Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-10-11
QDbtloI,. !. Statssrlrola)r,lI,, u I,
More ..Loyal', Testimony.

Montgomery Blair is rather lengthy and
notentirely clear in his reply to Judge Holt.
The evidence presented by him, however,
will leave no doubt in the mind of any per-
son, who will candidly consider it, that Mr..
Holt, was in fact, while q member OF Mr..
Buchanan's Cabinet, what the Democratic
party has falsely been charged with being
during the war, "a sympathizer with the
rebels" as was also Mr.. ,Stanton; and that
Mr.. Seward, for personal and partisan pur-
poses, acted with them in discouraging the
reinforcement of Forts Sumter and Pick
ems. The letter written by Mr.. Holt ITO a
distinguished divine,p dated Nov. 30, 1860,
fully justified the rebellion, and the attempt
OF the writer to explain the letter away, as
being confidential and not intended for
publication, is effectively met by Mr.. Blair
in saying that it could only accomplish the
purpose for which Mr.. Holt alleges it was
written by publication. r... .,.l... .
That there was an agreement entered into
between Mr.. Holt and the rebel leaders, that
the United States Government should not
place itself in an offensive or defensive atti-
tuCe towards them while they were matur-
ing their plans for precipitating the rebell-
ion, MIR. Blair presents the following evil
dence us4 r.fi a.. .......
[''Received at Pensacola, JAN 20, 1861. at P. NJ
"To Captain James Glynn, commanding
the Macedonia; Captain w. S. Walker,
commanding the Brooklyn; or other ma
val officers in command; and
"Lieutenant Adam j. Slemmer, 1st regiment
artillery U. s. A., commanding Fort
Pickens: .3 s-. If
SIN consequence of the assurances receiv-
ed from Mr.. Mallory, in a telegram of yes
terday TO Messrs. Bigler, Hunter and Sill
dell, with request that it should be laid
before the President, that Fort Pickens
would not be assaulted; and All offer of such
an assurance to the same effect from Colo
mel Chase, for the purpose of avoiding a
hostile collision, upon receiving satisfactory
assurances from Mr.. Mallory and Colonel
Chase that Fort Pickens will not be attack
ed; you are instructed not to land the COM
pany on board the Brooklyn, unless said
fort shall be attacked, or preparations shall
be made for its attack. The provisions nee
essary for the supply of the fort you will
land. The Brooklyn and the other vessels
of war OH the station will remain, and you
will exercise the utmost vigilance, and be
prepared at moments warning to land
the company at Fort Pickens; and you and
they will Instantly repel any attack on the
fort. N.
''The President yesterday sent special
message to Congress, commencing the Vir-
ginia resolutions of compromise. The COM
missioners of different States are to meet
here on Monday, fourth (4th)iof February,
and it is important that, during their ses-
sion, collision of arms should be avoided,
unless an attack should be made, or there
should be preparations for such an attack.
In either event, the Brooklyn and the other
vessels will act promptly. Your right, and
that Of other officers in command at Pensa-
cola, freely to communicate with the Gov
eminent, by special messenger, and its
right in the same manner to communicate
with yourselves aud them, will remain in
tact, as the basis OF the present instructions.
! '. ~. Holt, Secretary of War.
81. ToUcEY, Secretary of Navy"
"Mr. Secretary Welles, in his note to me,
sUntiT l examined it yesterday, l was
confident that Mr.. Mallory's name was at
tached to it, and also some one or more of
! the rebels, but in this am mistaken, partly,
presume, from the fact that his name is
embodied in the document, but more from
the fact that Captain Adams, who COM
manded the squadron off Pensacola, justi-
/ fled his action, because based on the agree
n,ent entered into By the Tinted States GoUern-
naent acith Mr.. Adllory."
d. OF course it is absurd to allege that the
reasons given for the order to Captains
Glynn and Walker, not to land the troops
on board the Brooklyn, did not extend to
all the forts in the South and to all measures
of a warlike character. Those reasons were
the anticipated meeting of the Peace Con-
vention and the Importance of avoiding a
collision of arms while there was hope of
peaceable adjustment. Believing, as we do,
that there might have been such an adjust
ment we are not disposed to ceisure the
object which Mr.. Holt had in view in CIV
ing these orders. He should have remem-
bered, however, that it was not in accord
ance with the dignity of the United States
tonegotiate in relation to the reinforcement
of our forts with persons avowing treason
able purposes. The proper business of the
Government should not have been stopped
upon Informal assurances from men acting
without any lawful authority and endeav-
oring successfully to intimidate the Ma
tional authorities. The offense of Mr.. Holt
was slight when compared with thatof Mr..
Seward. The former was acting honestly,
though mistakenly, to maintain peace; the
latter was acting treacherously to precipi-
tate war. Messrs. Blair and Holt are our
witnesses. Z -u..r . li- gd 5pa.N...t.l
r"Mr. Seward knew that, notwithstanding
he had given assurances on the 10th of
March to the rebels that Fort Sumter aoould
be surrendered IN fUe days that the Presi-
dent had resolved he would not surrender,
: but would succor it. He knew that under
his orders, dated March 20, the Secretary OF
the Navy was preparing vessels-of-war as
New York to convey transports to the fort
to reinforce and supply it. He knew that
Captain Fox was busy in his work during
the last days Of March. The Powhattan
was the principal vessel-of-war selected
and fitted up for this expedition, under the
orders of the Secretary of the Navy (by an
order dated 1st of April, not 4th, as Gener-
al Meigs supposes), and Captain Mercer was
detailed blythe Secretary to command her.
The President, without being apprised of
this fact, as he has since assured Mr.. Fox,
was induced to sign, General Meigs tells us,
IAN order to Lieut.. Porter, directing him to
proceed to New York, and, with the least
possible delay, assume command of any
naval steamer available, and proceed to
Pensacola harbor.' This order was dated
the lst of April. General Meigs adds -
The orders of the President in relation to
the Powhattan and to the, whole Pickens
expedition were not known to the Secreta-
ry of the Navy and we are furtherinfor
ed by him that 1t was not until 1'the mos
ment the Powhattan was ready for sea 10th
of ApriD the sign manual of the President
was produced, and Captain Mercer, after
some hesitation in consequence of conflict
ing orders from the Navy Department, gave
up the ship" = ,sY .,-I ,Ie.1 .,esfo oyy
The object of Mr.. Seward in detaching