The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-10-20
A startling Article.

Sheldon & Co. have opened mine oi IN !
terest in their Magazine. 1.-The GGl0ry." by
drawing to it the communications OF promi-
nent public men, upon questions of general
interest. The last number contains an artl-
Gle from the pea of Gideon Welles ex -SecTe-
tary of the Navy. 1t makes some extraor-
dinarv revelations. The history of the
abortive attempt 10 provision Fort Sumpter
at the beginning of the Lincoln admlnlstra-
ton, is related. The failure Of it is distinct
" charged upon Mr.. Seward. the Secretary
of State The maLeuvers and motives winch
Mr.. Wolles ascribes to him can hardly be
presented, without producing the whole ar
ticle. for which, we have not space at present.
As a picture of the vacillation and bad faith
of the Lincoln administration, when 1t began
its career. this is one of the most eXtranTdl-
nary disclosures ever made to the public
According to Mr. Weles. Mr. Seward had
agreed to surrender Fort Sumpter to the
Confederates This has often been asserted
| before. and never explicitly denied but now
a new incident of the story is revealed. The
| opposition of Mr.. Welles and Mr.. MontgOm-
ery Blair, to the surrender OF Fort Sutnpter,
and their determination to reinforce it,
! prompted a surrepttious scheme to defeat
! their policy, in which the chief actor was
| their colleague in the Cabinet, Mr.. Seward.
! He completely hood winked Mr.. Lincoln, OBJ
| tanning his signature to a mass of papers,
among which was one installing Captain
| Samuel Barron, in an important bureau IN
the Navy Department. Mr.. Welles says
that Barron was a noted Secessionist, who,
few weeks later, jpiued the Southern Con
federacy On receiving this strange and un-
usual order, debating to him in most
important detail of his own department, the
Secretary Of the Navy hurried, Indignantly.
to the President, and found the poor man as
! astounded as himself at the news he com mu-
| nicated. Mr.. Lincoln declared that he haC
| never read the obnoxious order which had
been put before him for his signature. by
Mr.. Seward, with a mass of other papers,
Among them was another order as extraor
dinary 1t was an order to Lieu enaut D
D. Porter nov AdniraD. to proceed instant
ly to New York and carry off the steamer
Powhattan from the expedition which WelPs
had prepared tn succoI Fort Sumpter How
in spite Of Mr.. Lncolu's instant revocation
: Of the order, it was carried out; how the at
tempt to relieve Fort Sumpter was thus
Frustrated, and Mr.. Stewards agreement will
the confederates was substantially fulfilled
is set forth with minute particularly by Mr.
Welles, who gives copies of all the officIa
papers which seems fully to corrnborate him
, They also implicate Admiral Porter anC
General Montgomery Meigs in the transac'
ton 1t will be for them to explain thei
part in it. 1t is possible that they beiri
then both officers of humble rank, saw
chance of distinction and advancement il
! taking a confidential pant with the Secretar.
Of State, in his mysterious and irregula
; movement, in which they may have onl
seen an intention to reinforce Fort PickeDs
; without knowing that it necessarily involve
the failure to succor Fort Sumpter. BU
: the charges are so grave, so circumstantial
: and come from 8 source so well inGorme
upon the subject. that we will not articipat
the explanation which TIE fame of all con
: cerned will uIge them to furnish with g
. little delay possible. Certainly this nun
: Der of The GALAXY furnishes a startling al
:, ticie.-Phiia Aqe.