The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1862-12-03
F,om Ex-Prestdent Ruehanan

nntafy aud unexpected attsek. This has
nevertheless, afforded me IN opportaniiy 81
correcting many unbnaded reports which l
have long borne in patience end IN silence.
Ia my answer, L have tnrnished. clear and.
distinct responses TO sil the allegations OF
Gen. Scott; aud in his rejoiner he has not
called in question any Of my statements,
with single exception. Which of US IS
correct in this particular, depends upon the
question whether his recollectiohs of an
event which Occurred more than eighteen
months ago, OF the statement of Mr. bolt,
reduced to writing on the very day, is enti
tied o-fhs greater credit.
.sFhe General, in the sintroductioui Of his
reioiner ..sssigns as AM excuse sior the3criti
cism on my public conduct, that this was
merely Incidental to his allged official re-.
port 10 President Lincoln on the condition
OF our fortificatiops; and was not primarily
intended for myself. - From this statemsnt
one would conclude tbat.he had made such a
report. Butswhere Is this 20 be found? For
ii he refers to the Inielligepcer Of the 2lst oI
October; but there 4 discover, nothing but
his letter ofafour points to Mr.. Seward, da-
ted on the Sd Of March 1861 advising, the
incoming President hew to guide S's admins
is,ration in the face OF the threading danger
to the country. In the single introductory
sentence to tins letter, he barely refers to
his "printed views" dated IN October,
1S60,) which had been long before the, pub
lie; but it contains nothing like an official
report on the condition ol the tortiticatons
Whether the introduction of this letter to
the public, without the consent of President
Lincoln, by one Of the Generals friends, in
a political speech during q highly excited
gubernatorial canvass on lny conduct, it is
not for me to determipes steE
At what pei iod did Gen. Scott obtain the
six hundred recruits 10 which ho reieis in
his rejoinef? This was certainly after, the
date OF his "views" on the 3O.h October
1860; because in these he states emphatically
that the forces then at his command were
Tin all Eve companies only within reach, tc
garrison or reinforce the [nine] torts men,
toned In the 7'vieRs.'"A p RAS S"-a ~ st&
Did be obtain these recruits in November
If so, had he visited Washington or written
and explained TO me in what manner gthis
military operation could be accomplished by
the four hundred men'in the five companies
and the six hundred recruits. should have
gwen his representations all the considera
tion eminen'ly due to his high military rep
utstion. @ ~ aiatHat4
But Ee informs us that he did not arrive
in Washington until the 18th Of December
His second Recommendation TO garrison these
forts must, consequently, have been made
according to bis own statement, on the 18th
10Th, 28lh, or 30th OF December, or on morC
than one OF these days. AT this speriod iht
aspect OF public affairs had greatly changed
from what it was in October. Congress wal
now in session, and our relations with tht
seeding cotton States had been placed be
fore them by the Presidents mssage. Pro
coed ings bad been instituted by that bod,
with view to a compromise OF the danger
Gus questions between the North and IN,
| Sou,h; and the highest hopes and warmeS
aspirations were then entertained for thei
success. Under these circumstances, it wa
the Presidents duty to take q broad view
its relations, civil industrial and commerc cial
as well as military, giving to each its afpro
pirate influence. II was only from such
combination that he conid frame a polio,
calculated to preserve the peace, and to cen
| soidate The strength Of the Union, isolated
recommendations, proceeding from one. de
partment, without weighing well their effec
upon the general policy, oughtto be adopted
1 with extreme caution. rsE
4 But it seems from the rejoiner, that, Secre
tary Floyd, et Richmond, had claimed th'
1 honor OF defeating Gen. Scotrs "plans AM
solicitations respecting the forts" sit benz
there, {" says, the General Universally ad
mitted that but for. that victory over IN
there could have been no rebellion" Til
4 is. III plain English, that the secessionists o
the cotton States, who have since bro,igh
4 into the field hundreds.of uBdoub bedly bray
soldiers. would have abandoned in terro
! their unlawful and rebellous designs, ha,
4 Gen Scott distributed among their numerou
h forts four bundled and eighty men in 0eto
. bpr or one thousand men in December! Thi
requires no comment. ] have never bee
able to obtain cops Of the speech OF MI
Floyd, at Richmond, to which | presdm
Gen. Scott refers; but learned both at th
j time and since, from gentlemen of high re
spectabih,y, that in this same speech he de
nonounced me most bitterly for my determi
nation to stand by and sustain the Unio
1 WIFI all 'iO PoWci FoooSooSu NheSi VI
4 Constitution and the laws. .Ers
! And here permit me to remark that il
due to General Scott as we'll as myself
deny that there is any portion Of my answe
which jusiifies the allegation that 'the ex
i President sneers at my t0eak deViee' 9Th
words weak device being marked as o quo
tatlon) for saving the foris.' This mistake
must attribute to bis accidental visitor"
J. And in this connection j emphaticalIy de
4 clare that the General, neither before no
4 fer the publication Of his "views"i in , th
4 National Intel!igencerof the 18Th Jannary
1861, without my consent, assigned any rea
sons 10 me for making this publication, :
ever even alluded to the subject. In this
cannot be mistaken, from the deep iinpres
sion which, the occurrences made upon N
memory. for the reasons already mspiione
in my answer. ..a ss-f
4 I should have nothing moro to add, hac
4 General Scott, in his rejoinef, confined him
self TO the topics embraced 9ine bis origins
letter, lie has extended them. and n ow 10
the first time, and in sarcastic and no kind
! " spirit, refers to the alleged Stealing I
J public arms by Secretary Floyd, ard the
transportaiions TO the South in anticipation
the rebellion. r,lhe most conclusive answe
to this allegation, is that, notwithstanding
the boas,ing o. Mr.. Floyd at Ricbmo ono
evidently with view Of coRciiiating his ne
allies, cited by The General AZ his 'amhorit,
no public arms were ever stolen 10 The sfat
is established by the repor. OF the, Comlni,
tee on Military A fairs oi the House Of ReE
resentatiyes now before me, made BY NJ
s,antons OF Ohio, their chairman, on th
18th of February. 1S6Inand te be foundg /
the second volume Of the Reports Of Commi
tees Of the House for the sessions
lS6o-bl. THIS report. and the tst
,irnony before the committee, establish:@'
i i'll. That the Southern States received i
1860, less instead, Of more Than the quota 4,
arms to which they were entitled by, law, an
and that three OF them-North -Carolin,
Mississippi, and Kentucky received no arm
whatever, and this SIMPLY because they .di
not ask for them. Wen may Mr.. Stanto
have said in the House atthate there are
GOOD deal Of rumors and speculstions an