National Republican., 1888-02-02

courage the cotton states into secession,
and TO smooth the way for congressional
compromlse.n
Mai. Anderson was now, as he believed,
firmly ntrenched in Fort Sumter and dele
cation after delegation, sent by Gov.
Pickens, demanding his surrender or return
TO Folt Moultrie was courteously dismissed
with the undeniable statement that he chad
removed his command from Fort Moultre to
| Fort Sumter, as he had right to do, being
| In command Of all the forts In the harbor."
Heeaid he had not been informed OF any ''un-
derstandng,n which the governor claimed
| he had yiolated-that his position was
threatened every night by the troops OF the
state-and that he was apprehensiye OF a
landing on the island. ITO prevent this,n
said he earnestly, 81 removed on my own
responsibility, my sole object being TO pre-.
vent bloodshed." lie said at the same time
SIN this controversy between the north and
the south my sympathies are entirely with
| the eouth.n
Says Gen. Crawford: "Anderson now
felt strong in his position, and he fire.
quently remarked TO the writer that he
controlled the situation. His whole effort
was to effect, as far as II lay In his power,
q Peaceful solution of the difficulties"
ale had reported the progress OF batteries
| in construction around him, but as late as
the Both Of January he had urged with
emphasis that he hoped that no attempt
would be made by friends to throw sup
plies In, and that their doing SO would do
more harm than good" "Two days
after his entrance into the work, he
had informed his government that God
| willing, he would In few days be 80 strong
that the South Carolinians would hardly be
foolish enough to attack (me) him. He
thought that the city was entirely In his
power; that he could cut of Its communI
| GATORS by sea and close Its harbor by de-
stroylng the lighthouses, and he believed In
| his ability to do It," On the 3lst OF Decem.
ber he wrote the War Department, saving:
"Thank God, we are now where the govern.
ment may send us additional troops at its
leisure" The government having decided
to sustain Mai. Anderson in his present
| position, Secretary Floyd made It q preteXt
to offer bis resignation, which was instantly
accepted, as the President, through Vice
President breckenridge, had requested 1t
some days before
Now came the firing upon the Star OF
the West on the OH Of January, 1861, the
circumstances OF which are well known, and
| we have not room for an account OF them
here. In his letter to Gov. Pickens, de
manding to know IL the firing was by his
| order, he characterized II ne an act, he he
| lieved, without parallel 10 the history OF
our country or OF any other civilized gov
ernment,n that "if not disclaimei,
be must regard IT as an act OF
| u
return Of bis messenger, he should not per.
NIT any vessel to pass within the range OF
his gune. AS Mr.. Buchanan remarks:
"Had he adhered to his purpose, the civil
war would then have cOmmenced.n Gov.
Pickens replied to Mai. Anderson, saying;
"The act Is perfectly justified by me-" Maj.
| Anderson concluded to dispatch Lieut..
Talbot to Washington and await instruc-
tions.
"On the llth OF January, the same day
(Gen. Crawford says) upon which the hulks
| of four vessels were sunk across the chan
mel at the entrance of the harbor," Gov.
Pickens made another demand for the sur
render OF Sumter, having previously seized
all the other forts, as well as the United States
arsenal at Charleston, with its nearly half u
million OF stores. The result was the dis
patching Of Lieut.. Hall to Washington
with Instructions from Maj. Anderson,
and the governor appointed Isaac w.
Hayne, bis attorney general, to accompany
him. Meantime the state authorities con-
tinued their active work on ths Notifications.
| need not give the particulars OF Mr..
1layn mission; they are OF public record,
and II is sufficient to say that the governors
proposition to "buy Fort Sumter and
contents as property of the United States,
SUSTAINED by declaration In effect that II
she is not permitted to make the purchase
she will seize the fort by force OF arms"
was, Of course, declined as wholly inad-
missible-the grounds Of this decision being
clearly and ably stated In the letter Of Feb.
q, 1861, from the Secretary cf War holt
to Mr.. Haype. MIR. Holt clio IS his letter
with the following solemn warning: "If,
with all the multiplied proofs which exist
the earnestness with which he has
pursutd it. the authorities of that state
South Carolina shall assault Fort Sumter,
and peril the lives of the handful Of brave
and loyal men shut up within Its walls,
and thus plunge our common country into
The horrors OF civil war, then upon them
and those they represent must rest thc
resi- onsibiity."
As early as the 3ist OF December pro.
vision had been matured for the sending
Of re-enforcements to the forts IN Charles
ION hsrhor, by tine war ship Brooklyn, but
II was deemed advisable to substitute the
Star OF the West for that vGssel-we have
seen with what result. This did not deter
The government from making other p.epar.
ations for the relief OF Fort Sumter, but
he plan for such relief, for various rea-
sons. was not carried into effect
On the 1Gih Of February Msi Anderson
wrote to the War Department, asking what
course II would be proper for him to take
II, without a declaration OF war or notice
u hostilities, he should see the floating
battery Of the nth Carolina authorities
approaching his fort, seeing they might "at
tempt placing itwithin good distance before
a declaration Of hostile iCtentions.n was
present when this question was presented
in Cabinet. The President, still anxious tc
avoid firing the first gun, wished time tc
consider. The Secretary OF War asked
him what he would do, or, rather, wha'
Mai Anderson ought to do, in case he wer,
In charge OF fort and the enemy should
commence undermining 1t The Presiden,
promptly answered that he "should crack
) away at them" This, according to my mem
orandum made at the time, was on the 1911
OF February. On the !3d OF that month, re
plying to Maj. Anderson, Mr.. Holt repeated
his instructions of the 10th Of January
which We're "to act strictly Oh the deien'
sive, and to avoid, by all means compati
BILE with the safety OF your command, Q
collision with the hostile forces by which
you are surrounded" and added; "rh,
policy thus Indicated must govern you
! conduct. The President is not disposed a
the present moment TO change the instruc
tions under which you have been here
, tofore acting, or to occupy any other thai
T a defensive position. II, however, you ar,
convinced by sufficient evidence that thu
, raft Of which you speak is advancing To-
the purpose OF making an assault upon III,
fort, then you would be justified on tn,
principle Of self-defense In not awaiting IT.
actual arrival there, but by repelling fore
} by force on Its approach"
The length OF my article reminds me tina
! should bring 1t to close by the mention
: OF only few things more relating to Pres
( ident Buchanan's administration, with
c brief allusion to the beginning of the al
. miDis'ration Of Mr. Lincoln,
I On the 4th OF March, at the moment Shei
] the thirtysiXth Congress and Mr.. Bu
, ehanan's administration were about 10 ex
D pire, the Secretary Of War laid before th
D Cabinet letter that morning receives
e from Mai, Anderson which, as Mr. Bu
I chanan correctly statse, "WIs read by VII
n Holt, greatly to his own surprise aud tina
I Cf every othtr member VI the Cabinet
S In this the major declares that be woul
!. mot In Willing n nlLlL llN nj M