The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-08-18

details, with which, pre- ,ume, you are
fully acquainted. l admit thAt the state
Of things may be somewhat worse now
than tn y we're a week ago,and are prob
ably getting worse every day; but is 1t
not that the strongest reason that can be
given for taking time by the forelockY
II feel confident that you will excuse
me for making this communication. l
have some responsibilities of my own to
meet, and / can discharge them only
when understand the subject to which
they relate. Your opinion of course Will
be conclusive upon me, for on such q
matter cannot do otherwise than to de-
fer to your best judgment H. you think
it m at consistent with your duty to be 81.
,ent shall have 10 right to complain. II
you would rather answ orally than
make written reply, / will meet you
either at your headquarters or here In
the State Department, as may best suit
your convenience. l am most respect
fully you're, &C.. j., 3; BLACK
"Lieutenant.G General Winfield Scott
II tried to make that letter as interest
ing and agreeable to Gen. Scott as posi-
BILE, in the hope that could get him up
on the record in relation to this import
ant matter. He was constantly whisper
ing in Mr.. BuChanan'j ear his peculiar
views in relation to the right of States to
secede and thwarting the efforts some
members of the Cabinet were making
for the reinforCements of the forts. Be-
fore a single State had formulated an or
dinanCe Of secession, General Scott had
given his views to the world as early as
the 18Th of December 1860, in which he
assu ned the right of any groups OF States
to seCede and deprecated the ,aceration
and despotism ofthe sword The paper
might have been written at the head
quarters of the South Carolina militia
and received with applause. Upon the
3rd OF March, determin d to be in time
with his views for the new Administra-
ton, he met Mr.. Seward with paper,
aga n giving his political opinions and
epreca ing the horrors Of civil war, the
tenor OF which is best stated in one
phrase: Let the wayward sisters depart
In peace What in petus his action a d
published utterances gave to the secession
movement can best be determined fom
that document"
"D.d General Scott ever answer your
letter? ?"
eyes, cir. He replied in subs anCe;
General Scott has received very inter
esting letter from the Secretary of State.
He is now nailed to his desk, but as soon
as he gets moments leisure he will call
at the State Department and keep on call.
ing until he sees the Secretary of State ;
He never called, and did nots him
for about three weeks. when l met him
at a dinner party and he referred to
what he called the highly interesting
le ter he had received from me, He
said that upon reading it he reached the
conclusion that had he devoted himself
to the law in his early life he doubtless
would have bee )me fitted to occupy my
position, and my letter had impressed
him with the belief that, had been ed
uCated for the military, | would have
reached a position to entitleme to almost
any command, and, taking it all in a !
he did not know but that both of US had
missed our avocations. Thus ended my
effort to get General Scott to record
upon this military feature Of the contro
versy then going on"
CRIME, PLUMBER AND IMPUDENcE.
"On page 2l5 Of Mr.. DaVis's book, he
says he expressed the opinion to the
President that the wisest and bestCourIe
would be to withdraw the garrison from
the harbor of Charleston and then pro.
Ceeds:
The Presidents objection to tbs was,
that it was his bounden duty to preserve
and protect the property Of the United
States. To this l replied, with all the
earnestness the occasion dem nded, that
would pledge my lie that if an inyen-
tory were taken and an ordinance ser
geant with few men left in charge OF
them they would not be disturbed. As
a further guarantee l offered TO obtain
f.om the Governor OF South Carolina
full assurance that in case ny maur ,ud-
ers or lawless combinations OF persons
should attempt 10 ieize or disturb the
property he would send from the citidel
Of Charleston an adequate guard to pro.
tect it and to secure its keepers against
mo estation.'
Mr. Davis disgraCed his character for
common sense by making such a propo.
sition to the President. 1t was prepos-
ferrous in him to expect that such prop.
osition would be entertained for a mo-
nent either by the President or the Cab.
met, and it was Of course rejected in ut.
ter disdain. The Presidents deCla-
ration that it was his duty to preserve
and keep possession Of the public prop.
erty of the Unite States seems to be
misunderstood by Mr.. Davis as referring
only to such articles Of ofpersonal property
as were then within the fort. Gvie them
up the fort and Mr.. Davis would guaran.
tee the safety Of the portable articles and
the assurance of Gov. Pitkins that he
would not let them be carried away or
misappropriated. Of course, by public
property, Mr.. Buchanan meant the fort
and the land it was built upon, which be-
longed to the United States. The South
Carolina Government was not it party
TO be trusted with the protection Of eth.
or real or personal property of the Unit.
ed States. They had previously seized
the Custom House, Arsenal, arms, pro.
visions and everything else Of the United
States which they could lay their hands
upon-sverything in and about Charles.
ton except the fort-and then, according
to Mr.. Davis, they proposed, if we would
let them take that, they would at tome