American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-07-13
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
peHfered TO the Extra Session OF the
EEDERAE4 CONGRESS.
WasHIscTos. July s. 1861.
Fsaas- citisen. Of ne .senate and U,,..e

WASHINGTON, July 5, .1S6l.
Fe7osc- riti@ens Of The Senate aud House .
! Representatives
Having been convened on an cxtraortiina
ry occasion, as authorized hv the Constitu
e ton, your attention is not called to any OF
binary subject of legislation. At the begin
ming of the present presidential term fou
months ago, the functions of tie Fedora
Government were found 10 be generally st,s
pended within the several States of Soutl
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi
! Louisiana and Florida. excepting only thos
of the Post Office Department. Within
these States the forts, arsenais. docks. har
bors, customhonses and the like, ineludin,
the movable and stationary property in am
about them, had been seized, and was he'll
IN open hostility to the governments except
ing only Forts Pickens, TAYLOR. and .Jeffer
son, on and near the Florida coast, and For
Sumter. in Charleston harbor. South Caro-
lima. The forts thus seized had been Put il
an approved condition, new ones had beer
built, and armed forces had been organized
and were organizing, all avowedly with the
same hostile purpose. The forts remaining
in the possession of the Federal Government
in and near these States, were either be.
seiged or menaced by warlike preparations
and. especially, Fort Sumter was nearly
surrounded by well protected hostile batter
7 les, with guns equal in quality to the best Of
i its own, and outnunberng the latter as per-
haps 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 Coy
eminent. Accommodations of the public rev.
eDue lying within them had been seized for
the same object. The navy was scattered in
distant seas, leaving but q very small part
within the immediate use Of the Govern
ment. The officers of tue Federal Army
and Navy had resigned in great numbers.
and OF those resigning large proportion had
taken up arms against the Government.
Simultaneously, and in connection with all
these, purposes to sever the Federal Union
were openly avowed. In accordance with
this purpose, an ordinance had been adopted
IN each of the States, declaring the States
respectively to be separated from the Ma
tional Union. A formula for combining and
instituting combination of these States had
been promulgated, and this Illegal organize
ton IN the character of Confederate States
was already invoking recognition, aid and in
tervention from foreign powers. Finding
this condition of things, and believing it to
be an imperative duty upon the incoming
executive to prevent, if possible. the con-
summation of such attempts to destroy the
Federal Union, choice of means to that end
became indispensable. This choice was
made and declared in the inaugural address
in March The policy chosen looked to the
exhaustion of all peaceful measures before
resort to any stronger ones. 1t sought only
to hold the public places and property not
already wrested from the Government and
collect the revenue, relying for the rest on
time, discussion and the ballot-boy. 1t prom
ised a continuance of the mails at Govern
ment expense, to the very people who were
resisting the Government, End it gave re-
peated pledges against any disturbance to
any of the people or any Of their rights, of
all that which president might constitu-
tionally and justifiably do in such case
Everything was forbosne, without which it
was believed impossible to keep the Govern
ment on foot.
On the 5th Of March, the present incum-
bent's first full day of office, letter of Mai.
Anderson, commanding at Fort Sumter,
written on the 2Sth of February, and re-
ceived by the War Department on the 4th
of March, was by that Department placed
in my hands. This letter expressed the
professional opinion of the writer, that rein
forcements could not be thrown into that
fort within the time for his relief, rendered
necessary by the limited supply of provis-
ions, and with a view of holding possession
of the same, with force of not less than
10000 good and disciplined men. This opin-
ion was concurred in by all the officers of
his command, and the memoranda on the
subject were made together with Enclosures
of Major Anderson's letter.
The whole was Immediately laid before |
Lieutenant General Scott, who at once con-
Cured with Major Anderson's opinion. On
however, he took full time for
with OF her officers, both of the |
army and navy and at the end of four days |
be came reluctantly, but decidedly to the |
same conclusion as before. He also stated
at the same time that such sufficient force /
was not at the control of the Government,
and could not be raised and brought to the
ground within the time when the provisions
in the fort would be exhausted. In a purely
point of view, this reduced the duty
Of the Administration in the case to the
mere matter of taking the garrison safely
put of the fort. 1t was believed, however,
that, to abandon that position under the cir
would be utterly ruinous that
the necessity under which it was to be done
would not be fully understood that by
many it would be construed as part of vol
Intary policy that at home it would dis
courage the friends of the Union, embolden
is adpersares, and 60 far to insure the rec
ignition of the latter abroad; that in fact it
This ocald not be allowed. Starvation
vas not upon the garrison; and ere it would
BE reached Fort Pickens might be reinforced.
This last would be a clear indication of poll
", and would better enable the country to
lccept the evacuation Of Fort Sumter as a
necessity. An order was at once
directed to be sent for the landing of the
roops on the steamship Brooklyn into Fort
pickens This order could not go by land,
,ut must take the longer and slower route
w sea- The first return news from the or
Ter was received but one week before the
all of Fort Sumter. The news itself was
hat the officer commanding the Sabine-to
which vessel the troops had been transferred
rom the Brooklyn-acting upon some quasi
Irmistice of the late Administration, up to
he time the order was dispatched, had only
wo vague and uncertain rumors to fix at
ention. and had refused to land the troops.
20 reinforce Fort Pickens before crisis
would be reached at Fort Sumter was inn |
H. &l,.,x han 81 !,