The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-11-14

hioltc, lelt tnc CncSitpedhc ior 4 oft lcheHs a.
bout January 22d, and on the 10Th, President
Buchanan, having entered into quasi armistice
with certain leading seceders at Pensacola and
elsewhere, caused Secretaries Holt and Toucey
to instruct in a joint note the commander OF
the war vessels off Pensacola, and Lieut.. Slem-
mer, commanding Fort Pckens, to commit no
act Of hostility, and not to land Capt. Vodges'
company unless the Fort should be attacked"
He afterwards states, within brackets, l"That
joint note never saw, but suppose the armis-
tice was consequent upon the meeting Of the
Peace Convention at Washington, and was an
derstood to terminate with it." & af
These statements betray a singular want of
memory on the part of General Scott. 1t is
scarcely credible that this very joint note, pre-
sented in such odious colors, was submitted to
General Scott on the day it was prepared Goth
January,) and met his entire appropriations i
would not venture to make this assertion If
did not possess conclusive evidence to prove it.
| On that day Secretary Holt addressed me II
note, from which the following is an extract:
II have the satisfaction of saying that on
submitting the paper to General Scott he ex
pressed himself satisfied with it, saying that
there could ba no objection to the arrangement
in military point OF view or otherwise" This
requires no comment. That the General had
every reason to be satisfied with the arrange
ment will appear from the following statement:
A revolutionary outbreak had occurred in
Florida; the troops of the United States had
been expelled from Pensacola and the adjacent
navy yard and Lieutenant Slemmer, OF the
artillery with his brave little command, had
been forced to take refuge in Fort Pickens,
4
of being captured by vastly superior forces
Owing to the interruption OF regular communi-
cations, Secretary Holt did not receIve intor-
nation of these events until several days after
their occurrence, and then through letter adj
dressed to a third person. He instantly inform
ed the President of the fact, and reinforcement,
provisions and military stores were dispatched
by the Brooklyn to Fort Pckens without Il mo
inents unnecessary delay she left Fortress
Monroe on the oath of January.
WeI-founded apprehensions were, however,
entertained at the time of her departure that
the reinforcements, with the vessels OF war at
no great distance from Fort Pickens. could not
arrive i'll time to defend it against the impending
attack. In this state of suspense, and whilst
! Lieutenant Slemmer was in extreme peril, sen
ators Slidell, Hunter and Bigler received tel
egraphic despatch from Senator Mallory, OF Flo
rida, dated at Pensacola, on the 2oth January,
with the urgent request that they should lay 1t
before the President This dispatch expressed
an earnest desire to maintain the peace, as well
as the most positive assurance that no attack
would be made on Fort Pickens If the present
status should be preserved
| This proposal was carefully considered, both
with view to the safety of the fort and to the
unhappy effect which an actual collision, either
at that or any other point, might produce on
the Peace Convention then about to assemble
at Washington. The result was, that joint
despatch was carefully prepared by the Secreta-
ries of War and Navy, accepting the proposal,
with important notifications, which was trans
mitted by telegraph, on the 29th January, to
Lieutenant Slemmer and to the naval command
ers near the station 1t is too long for trans
crption; suffice it to say, it was carefully guar
ded at every point, for the security of the fort
and its free communication with Washington
The result was highly fortunate. The Brook
lyn had long passage Although she LETT
Fortress Monroe on the 24th January, she did
not arrive at Pensacola until the 9th February
In the meantime Fort Pickens, with Lieuten-
: ant Semmer, (whose conduct deserves high
commendation,) and his brave little baud, were
placed by virtue of this arrangement, in per-
feet security until an adequate force had arrived
to defend it against any attack. The fort is
still in our possession. Well might Gen. Scott
have expressed his satisfaction with this arrange
ment. The General was correct in the suppo-
sition that the arrangement was to expire on
the termination of the Peace Convention.
v. But we now come to an important peri
cd, when dates will be essentially necessary to
disentangle the statement of General Scott
The South Carolina Commissioners were ap-
pointed on the 22d, and arrived in Washington
on the 9th December. The day after their
arrival it was announced that Major Anderson
had removed from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sum-
ter. This rendered them furious. On the same
day they addressed an angry letter to the Pres
idont demanding the surrender of Fort Sumter
The President answered this letter on the 3Oth
December by aperemptory refusal. This brought
forth reply from the Commissioners on the "a
January, 1861, of such an insulting character
that the President instantly returned it to them
with the following endorsement: 'This paper,
just presented to the President, is of such char
acter that he declines to receive it." From that
time forward all friendly, political and person.
al intercourse finally ceased between the revo-
Iutionary Senators and the President, and he
was severely attacked by them in the Senate,
and especially by Mr. Jefferson Davis Indeed,
their intercourse had previously been of the
coolest character ever since the Presidents anti
secession message at the commencement of the
session of Congress.
Under these changed circumstances, General
Scott, by note on Sunday, the 30th December,
addressed the following inquiry to the presi-
i dent:
sWill the President permit Gen. Scott with
out reference to the War Department, and 9TH