harbur, We arc comw.lIed, however,
to notice one passage ui yu!irctler Referring
to it you say, This cannot do. This viii
no, do. Such nm ica WAS never 'inuai.. ut
by me in any pu:sible contingency. No al,
lusiun to il had ever been made i'll any CON.
munication between myself and any human
being"
In reply to this statement we are Completed
to say il: that Your conversation with Us leli
upon our minds the disiinc: impression that
you did seriously contemplate tie withdrawal
Of the troops from Charleston harbor. And
in support uf this impression we wo"ld add,
that We have the positive assurance ol gen
tlcmen Of tile highest possible public rcpuia'
ton and the most ulsullird inirgrity-men
whose name and fame, secured by long service
and patriotic achievement, place their lcsll'
muuy beyond cavi,-that such suggestions
hnd been made to and urged upun YOU 10y
them, and had formed the subject Of more
than one earliest discussion with you. Anal
it was this knowledge that induced US to urge
upon you policy which had. To recommend
1t, its own wisdom and the weight Of such
authority.
As to the second point, that the authorities
or South Carolina, instead Of asking txpIana
li,ms and giving you the opportunity to yin,
licate yourself, took possession of other pro-
perty Of the United Sa:cs, we would observe,
first, that even if this were 81, it does not
avail YOU for defence, for the opportunity for
DECISION was afforded you before these facts
occurred. We arrived in Washington on
Wednesday. The news from Major Anderson
reached here early on Thursday and was i'm,
mediately communicated To you. All THAT
duy men Of the highest considrraiinn--men
Who had sriven successfully to lift yon tu
your great otiice-who had been your tried
and true friends through the troubles Of your
Admins: ration, soagh: you, aud cntreai cd
you TO act to act at once.
They told you hat every honr CON plicated
your position They only asked you to give
lll. assurance that il the facts were so-;h II
if the Commander had acted without and
against your orders, unl in violation Of your
pledges-thnt you would restore tile status
ydu had pledged your honor to maintain. You
refused TO decide. Your Secretary of War
your immediate and proper adviser i'll this
whole matter-waitcd anxiously for your de-
cision until he felt that delay was becoming
dishonor
More than twelve hours passed, and two
Cabinet meetings had adjourned, before you
knew what the authorities of South Carolina
had done, and yout prompt decision at any
moment of that time would have avoided the
subsequent complications. But if you had
known the acts of the authorities of South
Carolina, should that have prevented your
keeping your faith? What was the condition
OF things? For the last sixty days you have
had in 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. You ought TO know
bettor than any man that it would have been