The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-18

if they would bury the past and strike out
new programme of political action that would
seize upon public sentiment. At present all
is adrift and uncertain. Who will take the
helm and guide the ship of state:
QUANTULA SAPIENTIA.
From the N. Y. World.
If the venerable Swede could come to life
and revisit the glimpses of our moon, he
would have new confidence in the aphorism
with which he sent his son a grandson to
measure the extent of imbecility in this
worlds doings. Mr.. Ex-Secretary Welles, in
an essay contributed to the last number of
the GALAXY, makes strange revelation. He
tells us what he afirms to be the truth as to
that period of our history when the fate of
Sumter was trembling in the balance, aud the
anxious yet trustful community was hugging
the delusion that Lincoln and his ministers
were harmoniously working for the public
safety. Very far, if Mr.. Weles is to be
credited, is this from the truth. 1t would
seem from the narrative now given to us that
poor Mr.. Lincoln, dazzled by his sudden ele-
walton from obscurity, kindly disposed to
everybody, tormented in his domestic rela-
tions, and blindly under the influence of Mr.
Seward really did not know what to do. and
when he did act was sure to make grotesque
mistakes. This is the charitable view of the
case. For at least thirty days literally nothing
was done, and on the Goth of March, 1861 he
wrote note to the Secretary of the Navy,
saying II desire an expedition to move by
sea be got ready to sail as early as the 9th of
April next" The Secretary went to work.
but on April Fools day received a communi-
cation from the President virtually super
seding him in the administration of his de-
partment taking away from him his efficient
and con fdential friend Captain Stringham,
md nuffinT 10 pfaip
wards in command of the Rebels at Roanoke
Island, in charge of everything. What then
happened must ssbe told by Mr.. Weles him
self
''On reading this extraordinary letter went
without moments delay to the President
with the package in my hand He was alone
in his Office writing and raising his head as 1
entered he inquired, what have L done
wrong? I replied that had received with
surprise the package containing, among
other things, his instructions respecting the
Navy and the Navy Department, and had
called for an explanation. then read the
following document, the body of which was
in the handwriting of Captain Montgomery
@. Meigs, of the army, the postscript in that
of Lieutenant ID. d. Porter, of the navy The
President expressed as much surprise as felt
that he had signed and sent me such a doeu-
ment.
Ilo sdlu MI D6WdrU WIFI TWO or tQf6e
young men had been there through the day,
on matter which Mr.. Seward had much at
heart that he had yielded to the project of
MIR. Seward, but as it involved considerable
detail and he had his hands full, and more
too, he had left Mr.. Seward to prepare the
necessary papers. These papers he had
signed, some of them without reading trust
ing entirely to Mr.. Seward for he could not
undertake to read all papers presented to him;
and if he could not trust the Secretary of
State, whom could he rely upon in public
matter That concerned us all a? He seemed
disinclined to disclose or dwell on the pro-
ject, but assured me he never would have
signed that paper had he been aware of it's
contents, much of which had no connection
with MIR. Stewards scheme. / asked who
were associated with the Secretary of State
No one, said the President, but he had
these young men here as clerks to write do wn
his plans aud orders. Most of the work, he
said, was done in the other room. When
inquired If he knew the young men, he re-
piled, 'One was Captain Meigs another was
companion with whom he seemed intim tie,
a naval officer named Porter.
For the next few days all was in confusion.
''The President continued to hesitate" He
could not rid himself of the influence of Sew
ard and the little military aud naval HlIrjild
which he had evoked. ''rhere was, says Mr..
Welles, ''at that time clique of naval Off
GERS, as there has been Oh more than one
occasion, anxious to take possession and con-
troll the Navy Department" At the head of
these was "a young man named Porter, aud
cooperating with him another ''yoang man
of the army named ''Meigs' they were
Stewards aids in the great plan to prevent OF
delay the rescue of the Sumter garrison. They
were busy all the time, for when the rene wed
attempt was made aud the Powhatan was goi
ready Meigs and Porter came again on the
stage, and under Mr.. Stewards auspices ut
terly frustrated the plan. Mr.. Seward as
strategist with his staff is thus described: =
''Mr. Seward had undertakenkto get up that
enterprise and givs the necessary military
and naval orders without consulting the w ir
and Navy Departments With this view, and
| to possess himself of technicalities, he had
selected Captain Meigs, of the arny, snd
Lieutenant Porter, of the navy, as his assist
ants and agents, and by the aid of these sub
ordinate officers the Secretary of State hal
fitted out a combined military and naval ex
peditiop. Captain Meigs says, in letter
which he has published, Mr., Seward carried
NE to the President, merely saying that he
tLCrght the President ought - Sc sp.na o.
tie younger officers, and not consult only