Maryland free press., 1862-11-07

Anderson sent flag to the Governor stating th at
he p sutred the act had been unauthorized, and
for tbct reason he hal rot opened fire from Fort
Sumter On the adjacent batteries but demanding
IFS sissvow AL and, ifthis were not sent in rea-
tona,!e time he wonid consider it war, and fire on
| any TsssH that attempted TO leave the harhor
l Two poays after this occurrence, on the 11th of
tauusry, Governor pickens had the sudacity to
demand Of Major Anderson the surrender OF fort.
In hts answer of the same dato the Msj,r made
the following proposition: "Sbould your Excel
lercy deem ht, previous to resort to arms, to
rear iais matter to Wash ngton, it would afford
me the sincerest pleasure 60 depute one of my
o'hcers to accompany any messenger you may
daem proper to be ths bearer OF your demand" -
Thio proposition was promptly accepted by the
Governor, and, in pursuance thereof, ho sent on
h:s PS-t Hon. j. W. Hayne, the Attorney Gener-
al "i South Carolina, to Washington, whilst Major
Andersen deputed Lieut.. Hall, of the United
States army, to accompany him. The gentlem en-
arrived together in Washington on the evening
OF the 18th of January, when the Presid' OBJ
tanned the hrst Knowledge of the trsnsaction.-
Bni u viii be recolected that time interviewed
| between the return of the Star of the West to
New otk and the arrival cf the messenger bear
irs copy Of the truce vt Washington within
waic.i 1t would have been possible to send rein
firceroenfs 70 Fort Sumter. Both events occurred
sbess. s ':as :i;., ,ssme time.
! Taus truce, or suspension of erms, was con-
J clndec Between the parties, to continue udti the
question of the surrender of the fort should be de-
cded by the President. Until this decision Major
Anderson had placed it out of his own power to
ask for rein'orcements, and equally out of the
power of the government to send them without
violation Of public faith This was what writers
on public law denominato Ga partial truce under
which hos,ili.iss are suspended only in certain
places, as between town and the army besiegiug
| it. H.
II .s possible thas the President, under the laws
OF war, might have anrulled this truce upon due
nosce to th7 opposite party; but neither General
Scott Lur any other person ever suggested this
petient. This would have been to cast reflection
ca Asjnr Anderson, who, beyond question, acted
| from the highest and purest motives. Did Gener-
al Scott ever propose to violate this truce during
its sxf3sence 2 If ts did, sm not now, and new
| er was, aware of the fact. Indeed, think he
would have bsen one of the last mel in the World
to Fl. pose such: Tsasure.
, GAkl gel Hay did not deliver the letter W uhich
hre bore from Gov. Pickens, demanding the sur
Cad-r OF the tort, to the President until th1 3Ist
Ut January. The DO :umeuts containing The rea-
sons ior this worrying delay, we're communicated
t41apgress in special message of the Sth of Feb
Tusry. 70 witch l refer the reader. On the 5th
OF February, the Secretary of War, under the in
struc c'ions of the President, gave peremptory
refusal to this demand in an able and comprehen-
,s7e letter, reviewing the whole subject explain
ing snd justify ing the conduct of the President
throughout. Its concluding sentence is both elo-
qacrt and emphatic. -
'TF, (ssys Mr.. Hot,) With all tie multiplied
prc = Which ex:,: tr the Presidents anxiety for
peace, apd CT the earrestness with which he has
pursued it, the authorities of that State shall as
ssalt Fort Sumter and imperil the lives of the
sa&ffuI of the brave and loyal men shut up within
s'"al'', and thus plunge our (coUntry into the
horrors of civil war, then upon them, and those
thfT -TpI gent, must rest the responsibility"
III F1uce was then ended, aud General Scott is
incorrect in stating "that it lasted to the cad of
that administration
AE expedition Was quietly fitted out at New
YORK, under the supervision of General Scott, to
be ready for cny contingency. He arranged its
details. and regarded the Reinforcement thus pro-
vidsd Cor sufficient. This was ready to sail for
Fort Sumter on five hours notice. 1t is of this
at that tine, whca this (the truce) bad passed
away, Secretaries Holt and Toucey, Cart. Ward.
of the navg ras --y--'G Win the knowledge of
the Presiddent, settled upon the employment,
under the captain, of three or four steamers be-
longing to the Cosss Survey, but it was kept
5sck by the truce"
Strange inconsistency. Tho truce had ex
p;red with Mr.. Holes letter to Col. Hayre on the
5!h of February, and Gen. Scott in his statement
says, at would hsve been easy to reinforce this
fort down to about the l2,h of February" Why,
then, did not the reinf orcemcnts prscsed? This
Wa5 siWply because of communications from Msj
Anderson. 1t was most fortunate they did not
proceed; because the three or four small steam
ers ~hich were to bear them would never have
reached the fort, and in the attempt must have
been captured or destroyed. The vast ina; edus-
cy Of The force provided to accomplish the obi C,
was demonstrated by information received from
Major Anderson at the War Department on the
last day of the Administration.
Ipurposey forbcar at present to say more on
this subject, lest might, however unintentional-
ly, do injustice to one or more of the parties
cerned in consequence of the brevity required by |
the nature OF this communication. The facts re,
lstiug to it, with the appropriate sccompanimsnts
nave D'eu IuilY presented IN d Dlst0rlcal review
prepared year ago, which will ere long be pub
lished. This review contains sketch of the last |
four months Of my administration. 1t simpartial
at lsast such is my honest conviction. That it |
Well-iounded apprehensions were, however
entertained at the time of her departure that the
achievements, witn the vessels of war at no |
perseverance from Fort Pickens, could not ar
rive in time to defend it as inst the impending
attack. In this state of suspense, and whilst
Lieu tenant Slemmer was in extreme peril Sena.
tors Sdell, Hunter and Bigler received telegraph
dispatch from Senator Mallory, of Florida, dated
at Pensacola, on the 2s;h January, with the ur.
gent request that they should lay it before the
President. This dispatch expressed an earnest
desire to maintain the peace, rs we'll as the most
positive assurance that no attack would bs made
on Fort Picksns If the present status should be
preserved.
THIS proposal was carefully con sdercd, both
with view to the safety of the fort and to the
unhappy tffsct which actual cells on either at
that any other point might produ"e on the