The National tribune., 1907-01-24

8he range of saud-hifis that commanded
the north side OF the Fort, but the Ad-
jutant-G General refused this, saying that
il might be considered as Initiating"
collision since the sand-hills Were
private property and some of them had
houses on them. Maj. Anderson called
attention to Fort Sumter as tempting
prize. which the CharlestGnians We're
likely 10 seize at any time. for with its
ammunition and armament it could set
our navy at defiance
iiHeIi's Iiisi .uetions.
Mai Don Carlos Buell., upon his visit
TO Mai. anderson. left with him the
following:
Memorandum of verbal Instructions
20 Mai anderson, 1st Art. commanding
Fort Msuitrie, :. G.
.'You are aware Of the great anxi4'y y
OF the Seer atary Of War that collision
of the traCps with the people Of t'1is
State shall he avoided, and of his st;ld-
led de-, rr5nstion 20 pursue course
with reference 20 the military force and
forts in this harbor which shall guard
against s;feh collision He has. there
fore, carefully abstaiaed from incrcaT-
ing the force ~ this point, or taking
measures which might add to The pres
ent excited state Of the public mind, or
which v-0uil throw any doubt on The
tpI11tlf-4tt4s l.t 4-r-ls Nil1A spbulii hsil -
lima viii not attempt by violence to OBJ
tain p0ss, ssiUn # the public works or
interfere with their occupancy. Bat as
the CoGasel a.d acts Of rash and iwpul-
siye persons may possibly disappoint
these expectations of the Government,
he deems it proper that you should be
prepared with Instructions TO meet 50
unhappy contingency. He has. there
fore, directed me verbally to give YOU
such instructions.
You ore carefully 10 avoid every act
which would ncedlessly tend to provoke
aggression; and for that reason YOU are
not. without evident and imminent ne
cessty, To tai.e up any position which
would be construed into the assumption
of hostil" attitude. Eut you are I"
hold possession Of the forts in this har-
Dor. and II attacked YOU are to defend
yourself 10 the last extremity The
smallncgs of your force viii rot permit
YOU. perhapE, 10 occupy more than one
of the three forts. but an attack on or
an attempt 10 take possession Of an:
one of them viii be regarded as an act
OF hostility. and you may then put your
command into either of them which you
may deem most proper TO increase ats
power OF resistance. You are also au-
thorized to take similar steps whenever
you have tangible evidence Of design
to proceed 10 a hostile act.
ID. G. Buell.. - SSlStHNf AdJutdTl !,
Fort A.oa!trie, s G.. Dee II.
Secretary Floyd inGorsed a copy Of
these. This is in conformity with my
instructions 20 Mai. Fuell."
The question has been raised as To
whether Floyd really read these in
structions until they were called for
by President Buchanan, and 1t has been
more than hinted thai at the same time
he sent FSueil thitnor with them he had
sent another otiicer, Mai Withers. with
quito different verbal instructions. of
wh:ciI mere appears u" record.
The New Government, Of south Carolina.
Gov. ~. =: GiSt. who as Governor Of
South Car"Iina had t2ken initiatory steps
toward secession, WAS succeeded, Dec.
II. by Francis W. Pickens. "a dist:n-
guished citizen of the State and OF Re-
oiutionary lineage He was planter.
had much oratorical ability of the per-
fervid character, thp popular in the
South. and had been Member of Con-
gress and Minister to 81. Petersburg.
He was n jealous disciple OF Calhoun,
a fiery partisan Of slavery. and as q
member Of the Siate Convention OF
1852 had drawn up the ordinance assert
ing the TiSiit oI secession. With all his
brilliant qualities he was Il man of i'm
pulse snd u3certainty, AL conspicuous
" lacking ia executive ability. He n
recently y.sited Washington, and PGcn-
anan had won him over to postpone amy
call for 2 convention or other overt
act until after Puchanan's term had
expired In Charleston. however. he
came into such intimate contact with