East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-12-13

occ7 sion 70 speak. 1t Is scarcely lack
O. aag.ty b. infer that General Scott
i..,ew al the time when lac made this
recommendation ton the 18th of De-
cember) that it must be rejected.
REASONS AGAINST Ir--cOMPEoMIsE MEAS
UpE STILL DEFENDING.
The President could not have COM
piled with it, tine position of affairs
still remaining unchanged, without at
once reversing his entire policy, and
without a degree Of Inconsistency
u counting almost to disqualification.
The Senator's from the Cotton States
and from Virginia, where these forts
are situated were still oocui led with
their brother Senators in devising
measures Of peace and conciliation.-
or this patriotic purpose the COM
ittco of Thirteen were about TO be
appointed and they remained IN ses-
IN until the last day Of the month.
iIcnnwhilc al the Southern Senators
III Congress PR Ce5sed their Willingness
[ al opt the Crittcn len compromise,
SO much and SO justly laudel after
wards b. GonorG. Scott himself. If
al this moment, wh..e they were en-
gagol in poace.ul consultation with
Senators from nc Nth, the Prosi-
Dent had dispatched military expedi-
tons TO these nine forts, it was easy
t5 foresee what would be tho disas-
trous effect not only in the cotton, but
III all the border States. It's first
effect would have been to dissolve the
existing conferences for peaceable
aljueti,.~..t-
WANT OF TROOPS.
This, the Generals second recon-
mendation, was wholly unexpected
lie had remained silent for more than
six weeks from the date of his supple
nlental " Views" convinced, as the
resident inferred, that he had aban-
d1no1 the idea of garrisoning all these
forts with "the FIVE companies only"
within his reach. Had the President
never SO earnestly desired to reinforce
the nino forts in question, at this time,
it would have been little short of mad
ness TO undertake tho task, with the
small force at his command. Without |
authority to call forth the militia or
accept the services Of volunteers for
the purpose, this whole force now con-
s.sted of six hundred recruits, obtain
al by the General since the date of |
lis Views" in addition to the five
regular companies. Our army was
ttill out of reach on the remote from
tiers, and could not be Withdrawn
during m:,lwintcr, in time for this
military operation. Indeed, the General
kd Rcrer sN7geS,ed SWcb a withdrawdl.-
lie kRels that had this been possible, the
teh1JitmtS on Our distant frontiers wOuld
lire been immediately exposed 10 the toma-
L"ek and scdlping kaJs Of the Indians
Car weak condition in regard to troops |
within reach is demonstrated 10y the
insignificant number of these he was
able 10 collect in Washington on the
18th IF March following. This was to
resist an attempt which he apprehend-
81 would be made by an armed force
Ia prey the inauguration Of Presi-
dent Lincoln and to seize the public
property. The General was so firmly
convinced of the reality of this plot
that nothing could shake his faith
il was in vain that committee of the
Jiouse of Representatives after hear
ilg the General himself, and after full
investigation, had reported TINT his
npprehensions were unfounded. (Eeb-
r''ary II, 1861. House Reports of
Gnnmittnes. vol ii NO. ~ Decides,
the President, relying on his own
SOU c, of information, had never en-
t"rt',iued any similar apprehensions.
The stake, notwithstanding, was so
vast and the General so urgent, that
he granted him permission 10 bring to
Washington all the troops he could
muster to resist an imaginary but
dreaded enouy. The whole number
Of these, including even the sappers
and miners whom he had withdrawn
from West Point, amounted to no
more than six hundred and tifty-three,
rank and fi'e These troops, with a
portion of the district militia, the
General had posted in different parts
of the city, and had stationed senti-
nels on the tops of the highest houses
and other eminences, so that al was
ready to attack the enemy at the first
moment of their appearance; but
never did an Inauguration pass more
peacefully and quietly. 1t is due to
President Lincoln to state that
throughout his long progress in the
same carriage with the late President,
both on tho way to the Capitol and
the return from it, he was far from
clincing the slightest apprehension of
DANCE.
tut The President attempted to distr5-
bite the generals thousand men, as he pro-
,, sed, among the numerous torts IN the
cotton Suites, as weH as Fortress Monroe,
their absurd 6adeqadcy Z" the object roHid |
hre exhibited rc1IReSS mstead Of strength.
1t would have provoked instead Of
preventing collision. 1t would have
precpitated a civil war with the Cot
ton States without the slightest prep
aration on the part of Congress, and
would at once have destroyed the |
then prevailing hopes of compromise.
Worse than al, it would have exas-
porated Virginia AMI the other border
States. then so intent on remaining in /
the Union, and might have driven
them at once into hostile action.
scoTT's REPORT TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
And now it becomes our painful !
duty TO examine the report of General
Scott TO President Lincoln Of the Both |
of March, 1861. This was first pub
lished at TIE Generals instance, eieh-
teen months after its date, in the
National intcilgeRcer of the 2lst of
October, 1862. 1t cannot be denied
that the report throughout is an in