The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-02
by L. w. WISE.

correspondent signing himself NJ,
and writing from Washington, D. c.,
under date of November "a. asked
In your issue of November %, why,
IF 1t was right for Buchanan and
Floyd 10 hold the forts (meaning SUM
ter and others) against South Carolina.
was 1t wrong for Lincoln to do Ito"
In answer to this question. | will
say that no well-informed Southern
man l have ever met with has ac-
knowledged that it was right for
Buchanan to hold on to them in the
manner in which he did. But even. If
there was any excuse for Buchanan,
there was none whatever for Lincoln,
as the facts of the case will show.
Until after the secession of South
Carolina, which took place on Decem-
Der 90 1860 there had never been a
Federal soldier within the walls OF
fort Sumter. But it was without a
garrison. and South Carolina might
easily have taken possession of the
vacant fort. In the interest of peace.
however, she forebore to touch Fort
Sumter or any other of the Federal
property within her limits. and Instead
sent threa peace commissioners to
Washington to amicably settle. II
possible, all differences.
Anderson's Removal to Sumter.
But her peace overtures We're met
in an entirely different way. On the
night of the very day that her COM
missioners reached Washington De-
cember a6), Major Anderson, who com
manded the United States troops sta
toned at Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's
Island, without any special orders to
do so, spiked the guns at Fort Moul-
frjn ~ rir, fn % .,,J
with the aid OF two schooners lying
at the wharf, and in the dead hour OF
the night. transferred his entire com
mand into the vacant Fort Sumter, and
at once began changing the guns there
so as to point them inwards towards
the South Carolinians, instead OF out
wards towards the sea. as 1T had orig
inally been intended that they should
be pointed.
Or course, all this was clearly an act
OF war on the part OF Major Anderson
against South Carolina. Here was a.
fort, TO Tho building of which the pGo-
pie OF South Carolina had contributed
their full share In the shape of taxes
paid the Federal government. and
which had been built for tho protec-
ton or the State and not to menace
Its citizens,
And when II was used for this lat-
ter purpose 1t became an act OF war.
But South Carolina still refrained from
attacking the fort and contented her
self with simply asking through her
pence commissioners mt Washington
that President Buchanan would order
Major Anderson back into Fort Moul-
trie, from WHENCE he had gone, and
restore the status just as It had been
before his movement took place.
''Flrins ON the Flag.
But President Buchanan refused to
do SO, and as a consequence, ana for
that very reason. Mr.. Floyd, his Sec
rotary OF War. resigned and left his
Cabinet And not only this, but a
few days later early In January. an
other hostile act was committed IN
which MIR, Buchanan sent ths steamer
Star of the West with go soldiers
und large quantity of provisions on
hoard. TO reinforce and rcproYision
Fort sumter, though Major Anderson
was being permitted at tho very time
to got provisions for himself and men
every day from the Charleston market
by tho South Carolina authorities. who