New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-19

appear upon the record that the undersigned did sos
ask the Government of the United States 70 recognss
the independence Of the Confederate States. 1hev
only asked audience to adjust In spirit Of amty md
peace the new relations spricgng from mspfes3 and
accomplished revolution In the Government Of the lsH
Federal Union. Your refusal to entertain these over.
lures for peaceful solution the active naval and mill.
tary preparation of this Government, and formal
tiee IT, the commanding general Of the Comic icrste
torce the Harbos Of Charleston that the Presdsnt
in1enos 70 provision Fort Sumter BY forcibls mesns
necessary, are viewed by The undersigned, and can
only be received by the world declaration Of war
aghs the Confederate States for the President Of the
Udted States knows that Fort Snmter cannot Do pro-
vsioned without the eilusion Of blood. The under.
signed in behalf of their Government and PEOPLE, 10
cept the gage Of bath thus thro~a down 10 thenrs
and, appealing 70 God and the Judgment Of pap!Lx;od
for the righteousness Of thu canse, The ,ope Of the
Confederate States wiz defend their liberties 10 The
last against s agraut and open attempt at their sub-
Jugstion To sectional power. n-tL
ms communication cannot be properly closed with
ont adveriIDg ", the date Of your memorandum The
oinciai nete If the undersigned, Of the 18th March,
was deiv ed TO the Assistant Secretary OF State on
inc !5h of that month, the gentleman who delivered
I'M srming him that the Secretary Of this Commission
wald call az IL O'clock noon, on the next day, for an
answer AT the appointed hour Mr.. Pickett did call,
and informed by the Assistant Secretary OF state
that the engagements Of sLe Secretayo f Stale had
prevented him from giving the note bis attention The
Assistant Secretary Of State then asked for the address
of Meesrs Crawford aud Forsyth the members Of the
Commission then present in this city, took note OF the
address q card and engaged to solid whatever reply
might be made to their lodgings. Why this was not
done il proper should be here explained. The memo.
randum Is dated March Is, and was not delivered
until April 9. Why was 1t withheld duriug the In
terveuing twenty-tlree daysi In the postscript 10
your memorandum you say il was delayed, rs wac
Understood, with their lMessrs. Forsyth and Craw.
ford'sj consent" This is true; but it is also true
that on tho 18th of March Messrs Forsyth and
.t...
high official position in the Government and who
they believed, was speaking by authority, that Fort
Sumter would be evacuated within very few days,
and that measure changing the existing status preu
dically to the Confederate States, a. respects Forf
Pckens was then contemplated and these assurances
were subsequently, repeated, with the addition tnat
any plated change respects Piekens, would
be notified to On the let OF April we were again
Informed that there might be AN attemps 10 SUPPLY
Fort Sumter with provisions, but that Gov. Pickens
should have previous notice OF this attempt. lnen
was no suggestion Of any reinforcement. The under
signed did no. hesitate TO believe that these assurances
expressed the Intentions OF the Administrator .Ie
time or at all events Of prominent members Of that Ad
minstration This delay was assented 70 Tor tne eA'
press purpose Of attaining the great end Of the mission
OF the undersigned TO wit: paelhc SOLUTION OF e1'
istipe COMPILATIONS The inference deducible from
the date of your memorandum, that the undersigned
had of their own votion and without canse consented
to this long hiatus in the grave duties with which they
were charged is therefore not consistent with Juss
twenty.three days were employed 10 active unofficial
efforts the object of which TO smooth the path to
pacific solution, the distinguished parsonage alluded
to COOPERATING with the undersigned, and every step OF
that effort is recorded 10 writing, and now IA posses,
sion of the undersig ned and Of thetr Government IL
was only when all these anxious efforts Tor peace had
been exhausted and il became clear thss Mr. Lincoln
had determined appeal TO the sword TO reduce the
PEOPLE of the Confederate States to the Will OK tae
section or pHty whose President he 10, that tie under
signed resumed the official negotiation temporarily eus'
pended and sent their Secretary for reply ~ thes
official note Of March IL.
Itis proper to add that, during these twentythres
DAYS. two gentlemen Of official distinction az high -
that Of the parsonage hitherto alluded TO aided the IN.
dersigned intermediates in these unofficial negoa'
tons for peace.
TIE undersigned, Commissioners Of the Confederate
States Of America, having thus made answer 70 al
they deem material in the memorandum Med IN the
Department Oh the 18th Of March last have the honor
" JOHN FORSYTH, y yas,S CRAWFORD.
true copy Of the original by one delivered 10 Mr.
+. w. Seward, Assistant Secretary Of State of the
United States at O'Clock 10 the evening of April 3,
1861. Attest, j. I. PICKETT, Secretary, &C., &C.
Mr.. SEWARD, IN REPLY TO THE COMMISSIONER.
AcKSowLEDGEs THE RECEIPT OF THEIR LETTER.,
But DECLINES TO ANSWER 1T.
DEPARTMEsr OF STATE, 4
WASHINGTON, April 10, 1S6t,
Messrs. Forsyth era wfori and Roman, having been
apprised by a memorandum which has been delivered
TO them that the Secretary Of State Is not al liberty 70
hold official intercourse with them will, 1t Is pre-
sumed expect no notice from bin of tho commnn'
cation which they have addressed ~ him under date o.
the 9Th inst, beyond the simple Acknowledgement Of
the receipt thereof which Le hereby very chesrfuly
gives. -,
soners of the Confederate States this 10Th day OF April
1851. Attest J.T. PICKETT, Secretary, &C., &c.