, 1865-09-16
FROM WASHINGTON.
President Johnson's Mississippi
Policy. - j:
MORE FACTS CONCERNING SUMTER.
The Union Pacific Railroad, Eastern
Division.

~ VIE NY MLeullDA 10 G1uuou1 LII Luc AOl
lowing, certain unpublished facts, bearing up
On tho history and order Of the late CORE
spondence between the President and Cover.
uar Sha1key and Gcncra1s Slocum and Schurz,
rclatiye to tho enrolment Of the rebel militia
Of Mississippi. But 1t being given out at the
White House this aftMDoon thst all the docu.
mcnt upon tlis subject will be given to tho
public through the Associated Press to-u1or-
|. row morning, this Is rendered super1uous.
So1e facts, however, In connection with this
grave matter, am kor1y, will mot reach the
public through the same channel, so TINT by
stating them I shall not incur the risk Of
repetition.
As will bc seen from the official publication,
tho Presidents letter, assen.ins 10 the enroll.
mcnt Of the militia, ordered blythe provis.
ional Governor, was not addressed 10 Gov.
'eruor Slarkey, though intended to be seen by
him, but to General Schurz, who has been
pursuing his special mission. In :zississIrpi
ever since the Eaotiug OF The jackson Con,
srn,Ion. 1t was In reply to te1cgraphIc re.
1nonstraucc sent 10 the Executive by General
Schrrz, AGAINST any executive dtsapprobation
Of Genernl slocum's course In stopping the
carrying ont of Governor Sharkey's procla-
nation. The rcmonstrancc was couched in
very strong terms, and was In fact protest
in advance, in anticipation of an effort on the
part of Governor Shaskcy 10 induce the Prcsi.
dent to rebuke General Slocnm, and compel
him to revoke bis order. Up to The time ot
receiving this dispatch from Gen
eral Schurz, Mr. johnson had
had no ofllcial notification either from
Governor sharkey OF Gen: Slocum Of their re-
spective measures. Without awaiting u for
NAL s3 f,f 17,nir ~
two officials, he sent the letter 10 Gen, Schurz,
published some days since, rejecting In an
implied manner both on him and Gen. SIo-
cum, for interfering with, instead Of Gliding,
the civil authorities Of the rebel States. From
Il the public learned, believe, for the first
time, tllat Gen. Schurz, instead Of being In
st,ucted, as was generally supposed. to report
upon the condition Of and the working of tho
Presidents reconstruction policy, and to
exercise thereby sort Of correcting surveil'
Lance, waE actually required to defer to ind
aid The action Of the Provisional Governors.
II seems passing strange that Governor
eharkey should have entered upon 50 impor-
tant and dangerous measure ns the organi-
zatiop and aI7ning of the militia of his State
without previously ASKING and obtaining
special authority for 1t from the Preside,t,
ard Tie k.,otc1ed3e of the absence of ali s1,esA
crteptire authority Jor the Governors ppcla-
nation seas Gen. S3ecuna's main hofirs az u
HGh hHottH al He war 1/c|dFtAehts loI 'taee eetue
its execution. The Governor s actint ~as III
direct contraren1ion Of Gen. Slosaltn's in.
structIoIs. Could the latter be justly blamed
slor wlat mist appear simply as .attiltul dis
charge Of his duties. Did not tac Governor
1ntler than he deserve a Ecntr admontlon
for toa 1auch haste and Independence Of &C
tion.
Your readers will agree With Inc, that the
TrcsisCnt'e action III This lsattcr Is likely to
he trurght with the most taomentous conser
t.ltences; that the Executive sanction o. Gov
ernor Slarkey's proceed dhcS l. the most fmpor-
1nnt step yet taken hs The President in the
work Of reconstructed. Did not the question
Of allowing military organization, existing
States and not co1fIned TO the loyal element
Of the population, afford the most
urgent OCCASION to the President to counsel
we'll with those nearest to him by otlicinl reid
lions, before deciding. Did not its supreme
importance, indeed, make It almost impera-
tive with h1a to submit It 10 the deliberations
Of the Cabinet, and ascertain At least the
sense Of his constitutional advisers upon II ?
The public VIII no doubt bc surprised to
learn that this vital question was never SUBJ
mittcd to the members of the Cab
met collectively, and that must
ot them did not know ausht Of
i.etian Of the militia of the rebel States at
Tia early day, and supcrscdc vIrtun1'y with i,
tic loyal soldiery now occupying ard holding
rebel territory, until they eaw his letter To
Gen. schurz In print have reason to think
that NOT even the Secretary Of War was ap-
made his first agreement with Gen. Johnston
1ar the surnntler Of the rebe1 armies marching
in the field, the result Of his negotiations was
submitted to the Cabinet and unanimously
voted down. Asc mot the concessions now
made y the President to the States late in
raBxp EF&f,c Anti
uoree then those granted without authority
by Gen. Sherman: This Is certain had the
question been submitted to the Cabinet now,
as Then, It would hare been negatircd By
majority, If not unanimous vote. 1t Is fresh
in the memory of us al1 what an outburst of
ccnsure md tndignatiou was caused by the
presumption Of authority ON the part Of Gen.
