Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-08-31

nefiod he intimated that Fort Sumter would be
evacuated be certainly believed 80. founding
his opinion on bis knowledge Of Gen Scott's
recopmendation,
Nov, this mode of escaping the responsibility
Of be assurance 70 Jef Davis that Sumter
would be evacuated. is like that Of Teueer skulk
ing from danger BY shooting bis arrows under
cover of the shield Of AjaI. IL IS well known
that Gen. Scott before Buchanan sent bis pon-
coercion message 20 Congress. and as soon &c
preparation for revolt in the South Was seen,
urged the President by letter 70 put all the forts
in Charleston harbor IN state of defense. In
this be evinced the alacrity that prompted BIN
unGer Gen Jaokson's ordetss when he brought
Chsrle sson sad the rebellion tito submission by
bringing the guns Of the army aud navy TO bear
upon that city. WHEN Il hoisted the flag Of null
li6cstion against the Union in 1882. Scott
meant to crush the REBELLION in the egg 10 this
instance as in that but Buchanan foiled
il "a MS superior. W ben Mr.. Lincoln came
in, and bis Premier undertook 10 quell the revolt
by conc essiOn, Scott could only saw in the conf
dental letter be wrote when acquiescng under
the superiority Of the evil TO the military power,
"Let our erring sisters depart in peace" ct
am confident. from the patriotic course of the
brave old man aftervArd, that nothing could
induce him TO acquiesce in Mr.. Stewards course
but the committals Of Mr.. Seward. who had ar
IDENTIFY supported him for the Presidency against
Mr.. Pierce, and the persuasion that his diplomacy
would bring all right after surrenderng our flag
and With il the suthonty of our Government In
| the South 20 that Of the Confederacy. The dali
lance OF Mr.. Seward with the Confederates and
the Convention COMMITTEES from Virginia, up 10
the fall OF Fort Sumter. was but prolon alton
Of the agreement made with Davis. by order OF
Buchanan, under the signatures Of his Secreta-
ries of War and of the Navy, and that no act of
EA ~. oa 10 of Al
States during bis term. This gave the Confed
crate General, Beaureeard. an opportunity to
build guns under the guns OF Fort Sumter, which
could Lot have been done had not its cannon
been muzzled by treaty stipulation. Mr.. Sew
ards acouescence in this state of things rendered
the preparation for the attack more complete,
while the forbenrsnce 70 furnish provisions or
reiniOrcements to the garrison, on our part. ef-
fectasily made good Sir. Stewards pledge for It's
surrender
Ii is apparent, through the whole course OF
public affairs, that Mr.. Seward acted in concert
with Buchanans Administration during the first
| three months of its term He was, no doubt,
advised through Mr. Stanton, who was 10 Mr..
Buchanans eabinet, Of the policy it had adopted
in reference to the seizure of everything that ap
| pertained to the Nation in the South Ii was to
| the coalition then formed between Mr.. Seward
and Mr.. Stanton that the latter became Secre-
Seward of this treaty of the War and Navy De
partments. under Buchanan to make no resist
sDce to the policy Of dissolving the Union to Of
fer no coercion 10 impede its march To- iniepen
ence, and Mr.. Stewards course shows that he aD-
proved and adopted this policy. IL il not strange
That Mr. Seward should have kept that paralysis
on the country from the 4th of March to the 18th
Of April. when the conhagration of Sumter
aroused the people? Did Mr. Seward partake OF
the feeling which prompted Mr.. Chase, his col
league IN the Treasury, to exclaim, Let the
South CO. it is not worth fighting FORT" Is il
possible that these ambitious aspirants, who have
shown such eagerness for the Presidency are
willing To sacrifice that vast rich section of our
Union to the petty object of personal aggranjize.
mentl u sl -
Let me illustrate by example how the boldest
men were paralyzed by the condition of things
have underworld to portray. Judge Campbell,
OF Alabama. of whom | have spoken az trans
| formed into a rebel commissioner, had been de
voted Union man. knew OF his heroic resist
ance to notification He had been the first man TO
breast the storm in Alabama, in 1882, which
threatened to bring on the rebellion then. ma
turaily looked to him to meet the new danger
and his feelings were unchanged, and he wro tie
| aud published earnest demonstrates against the
| secession movement. | begged him to 90 again
before has people in person. as in 1892; he replied
that IL would be of no use. HIS private ietters
| which ne read TO me, showed that the upsup-
| ported Mon men were obliged to succumb be
fore the organized and armed conspira,ors The
circumstances in the two eras, he said, were wide
| ly different. Then Jackson was here asserting
| the authority of the Government. and he felt
| that be could with such backing resist 10 some
purpose. but no sensible man, however patriotic,
| could think so now.
Nor was it Southern Union men alone whose
natural promptings to defend the Union were
checked by the efforts OF the existing and pros.
peetive authorities in Washington who were CO.
| operating in this purpose. IL was through their
| influence that the movements throughout the
North for the armed defense Of the Union were
| repressed, and tue Impression conveyed TO the
| South that secession would be peaceful, Let me
recall an instance. The Pennsylvania Legisla
| ture met in January, 1861, and resolution was
Immediately presented, which, believe, was
unsnin.ousy adopted, declaring il to be the duty
of the State authorities TO raise organize and
| equip a military force for the defense of the
Union. This movement was stopped from
Washington, and among the means resorted to
for the purpose, as was Informed by Speaker
Pennington at the time, the Legislature were
told by distinguished member from Maryland.
then believed 10 hold confidential relations with
the incoming Premier. that Maryland would Sc
cede ii the movement was persisted in The
movement was abandoned, and lt aban-
doRed undoubtedly through his counses,
and IN reference TO his position az the
incoming Premier. Y on resistance was, as
We have seen his publicly declared policy
| IN the Senate. a. IL was in the Cabinet He
agreed With Judge Campbell. the rebel Commits
sioner for the surrender OF FORT Sumter, and
when the President came to n different determi
nation, he nevertheless made good his prom sc
lie II was, undoubtedly. who gave the notice bv
telegram, sent through Nc. Harvey. then ana
stIll our Minister 70 Portugal OF the Presidents
purpose 10 reinforce But the suecor never
came Mr.. Seward got an order directly from
the President withdrawing the Powh.tan. the
armed vessel igned TO the expedition by the
Secretary of the Navy, without the know ed ye
of the Secretary, and without the PRESIDED 3
knowing that the Powhatan WIS the vessel or
dcred To relieve Sumter. The men and pro-
visions came, but not sailor with them TO put
them in the fort, the Pswha,an having
been Withdrawn IL was in Difference 10 him
that General Scott recommended the surrender
Of the tort-hecause the General, during the pre-
vious Administration, had wished to reinforce il
aud had been refused permission To DO so by Mr.
Holt. then Secretary of War
xr Holt, Low the head Of The Bureau of Mil
tary Justice. was then also = power in Washing
too. While Secretary OF War, as ALREADY stated
he refused to permit General Scott 20 reinforce
Sumter. and be had. while Postmaster General
written and published lsttsr. dated 3Oth Noyem
Der. 1860, justif,ing the rebellion. he saws in
that letter, the people Of the North have been
taught that they are responsible Tor the domestic
Institutions OF the South, aud they can be faith.
4 81 a - l. -.