Year: 1861

More than twelve hours passed. and two
Cabinet meetings had adjourned, before you
knew what the authorities of South Carolina
had done, and your prompt decision at any
moment Of that time would have avoided the
subsequent complications. But if you had
known the acts of the authorities of South
Carolina, should that have prevented your
keeping your faith? What was the condition
of things? For the last sixty days you have
had in Charleston harbor not force enough to
hold the forts against an equal enemy. Two
of them were empty; one of those, too, the
most important in the harbor. 1t could have
been taken any time. You ought to know
better than any man that it would have been
taken but for the efforts of those who put
their trust in your honor


Believing that they were threatened by
Fort Sumter especially, the people were with
difficulty restrained from securing, without
blood, the possession of this important for
tress After many and reiterated assurances
given on your behals which VIC cannot believe
unauthorized, they determined to forbear, and
in good faith sent on their Commissioners to
negotiate with you. They meant you no
harm; wished you no i'll. They thought of
you kindly; believed you true and were will
ling, as far as consistent with duty, to .
spare you unnecessary and hostile collision
Scarcely had their Commissioners left than
Major Anderson wagcd war. No other words
will describe his action


1t was not a peaceful change from one fort
to another; it was hostile act in the highest
sense, and only justified in the presence of
superior enemy and in imminent peril He
abandoned his position, spiked his guns,
burned his gun carriages, made preparations
for the destruction of his post, and withdrew
under cover of the night to a safer position
This was war. No man could have believed
(without your assurance that any officer could
have taken such step, 9" not only without
orders, but against orders" What the State
did was in simple self.defcnce for this act,
with all its attending circumstances, was as
much war as firing volley and, war being
thus begun, until those commencing it ex-
planned their action and disavowed their in
tention, there was no room for delay, and
even at this moment, while we are writing, it
is more than probable from the tenor of your
letter, rcnforcements are hurying into the
conflict, so that when the first gun shall be
fired, there will have been on your part one
continuous consistent series of actions COM
mencing in demonstration essentially war
like, supported by regular reinforcements,
and terminating in defeat or victory And
all this without the slightest provocation for,
among the many things which you have said,
there is one thing you cannot say-you have
waited anXiously for news from the seat of
war, in hopes that delay would furnish some
excuse for this precipitation.


But this tangible evidence of design to
proceed to hostile act on the part of the au-
thorities of South Carolina" which is the
only justification of Major Anderson. you are
forced to admit "has not yet been alleged"
But you have decided. You have resolved to
hold by force what you have obtained through
our misplaced confidence, and, by refusing to
disavow the action of Major Anderson, have
converted his violation of orders into egti-
mate act of your Executive authority


BE the issue what it may of this we are
assured, that if Fort Moutre has been record
ed in history memorial of Carolina gallan-
try Fort Sumter willve upon the succeeding
page an impcrishabc testimony of Carroll
ma faith


BY your course you have probably rendered
civil war inevitable. BE it so. If you choose
to force this issue upon us the State of South
Carolina will accept it, and relying upon Him
who is the God of Justice as we'll as the God
of Hosts, will endcavor to perform the great
duty which lies before her, hopefully, bravcly
and thoroughly.


Our mission being one for negotiation and
peace, and your note leaving us without hope
of a Withdrawal of the troops from Fort Sum
ter, or of the restoration of the status quo cx-
listing at the time of our arrival, and intima-
ting as we think, your determination to rein
force the garrison in the harbor of Charleston,
we respectfully inform you that we purpose
returning to Charleston to morrow afternoon.


We have the honor to be, sir, very respect.
fully your obedient servants


X. w, BARNwELL,


j. II. ADAMS, Commissioners.


JAMES l.. Orr


To his Excellency, the President of the Uui-


ted States.


The following was the endorsement on the
paper:


EXECUTIVE MANSION, 8 O'clock


This paper just presented to the President
is of such character that he declines to re-
ccive it,


Tue NAVY WITH Us.-Thc Montgomery
(Ala.) Mail has been shown IL letter from q
cadet at Annapolis, who offers his services to
the Governor. This letter states that the
officers attached to the Academy are all in
full sympathy with the South; and the wri-
ter thinks that owing to designations and re.
luctance to serve against the South, it will
be very difficult to make the Navy party to
coercion. Most of the officers in the NAVY
and Army are educated, brave and honorable
men. Such persons are rarely, if ever, Black
Republicans, 1t requires q talent for steolin,,