Sherman, throughout the loyal North. OF
coE!se, The President has authority for what
lie Las Just chosen to permit in Mississippi.
But as to the matter conceded,
is there net as much occa-
sion for vigorous, general protest by all
H. nsee 1n III H. Ha
Tor Of Judgment could bc prevented Iy the
Executive, but the harm likely to TOW from
the PreAdcut's premature concessions to the
subdued South can only bt checked by the
people.
Before leaving this subject, deem It well
to add that since the appearance Of the Prcsi-
dents reputation Of Gen. Slocum in the pnb-
lie prints, the so-called Conservatives, Demo-
Gratis and pardoned and unpardoned rebels,
and the resi- Of the elements here composing
the motley new party now forming, are lite
rnlly e1ultipg over what they consider the
full Identification Of tho President with this
freshly concocted party conglomerate. And
on the other hand, the true, tried, trusty
friends OF the Administration feel as though
doubtful iacts were accumu!ating too rapidly
to allow them to nhidc by their faith In the
President.
ADpESDA TO CAPT. FOx's REPORT.
Mr. Thurlow Weed was here at the close Of
last week, according TO general report, to OBJ
tain tue necessary facts tor the full statement
OF Mr.. Scwsrd's connection with the Fort
Sumter question In the winter and spring Of
'6l, promised BY him 10 the public Ia one OF
his late letters to the New York Times. II
Is frir to presume that your publication ol
Capt. Fox's official report relative 10 his at
tempt to relieve Fort Sumter, Will hasten the
appearance Of his revelations. Meantime 1
nm able to add some facts, bearing upon the
historical event In question, to those disclosed
in Capt. Fox's document, that may relieve
certain points in the letter of some obscurity.
By comparison Of dates It will bc seen
Capt. Fox's expedition, under Buchanan's
administration, The Provisional Government
Of the Confederncy was established at MuuL-
EomeTy. Its establishment tied the hands of
1lc South Carolina authorities, who were for
opening upon Fort Sumter without delay, and
subjected them to the superior authority Of
JEFF, Davis, who, Buchanan well knew, was
q cautious man, and would not precipitate
matters. Ills accession to the supreme direc-
tion Of national Hfiaits raised the hope In Bu-
c1aaan Of being able TO 1care tho Fert sn.nte{
made him decline Capt Fox's oJcr. As the
record Of tile time proves, this hope he mao-
aged TO realize By judfcious delays md under
hand negotiations. His motive was well un-
dcrstoCd In those days, indeed, openly e1-
pressed by Gen. Scott and some of his Cabf-
net .,...
Gen. scott's tchange Of mfnd' on the ques-
tion Of relieving Fort SUMTER grew out Of
purely military reasons. After Mr.. Linco1u's
Inauguration, Major Anderson gave It ns his
opinion tIat 1t wonld require an army OF
1900 men, and this course Gen. Scott
adopted
Ii is positive fact that the whole Of Mr..
Lintoln'a Cabinet, with the exception Of
Montgomery Blair, voted on two occasions
against m attempt to relieve Fort Sumter. II
was determined Mt one time TO give It up, and
|. make decisive stand on Fort Pickcns. This
was the fnvorite plan OF Mr.. Seward. He ar
Ianged al the details Of the expedition for
the reinforcement Of Pickens, with (then)
Lieut.. D. D. Porter md Capt- Meigs. Ali
the orders pertaining to II, accompanying
Capt Fox's report, were prepared by him,
with the assistance Of the two officers men
toned, without consulting tbe Navy Depart
mcnt. The President rare1y signed them. It
would hardly, be true, however, TO say
to Fort Pickens In order 10 defeat the Fort
Sumter expedition. Still IT is susceptible Of
proof, that the Secretary Of Slate managed
both the domestic: and foreign policy Of the
Government in those days almost exclusively.
Mr. Lincoln wns too much occupied by Office
seekers and he showed nt first more Difference to
Mr. seward's opinions and experience, than be
subsequently did, ''upon better acquaintance.
A cabinet officer went to him about that time,
TO complain Of an order, which seriously
intenered with the exercise Of due authority
In his own department. Mr.. Lincoln looked
at the order, and then said to him IT don't I
+trnr ~ IN Mt Tke fs fAnf