The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-02-11
EBENsBURG, PA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1877.

AT time when Floyd was in disgrace with
the whole nist:ation-after all his
brethren had broken with him, and he had
been notified Of the Presidents intention TO
remove him-when he was virtually out Of
Office and completely stripped Of all infiu-
ence-Alajor Anderson removed his command
from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter You
assert that Floyd, hearing of this, forthwith
aTIalgned the President aud Cabinet for the
act Of maJor Anderson, declaring it to be a
violation OF tier pledges. though it was not
done by them, and they had given 10 pledge
on the subject. That he could or would
make an Ignmeut for any cause OF the
body by which he had himself lust before
been condemned is incredible that he you'd
arralgn 1t on such a charge is bayond tie
belief Of any sane being But such. by
yoCr account, was the occasion which Stan
ton took TO display his superhunan courage.
1t was then that he armed MS red, right
hand to execute Lis patriotic vengeance on
that fallen, poweTiess broken man. He
must also have left fall at least a part of his
horrible dispieaeure on the head of the Pres
ident else why did the President ''tremble
and turn pale % ! said this narrative of
yours was mere driveing, aud l think |
paid tia Hsttering compliment.
But, to ex plode the folly completely, re-
ferred you to the record. which [ said would
show that Major Anderson acted in strict
accordance with orders sent him by the war
department, Of which Floyd himself was the
head amt this you contradict. 1t is per
teCtly manifest that you examined the re.
cord, for you transcribe from it and print
two teiegTams exchanged between Floyd and
Anderson after the removal of the IatteE
took place 1Ou SAW on that same record
the order previously gigen-the order on
WHICH MAJOR Anderson was bound to act,
and did act-aud you have deliberately sup
pressed II. Nay, you 90 still further, and
with the order before your eyes you subStan-
TALLY deny the existence Of it, | copy for
your especial benefit the words which relate
to this point: The smallness of your force
$50 says the instTuctions) will not permit
you, perhaps, 10 occupy more than ore of
the three forts; but an attack or al attempt
to take possession Of either Of them will be
regarded as an act Of hostility, and gou alaij
thea put your command az either Of them
which you may deem proper TO increase its
power Of resistance. You ave also author
ized 20 tate Si1lltar steps whenever YOU have
tangible evidence Of design to proceed 10 q
hostile act"
There Is the order 10 plain English words.
;
10 conceal it from your readers. But that is
not all. You find a telegram from Major
Anderson dated on tLe EUrning after the
removal. in which he says simply thar he
had remoyed. but says nothing ofthe grounds
on which he acted. On that same record
and right beside the telegram You saw a
letter from Major Anderson to the War De-
partmeHt, dated the same day. in which he
does refer to his orders that says, Many
things convinced ne that the authorities of
the State designed to proceed TO q hostile Qct. .
and then adds, under this impression |
could not hesitate that 1t was my solemn
duty 10 more my command from a fort which
We could not probably have held longer than
iuTty-eight or sixty hours to this one, where
my POWer Ct resistance as Increased to a very
great degree" You totally ignore this let,
ter, il which Major Anderson iuslifes his
removal il the very words Of the order, and
pick out hasty telegram IN which nothing
is said Of his orders for the purpose Of prov
ing tha5 he acted without oTders-an as
umption HhIch the record. if honestly cited
would prove TO be utterly false.
You will hardly venture 10 repeat your
denial for besides the original record. there
are thousands OF authentic copies scattered
over the nation, and anybody can fiud il 10
Ex. Doc, II. r, Vol. VI No 20, p. 10. /
30 not trust myself to make any general re
marks on this gIaring instance of nutjlated
evidence. You are a Senator. and ! ac-
knowledge the sCriplural obligation of a pri-
vate citizen not to speak evil of digni-
ties - but Of a dignity like You it is sonle~
thing so aIthcGIt 10 speak well that my only
refuge is silence.
You garble my words so as to make them
n it-a ~ haF
wrote any letter at all on the subject Of the
Cabinet Sceue," whereas / asserted that no
letter 1cyftisR 6y him aCO3dd c0rrO50yQis yoUr
UerSj0n gf 81. After cody striking out from
the sentence quoted the words which express
my proposition, you proceed 10 contradict II
by the statement Of Mr. Holt. ho says That
letter was written, bat he declines 10 say
lChdt iCGS in IL.
/ knew Mr. Schell had addressed Mr.
Stanton with tbs object Of getting him to
tell the truth AMI tear away the Tissue Of
lies" which 50 many hands had woven about
this subject. II he answered at all the
presumption was that he would answer
truly and if he answered truly, instead IF
cOTro5OratiDg you, he must have denounced
the whole story as a mere fabrication. Do
you think now that in the absence of all evil
dence showing or tending TO show the con-
tents OF the letter, we ought to assume that
Stanton filed it with Dragging lies?
| DO not mean to let this stand as a mere
question of personal yerac;ty between You
and me. though l have the advantage, which
you have not. of kEotcing whereof / affirm.
But my denial throws the burden of truth
upon you with its full weight. Recolieot
also that the strength of your evidence must
be proportloned to the original improba-
biiity of the fact that you seek to establish.
and that the reasons a priori for disbeia7ing
this fact are overwhelmingly strong. all
presumptions are against the idea that
man who lodged about among the abolition
lists as their spy, and vowed himself to the
secessionists as their ally, and all the time
manifested dastardly dread of being discoy-
cred, would openly insult the President or
do anything else that was bold and violent.
But you have taken the task of proving it,
and how have you done it t2
/ certainly need not say that Mr.. Holt
L Il.