The Portland daily press., 1881-08-11
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST IL.

Fifth. The implied assent of the Preside mt
to the accusation which the commissioners
make of compact with South Carolina, by
which he was bound not to take whatever mea-
sures he saw fit for the defence of the forts,
ought to be stricken out, and fat denial of
any such bargain, pledge or agreement insert
cd. The paper signed by the late members of
= Congress from South Carolina does not bear
such construction, and this, as l understand,
is the only transaction between South Carolina
and him which bears upon the subject either
directly or indirectly. think it deeply con-
Germs the Presidents reputation that he should
ae9afxdlct this Statement since, il it be unde-
MED, u puts him in the attitude of an execu-
1--we ofhcer who voluntarily disarms himself OF
the power to perform his duty and ties his
hanas so that he cannot, without breaking his
word, preserve, protect and defend the con-
stitution. and sec the laws faithfully execut.
ed. The fact that he pledged himself in any
such way cannot be true. The commissioners,
no doubt, have been SO informed. But there
must be some mistake about it. 1t arose,
doubtless. out of the Presidents anxious and
laudable desire to avoid civil war and his oft
expressed determination not even to furnish
an excuse for an outbreak at Charleston by re-
inforcing Major Anderson unless it was abso-
lutely necessary.
Sixth. The remotest expression of doubt
about Major Anderson's perfect propriety of
behavior shonld be carefully avoided. He is
not merely gallant and meritorious officer
who is entitled to a fair hearing before he is
condemned. He has saved the country / SOL
EMMY believe when its day was darkest and
its perils most extreme. He has done every
thing that mortal man could do to repair the
fatal error which the President committed in
not sending down troops enough to hold all of
the forts. He has Kept the strongest one. He
still commands the harbor. We may still exc.
cute the laws If we try. Besides, there is
nothing in the orders which were sent to him
by the War Department which is in the slight
est degree contravened bv his act of throwing
his command into Fort Sumter. Even il those
orders, sent without your knowledge, did for
bid him to leave the place where his men
might have persisted and shelter them under a
stronger position, we ought all of US to rejoice
that he broke such orders.
Seventh. The idea that a wrong was COM
mitted against South Carolina by moving from
Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter ought to be re-
PEELED as firmly as may be consistent with a
proper respect for the high character of the
gentlemen who compose the South Carolina
commission. 1t is strange assumption of
right on the part of that State to say that our
United States troops must remain in the weak
est position they could find in the harbor. 1t
is not menace of South Carolina or of Charles
ton, or menace at all. 1t is simply in self-de-
fence. Ii South Carolina does not attack Ma
jor Anderson no human being will be injured
For there certainly will be no reason to be-
lieve that he will commence hostilities The
apparent objection to his being in Fort Sumter
to his assailants.
These are the points on which I would ad-
wise that the paper be amended. am aware
that they are too radical to permit much hone
of their adoption. If they are adopted the
whole paper will need to be recast. But there
is one thing not to be overlooked in this terri
BILE crisis. l entreat the President to order
the Brooklyn and the Macedonian to Charles
ton without the least delay, and in the mean
time to send = trusty messenger to Major An
defson to let him know that his government
will not desert him. The reinforcement of
troops from New York and old Point Comfort
should follow Immediately. If this be done at
once All may yet be not well, but comparative.
~ safe. If not can see nothing before us but
disaster and ruin to the country.
MADE COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT
sheet BY sheet, as it was written, and the orgi-
nal was at once sent to the President. Mr..
Stanton r. tanned the copy he made and en-
dorsed it observations on Correspondence,
President, s: G: CON-, by J, s. b. This pa
per, OF which the above is an exact copy, is in
Mr. stantons own handwriting, and although
1t was Judge Blacks individual action, it SO
entirely met his views that he commented up
on 1t with strong expressions of pleasure and
declared bis purpose to leave the Cabinet with
the Secretary OF State if the views therein
expressed we're not adopted. The President
unexpectedly abandoned much of the ground
he had previously contended for, and the views
of Judge Black, as ex pressed in the above pa
per, were accepted and the modified answer in
accordance Herewith transmitted to the so
called commissioners of South Carolina, which
Drought an answer SO insulting as to prevent
its receipt by the President
On tho 3Oth the PreSi Aent ordered the Secre-
tary OF War to send reinforcements at once,
and the order was made in cabinet A few
days afterward Messrs. Thompson and Thomas
retired from the cabinet, and General Dix and
Mr.. King were appointed to succeed them, and
from that time on there was harmony in the
cabinet 80 far as its business was concerned
On the Both of December by Judge Blacks
earnest advice, the President determined to
succor Major Anderson at all hazards, for the
South CaroiDians had taken possession of all
the unoccupied forts. Major Anderson had re-
treated into Sumter, and General Scott's ex-
cuses were no longer of any force for overt
acts had been committed. But General Scott
ed that instead Of the sloop-of. war, which had
been waiting month to meet his objections
for action tefore taking on 300 Disciplined
troops from Fortress Monroe and munitions of
war, $50 raw recruits be sent from New York
In merchant vessel so as not to hurt.
THE FEELINGS OF THE SOUTH CARoLINIANs.
Mr.. Buchanan promptly oyerruled him and
gave an order through the lieutenant-general
for the despatch of the Brooklyn. General
Scott instead of sending it to the proper Off
GERS, quietly pocketed it and called upon the
President to say that he thought sit was only
gent'emanly and proper that he should await
the reply OF the South Carolina commissioners
before despatching the reinforcements. This
caused another delay to the End of January
until General Scott again changed his mind
about the sailing OF the Brooklyn, and on the
9th, AGAINST the earnest protest of Judge
Black, substituted the unarmed Star of the
a mi q IF