The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-08-10
JEFF DAVIS REPLY
TO JUDGE BLACKS STATEMENTS
on III. Issues which Brought About the Great
COpaIcta at Arm, Between the statss-rhS
'Ex.Conhdtrats ChIsftAia Tries to
Hahs = Case Against Black.

Ex'ConhdtrAte ChleitAin Tries 10
Hahs = Case Against Black.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, August 9.-The
Times to-day has the following: Judge
Jeremiah S. Black, under the caption Of
"Secession Secrets" having alleged that
Jefferson Davis had charged President
Buchanan with timidity because he did
not evacuate the forts and LET secession
have its own way" and alleged further
that sin truth and in fact, Davis and all
other secessionisIs desired that evacuation
for the sole purpose Of making their pre-.
determined departure easy and SAFE" also
that "his object in trying to influence Mr..
Buchanan in this direction was toremove
an obstacle from the path on which he
and his constituents had made up their
mind to travel. South Carolina tried 10
bully the President, others, including
Davis, tried to coax him" he? drawn from
the ex- President Of the Confederacy long
and exhaustive reply in which he pro-
nounces such allegations as to his conduct
and motive 10 be utterly and inexcusably
false.
WHAT JEFF SAYS HE WANTED.
At the outset he asserts his belief that
President Buchanan, like himself, desired
peaceful solution Of the issues which
then threatened our Constitutional Union,
and refers to his speeches in Congress for
proofs Of his denial oi the motives ascribed,
especially to his speech OF January 8, 1851,
In which he said that II the garrison at
Charleston had been called away few
days ago "peace would have spread its
pinions over this land and calm negotia.
ton would have been the order Of the
day." Hequotes himself further as urging
that no reason Is offered for keeping the
troops there except that the Government
Is bound to preserve its property, and yet
wherever else in the land for;9 have been
constructed ito defend States sgainst
foreign foe you find them without garri.
son, except at afew points where troops are
kept for special purposes; not to coerce or
to threaten State, but stationed in sea coast
Notifications, there merely for the purpose
OF discipline and instruction ss artillerisIs,
You will find all the other fort9 in the
hands OF fort keepers and ordinance ser
geants, and before moral and patriotic
people, standing safely there as the prop.
erty OF the country"
In reply to Mr.. Blacks assertion that
Mr.. Buchanan never entertained any idea
OF public property at Fort Sumter other
than that OF the fort and its contents, he
quotes the offer Of Governor Pickens, OF
South Carolina, "the pledge OF the State
that the valuation oi such property will be
accounted for"
DUpBISG JERE VULGAR.
He passes by what he terms several OF
the "loose and vulgar assertions" Of Judge
Black concerning South Carolina. ae then
refers to the circumstance that the State
did not take charge OF Fort Sumter when
| it was without garrison, because it relied
on the assurance OF the Federal Govern.
ment that no attempt would be made to
change the existing condition OF affairs,
and again sets up the old time claim that
The spiking Of the guns in Fort Moultrie,
burning the carriages and removing the
garrison under cover Of night to Fort sums
Ter was hostile demonstration.
This overt act occurring when South
Carolina was striving for peaceful tolu-
ton OF the pending Issues he regards es
important, and the sending OF Commits
sioners to the President Tor conference is
regarded aq proof that there ives at the time
no intention TO attack Fort Moultrie. He
then shows that President Buchanan saw
the danger which this movement portend::
ed, and with the sensibility OF a man OF
honor shrank from the inputation OF bad
faith. Therefore he wrote to the Commits.
sioners OF South Carolina, oh the :W!h OF
December, 1860: "When l learned that
Msjor Anderson had left Fort Moultrie
anu proceeded 10 Fort Sumter, my first
promptings were TO command him to re-
turn to bis former position and there to
await contingencies presented in bis in
structiens."
:. SOUTH cARoLINA's RIGHTS.
As to Julge Blacks assertion, that the
forts were property Of the United States,
because bought and paid for by the United
States, he argues It ia no answer to the
claim OF the State Of South Carolins to ex-
ercise the right OF eminent domain. Jun
der which questions OF property were to he
considered because the act OF March 20,
1874, provided that mo purchase ehall be
made where such lands are the property Of
the State" hence they could not have been
purchased from South Carolina, and then
quotes the deed ceding these premises to
the United States, as recorded In the South
Carolina statutes at large, vol. 5, p. sol,
which provided that State process, ciyi!
or criminal, might be served on
the premises, also leaving the
State to occupy the sits for
the purpose OF defense II the United States
should fail TO iortify and garrison them
within a specified TINS. Hc argues that II
the grant diverted from the original pur.
pose for which it was made aud accepted
! Il has become void; that the purpose Of
fortiGoatjon and national defense is not
consistent with . right Of eminent domain
! In the State, and after sitting the special re.
ssryrtions in The grants by New York Of
the Brooklyn navy yard md Virginia Of
Fortress Monroe, providing for a reYest.
ment OF the property 10 tAa State under
certain conditions oil diverSion or neglect,
he saws: .Then l submit uule', there
visa proprietary right tn the Brooklyn M.
w yard sHd the Watervlsit Arsenal, there
WAS none 10 fortSumpt,r"
AsPEcIAL ENVOY Quoted.
Judge Black had said that South Carpli-
na insuItipgly insisted upon the surrender
Of Fort Sumter to her, avowedIy with IN,
tent to use il for hostile purposes tslinst
the Government ta gbich it belonged, in