The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-07

Judah Il. Benjamin as Acknowledgement.
and MIR. John III. Regan. OF Texas. as Post {
The cabinet OF Mr.. Davis
was destined to many changes In the !
progress OF subsequent events. OF those ,
originally appointed, hessrs. BENJAMIN,
Mallory and Regan continued their connec-
ton With II during the. entire period Of its
existence. Toombs, Walker and Mem.
minger were sooner or later succeeded by
others, as the necessities and exigehcies Of
the government required.
Jefferson Davis now occupied a position
in the highest sense historical. IL was
plain that his name was destined to be as
ISOLATED with a series Of incidents forming
a most thrilling and instructive episode in
political history. The issue was joined be-
tween constitutional freedom and the odious
despOtsm OF an enthroned mob. On the |
one side were asserted the principles Of
regulated iberty-without which free gov
ernments can never be stable-order. ale
glance. and reyerance for law and authori- /
ty. On the other side, the wild passions Of
an infatuated populace, hurting down the
restraints of law, SCATTERING constitutions. !
and when its frenzied lust had been satiated
by the destruction of law and order, trans |
ferring power from It's polluted grasp to the
hands Of demagUgies, capable agents of the
dcprayed will which invests them with
authority.
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS - YANKEE DC-
PLIcrTY.
The two Presidents, Davis and Lincoln.
were inaugurated within fortnight Of
each other-the first on the 18th February,
| the latter on the lth March. Between them
the question OF peace or war must after all
depend. For however pacific might have
been Mr.. Buchanan's policy. it would fail
| \ Cd hal
The direct issue of peace or war was now
pending. War with the United states was
deprecated by official declarations Of the
Confederate states as "a policy detrimental
10 the civilized world" Witness also the
impressive language of President Davis IN
his inaugural: sustained by the con-
sciousness that the transition from the for
mer Union TO the present Confederacy has
not proceeded from disregard, on our
part, Of lust obligations, or any failure 10
perform any constitutional duty-moved by
no interest or passion 10 invade the rights
of others-anxious to cultivate peace and
commerce with all nations. II ~ may not
: hone 10 drOid Wdr. ne may at least eIpect
that p0Stcrity wW dcqmt as OF hdrhI
needlessly engaged in ~
, President Davis was at all times most
solicitous for peace, and adopted every
expedient OF negotiation that could
promote that end Heartily responding 10
the wishes Of the Congress and the people OF
the Confederacy, he appointed in February
an embassy to Washington. The resolution
of Congress asking that the embassy DE
sent expl aims its object to be the "negOtlat-
ing of friendly relations between that gov
eminent and the Confederate states OF
America. and for the settlement Of all qtes-
tions Of disagreement between the two gov
lernments upon principles of right, justice,
equity and good faith
Two members OF the embassy, Messrs.
Crawford and Forsyth, arrived IN Washlng-
ton March 9th. the day succeeding Lincoln
Inauguration. At first, giving merely an
informal announcement OF their arrival,
lthey waited until the 18th of March before
fmakng an official presentation OF Their
mission. On that day they addressed a
formal communication TO Secretary OF state
seward. announcing their authority to SET
tie with the Federal Government All claims
Of public property arising from the separa-
ton of the states from the Union. and to ne.
gotiate for the withdrawal Of the Federal
forces from Fort sumter, in south Caro-
lima. and Fort Pickens, in Florida. Here
occurred season Of the most shameless
periiiv on the part of Seward ever known
While declining To recognize the 'ohiea
crate commissioners, the Yankee Secretary
with them by which the faith OF the two
Governments was pledged 10 line OF policy
| hv the personal honor of their representa-
tiyes.
I'm the verbal interviews the Confederate
commissioners were usually assured OF a
nacitic policy by the Federal Government
that Fort sumter would DE evacuated; thai
the status quO at Fort Pickens should not
be- changed, and that no departure IRON
these peaceful intentions would be mad'
without due notice to the Confederate gov
eminent. The commissioners in these IN
teryiews waived all form. It was said thai
omen negotiations with them would serious
Iy ieopardiZe Mr.. Lincoln's manipulation o
public sentiment, which il was alleged
he was educating to concurrence with M
| OWE friendly purposes towards the 'Ohieu
, eracy. Bv this INSCRIPTIONS deception
and falsehOod in his interviews with tn
s commissioners, Seward successfully i'm
posed upon the creduality OF the commls
Z sioners. and, mt the same time, eYaded IN
) official recognition Of the Confederate EN-
. bassy
I Ali the while the Lincoln administration
, WAS secretly preparing hostile measures
Z | and had never seriously entertained any o
Z the propositions submitted by thu tonied
crate government.
The Lincoln government neither wlshe'
Z 10 avert bloodshed nor TO eyacuate For
. sumter Reinforcement Of the latter oeln
i ont of tho question, the next thin. was Z
s devise pretext by which the North cou
(. be united in war Of subjugation agalns
{ the south, and for the extermination q
7 slavery. TO this end AN expedition was Oh
+. lderad 10 Charleston. ostensibly for the pun
& pose Of supplying the garrison al fort Sun
: ter with provisions, but really 10 relnlofc
s il with ammunition and troops. OF cours
tho COnfederates would not permit the On
ecution Of the object of this expedition
y Duplicity and deception continued To II
nracticed on the Confederate commissioner
= until the sth Of April, when they discoyere
- the shameless manner IN which they IA
u been duped. and Indignantly withdrew.
At the same time the expedition for IN
a. relief Of a starving garrison, consisting
II II vessels. with % guns, and 400 mel
n was some hours on its way when us "A
d" legged purpose was announced to the uO'
u ernor of South Carolina. This announce
u ment was telegraphed 10 Montgomery ,
General Beauregard. who also asked for n
=" .tnetions. The reply was sent that II "a
Is message was authentic demand should
f. made for the surrender Of the fort to u
I. Confederate authorities, and in the event
IL refusal It's reduction should be undertake.
on the llth of April the demand was mac
and refused. IN the ulVlilns VI INV LIN
April fire was opened on Fort Sumter an
p continued the entire day. on the 18th u
Dc shells OF the COnfedcrates had set fire 10 q
d fort. the magazines blew up. and Mag
T. Anderson surrendered the fort, not DIRE
~ Of blood havin. been shed.
h WAR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
L The calculations OF Lincoln and sewal
T. as TO the effect 10 be produced by hiring
t. ON Fort SUMTER were correct, provoked
II the attack was by their own deliberate 81
in dishonest design. A furious and instant
r. neous rush 10 arms by the North iollow'
L. the intelligence Of the surrender, and I
N yealed the ferocity with which the fanatl
i awaited the signal 10 make war upon q
"a liberties and property Of the people OF q
~ south. By "A shallow device the South h;
X been provoked TO initiate resistance, th
le long sought for pretext which should Jusll
10 the most barbaric invasion Of modern time
@. IL was the North who drew the sw0
A. against the sovereignty Of the states. J'
T. ferson Davis ordered the reduction OF q
G. fort. but he did not thereby invoke the c
r. lamities OF war. The act was simply q
l. patriots defiance to the menace Of tyrann
ID LncOln's proclamation Of war against .
nj aecaded States was issued April ljt