The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-07
Secretary Of
M 10 \

Secretary of War, al interim.
(No.12)
Letter Of Senators Of Seeding States to Hon l. " Hume
This letter is merely enclosing Mr. Hayne the letter
Of the President urging him to apply for further nstuc
tons.
mo. 49,
Letter Of Hon. l. ". Hayne to Senator's Of Seeding
States.
Mr. Hayne replies to the letter of the seeding Senators
agreeing await further instructions though he regards
the letter Of the President as far from satisfactory him
and adds:
Mr. Gourdn of South Carolina now in this city, will
leave here by the evenings train and Will lay before the
Governor of South Carolina and his Council the whole
correspondence between yourselves and myself and he
tween you and the Government Of the United States; with
communication from me- asking further instructions.
Despatch from the Hon. A. G. Nagrath to Hon. L II.
HayHs.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, STATE DEPARTMENT.,
CHARLESTON, January 26, 1861
SiR-Your despatch has been received covering, with
other papers the reply of the Pr esdent through Mr.
Holt, Secretary of War, I'D Interim, dated the 22d of Jan
uary, 1861, to the letter Of Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Mallory
and Mr.. Slidell, enclosing to him correspondence be
certain Senators of the United States Col Isaac
W. Hayne the letters of certain Senators you dated
the 23d January 1901 and your reply to those Senator'S
In the letter of the Senators addressed to you, and
dated the 18th January 1851 after stating that the pos
session of Fort Sumter by troops of the United States
coupled with the circumstances under which it was
taken, is the chief if not the only of difficulty,
between the Government of South Carolina and that Of
the United States they add that they, too, think it
just of irritation and apprehension the part OF
your thsl State.n They then further state that they
had assurances, Notwithstanding other circumstances
which seemed inconsistent Herewith, that Fort Sumter
twas taken and is not held with any hostile
friendly purposes towards your hisl State but merely
property Of the United States; which the President
deems it his duty to protect and prcserve Under the
Influences of that feeling of common destiny which
auimateS the seeding States; and impr ssed with
the earnest desire which to have been cherished
in these States, to accomplish that separation from
the United States, which they regarded essential to
their welfare, without the ills which civil produces
these Senators proposed that time should be given for
calm and deliberate counsel with the States which are
equally involved with South Carolina, in the future
issue of their present conduct To the time
cessary for the counsel which should be had, they pro
posed that this State should suffer Major Anderson
obtain necessary supplies of food fuel water and
JOY free communication by post special messenger with
the President upon the understanding that the President
will not send him achievements during the same pc
riod."
No such communication anticipated by the Cover
nor in the instructions with which you furnished
But the discretion which you exercised in delaying the
delivery of the letter to the President Of the Unit States
with which you charged, under the crcumst stances
which then existed comnends its If the approval of
the Governor Such course your part due from
this State to the repesn tatyes those States the people
of which, in the language of their Senator'S feel
mon destiny with your tour people, and expect to form
with them Confederacy and Provisional Govern
ment and who must and will share tour fortunes;
suffering with you (us) the evils of war if it be
avoided and enjoying the blessings of peace if be
preSerVcd.n
The reply of the President the proposition thus made
referring to the statement Of the intentions with which
Fort Sumter is held, as derived from his 'pubc mes
Sagcs comedies that his purpose stated that is hold
Fort Sumter merely property of the United States
which he deems it his duty to protect and preserve is
correct He declares his sole object to act strictly
the defensive, and authorze no movement
the people Of South Carolina unless clearly justified by
hostile movement their part The President then,
of his dosirn prevent tha eHleon
aludes to his forheaance to resort to he of force
the strong provocaon attack on an unarmcd
vessel bearing the flag of the United States"
Referring next to the anxious desire of the Senators
the seeding States that this State shoud she
ton avoid init hos,
tes between her and the United States or any other
power the President declares that to initiate hos
ttes against Fort Sumter would beyond question be
act Of against the United States. And in reply
to the proposition that emo renorcements will be sent to
Fort sumter which is stated in his to be your
proposition, he declares that sit is impossible for me
(hm) to give you 1.-THE Senaorsl any such assurance -
He states that he has authority to enter into such
arrangement understanding and that it would be "a
manifest violation of his duty to place himself under
gagements, that he would not perform this duty either
for indefinite limited period" 1t is also added by
him that Eat the present it is rot deemed ne
Cessary reinforce Major Anderson because he makes
such request, and feels quite secure in his position But
should his safety require it, every effort will be made to
supply reinfOrcements.
