Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-03-12
From ,Ir. secretary HoIt.
WASHINGTON. March 5, 1861.

WASHINGTON. March 5, 1861.
To the Editors of the National IateiigencT;
In yonr issue of Saturday last you pup
lished an extract from an address recently
made to the people OF Mississippi, by the
Hon Jacob Thompson, late Secretary OF tue
Interior. in which the following language
occurs:
"A. I ,cas tcr,tiRg my resignation L sent a
despatch To Judge Longstreet that the Star
of the West was coming with reinforceinents.
The troops were thus put on their guard, and
when the Star of the West arrived she re-
ceived s0arm tceLc0me from booming cannon,
aud soon beat a retreat. L was reloIced the
vessel was not sunk. but was still more re-
ioiced that the concealed trick. first conceived
by General Scott and adopted by SECRETARY
Holt. but cOuntermanded by the President
when too late, proved failure
We have here distinct and exultant avow-
al ON the part of the Hon. Secretary, that,
while vet a member of the cabinet he dis
closed to those in open rebellion against the
United States Information which he had de-
rived from his official position, and which he
held under the seals of confidence that,
| from the beginning of cur history as ma
| ton, had never been violated. This step not
merely endangered the highest public inter-
est, but put ia imminent jeopardy the lives
| of two hundred and fifty innocent men, who
| bad never wronged the Hon Secretary, and
| who in proceeding to Charleston harbor were
| simply obeying the lawful command OF their
| superior officers. The armed enemies OF the
| Government he was serving, under the SOL
emu sanctions Of an oath. were, as he declares,
thus put upon their guard and the frail
vessel that was bearing succor to its friends.
| .receiyed a warm welcome from booming
| cannon 1t could not be less than offensive
| to the heart and to the intelligence OF the
| American people to comment gravely on this
humiliating transaction. Its true character
has already been determined by the public
vaice, and that voice will doubtless find its
echo in the judgment OF history.
The reference in the concluding sentence
of the paragraph is not to the reinforcement
which had been contemplated by the Brook
lyn, but to that which was attempted by the
Star of the West. This is denounced as "a
concealed trick, first conceived by General
Scott, and adopted of course with o
knowledge of its character--"by Secretary
Holt' and the impression left upon the
mind of the reader is, that as soon as the
President became aware of the ''trick" it was
countermanded by him, but too late. II il
was not designed to make this impression
then the animadversion of the Hon. Secretary
would lose most if not all its point, as il
was his evident purpose to sharpen his cen
sure of General Scott and myself, by leav-
ing it to be inferred that our action had beer
| without the sanction OF the President. A:
the effort to reinforce Fort Sumter was the
most responsible act of the War Department
during nv brief connection with its admin
istration, it is due alike TO the public and t.
nv own reputation that the calumnious i'm
putation cast upon it by the paragraph
quoted should be promptly met and refuted
That refutation will be furnished by the fol
lowing correspondence:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, $50.
| SIR:-It is with extreme regret have JUS
learned that additional troops have beer
ordered to Charleston. This subject has beer
frequently discussed in Cabinet Council; ant
when on Mooday night, 3lst of December
ultimo the orders for reinforcements Il
Fort Sumter were countermanded, l dis
| tinctIy understood from you that 10 order o
the kind would be made without being pre-
yiously considered and decided in Cabinet
1t is true that on Wednesday, January End
this subject was again discussed in Cabinet
but certainly no conclusion was reached, an'
the War Department was not justified II
ordering reinforcements without somethin!
more than was then said. learn, however
| this morning, for the first time, that tn
steamer Star of the West sailed from New
York last Saturday night with two hundre'
| and fifty men, under Lieutenant Bartlett
bound for Fort Sumter. Under these cir
cumstances 1 feel myself bound to resign m
commission, as one of your constitutional ad
visers in your hands.
/ With high respect, your obedient servant,
]. THOMPSON
His Excellency JAMES BUCHANAN,
President of the United States.