Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-12-17

WarmeSt aspirations were then entertained
for their success. Under these circum-
stances it was the Presidents duty to take
a bosad view of the condition of the
whole. country, in all its relations, civil,
industrial, and commercial, as we'll as
military, giving to each its appropriate in
fluence 1t was only from such combi-
nation that he could frame policy cal
culated to preserve the peace and to con-
solidate the strength of the Union. Iso-
lated Recommendations proceeding from
one department, without weighing well
their effect upon the general policy, ought
TO be adopted with extreme caution.
But it seems from the rejoinder that
Secretary Floyd, at Richmond, had claim
ed the honor of defeating Gen. SCOTS
"Plans and solicitations respecting forts,''
g 1t being there" says the General,
/" universally admitted that but for that
victory over me there could have been no
rebellion" This is. in plain English, that
the secessionists of the Cotton States. who
have since brought into the field hundreds
of thousands of undoubtedly brave sol
diers, would have abandoned in terror
their unlawful and rebellious designs, had
Gen. Scott distributed among their nu-
merous forts four hundred and eighty men
in October, or one thousand men in De
cemberl This requires no comment.
| L have never been able to obtain a copy
of the speech of Mr.. Floyd, at Richmond,
to which / presume Gen. Scott refers :;
/ but learned Doth at the time and since,
/ from gentlemen of high respec;ability, that
] -,
bitterly for my determination TO stand by
and sustain the Union with all the power
| possessed under the Constitution and the
laws
And here permit me to remark that ii
is due to General Scott a. well rs myself
to deny that there Is any portion OF my
answer which .jIstifies the allegation that
"the ex-President sneers at my i,velk
delsce' (the words weak device being
marked as a quotation) for saving the
forts This mistake l must attribute to
his 80 accidental visitor
And in this connection emphatically
declare that the General, neither before
nor after the publication OF his .iyicws =
in the National IHteHgencc1' OF the 18th OF
january, 1861, without my consent, as
signed any reason to me for making this
publication, or ever even alluded 10 the
subject. In this l cannot be mistaken.
from the deep impression which the oc-
currence made upon my memory, for the
reasons already mentioned in my answer.
/ should have nothing more to add had
General Scott, in his rejoinder, confined
himself TO the topics embraced in his orr
ginal letter He has extended them. and
now for the first time, and in n sarcastic
!, and no kindly spirit, refers TO the ALLEGED
stealing of public arms by Secretary
; Floyd and their transportation 10 the
South in anticipation of the rebellion. Tn,
, most conclusive answer TO this obligation
is that. notwithstanding the boasting o
Mr.. Floyd at Richmond, evidently Will
the view of conciliating his new allies
: rited by the General rs his authority, n,
= pubic arms were ever stolen
This fact is established by the report O
. the Committee on Military Affairs of tn
House of Representatives, now before me
made by Mr.. Stanton, of Ohio, thei
chairman, on the 18th of February. 1861
and to be found in the second volume @
: the Reports of Committees of the Hous
for the session of 1S60-'61. This repor
and the testimony before the COmmitte
establish:
l. That the Southern States receive
in 1860 less instead of more than tn
quota of arms TO which they were enti
i tied by law; and that three of them
North Carolina, Mississippi, and ker
tucky-received no arms whatever, an
this simply because they did not ask f
!. them Well may Mr.. Stanton have sal
= in the House "t that there are good de;
: OF rumors and speculations and misappr'
hension as to the true state of facts in II
gard to this matter"
70 =. Secretary Floyd, under suspicion
circumstances, on the 22d Decembe
j., 1860, and but few days before he lie
r the Department, had, without the know
N edge of the President, ordered one hundr,
N and thirteen Q13) co.umbiads and elev'
N I'D thirty-two Founders to be transports
n from Pittsburg to Ship Island and Galve
5. ton, in Mississippi and Texas
rs This fact was brought to the knowled
in of the President by n communicate
n. from Pittsburg; and Secretary Holt IL
" mediately thereafter contaminated t
by order of his predecessor, and the cann
were never sent. The promptltude w
at which we acted elected vote of thari
he dated on the 4th of January, 1861, fr'
tn the Select and Common Councils of tt
nd city. ''to the President, the Auorr