Thel from the Senators you and your reply to
that letter, present marked and agreeable contrast
the letter Of the President of the United States The Gov
appreciates the feeling which the of the
dent have excited in the Senators whom was ad
dressed in the expression OF their Opn
fully as to its character and their generosity in still
continuing to entertain the hope that collision may be
avoided until the States they represent may share the
dangers that menace this State The Governor
also in the justice and force of your reply to those
tors The which have set forth in your reply
to the letter of the Senators you concusvey establish
the proprety of that demand which the letter from the
Governor is intended to make upon the Presidents wheh
the possession of Fort Sumter considered merely in
regard to its preservation piece of property claimed
by the United States the continuance of retention be
referred to conclusion derived from the legations
which high Christian and moral duty would make i'm
peratye if they appealed to, they should be- in
this the sole and proper guides for those whose
| conduct involves the gravest responsibilities.
The acquescence the President of the United States
| in the arrangement or understanding by which he
would be prevented from sending renorcemeats to Fort
Sumter intended and declared by the Senators
the seeding States be binding upon him. of the
acquiescence of this State in certain which they
proposed this State should adopt With concession from
the State of South Carolina they evidently expected
cession from the President of the United States And
they proposed that in the interval which necessary
to enable you to receive reply from the Governor the
President should not send reinforcemeuts to Fort
and that certain facilities enjoyed by Major Ander
and his garrison at Fort SUMTER should be continued
The reply of the President therefore, his
until the 18th day of February the day named by the
Senators in their letter, that which, whenever he
temps he knows win be regarded by the State of South
Carolina as an act Of war; but he refuses also to abstain
from attempting this act during the period neces.
sary to enable you to communicate to the Governor the
proposition of these Senators
Al that the State of South Carolina was desired, in
the letter of these Senator'S TO do in relation Major
derson and his garrison it had done; not in its acknow
edgment of right the part of the United States
but in the discharge of the suggestions of courtesy and
with desire not to visit upon Major Anderson and his
conduct Of his Government well calculated pro
duce Nor would the acquiecence of the Government
the United States in the orbearance required from it
have done than to have secured the status in which
all matters within the harbor of Charleston this
time, by putting upon the State obligation not to at
tack Fort Sumter, and upon the Government of the Uni
ted States obligation not to reinforce it with fresh
troops. With the supplies which Major Anderson and
his garrison receiving with the facilities which he
and his garrison enjoyed in regard to the mails, pre-
text with the harbor of Charleston could
be found except in connection with the right claimed to
reinforce the troops at Fort SUMTER right which
claimed by the President as involved in a duty, would
further involve necessity that he should determine
when his duty be discharged by his exercise of this
right.
that renorcements will be sent, because Major Ander
his position 1t is not however, to be forgotten, that
upon recent occasion, when it is understood that Major
Anderson did not call for achievements and may be
presumed oave felt then in his position he
does achievements were sent to him, it
the fault of the Government of the United States that
they did not reach him.
The proposition thus made to the President of the Uni
ted States the of Southern Senator'S unsolicited
and unexpected. 1t the evidence of generous i'm
pulse which, having animated them in the continuance
Of their connection with United States as long
that connection could be maintained with regard the
rights of the States they represented exhibited even
in the moment their final separation in an anxious
desire avoid collision and strife with those whom they
could not recognize longer their brethren in that pOt
ical Union which had been terminated The moderation
of the terms in which they asked the acquescence of the
President of the United States will be long remembered
Their request was simply that he would abstain from
professed and surely calculated develop the ills
he declared himself anxious to avert
At this period and under such it is not
only important but indspenSably necessary that the
Governor should correctly understand the position which
the Government of the United States intends occupy
towards the State And the correspondence which has
produced the letter of the President dispe much
of whatever doubt may have hitherto existed If the
President of the United States desired only protect Fort
Sumter property what higher of its safety
could he have found than in the pledge of the State
South Carolina that it should not be attacked? lift
not to be defended property but military post of
the United States then indeed it would be "a manifest
violation fhs duty to agree not to reinforce it. The
assertion therefore, that is only held property is in
consistent with those requirements of duty which the
President alleges to be obligatory upon him, but which
are obligatory upon him, only in relation to military
post The Governor is therefore, forced to conclude that
stripped of all disguise the real purpose of the President
Of the United States is to keep and defend Fort Sumter
within the limits of South Carolina military post
of the United States.
This conclusion OF the real purpose which controls the
Government of the United States in relation to this State
is the less result of the position which the President
of the United States has assumed In relation to the pro2o
stion which the Senators of the seeding States have
generously made than of the action of the President of
the United States in regard to other States which have
ceded And is considered by the Governor to be his duty
which the State of South Carolina will acknow
of the United States upon any State which has
ceded attempts made directly upon this State There
is no doubt that at this moment hostile purposes by the
Government the United States operation which
affect Florida or Georgia. 1t does not admit doubt
that an armed vessel of the United States is