Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-20

WASHINGTON, April O. 1861.
Hon. W Seward Secretary OF State of the United
States, Washington
The memorandum" dlted Department of STATE
Washngon March 10 1861, with postscript under date
of instant has oeeu received throu.h the hands OF
Mr. j. 7. Pickett Secretary to this commission who, by
the instructions Of the undersigned, called for it yes
terday at the department
In that nj mamorandum you correctly state the purport
Of the official addressed to you by the undersigned
on the l2.h ultimo. Without repeating the contents OF
that note in full it s enough say here that its object
was to invite the government OF the United States TO
friendly consideration of tie relations between the Uni
ted States and the States lately of the federal
Union but separated from by the sovereign will
of their people, growing out o. the pregnant aud undenia-
be fact that these people have ected the auhtry ofthe
United States and established government OF their own
Those reataons had to be friendly hostile The peo
pie of the old and governments, occupying congu-
ou territories had to stand 10 each other in the relation
OF good neighbor each seeking their happiness and pur-
suing their nGrona deSinies u their own way, without
interference with the other they had to be rival and
hostile nations The government OF the Confederate
States had hesitation in electng its choice IN this al
tentative. Frankly and unreseryedy seeking the good
of the people who had entrusted them with power, 10
the spirit of hum lnty of the Christian civilization OF
the age and of that Americarm which regards the true
welfare and happiness Of the people, the government OF
the Confederate States among its first acts commission
ed the undersigned to approach the government OF the
United States with the olive branch OF peace and 10 Of
fer to adjust the great questions pending between them
in the only way be justified by the cons,iences aud
| common sense of good men who had nothing but the
welfare of the people Of the two conederacies at heart
Your government has not chosen to meet the under
signed in the conciatoy and peaceful spirit in which
they are commissioned. Persistenty welded to those
fatal theories Of construction OF The federal constitution
always rejected by the statesmen of the South and ad-
hered 10 by those Of the administration school, until
they have produced their natural and often predicted re-
suit of the destruction OF the Union, under which
might have continued TO live happily and goriousy to-
pether had the spirit OF the ancestry who framed the
common constitution animated the hearts OF all their
so-s you now with persistence unaught and uncured
by the ruin which has been wrought refuse to recognise
the great fact presented 20 you o. completed and sue
cessiu revoluou you close your eyes to the existence
of the government founded upon it. and ignore the high
duties of moderation and humanity which attach TO you
ia dealing with this great fact Had you met these issues
with tie rsuknes and manness with which the under
sgaed were instructed TO present them to you and treat
them the undersigned had not now the melancholy duty
10 return home and tell their government and their cou-
trymen that thi earnest aud eoss th IN behalf
of peace had been futile and that the government OF ne
United States 10 sutjug.te them by force OF arms
Whatever may be the result impartial history will record
the innocence Of the government OF the Confederate
S.etts and place the responsibility OF the blood and
mourning that may upJn those VINO nave denied
the great fundamental docuue OF American liberty, that
governments derive their st powers iicm tue consent
Of the Governed and who have naval aCd land arma
me- Is in motion subj ct the people of one portian OF
this land TO the will of another portion. That that can
never be doue while freeman survives IN the Conede-
rate States 20 WELD weapon the undersigned appeal 10
past history to prove. These military demonstrators
against the peopls Of the seeded States are ceriah; Ia
from being in keeping and consistency vita tue theory
the Secretary OF State maintained n hs memorandum,
that these SGtcs stu component rqsts OF the late
| American Uaon rs the undersigned are not aware ci
any constitutional powt: a the President u the uned
States to lew war without the consent Of Congress upon
foreign peapla much les upon any portion oi the peo-
| pie Of the ai,-d States.
