The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-20

Secretary of State. This irregular prac-
tice was after some weeks corrected, and
stated meetings on Tuesdays and Fridays
were ordered, against the remonstrance of
Secretary Seward, who thought stated
meetings caused unnecessary interruptions
Of business, and that often only part OF
the members, such as were specially inter
ested in the subjects under consideration,
need be called to meets him and the Presi-
dent.
within month after the advent Of
Mr.. Lincoln and the organization of his |
cabinet the secretary Of State exhibited |
his executive and administration talent by |
preparing and sending out an irregular
military expedition for the relief Of Fort
! Pickens without consulting the secretary of
war, and without his knowledge. There is
not in the archives and history OF the gov
eminent record of such mischievous NAL
administration, when all the circumstances
are considered, as this secret scheme of
the secretary of state to send without
consulting the war department or the gen.
eral in chief, military expedition to Pick
ems, which had already been relieved
Military and naval appropriations were not
at his disposal but he assumed their ex-
penditure, Officers and men Of both the
war and navy departments were surreptl-
tiously, and without the knowledge OF eth
: er the secretary OF war or secretary OF the
, navy, withdrawn from legitimate duty;
! the funds and means provided for their
! respective departments by congress- and
: legally under their controls for which they,
i and not the secretary of state, were re-
a sponsible, and which were destined by them
and the government for different objects,
. were secretly distracted and diverted to
. purposes Of which neither of them, nor any
o member of the cabinet, was informed.
{ The results of this strange mlsgoyernment
u was confusion DISCRIMINATION, aud demon
e alization: the records of the war and navy
II departments were made unreliable and ap-
It parrently false officers were away from
e their assigned duty funds were misap-
= plied: important movements were para
: lived and defeated the course of the ad-
= ministration was interrupted and incom-
e prehensible, and was accused of weakness
and mismanagement. No satisfactory sol
= utinp was ever given OF attempted for this
erratic and intrusive proceeding, other
D than rumors or charges that the secretary
of state had given assurances in regard TO
Of Fort Sumter that were unauthorized. and
t" which could in no other way be carried
W out.
Mr.. Welles then proceeds, in detail to
I'd show how Seward attempted to prevent
b. the reinforcement of Fort Sumter how his
y, plans were frustrated BY Lincoln; how
Of Seward agent, Harvey, privately sent In
a. formation to the rebels and thus enabled
o them to prepare the stubborn resistance
:, which followed how Seward managed Il
y detach the frigate Powhatan from the ex
.w petition, and thus leave the squadron with
~ ii. out a commander He says:
. The Sumter expedition sailed withou
ci' n naval commander the squadron had n,
head, and the Powhatan, one of the thre'
~ naval vessels on the Atlantic coast OF
e which the government relied in that per
OF ilous emergency, with her large crew ant
armament, was sent to the Cult wher
ate she was not wanted and where almost tn
, na whole home squadron was concentrated
pc 1t was on the night of the 9th Of Apr
that the Powhatan sailed for Pickens. d.
w the next day Mr. Seward wrote to Judg
Campbell, u leading secessi0nist on the su
preme bench Faith as to Sumter full
-, kept Wait and see
m Continued on third page