The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-23


Miss, and Kansas, were by the orde
of the Secretary cfa War supplied witt
their quota foreighteensixty one 1851
inadvanGe, and Pennsylvania and Ma
ryland in part: Tt is in vain that tn
General attempts to set up an atlony
nous telegram against the report 0
the Committee From what source die
he derive the information given hin
last year? And who was the author o
the telegram? He does notsay in eithel
case. Surely, before he gave this tele
gram to the world, under the sanction O
hisownname, he oughttohave ascertain
ed from the Ordnance Bureau whether
it was true OF false. This he might ca
silly and speedily have done. had h,
been careful to present an authentic
statement. There is a mysterious
vagueness about this telegram, calcu,
lated if not intended to deceive the
casual reader into the belief that q
great number of these arms had been
distributed among the enumerated
States, embracing their quotas not on
ly for 1850 but for 1861. From it nc
person could imagine that these eight
States in the aggregate had received
fewer muskets and rifles than would
be required to form two regiments.
The next subject investigated by the
committee was had Secretary Floyd
sent any cannon to the Southern Statesf
This was q most important inquiry.
Our Columbiads and 80 Founders were
at the time considered equal if not SUI
perior, to any cannon in the world.
It,was easy to ascertain whether he
had treacherously, or otherwise, sent
any of these formidable weapons to
the South. Had he done this, it wonld
have been impossible to1conceal the
fact andliescape detection The size
and ponderous weight of these cannon
rendered it iimpracicable to remove
them from the North to the South
without the knowledge of manyaout-
side persons, in addition to those CON
neected with the Ordnance Bureau.
The Committee reported on this sub
ject on the 18th of February, 1861,
There was no evidence before them
that any Of these cannon had actually
been transmitted to- the South. In
deed, this was NOT even pretended.
From their report, however, it does
appear that Secretary Floyd had at
tempted toado this on one occasion q
very shorstime before he left the de-
partment, but he had failed in this at
tempt in consequence Of counter
mand of his order issued by Mr.. Holt,
his successor in the War Department.
III AoDO4sG SANNON.a eaef f.Esfs4. >
# requires bnt . few words to ex7
plain the whole transaction. Secreta-
Try Flord, on the 29th December, 1860,
without, the knowledge ofthe President,
ordered Captain noW Colonel5 Mayna-
der, of the Ordnance Bureau, to cause
the guns necessary for the armament
of the forts on Ship Island and at Gal
weston to be sent to those places. This
order was given verbally and not in the
usual form. It was not recorded, and
the forts were far from being prepared
to receive their armaments. The
whole number of guns required for
both forts, according to the statement
of The Engineer Depart to Captain
aynadier, was one hundred and thir-
teen colunbiadsland eleven 32-poun-
ders Il When late in December, 1860,
these were about to beshipped at Pitts
burg for their destination on the steam
Iier Silver Wave, q committee of gentle
men from that city first brought the
facts tothe notice of President Buch-
llanan. The consequence was that ii
the language of the committee :aFeBe-
fore the order Of the late Secretary oi
War Floyd had been fully executed
lIby the actual shipment of said guns
from Pittsburg, it was eountermanded
Iiby the present Secretary This prompt
proceeding elected d vote Of thanks on
the 4th Of January. 1861, from the Sc
IIlect and Common Councils of that city,
ITO the President, the Attorney -Gener.
IalI Black and the Acting Secretary oi
War Holt. ~ g s94 $
IT is of this transaction, so clearly
explained by the committee in Fehruar
Try, 1851, that Gen. Scott, so long after
as the eight of November 1852. speaks
in the languags which We again quote
sAccid dentallY learning, that under this
posthumous order (of Secretary Floyd,
! the shipmenttof these guns had com
meneed, Td Communicated the fact t
Secretary Holt acting for Secretary
i sasf& "a aef<tf<tH .lf -