The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-07-11
Presidents Message.
The Presidents Message was re
ceived and read. 1t is as follows:

ceived and read. 1t is as follows:
Fellosc- Citizens Of the Senate ana
House Of Representatives
Having been convened in extraor.
dinary session as authorized by the
Constitution, your attention is not
called to any ordinary subject of legis.
lation. At the beginning OF the pres.
ent term, four months ago, the func-
tions of the Federal Government were
found to be generally suspended within
the several States of South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi-
ana and Florida, excepting those only
of the Post-office Department. Within
these States all the forts, arsenals, dock
yards, custom houses, &C., including
all the movable and stationary proper
ty in and about them, had been seized
and held in open hostility to this Gov
ernment, excepting only Forts Pickens,
Taylor and Jefferson, on and near the
florida coast, and Fort Sumter in
Charleston harbor. The forts thus
seized had been put in improved condi-
ton, new ones had been built and
armed. Other new forces had been
organized and were organizing, all
avowed for the same hostile purposes.
The forts remaining in the Federal
possession in and near those States
were either beseiged or menaced by
warlike preparations, Especially Fort
Sumter was nearly surrounded by well
protected hostile batteries, with guns
equal in quality to the best of its own,
and outnumbering the latter as ten to
one. A disproportionate share of the
Federal muskets and rifles had some
how found their way into these States,
and had been seized to be used against
the Government. Accommodations of
the public revenue had been seized for
the same object. The navy was scat
tered in distant seas, leaving but very
small part of it within the immediate
reach of the Government. Officers of
the Federal army had resigned in great
numbers, and of those resigned great
portion had taken up arms against the
government. Simultaneously and in
connection with all this, a purpose to
sever the Federal Union was openly
avowed. In accordance with this pur-
pose, an ordinance had been reported,
in each of these States, declaring the
States respectively to be separated
from the Federal Union. The formula
for instituting a combined Government
for these States had been promulgated,
and the illegal organization in the char
acter of the Confederate States, was
already asking recognition, aid, and in
tervention from foreign powers. Find
ing this condition of means, and be-
lieving it to be an imperative duty up
on the incoming Executive to prevent
if possible, the consummation of such
attempts to destroy the Federal Union,
choice of two things in the end be-
came indispensable. This choice was
made and declared in the inaugural ad-
dress. The policy chosen, looked to
the exhaustion of all peaceable meas
ures before resort of any stronger
oR. 1t sought only to hold the public
places and property not already wrest-
ed from the Government and to collect
the revenue relying for the rest on time,
discussion and the ballot box. / prom
ised the continuance of the mails at the
governments expense to the very peo-
pie who were resisting the government,
and gave repeated pledges against any
disturbance of any of the people of any
of their rights-of all that which a
President might constitutionally and
justifably do in such case. Every
thing was forborne without which i,
was believed possible to keep the gov
ernment on foot.
! On the fifth of March, the present
Iincumbent's first full day in office, 8
letter from Major Anderson, command
ing at Fort Sumter, written on the 28tf
of February and received at the Wal
Department on the 4th of March, wa,
by that Department placed in hi,
hands,. This letter expressed the pro
! fessional opinion of the writer that re
Inducements could not be thrown int
that fort in time for his relief, (ren
dered necessary by the limited suppl,
of provisions and with view of hold
ing possession of the same,) with
force of less than 10000 well disci
plined men. This opinion was con
Cured in by all the officers of his com
: mand and their memorada on the sub
iect were made Enclosures of Majo
: Anderson's letter. The whole wa
, laid before Lieutenant General Scott
t who at once concurred with Major An
7 derson in his decision. On reflection
t however, he took full time in consult
: ing with other officers, both of tn
I army and navy, and arrived at the sam
7 conclusion as before. He also stated a
+ the same time that no such sufficien
e force was then at the control of th
s Government or could be raised an
q brought to the ground within the tim
# when the provisions in the Fort woul
t be exhausted. In purely militar
II point of view, this confined the Admin
r istration to the mere matter of gettln
J. the garrison safely out of the Fort; !
+ was believed, however, that to SO abal
"a don than situation under the clrcun
stances would be utterly ruinous; tn;
), the necessity under which it was to /
e done would not be fully understood
= that by many it would be construed :
= a part of a voluntary policy; that
home it would discourage the frien(
: Of the I1nion emholden IFS adyerSari,