Year: 1861




suIlied by stain suspicion. to be assaiIed with
impunity now.


The first dispatch on the subject appeared in
the Herald Of the 7th of June, and closed in these
words: "The Secretary of War is it i said,
much grieved at the intelligence" Referring to
the charge that had improperly communicated
information to Mr.. Magrath, of Charleston. ! as
sumo that this statement is an unwarrantabe lib
erty taken with your name to stimulate prejudice
against me. because there was no discovery to
make which could excite any such emotion. All
the dispatches in the Washington Office has been
furnished to you and 70 the Secretary of State
several weeks before the general seizure was pub
iicly and properly ordered, and you had thus
every particle of evidence which, in order TO give
force to his false accusation, my calumniator pre-
terds was suddenly discovered.


This subject was matter of conference be-
tween yourself, Mr.. Seward and others, long in
advance of my departure from Washington, and,
indeed, my commission was neither received nor
accepted until several weeks had subsequently
elapsed These are the facts of record, and only
cite them to show how far pervers emalignity will
travel in pursuit of criminal revenge. There was
nothing in my conduct to conceal, and it never
was and never could be fairly questioned. If
there had been a serious doubt, of course you
would have brought it TO the notice of the Presi-
dent or if indisposed to do that. you would have





possession of the dispatches. conferred freely
with YOU the very day before my departure from
Washington, and was treated cordially and con-
siderately, although yon had been fully apprised
for weeks previous of the circumstances which
my secret and bitter enemies now make ground
of complaint and reproach.


But il is hardly necessary to refer to such Incl
dents to refresh your recollection of events so re-
cent, as no one knows better than you do the rea
l.. -.
ever, | RELY upon YOU to sec justice done me, and
the pressure of public affairs may have displaced
some of the material facts in yOur mind, / pro-
pose to recite them briefly for that purpose. You
were promptly informed of the communications
which passed between Mr.. Magrath and myself,
and of the considerations which led to them.
never had, directly or indirectly, line of cores
pondence with him. except what you have seen in
the telegraphs referred to. He was a schoolmate
of mine and an old friend. | had good reason to
believe that he was averse to collision, aud
would do everything to prevent it by personal and
other influence You must remember perfectly
well how all the information at the time / took
this part, threatened daily attack on Fort Sum
ter by the so called Confederate army. which all
good men in Washington and Charleston desired
TO prevent. When il was considered settled that
Major Anderson would be withdrawn, telegraph
ed the fact to Mr.. Pettigrew, Mr.. Magrath and
others, hoping to avert what then seemed to be
the impending calamity of bloodshed and to post
pone. at least, the Inauguration of civil war. A
few days elapsed, and he was not Withdrawn.
when Mr.. Magrath inquired of me il my previous
information correct. | carried his dispatch
to you at Wilard's Hotel, informing you, at the
same time, of my telegraph to him. You sugges-
ted that l should take it to Mr.. Seward, which
did, at the Department of State, and in reply to
my question, "what answer j should send to
Charleston" he said, substantially. "that time
would vindicate my previous assurance" / re-
turned stated what occurred, and you then in
formed me that Major Andersen would be with
drawn.


teegraphed to Mr.. Magrath accordingly with
out giving any authority but my own, and |
felt glad at being the medium of a communca.
ton which then thought would preserve the
peace, and give the misguided men a chance to
retrace their steps. Il was then soon reported
that the authorities in South Carolina would not
consent to the voluntary withdrawal of Major
Anderson, but would demand a formal capitula-
ton Knowing that such concession never
could and never ought to be made by the Govern
ment, and fearing that it might interrupt the
peaceable retirement of Major Anderson stat
ed the rumOr by telegraph to Mr. Magrath
asking If it were true, and saying, eff it was,
the friends of peace would be rendered power
less


He sent me an authorized and decided answer
to the contrary. / sought you Immediately al
the War Department and submitted the dispatch
1t made so much impression on your mind that
you requested me to take it forthwith to the Pres
ident. and gave me "a note to him, which l still
retain, to facilitate my admission in case of de-
lay. informed the President hastily of all the
antecedent circumstances which eliminated in
that dispatch, and he proposed to retain it, as the
subject was still undetermined in his mind, in or
der to have the information before him with the
other papers. | consented and left it.


You know better than do what causes led to
the change OF purpose in regard to Major Ander-
sons withdrawal. Up to the last hour, labored
and hoped to avoid collision at Fort Sumter,
and believe, conscentiously it would have been
saved but for the rash percpitancy of the advisers
about Mr.. JEFF. Davis. IL the authorities oi
Carolina alone had been consulted, i feel sure
there would have been no attack, and think the
reinforcements could have been entered The
reasons for this opinion would require too much
space to be set forth fully, and theref re, state
it broadly as a conviction resulting from various
forms of information. The men who we're will
ling to have such a result accomplished were ig-
nored by the dominating spirits at Montgomery
who forced forward state of things that pro-
duced the present crisis, which, though lamenta
bic in MANY respects. is perhaps fortunate finale
to the previous chapter of events, since it has
stirred the popular heart with one mighty inn
pulse, and brought all parties to see the necessi-
ty of sustaining the Government. and of uphold.
ing the integrity of the Constitution and the
Union.


Ny whole action in this matter was voluntary,
and inspired by sense of the highest and best
patriotism. / can appeal to God. honestly and
fearlessy, for the recttude of my intentions as for
their perfect purity and disnterestedness. And
when we all meet before the bar of the Eternal
Justice, and our hearts are exposed, / have an
abiding trust that the one act of my life which
will plead most successfully for mercy and the
forgiveness OF many errors and infrmities will
be that which has so unjustly provoked this cal
umny. | shall not indulge in crmnaton, or
permit my natural feelings of indignation against
such an outrage to find expression now Indeed,
it has saddened me too deeply for any such emo
ton, and fear almost to receive my next letters,
dreadng the effect which may have been produced
on those who are nearest and dearest to me, but
who are less able to bear up against such an af-
Fiction. Although have never been partisan
of yours have felt, from your repeated declara-
tons, some little claim for services voluntarily
rendered you in the course of the last fifteen
years, and for which, you well know, have
never asked or received any recognition in any
manner or form. 1t has been my misfortune to
disagree often and radically with some of your
professed friends; still have never failed to do
your public position justice. to heed your calls
upon me whenever they were made. This is all
ask now: desire no sympathy from anybody
Ny reputation has been shamefuly slandered,
and trust to your knowledge of the facts to have
me righted with those whose good opinion is ent-
tied to respect. appeal to you as one of the
strictest justice.


Yours, very truly. j. E. HARVEY.


To GENERAL CAMERON





IS The following is the oath required to be
taken by all civil officers Of the United States:


do solemnly that will sum-