Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-11-15
VOLUME 26.

had the audaclty to demand of Major
! Anderson the surrender of the fort. In
his answer of the same date. the Major
made the following proposition: "Should
your excellency deem fit, previous to a
resort to arms, 10 refer this matter to
Washington, it would afford me the sin.
| cerest pleasure to dispute one OF nv
officers to accompany any messenger
you may deem proper to be the bearer
OF your command" This proposition
was promptly, accepted by the Governor,
and, in pursuance thereof, he sent on
his part. Hon. J. W. Hayne, the At,or.
ney General of South Carolina, TO
Washington, whilst Major Anderson
deputed Lieutenant Hall, of the United
States army, to accompany him. These
gentlemen arrived together in Washing
ton, on the evening of the 18Th January.
when the President obtained the first
knowledge of the transaction. But il
will be recolected that no time intervened
between the return of the Star OF the
West to New York and the arrival of the
messenger bearing copy of the truce al
Washington, within which it would have
been possible to send reinlorcemen,s to
Fort Sumter. Both events occurred
about tho same time.
Thus a :rnce, or suspension of arms,
was concluded between the parties, to
continue until the question of the sur
render Of the fort should be decided by
the President. Until this decision Major
Anderson had placed out of his own
power to ask for reniorcements, and
equally out of the power of Government to
send them without violation of public faith.
This was what writer's on public law de-
nominate ga partial truce under which hos
tilities are suspended only in certain pla-
ces, as between a town and the army
besegng it." 1t is possible that tho
President, under the laws of war, might
have annul(ed this truce upon due notice
to the opposite party; but neither Gen.
Scott nor any other person suggested this
expedient, This would have been to cast
reflection on Major Anderson, who be-
yond question, acted from the highest and
purest motives. Did Gen. Scott ever pro.
pose to violate this truce during its exis.
tence Ii he did. am not now, and never
was, aware of the fact. Indeed 1 think
he would have been one Of the last men in
the word to propose such a measure.
Col, Hayne did not deliver the letter
which he bore from Governor Pickens.
demanding the surrender of the Fort, to
the President, until the 31st of January.
The documents containing the reasons for
this worrying delay were communicated
to Congress in special message of the sth
of February, to which refer the re ader.
On the 5th of February, the Secretary of
War, under the instructions Of the Presi-
dent, gave peremptory refusal to his de-
mand in an able and comprehensive letter,
reviewing The whole subject, explaining and
justifyiug the conduct Of the President
throughout. Its concluding sentence is
both eloquent and emphatic.
'If (say Mr.. Holt, with all the multiplied
proofs which exist of the Presidents anxiety
for peace, and of the earnestness which he
has pursued it, the authorities of that State
shall assault Fort Sumter and imperil the
lives of the handful of the brave and loyal
men shut up within its walls, and thus
plunge our country into the horrors of civil
war, then upon them and those they rep
present must rest the responsibility"
The truce was then ended, and General
Scott is incorrect in stating "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. He
arranged its details, and regarded the re-
Inducements thus provided for as sufficient.
This was ready to sail for Fort Sumter on
five hours notice. 1t is of this expedition
that Gen. Scott thus speaks
"At that time, when this (the truce) had
passed away, Secretaries Holt and Toucey,
CAPTAIN Ward, of the navy. and myself
with the knowledge of the Pesidept, settled
uponupon the employment, under the Cap
tain, Of three or four steamers belonging
to the Coast Survey, but he was kept back
by the truce"
A strange Inconsistency. The truce had
expired with Mr.. Hollis letter to Colonel
lIayne on the 9th of February, and Gen.
eral Scott, in his statement, says 1T
would have been easy to reinforce the
fort down to about the l2th OF February"
Why, then, did not the reinforcements
proceed This was simply because of
communications f,om Major Anderson
1t was most fortunately that they did not
proceed; because the three or four small
steamers which were to bear them would
never have reached the fort, and in the
attempt must have been captured or de-
stroyed, The past inadequacy of the
force provided to accomplish the object
was demonstrated by informttion received
from Major Anderson at the War Depart
mont on the last day of tht Administra--
ton.
Ipurposely forboar at present to say
+ more on this subject, lest | might, however
unintentionally, do injustice to one OF
more of the brcyity required by the nature
of this communication. The facts rela-
ting to it, with the appropriate accom-
, fpaniments, have been fully presented in a
historical review, prepascd a year ago
which will ere long be published, This
review contains sketch of the four last
. months of my Administration, it is inn