The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-10-30
9aGisre1lairentts.
THE DAYS OF 'o1.

the outbreak OF the CIVIL war. Int
author is said to be Hon. Charles E
Stewart, of Michigan, who was United
States Senator at the time, going out o
Office in 1851, and seems to have had thu
confidence Of Mr., Lincoln, Seward anC
Douglass, as we'll as of many Of the
Southern leaders. The Revie,O for No
vember has an installment of the Diary
bringing down events to March Is, 1861
The question of leaving Fort Sumptel
was at that time the engrossing one
and with it the probable action of Vir
ginia and Kentucky toward the South
ern Confederacy, The Lincoln admin.
istration was favorable to the evacuation
of the fort, as means Of strengthening
the Union men of the border States,
trusting to time and the meeting of a
National Convention to reconstruct the
Union. These entries are under date of
March IL:
I had a long conversation on the sub
ject with Senator Douglass to day. He
is entirely of my mind that the fort
ought to have been abandoned already,
and that much valuable prestige has
been lost by the new administration,
which might have been secured had or
ders been sent to Major Anderson to
that effect. The delay is attributable,
no doubt, in part to the dilatoriness Of
Mr.. Cameron In taking up the reins of
the War department.; but l am sure Mr.
Douglass is right when he lays part of
the responsibility on the influence of
the BlairS, who keep pressing for war
policy.
Mr.. Lincoln has assured Mr.. Douglass
positively, he tells me, that he means
the, fort shall be evacuated as soon as
possible, and that all his Cabinet whom
he has consulted are of the same mind
excepting Mr.. Blair, which is precisely
what l had expected. Mr.. Douglass says
that the President sent for him after
his speech of Wednesday to assure him
that he entirely agreed with all his
views and sympathized with its spirit.
All he desired was to get the present
points of irritation removed 80 that the
people might grow cool, and reflect on
the general condition all over the coun.
try, when he felt confident there would
be general demand for National Con.
vention at which all the existing differ
eeCes could be radically treated. Mem
while he did not see why the Executive
should attempt to disposses the seeded
States of the forts occupied by them un.
less Congress insisted that he should,
md him kha
the work. II am just as ready" he said
to Mr.. Douglass, ito re.enforce the gar.
risons at Sumpter and Pickens or to
withdraw them as / am to see an amend.
ment adopted protecting slavery in the
Territories or prohibiting slavery in the
Territories. What want Is to get done
what the people desire to have done,
and the question for me is how to find
that out exactly"
March l2, Mr.. Seward tells the Diarist
he is sure the Secessionists will be defeat
ed at Richmond and Virginia will take
the initiative for great National Con.
vention, He says "the quiet evacuation
Of Fort Sumpter cannot now be long
delayed" He spoke severely of Ander.
sons folly in going into the fort.
The Diarist called on Mr.. Lincoln three
days after his Inauguration, with friend
from Montgomery, who had seen Major
Anderson at Charleston on his way
north, and learned that Anderson had
no expectation of the re establishment
OF government over the seeded States,
and intended to be governed in his own
future course, military considerations |
and the question of subsistence apart, |
by the course of his own State OF Ken.
lucky. Anderson did not sympathize |
with the seeded States, though he
thought they had received adequate
prOVoCation in the attitude of the aboli-
tionists, but, - thought, would unhes-
itatingly obey the Confederate Secretary
of War were Kentucky to withdraw.
When this was communicated to Lin.
coin he said: swell, you say Major An
derson is a good man, and l have no
doubt he is; but if he is right it will be a
bad job for me if Kentucky secedes;
when he goes out of Fort Sumpter
shall have to go out ofthe White House."
There is characteristic anecdote of
Lincoln in this connection. After the
interview, says the Diarist, the Presi.
dent, looking gloomy and careworn,
"Walked into the corridor with us,
and as he bade us goodbye, and thank
ed - for what be had told him. he
again frightened up for moment and
asked him in an abrupt kind of way,
laying his hand rs he spoke, with queer
but not uncivil familiarity on his snoul-
der, "You haven't such a thing as a
postmaster in your pocket, have your"
. stared at him in astonishment and,
| thought in a little alarm, as il he sus
pected sudden attack of insanity,
when Mr.. Lincoln went on, "You see, it
seems to me kind Of unnatural that you
shouldn't have at least postmaster in
your pocket. Everybody have seen for
days past has had foreign ministers and
collectors, and all kinds, and / thought
you couldn't HAYe got in here without
having at least& postmaster get into
your pocket"
Washington was swarming with a
great lot of hungry patriots, swarm of
lncouth beings" as the Diarist puts it.
The statements made in the DIARY"
are confirmed in remarkable manner
BY a collection of letters the RevieU
prints from Edwin NJ Stanton at Wash.
ngton to ex President Buchanan in
Pennsylvania, giving his impression of ;
sfairs at the Capitol from Lincoln's In. !,
until after the battle of Bull
Run, and MCClellan's arrival in Wash. I
ngton. Mr.. Stanton bears testimony as
o the wisdom Of Mr.. Buchanan's pre-. T
autions to prevent civil war, and shows
he Buchanan policy was continued un-
ler the Lincoln administration until the c
iring on Sumpter put an end to all ne.
'otiations looking to a peaceful adjust. I
nent. I.lll'
This opened the war and was designed Q
y the Southern extremists 10 cut off all Il