The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-12-11

no Arms Ever ssoIcn by Sec'y Floyd
The following is an extract from Ex
President Buchanan's reply TO General
Scott, published in the National inteligen-
Ger:
No ARMS STOLEN Ell FLOYD.
l should have nothing more to add had
General Scott, in his rejonder. confined
himself to the topics embraced in his origi
nal letter He has extended them. and
now, for the first time, and in sarcastic
and no kindly spirit refers 10 the alleged
stealing ofpubic arms by Secretary Floyd.
and their transportation TO the South, in
antivipation Of tile rebellion. The most
conclusive answer to this all, cation is thar,
notwithstanding the boasting of Mr.. Floy !
at Richmond, evidently with the view Of
conciliating Lis new allies, cited by the
General as his authority. no public arms
wvre,ever stolen. Th, fact is established
b, the report Of the Committee on Military
Affairs of the House of Representatives.
now before me, made by Mr.. Stanton OF
OHIO, their Chairman, on The 8 h of Feb
ruary. 1861, and 20 be found in the sec
ond volume IF the rep r;ssof Conmi ees
of the House for the session of l66 )-6l.
This report, and the tie, timony before the
Committee establish:
SOME St CUTHERN states WITHOUT ANY ARMS
WHATEVER.
|. That tie Southern Safes rec,iyed
il 1850 less instead of more than the quo
Ia OF arms 10 which they were entitled BY
law; end Il at lhree OF them, North Caro-
Ina, Mississippi .nI Kentucky, received
no arms whatever, and this simply because
they I'D not ask them Wei may Mr..
Stanton have said in the Ilou-e that there
are good deal Of rumors, and ,peculations
and ini~aYpreLersions a> to the true state
Of iac;s il regard to tbs matter"
FLOYD ASD TIE PITT BUGG GUNS.
:. :, crettrg Floyd. under suspicious
c:rrHmSiauc ;, on the s7th Of December,
1862. and bat ....y lays ietore he left tie
Department, had without the knowledge Of
the re i.ea. aId,r,d one hulred and thir-
ten c,iam!.ia,s aad e'oyel thirty two
pom lrrs to be r.u ror.ed from Pi:s urs
% Shin | ilni ani Gsyys.ou on Ia III SIS IL
Md TeNss. tn f,c; VS. ;ion9ht to
the ,HoW'e,',e q! lie PrrSi 'rnt b. com
nu..ication firm Pi;t.bufs; au.i Secretary
lioli inme.iis'ely thereafter count. rman.
d i ihe order ofli prydrcr, ~ and tie
cannon wefe never sen,. The prom pti
tn e with Which We acted eiicied vots
Of thanhs, dated on the cf January.
1861, from The Select and Common Coun
els Of that city. 10 the President, the At
torney General, and the acting Secretary
of war (Mr. IIoi;
Afer this statement how shall we &C.
count for 'he ,xpl c.t declaration of Ger.
Scot that. clientAlly hearing in March
ei't ''l'S I'oNNuiiiou> "'utr tth3t OF MI /
Floyd of the 22i of Decem6~r) the ship
ment {, t these gun, bad com m'nencel, com |
mnn.caled TIE fact to Secretary Holt (sc-
ting Tor Secretary Ctmoron), Iust in time
to defeat the robJery?' Aud this is the
same Secretary Holt who had counter
mandcd "lhe poslhumods order in the
pr, viots ID .oemher. And, strange to saw.
these guns, bnt for the alleged irterposi-
t."n OF Gen. ; OFT, were about to be sent
81 late as NJ ,rch from the loyal States IN o
those over which JetieIs n Da,i, had then
for some time presided!
Had Gen. Scott +, ilec;cd for "a moment
he could not have fallen into the blunder.
IL is quite manilcs. he was ''wilhou
printed document and nay (his) own Off
ciai papers
Condemned MCsKETs STORED IN souTuERx
ARSENAL,
). The government had on II md in the
year 1859 about 100000 old n.nske,s.
which Lad been condemned as "unsuitable
for public service" under the act of 3
March, 1925 They were of such char
a-ter tha', al,housh offered both a, public
and private sale for $3.50 each, purchas-
ers could not bc Obtained at that rate. ex-
cept for a comparatively small number
On the 30th of November, 1859, Sec,etl
ry Floyd ordered about one-f(th of the
whole number (lO5,000) TO be sent from
the Springfield armory. whers they had
accumulated. TO five southern arsenals, Gin
proportion to t cir respective means OF
proper storage" This order was carried
into effect by the Ordinance Bureau in the
usual course of administration, and with
out reference to the President. 1t is but
justice 10 say that from the testimony be