New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-05-06


whose destination was concealed, only became
known when nearly completed and on the 5th 9Th
and It'll of April, transports and vessels of war,
with troops, munitions and military supplies,
sailed from Northern ports bound Southwark.
Alarmed by so extraordinary demonstration,
the Commissioners requested the delivery of an
answer to their official communication of the 18th
Of March, and thereupon received, on the Sth of
April, a reply dated on the 18th of the previous
month"; from which it appears that, during the
whole interval whilst the Commissioners were re-
ceiving assurances calculated to inspire hope of
the success of their mission, the Secretary of State
and the President of the United States had already
determined to hold no intercourse with them what
ever, to refuse even to listen to any proposals
they had to make and had profted by the delay
created by their own assurances in order to pre-
pare secretly the means for effective hostile opera
tons.
That these assurances were given has been vir-
tually confessed by the Government of the United
States, by its sending messenger to Charles
ton to give notice of its purpose to use force if
opposed in its intention of supplying Fort Sumter.
No more striking proof of the absence of good
faith in the conduct of the Government of the
United States towards this Confederacy can be re-
quired than is contained in the circumstances
which accompanied this notice. According to the
/ usual course OF navigation the vessels composing
the expedition designed for the relief of Fort Sum
ter, might be expected to reach Charleston harbor
on the 9th of April yet, with our Commissioners
actualyin Washington, detained under assurances
that notice should be given of any military move
ment. The notice was not addressed to them, but
messenger was sent to Charleston to give the notice
to the Governor of South Carolina, and the notice
was so given at late hour on the Sth of April the
eve of the very day on which the fleet might be eX
pected to arrive That this maneuver failed in its
purpose, was not the fault Of these who conrived
it, A heavy tempest delayed the arrival of the ex-
petition, and gave time to the commander Of our
forces at Charleston to ask and receive the in
structions of this Government Even then, under
all the provocatOn incident to the contemptuops
refusal 10 listen to our Commissioners, and the tor
| I'm f'Dita
States, was sincerely anxious to avoid the ei1-
sion of blood, and directed proposal to be made
| to the commander Of Fort Sumter, who had avowed
| himself to be nearly out of provisions. that
would abstain from directing our fire on Fort SUM-
| ter if he would promise not TO open fire
| forces unless first attacked. This proposal was
| refused and the conclusion was, reached that
| the design of the United States to place the
beseging force at Charleston between the stimuli
taneous fire of the feet and the fort. There
NAMED therefore, no alternative but to direct that
the fort should at once be reduced. This order was
executed by Gen. Beanregard with the Skill and sue
cess which were naturally to be expected from the
well known character of that gallant officer; and
although the bombardnent lasted but thirty-three
hours, orr flag did not wave over its battered
walls until after the appearance of the hostile fleet
off Charleston. Fortunately not life was lost on
our side, and we gratdcdi in being spared the
necessity of useless efusion of blood by the pru
dent caution of the officers who commanded the fleet
in abstaining from the evidently futile effort to
enter the harbor for the relief of Major Anderson.
refer to the report of the Secretary of War and
the papers accompanying it, for further details of
this brilliant affair.
In this connection cannot refrain from we'll
deserved tribute to the noble State the eminent
soldierly qualities of whose people were so con-
spcuously displayed in the port Of Charleston Fer
months they had been irritated by the spectacle of
q fortress held within their principal harbor as
standing menace againstthei peace and independ
ence, built in part with their own money-its
custody confded with their own consent to an agent
who held no power over them other than such as
they had themselves delegated for their own bene-
titr-intended to be used by that agent for their
own protection against foreign attack, they saw
it held with persistent tenaCity as means of
offence against them by the very Government
which they had established for their protec-
ton. They had beleaguered it for months-fet
entire confidence in their power to capture it
yet yielded to the requirements of discipline,
Curbed their Impotence, submitted without COM
plant to the unaccustomed hardships, abors and
privations of protracted siege; and when at
length their patience was rewarded by the signal
for attack, and success had crowned their steady
and gallant conduct-even in the very moment Of
triumph-they evinced q Chivarous regard for
the feelings of the brave but unfortunate Off
who had been compelled to lower his flag
All manifestations Of exultation were checked
in his presence. Their commanding General, with
their cordial approval and the consent of his Gov
eminent, refrained from imposing any terms that
could wound the sensibility of the commander of
the fort; he permitted to retire with the
honors of War-to salute his flag, to depart freely
with all his command, ana was escorted TO tne
vessel in which he embarked with the highest
marks of respect from those against whom his
guns had been so recently directed. Not only
does every event connected with the siege re-
fleet the highest honor on South Carolina, but
the forbearance of her people and of this Gov
eminent from making any harsh use of a victory
obtained under circumstances of such peculiar
provocation, attest, to the fullest extent, the alb
sence of any purpose beyond securing their
tranquility, and o sincere desire to avoid the ca
lamities OF war.
Scarcely had the President of the United States
received Intelligence of the failure of the scheme
which he devised for the reinforcement of Fort
SUMTER when he issued the declaration of war
against this Contederacy, which has prompted me
to convoke you. In this extraordinary production
that high functionary affects total ignorance of the
existence of an Independent Government which,
possessing the entire and enthusiastic devotion of
its people, is exercising its functions without ques
ton over seven sovereign States-oVer more than
five millions of people, and over territory whose
area exceeds 900 square miles. He terms
sovereign States q combinations too powerful to
be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial
proceedings, or by the powers vested in the mar
shals by law He calls for an army of $4,000
men to act as q posse cOnlHntus in aid of the pro-
cess of the courts of justice, in States where
courts exist whose mandates and DEGREES are not
cheeffully obeyed and respected by q willing
people. He avows that sthe first service to be as
signed to the forces called out,n will be not
to execute the process of courts, but to capture
forts and strongho.ds situated within the admitted
limits OF this Confederacy, and garrisoned by its
troops and declares that "ths efort'' is intended
''to maintain the perpetuy of popular government
He concludes by commanding 1.-THE persons COM
posing the combinations aforesaid to-wit the
five millions of inhabitar s CT these States 'to re-
tire peaceably to their respective abodes within
twenty days."
Apparently contradictory as are the terms of this
singular documcnt,one point was Enthusiastically evil
dent The President of the United States calls for
army OF rs, 600 men, whose first service to be
to capture our forts. Ii plain declaration of
war, which was not at liberty to disregard be-
cause of my knowledge that. under the Constitu-
ton of the United States the President usurp-
ing power granted exclusively to the Congress.
He is the sole organ of communication between
that country and foreign powers. The law of
nations did not permit me to question the author
ity of the executive of foreign nation to declare
war against this Confederacy. Although might
have RETAINED from taking active measures for
our defence, if the States of the Union had all
initiated the action of Virginia, North Carolina,
Arkansas. Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri, by
denouncing the cali for troops it as unconstitu
tional usurpaton Of power to which they refuse
respond, was not at liberty to disregard the fact
that many of the States seemed quite content to
submit to the exercise of the power assumed by
the President of the United States, and were
lively engaged in levying troops for the purpose
Indicated in the proclamation.
Deprived of the aid of Congress at the moment
| was under the necessity OF combining my action
to call on the States for volunteers for the COM
mon defence, in accordance with the authority you
had confded to me before yOur adjournment