The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-09-26

he could not recognise her indep,
= dence without being guilty Of q mr.
ton. | think, therefore, that eve
: word and sentence which imply Il
South Carolina is IN an attitude Viii
! caaales The rreSideat tc treat OF !
s gotiale with her OF 70 receive her col
s missioner in the character Of diplonl.
ic ministers or agents, 0ught 70
stricken out, and an explicit declaI
! ton substituted which would reasse
!. the principles Of the message. II
!. surely not enough that the words Of d
i message be transcribed If the doctril
there announced be practically aba
doned by carrying on negotiation.
Second-I would strike ont all e
E pressions of regret that the commission
ers are unwilling to proceed with Il
, negotiations, since it is very clear thi
there can be no negotiation with then
whether they are willing or not.
Third-Above all things, il is obie
tionable to intimate a willingness to n
gotiate with the State or South Car,
,, lima about the possession of a militar
post which belongs 10 the United State
OF TO propose any adjustment of th
subject or any arrangement about i
The forts in Charleston harbor belon
to this goyenment-are its own an
cannot be given up. 1t is true the
might be surrendered To a superio
force, whether that force be in the sci
vice Of q seeding State or foreig
nation. But Fort Sumter i imprerna
ble aud cannot be taken, II dtle61el Il
Il should be. Il Is thine 81 ate las
importance that il sI.enl IS l1ein1s.neI
III al the power Of &.lis i6a 6.s. d.
it; for the command 81 the harbof and
the Presidents ability TO execute the
revenue laws may depend on il.
Feurth-The words "eoercing State
by force of arms to remain in the
Condfederacy, power which / do not
believe the Constitution has conferred
on Congress, ought certainly not
to be retained. They are too vague,
and might have the effect (which l am
sure the President does not intend) to
| mislead the commissioners concerning
his sentiments. The power to defend
the public property, TO rest an assailing
force with unlawful attempts to drive
out the troops of the United States from
one of the fOrtifieations, and to use mill
tary and naval forces for the United
States in the execution of the laws, this,
as far as it goes, is coercion, and may
very well be called the "coercing State
by force of arms to remain in the
Union" The President has always as
serted his right of coercion TO that ex-
tent. He merely denies the right of
Congress to make offensive war upon a
State of the Union, as such might be
made upon foreign government.
Fifth-The implied assent of the Pres
ident to the accusation which the COM
missioners make of a compact with
South Carolina, by which he was bound
net to take whatever measures he saw
mt for the defense of the forts, ought to
be stricken out, and fat denial Of any
such bargain, pledge, or agreement in
serted. The paper signed by the late
members of Congress from South Caro-
lima does not bear such construction,
and this, as | understand, is the only
transaction between South Carolina and
him which bears upon the subject either
directly or indirectly. / think itdeeplv
concerns the Presidents reputation that
he should contradict this statement.
since, if il be undenied, it puts him in
the attitude of an executive officer who
voluntarily disarms himself of the
power to perform his duty, and ties his
hands so that he cannot, without break
ing his word, preserve, protect and de-
fend the Constitution, and see the laws
faithfully executed" 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 often-expressed determination
not even to furnish an excuse for an
outbreak at Charleston by reinforcing
Maj. Anderson unless it was absolutely
necessary.
Sixth-The remotest expression of a
doubt about Maj. Anderson's perfect
propriety of behavior should be care
fully avoided. He is not merely a gal
liant and meritorious officer who is en-
titled to fair hearing before he is con-
demned; he has saved the country,
solemnly believe, when its day was dark
est and its perils most extreme. He has
done everything that mortal man could
do to repair the fatal error which the
administration has committed in not
sending down troops enough to hold the
forts. He has kept the strongest one.
He still commands the harbor We NAV
still execute the laws if we try. Be
sides, there is nothing in the orders
which were sent to him by the War De
partment which is in the slightest degree
contravened by his act of throwing his
command into Fort Sumter. Even if
these orders, sent without your knowl-
edge, did forbid him to leave a place
where his men might have perished and
shelter them under a stronger. position.
we ought all of us to rejoice that he
broke such orders.
Seventk-The idea that wrong was
committed against South Carolina bv
moving from Fort Moultrie TO Fort
Sumter, ought to be repelled as firmly
as may be consistent with a proper re-
spect for the high character of the gen
tlemen who compose the South Carolina
commission. 1t is a strange assumption
of right on the part of that State to say
that our United States troops must re-
main in the weakest position they can
lind in the harbor. 1t is not menace
OF South Carolina or of Charleston, or a
menace at all. 1t is simply self-defense.
If South Carolina does not attack Mai.
Anderson no human being will be in
jured. For there certainly will be no
reason TO believe that he will commence
hostilities. The apparent objection to
his being in Fort Sumter is that he will
be less likely to fall an easy prey to his
assailants.
These are the points on which | would
advise that the paper be amended.
am aware that they are too radical to
permit much hope 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
bic crisis. | entreat the President to
order the Brooklyn and the Macedonian
to Charleston without the least DELAY,
and in the meantime to send trusty
messenger TO Mai. Anderson to let him
know that his government will not de-
sert him. The reinforcement of troops
from New York or Old Point Comfort
should follow Immediately. IF this be
done at once all may yet be not well,
but comparatively safe. II not, ! can
see nothing before rs but disaster and
ruin TO the country.
BUcHASAx NEVER ADMITTED sEcEs-
SION
SIS it true that this letter to which
you objected recognized the right Of
secession ?"
mol mol thousand times noi7 said
Judge Black, with great emphasis. st
is gross libel upon the truth to assume
that Mr.. Buchznan's letter aeknOvl-
edged the right of secession. This was
question upon which his Judgment
was fixed at the beginning Of the
troubles and never modified. The
paper was 30 unsatisfactory to the South
ern members that they were bound to
20. This certainly would not have
been their conclusion If the President
had acknowledged the kernel OF the
principle they were contending for. Nv
objections to the paper were that it dal-
lied with the enemies Of the government.
implied certain diplomatic rights Of
South Carolina that could not exist, and
Welded points that we're unfair to the
Presidents position They were in the
same sense such al efense against nv
views and the principles / was contend
ing should he maintained that cor1I1