executive Office,
columbia, S. C, November 29, 1860.
Mr. Wm. Henry Trescot.
Dear Sir: Although
South Carolina is determined to secede from the Federal Union very soon after
her Convention meets, yet the desire of her constituted authorities is, not to
do anything that will bring on a collision before the ordinance of secession
has been passed and notice has been given to the President of the fact; and not
then, unless compelled to do so by the refusal of the President to recognize
our right to secede, by attempting to interfere with our exports or imports, or
by refusal to surrender the forts and arsenals in our limits. I have found
great difficulty in restraining the people of Charleston from seizing the
forts, and have only been able to restrain them by the assurance that no
additional troops would be sent to the forts, or any munitions of war.
Everything is now quiet, and will remain so until the ordinance is passed, if
no more soldiers or munitions of war are sent on. That is to say, I will use my
utmost efforts to effect that object, and believe I will succeed; but the
Legislature and myself would be powerless to prevent a collision if a single
soldier or another gun or ammunition is sent on to be placed in the forts. If
President Buchanan takes a course different from the one indicated and sends on
a reinforcement, the responsibility will rest on him of lighting the torch of
discord, which will only be quenched in blood. I am under a pledge to sanction
resistance, and to use all the military power of the State to prevent any
increase of troops in these garrisons, and had to make the pledge to restrain
the people, who are restive, and hope no necessity will arise to compel me to
redeem the pledge. I write to you knowing that, while you will be faithful to
the Government of the United States as long as you hold office under it, yet
you are also a South Carolinian, and would desire, by all means, to avoid the
needless shedding of blood. If you think there is no impropriety in showing
this letter to the President you are at liberty to do so, for I do not wish him
to be mistaken and act in such a way as to bring upon the country a bloody war,
without the most imperious necessity.
Very truly yours,
wm. H. Gist
SOURCE: Samuel Wylie Crawford, The Genesis of the
Civil War: The Story of Sumter, 1860-1861, p. 31-2
No comments:
Post a Comment