North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1862-11-26

CohCluueu oelWeeH lhe parties, 10 continue
| until the question of the surrender of the
fort should be decided by the President
Until this declsion Major Anderson had plac-
ed 1t out of his own power to ask for rein
to-cements, and equally out Of the power of
| the Government to send them without vio-
latCn Of public faith. This was what wri.
ters on public law denominate " partial
! truce under which hostities are suspended
only in certain places, as between town and
an army beseiging it." 1t is possible ;hat
! the President, under the laws Of war, might
have annulled this truce upon due notice to
the opposite party; but neither Gen. Scott
nor any other person ever suggested such an
eXpedlent. This would have been to cast
reflection on Major Anderson, who, Geyond
question. acted from the highest and purest
motives. Did Gen. Scott ever propose to
vi late this truce during its existence? ? If he
did am not now, nor never Was, aware of
the fact. Indeed think he would have been
one Of the last men in the world to propose
such measure.
Col. Hayne did not deliver the letter which
be bore from Gov. Plckens, demanding tn
surrender of the fort, to the President until
the 3lst Of January. The documents con
tanning the reasons for this worrying delay
were communicated to Congress in special
message Of the 9Th OF February, to which |
refer the reader. On the 5th of February
the Secretary of War, under the instruction
of the President, gave peremptory refusal
to this demand in an able and ,.omprehensiva
letter, reviewing why,e subject. explain.
ing and justllyiDg tie conduct of the prasi-
oen' 'hroughoI-e. Its concluding sentence
Is ooth eLJQcent and emphatic:
=" If, says Mr. Holt } with all the multi
I Piled proofs that exists Of the Presidents anxi-
ETY. for PEACE, aud of the earnestness with
which he has pursued it, the authorities Of
that State shall assault, Fort Sumptcr and
lnperll the lives of the handful Of Lrave and
loyal men shut up within its walls, and thus
plunge our country into the horrcrs of civil
war, then upon them and those they represent
must rest the responsibility"
The truce was then ended, and General
Scott is incorrect in sta Ing that it lasted to
the end Of that administration.
An expedition was quietly fitted out at
New York, under the supervision of Gen
Scott to be ready for any contingency. lie
| arranged its details, and regarded the rein
ioIcements thus provided for as sufficient.
This was ready to sail for Fort Sumpter on
hive hours notice. 1t is of this expedition
that General Scott thus speaks:
& At thai time, when this the truce) had
passed away, Secretaries Holt and Toucey.
Capt Ward, OF the navy, and myself. with
tie knowledge Of he President, settled upon
the employment, under the Captain, of three
"t f"ur Steamers bcI"ngtn. to the Coast Srr-
ye', but lie was kept back by the truce.;'
strange inconsistency. The truce had ex
pred witn Mr.. Hrlt's letter to Col. Havne on
the 9Th OF February, and Gen. Scott in his
statement says . 1t would have been easy to
reinforce this fDIt down to about the twelfth
ol Frbruar,." Why then did not the rem
i"'crmen'S procect This was simply be-
Cause "f communications from Major Ander-
son. 1t was most fortunate that they did
not proceed; ; because the three or four small
~iean'erS which were to bear them wouId
never have reached the fort, and in the AZ,
''mP' must have been captured or DESTROYED
HE vast uadeqnacy of the force provided to
accomplish the object demonstrated bv in
formation received from Major Anderson at
the War Department pn the last dav Of the
administration.
parpoSely 70 bear at present TO say more
on this subject, least mi sht, however unln-
tentionaIly, do Injustice to one or more of IN.
parties concerned, in consequence of the brew
'y required by the nature of this compuni.
cation The facts relating to it, with the ap-
pr"prate accom- paniments, have been fpllv
presented in a historical review, prepared
year ago, which Will ere long be published
lhIS review contains sketch of the four last
months OF my administrations 1t is imDar
ual; at least snch is my honest conviction
That 1t has not yet been published has arisen
s'!eIy from an apprehension, no longer enter !
faIne", that something therein might be un-
Justly perverted into an interference with the
u vcrnment in vigorous prose ,ution of the
war Tor the maintenance nfthe Constitution
al the restoration of The Union, whicn was
Tar, very far, from my intention.
Alter n carplnl r.af rn.t,on, I
declare before God and My country that
cannot reproach myself with any act of com
missioner or commission since the existing
troubles commenced. | have never doubted
that ny conntrymen would yet do me justice.
In my special message Of the 9Th of January
1861 presented full and tar exposition o,
the alarming condition the country and