, 1865-09-19
JUDGE HOLTvS LETTER.
Early History Of the Rebellion.
l. Reply to Montgomery Dlalr.
fVAs n@,&


WAsHNo7oy, Sept. II. 1865.
To the Edito. Of the Chronicle:
I beg place In your columns while bcst0w-
ing brief notice on certain passages aralgn-
ing my past official action, Whicl, arc to be
found in nn elaborate and carefully prepared
speech male by the Hon. Montgomery Blair,
late Postmaster General, at Clarkesyilte, Md,
on the eUth Of last month. In the course Of
a severe ccnsuse Of the Secretaries Of State
aud Of War,-who, from thcfr known ability,
loyalty, and eminent faithful public services,
certainly need no defence at my hands,-Mr.
Dlafr thus proceeds:
1.-THE dallIanee Of sfE. Sewa.l with the Confede-
up to tbe Ea! Of Fort sun,er was but pEonulga-
ton Of tho agreement made with Davis by oztlcr Of
buchanan. under the ffSnatnrcs OF his Secretaries
sake plse On a. the pars Ii he uned sta'es anpn p
his term. This gave She Confederate General Beau
regard an opportunity to build batteries under the
done had not IT, cannon been muzzIed by treaty
stipniations- lie INT. Stanton! appEsetl Ne. Sew
10 make no rsstanco to he policy Of disso5ing
the Union, &c"
Again, when speaking of myself, sfr. B.air
simultaneously with biz refusal to permit .uc-
COZ 10 Fort Sumter and his arnstee wlth tic seoe1
Secretary, be refused &c.
Nuw. 50 far as an, implicated by this lan-
euase, haye, Of course, personal knowlege,
guiltless Of this Charge, In the whole and IN
ail It's parts, and my conviction Is complete
tl.at the distinguished gentlemen criminated
with me arc innocent.
That q statesman supposed to be we'll In
structed inpublic aGairs, and In the history Of
lis country, and WHO, from tue high position
he has occupied, must be expected to have an
honorable so1icitudc for tho protection of
the fair fanc Of the public men labortoasly
engaged IN administering the Government,
should without rroyoealion, haxe brought
and 60 utterly eroundless, has, I think,
excited emotions OF mingled surprise mud
sorrow, cyen in circles hitherto most
friendly to tile accuser. Bnt, 10 make my
denial still moro explicit and detailed, nttlrln
any manner party to IN ''armlstlce with the
rebel Secretary" 1 never signed, or was In
any way party to IN "agrecmentthat no act
Of war wonll take place On the part Of the
United States during Mr.. Buehapan's term y
nos do believe that any such agreement With
Secretary ofthe Navy, wns authorized by slr.
Buchanan, or ever existed. assert, most
positively, that there neycr WIS day, during
The period referred to, when the President
was not perfectly free to perform his duty,
and his whole duty, in defence ofthe forts md
open lire from the forts whenever, ia bis
Judgment, their safety demanded It: There
never was m hour when the guns Of Sumter
were ss1nuzzlet" by my agreement"
or compact, GU the part Of the President
or his Secretaries, or by their authority, or
either Of tlem. That the batteries around
Sumter were not fred upon while In course Of
construction was because the President SHRINK
from the dread responsibility or inatgurating
civil war, and deemed forbearauce his duty
not because lie Was restrained by any ngrcc-
1rent or understanding whatever. Looking
! r-3n-$
bcrins how wondrously Providence las dealt
with Us in Its progress, nnd how sublimely the
firing uUon, instead Of from, Fort Su;nter,
served 10 arouse, Instruct and unite the ma
linn, and to inflanle It's martial and patriotic
sri'it, we stand awc-struek and mute, and
presence Of all that has occurred, should NOW
venture to maintain that the policy Of for
.,earance was not. at, the moment, the true
policy.
Having made this full denial, call, and
think ths country viii unite With ne II call
mcnt," that " armistfce with the rebel secre-
tary,'' or oiIer some satisfactory evidence
that It exists or bas existed. The charge that
he makes Is one Of such extreme gravity TINT,
exalted as has been his official position, he
can scarcely expect the American people to
long tried aud honorel In tho national service
solely on Ais unsupported declaration-espe-
cially US that declaration does not profess to
rest on any personal knowledge.
an quito aware that among the disloyal
men who at that period had verbal mud writ
ten communications with the President,
there were three who alleged BY I'M
plfcation than directly-that In some Inter
change Of assurances which had taken
place between ccrtain South Carolluians
| and the President, the latter. had
| given !" q pledge" that for q time-hasioss
relation to the proceedings OF tho convention
| OF that State-he "onld moi REINFORCE tn2
| forts In Charleston harb0r, or change their
| military status.n When It Is borne In mind
| fhot tf1e men making this itnpufatiou were
| tbsn onoo rod IN doiiy rrcnnrntfon for the
.na .,SeS ,SaeSS+ ~ f.-Sr,Ep ,EpnoIet rnJ Ia ~, s,t, ~
'Glt1lo" u tue Sos e1'i ~ ~ -. Ill. %
| actively supported luc reptiuou, y ~ ua1ui5
| necessary TO say, thAt on the1r testimony, tue
| American people would be slow to condemn
| ai7. c1cn the humblest of their officers
| Win Loveyer tbts cborpe ,yas hrourht tn
~ rn+,ca ~ tGn pres;,Iont :i,e 1rn1nnfTv nj
tsH.s tne Ioi y! Mi -. T. a., '.,,ai, ,,ntf,,s - -
uccldedlt rePeucu y ~ "1g.t5 untrue, ~ ~
letter under date Of Soth Of december, 1s6Q,
addressed to Robert BarnWelI, James Il.
/ Adams, and James Orr; and that Il WIS un.
| trne. hare never entertained a doubt.
Tho r,ol;cC hn,reyer. nf thc President cDf
-tta IT, 13a,,,a .t,ront ~, fIsr nros4ion Eas
| u t1c haA P1t oeP.1A 49,. 49, asst. 49, 80
mol leit 10 CONJECTURE Jul "as openlJ y.
nounced and published 70 the country, NJ tae
time When Isaac w. Hayne, calling himself