Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-12
Col. I1ayne,s Reply TO the President.

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The President OF Inc United States having
replied to lnc letter oE Hon. |. ". Haync, de-
handing the surrender Of Fort Sumter to the
authorities os South Carolina, Col. Haync, un-
der date Of February /, sent The following let
ter to the President This document, however
was not transmitted to Congress by the Presi-'
dent, in consequence OF rot being received in
time. II was returned 70 Col. !layne through
the mail addressed to Charleston. Col. Hayne,
OIL receiving the Presidents reply, says:
"iou next attempt to ridiculc the proposal
presented as simply an oer on the part OF
South Carolina to buy Fort Sumter and con-
tents as property Of the United States, sustain
ed by declaration, in effect, that II she is not
permitted to make the purchase, Sne VIII seize
the fort br force OF arms. 1t is difficult TO con-
slider this rs other than sn Intentional nlscon-
structiou You were told that South Carolina,
as separate independent sovereignty, would
not tolerate the occupation by foreign troops
of d military post within her limits; but that
inasmuch IS you, in repeated messages. and in
your correspondence, had laid much stress
upon the character OF your duties, arising from
considering forts Us property, South Carolina,
81 fur as this matter Of property, suggested
by Yourself was concerned, would make com
pensalion for NIL injury done the property IN
the exercise OF her sovereign right OF eminent
domain and this your secretary calls propo'
sal to purchase.
uThe idea Of purchase is entirely inconsist-
cns with the assertion Of paramount right IN
tho purchaser had supposed that mn lnte-
rest in property, as such, could be no other
than purely proprietary; and il conilneh my
self TO the narrow VIEW Of your relations 10
Fort Sumter, YOU ut least should consider 1t
the subject of criticism. Until IN your letter
of yesterday, you chose so 10 consider your re-
lations in everything which you have written
| under your direction. IL was precisely oe-
cause you had yourself chosen 10 place your
action Oh the ground Of purely proprietary
right that tho proposal Of compensation was
made and you now admit that IN this 1t lfort
SUMTER would probably be subjected to the
exercise OF the right of eminent domain In
your letter of yesterday, through Jour secre'
tary, you shift your position. You claim that
YOUR government bears to Fort Sumter political
relations of much high and more imposing
character.
ut was no part .: my mission to discuss the
political relations Of the Cnited States Govern
lnent to anything within the Territorial limits
Of South Carolina South Carolina claims to
have dissolved all political connection with
your government, and 10 have destroyed all
political relations Of your government with
everything within her borders She is unques-
tionably at this moment de Jact0 separate and
independent government exercising complete
sovereignty over every foot of her soil except
Fort Sumter, Now that the intention is avo~-
cd to hold this place as military post, with q
claim OF exclusive Jurisdiction OIL the part ct
government foreign to South Carolina, 1t VIII
be Tor the authorities to determine what IS the
course proper to be pursued. 1t is then 10 lS-
more the fact that South Carolina Is TO yours
foreign government. And how, with this pa
tent fact before you, you can consider the con-
tinued occupation Of the fort in her harbor
pacific measure, and parcel Of peaceful poll
cy, passes certainly my comprehension. You
say that the fort is garrisoned for our protec-
ton, and is held for the same purpose for WHICH
it has been ever hcid since its construction.
"Arc YOU not aware that 10 hold in the teITl-
tory of foreign power Il fortress against her
will, avowedly for the purpose Of protecting
her citizens, is perhaps the highest insult
which one government can offer TO another
But Fort Sumter was never garrsoned at all
until South Carolina had dissolved her connec-
ton with your government This garrison ell,
tered in the night, with every circumstance oil
secrecy, after spikins the guns, and burning the
gun carriages, and cutting down the flag stall
or an adjacent fort, which was then abandon
cd. South Carolina has not taken Fort Sumter
into her own possession, only because o! Ler
misplaced confidence in government which
deceived her. \ fortress occupied under the
circumstances above stated is considered not
only as no cause Of irritation, but You repre-
sent it as held Tor our protection. Your Excel
lency's Secretary has INDUCED in irony on
very grave subject. As to the responsibility
of consequences. if indeed it does rest on us,
can assure your Excc!ency We are happily I'M
conscious Of the fact.
with consideration u! high regard, am,
very respectfully,
II. w. HsrSE Special Envoy.