Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-20
PROVISIONING FORT SUKPTER.

PROVISIONING FORT SUKPTER.
Now that the war is over there is DISPOSE
ton among some of the prominent actors to
discuss and review its debatable features, and
particularly the initiatory steps. The last
contribution of this kind to our passing liter
AZURE is an article in the November number OF
the Galaxy, by Hon. Gideon Welles, Secre-
tary of the Navy under Mr.. Lincoln. 1t is
strange and interesting story, and will not add
to Mr.. Stewards reputation. 1t will be recol-
lected that Mr.. Welles and Mr.. Seward went
into Mr.. Lincoln's cabinet together, and re-
NAMED there together while Mr.. Lincoln
lived, and continued in the same position as
long a. Andrew johnson was President, act
ing in concert and sustaining him in his
course 1t seems a little unkind that Mr.
.Welles should turn upon his old companion
of the Cabinet in this way, but that is
matter for him to settle with himself and con-
frere. The public only deal with the facts
presented. The essential points of Mr..
WelIes' article are in the following summary
which we find in the Boston Advertiser.
At the outset of Mr.. Lincoln's term, among
the multitude of perplexing questions which
the anomalous condition of national affairs
presented, none was more puzzling than the
crisis at Fort Sumter. The President and
most of the cabinet were in doubt; MIR. Sew
ard questioned not only the practicability,
but the expediency of relieving the garrison,
and threw his weight in favor of evacuating
the fortress; and Mr.. Blair was equally urgent
in advising the enforcement OF Major An
derson at any cost or sacrifice After days of
indecision, after listening to the advice OF
General Scott and the veteran officers OF the
navy, after hearing bold and well-matured
plan by which Captain Fox was willing to at
tempt the perilous enterprise, President Lin
coin on the 2Sth of March decided to send
supplies to the fort, and let the rebels take,
if they. must, the responsibility of opening
war. The Secretary OF State objected in vain
and the necessary orders for the expedition
were issued by the President to the War and
Navy departments, the tteam trigate Pow
hatan being relied upon for the brunt of the
service. Mr.. Seward still continued, while
the preparations were going on, in advice to
divert the expedition to Fort Pickens, not
then in imminent danger, and in suggestions
that the South Carolina secession authorities
ought to be formally informed of the purpose
of the government. At this time Mr.. Seward
was holding irregular communications with
the commissioner of the Confederate States
through Judge Campbell, of the Supreme
Court These diplomatic agents were assured
that Sumter would be peacefully evacuated;
this assurance was repeated verbally again
and again; on the 9TH of April Mr.. Stewards
closing words to them were; "Faith as to
Sumter fully kept,-wait and see" But
these pledges and understandings were all
unknown to Mr.. Welles, and, he thinks, un-
known to any other member of the admins
tration.
Now comes the surprising part OF the story,
On the LIST OF April, appropriate day for
such a performance,-the President IN the
course of the mass OF routine business on
hand signed, without reading or knowing
their contents, various papers prepared un-
der the directions OF MT. seward by captain
Meigs and Lieutenant Porter acting as clerks.
The effect OF some OF these documents was to
revolutionize the Navy Department to send
away its best officers, and to place all ITS
powers in the hands OF Captain barron then
an active secession agent IN washington anu
afterwardsa Leading rebel oincer, his Con,
iederate commissisn dating from the 2otn OF
March. Vn the urgent remons,rance OF Mr.