Year: 1861

hsd TO be rival and hostile nations. The Gov


ernment of the Confederate States had no


hesitation in etecting its choice in this alter


native. Frankly aud unreservedly, seeking


the good OF the people who had entrusted


them with power, in the spirit OF humanity,
oi the Christian civilization of the age, and oil
that Amsricanism which regards the true
welfare and happiness of the people, the
Governmeu of the Confederate States, among
IT'S first acts, commissioned the undersigned to
approach the Government OF the United States
with the olive branch of peace, and 10 offer to
adjust the great questions pending between
them in the only way to be justified by the
cunsciences and common sense OF good men
who had nothing but the welfare of the peo-
PIE of the two Copfederacies at heart


Your Government has not chosen to meet
the undersigned in the conciliatory and peace
| ful spirit in which they are commissioned -
Persistently welded to those fatal theories of
cons truciion Of the Federal Constitution al.
ways reject ted by the statesmen of the South,
and adhered to by those of the Administration
school, until they have produced their natu-
raj and often predicted result of the destruc-
tion of the Union, under which we nigh
have con tinued TO live happily and gloriously
together had the spirit of the ancestry who
framed the common Constitution animated
the hearts of all their sons, you now, with a
persistence untaught and uncured 10y the ruin
which has been wrought, refuse TO recognize
the great fact presented TO YOU OF n com peted
and successful revolution; you close your eyes
to the existence of the Government founded
upon II, and ignore the high duties of modera-
tion and humanity which attach to you in
| dealing with this great fact. Had yeu met
these issues with the frankness and maniiness
with which the undersigned were ins st-ucted
| 10 present them TO you and treat them, the
| undersigned had not now the melancholy
| duty to return home and tell their Govern
| ment and their countrynen that their earnest
and ceaseiess efforts in behalf of peace had
| been futile, and that the Government Of the
| United States meant to subjugate them by
| force of arms.


Whatever may be the result, impartial his
| tory Will record the innocence OF the Govern
| ment of the Confederate States, and place
the sponsibility of the blood and mourning
that may ensue upon those who have denied
the great fundamental doctrine OF American
liberty. that "Governments derive their Just
powers from the consent OF the governed, and
who have set naval and land ornaments in
mo tion 10 subject the people OF one portion OF
this land to the Will of another portion. That
that can never be done while q freeman sur
wives in the Confederate States to WELD a


weapon. the undersigned appeal to past his
tory 10 prove. These military demonstra-
tions against the people of the seeded States


are certainly far from being in keeping and


consistency with the theory of the Secretary
of State, maintained in his memorandum,
that these States are still component parts of
the late American Union, as the undersigned
are not aware of any cons titu tiOnal power in
the President of the United States TO levy
war, without the consent of Congress upon a
foreign people, mnch less upon any portion OF
the people of the United States.


The undersigned, like the Secretary of State,
have no purpose to "invite or engage in dis
cusson'' of the subject on which their two
Governments are SO lrreconcilably at va
rance. 1t is this variance that has broken
up the old Union, the diSintegration of which
has only begun. 1t is proper however, 10
advise yon that it were well TO dismiss the
hopes you seem to entertain that, by any OF
the modes indicated, the people of the Con-
federate States will ever oe brought to subm
TO the authority of the Government of the
United States. You dealing with deiu-
sonS, too, when Won seek to separate our


people from our Government and to charac-


teriZe the deliberate, sovereign act OF that reO-


pie as q "perversion OF TEN porary and par


tzan excitement If you cherish these


dreams you will be awakened from them and


find them as unreal and unsubstantal rs


Others in which you have recently INDUCED.


The undersigned would omit the performance


of au obvious duty We're they to fail TO make


known 10 the Government of the United


States that the people of the Confederate


States have declared their independence with


n full kno ledge of all the responsibilities OF


that act, and with as firm a determine ton to


main tain it by all the means with which ma


ture has endowed them as that which sus-


tained their fathers when they threw OFF the


authority of the British crown.


The undersigned clearly understand that


You have declined to appoint a day to enable


them TO lay the objects of the mission with
which they are charged before the Presiden


OF the United States because so to do WonId
be TO recognize the independence and separa te


nationality of the Confederate States This


is the vein of thought that peryades the me-


mprdndum before us. The truth of history


requires that it should distinctly appear II pon


tne record that the undersigned did not ask the
Government of the United States TO recognizes
the independence of the Confpdera te States
They only asked audience to adjust, in Il spirit
of amity and peace, the new relations spring
ing from a manifest and accomplished revolu-
tion in the government OF the late Federal
Union. Your refusal to entertain these over
lures for a peace ui solution. the active naval
and military preparation of this Government
and formal notice to the comma nding Gen
eral of the Confederate forces in the harbor O!
Charleston that the President intends to pro
vision Fort Sumter by forcible means, il
necessary, are viewed by the undersig ned and
can only be received by the world, as decla
ration of war against the Confederate States
tor the President Of the United States knows
that Fort mtercannot be provisionei with.
ont the eTusion of blood. The under signed
in behalf of their Government and people
accept the gage of battle thus thrown down tc


them, and, appealing to God aud the judg
ment OF mankind for the righteousness oil
their cause, the people of the onfedera tie


States will defend their liberties to the last


against this fragrant and open attempt at theiI


subjugation TO sectional power.


This comm unica tion cannot be properly


closed without advertng to the da to of your


memorandum. The official note of the under


signed, of the 18th March, was delivered TO


the Assistant Secretary of State on tie 18th OF


that month the gen leman who delivered IL


informing him that the Secretary of this com


mission would call at twelve o'clock, noon ON


the mex day, for an answer. At the appoi ted


hour. Mr. Pickett did call, and was informed


by the Assistant Secre tary of State that the


engagements CT the Secretary of State had


prev enIed him from giving the note his atten


ton The Assistant Secretary of State then


asked for The address OF Messrs. Crawford
and Forsyth, the members of the Commission


than y,res in this city. took hN ar
dress on a card, and engaged to send whatever


reply might be made to their lodgings Why
this was not done it Is proper should be here


explained The memorandum is dated March


Is, and WAS not delivered until April s. Why


was it withheld during the intervening TWEEN :


ty-three daysr In the postscript to your


memoranda um you say il twas delayed, as was


unders TODD, with their tMessrs. Forsy tn and


Craw ford 81 consent,


This is true but 1t is also true that on the


18th of March Messrs. Forsyth and Cra W ford


were assured by person occupying a high Of


ficial position in the Government, and who,


as they believed, was speaking by authority,


that Fort Sumter would be evacuated with in


very few days, and that no measure chang


Ing the existing status prejudieally 10 the


Cohieosrate States rs respects Fort Pickens,


was then contemplated, and these assurances


were subsequently repeated, with the addi-
ton that any Contemplated change as res
poets Fort Piekens would be notified to us. -


(n the ISL oI April We were again informed


mat there might De an attempt to supply


Fort Sumter with provisions, but that Gov


ernor Piekens should have pre- yious notice


OF this attempt. There WAS no suggestion of


reinforcement. The undersigned did not


hesitate to believe that these assurances ex


pressed the in tions of the Administration


at the time, or at all event OF prominent mem.


bers of the Administration. This DELAY was


assented to for the express purpose of attain


ing the great end of the mission of the under


signed, TO wit: A pacific solution of exist.


ing complications. The inference deducibie


from the date of your memorandum, that the


undersigned had, Of their own yolition and


,uifhonI cause consented 70 this long hia fns