The Undersigned ike the Secretary Of S,le, have bo
purpose TO "uvite crglge in discussion OF the SUD
cc on which tLeir two governments are so feconclA-
py az yariiuCc Il Is this variance tina. has broken up
the oi Uaion the dsinttg.a;on Of which has only be-
gun /, Is proper, however TO advise you th.: It were
well 10 u,ss tie hcpes you 10 entertain that by
anv Of the modes indicated tue pcopis or the CoHted
crate States vii ever be BROUGHT 10 samt to the aIIho
r.tv Of the goyerHusut 0i tie taited Sates You are
dealing with deiuicls too when you seek to separate
our people from government aud TO characterize tie
deliberate sovereign sct OF that pecpl as p'rveTsion
OF a temporary aud partisan excitement" II you che
ri.h dreams YOU will be awakened from them and -ld
them as unreal and ulsuhsjsnt. otnvrs N which you
have recently INDUCED TIE Undersigned would omit
Tie performance OF an obvious duy, we're ttey TO tt
10 mike knoa to tc government oi tha United States
that the people Of the COu!od rate States heVe declared
|
spcn,5!,t.es OF that act, and with as h'm determEa
ton 10 maintain il by all the means with which nature
has endowed them tha. which sustained thcr fathers
when they threw of tie authority OF the RFsn cs0En
The und rs gued clearly unG3,gtaHd mat you have de-
cued TO p9ont d 6ay enable them lay the OF ects
of the mission with which they charged before the
President of the Uaited States because 20 10 do wond
be to aize the independence and sa@rs na'lonsl
ty of the Confederate S-Ies Tns Is the vein OF thought
thai peryade5 the memorandum before u5. The truth Of
L.. Z !. - u.
record that the undersigned did pc: asa government
Of the United Sa,vs 10 recognize the independence Of
the Oouied rate States. They only asked audience 10
adjust in a spirit Of amty and peace Iae relations
spfinging from manifest aud accomplished revolution
in tbs government Of the late federal Union. Your
flsal 10 entertain these for peaceful solution
the active naval and military preparation OF this govtrl
ment and formal notice to the commanding general of
the Confederate forces n tao napor OF Chagestan that
fsesden intends to provision Fort Sumter by toci,
bic means necessary, are viewed hy tue Undersigned,
aud can only be received by the world as decara ion
Of var against she Confederate States for the President
OF the United States knows that Fort Sumter cannot be
proys0ued without the etusoa of blood. Tn" ,rder.
signed, IL behalf OF the Eov"- and people accent
=. OF oattle thus thrown down - 'ueIn, aud,'ep-
pealng TO God and the J-15AeNs Oh mankind Tor 'he
ri blou.e.s OF their cause the people Of the CoDede'
rate States will defend their liberties 10 the last agarsi
this agraut aud open attempt at their sutlganon TO
sectional power.
This communication cannot Be properly closed witho
adyercg to the date Of your memorandum The oihcla
note of the undersigned, Of the IL March, was denver
ed to the Assistant Secretary of State on toe 18th OF that
month the gentleman who delivered IL informing him
tina, the Secretary Of this Commission would call at -
o'clock noon on the next day, for answer. 1T the
appointed hour Mr. Pickett did CALI and ives informed by
the Assistant Se.retay of State that the engagements o
the Secretary of State had prevented him from giving
the note his attention The Assistant Secretary OF state
then asked for the address Of Messrs Crawford and For
syth the members of the Commission then present III
this citv took note of the address on caro- and en-
gagged to send whatever reply might be made to theli
lodgings Why this not done 1t proper should be
here explained The memorandum is dated March 10
and was lot delivered until April S. Why was It with
held during the intervening tweny-threedays! In the
postscript TO your memorandum you say 1t was delay
ed as was understood with their NessrS. Forsyth and
Crawfords consent" This is Aut it a alzo true
that on the l9th OF March Messrs. Forsyth and Oraw
ford were assured, by person occupying hlgh ohi
cal position in the Government, aud who, as they be
lieved was speaking by authority, that Fort Sumter
would be evacuated within very lew days and that nc
measure changing the existing status pTudlcay to th'
Confederate States respects Fort Pickers was theI
contemplated and these were subsequently
repeated with the addition that any contemplated ehng
as respects Pickens would Re nohed to u.s. On the ls
Of April We sain inorAed shat their might be al
attemp. to supply Fort Sumter with provisions, but iA9
Governor Pcktns should have previous netee o this at
tempt Their was no gestdn af any reinforcement
The undersigned did not hesitate to hsleve that thes
assurances expressed the Intentions OF the administration
AZ the time or a. a Of prominent members OF tha
Administration. THIS deIy was assented 10 for, the ex
press purpose of attanlog tie great end OF the mission
of the undersigned 10 wit: A pacific solution OF th5
sug complications. The inference iedlc,oe from IN
date Of your mamoIGHdu. that the undersigned had
theif own yol l0n aud without caRSe consented TO thi
oog hiatus in the grave duties with whi:h they wer
charged is therefore not consistent With ls exposition
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