WASHINGTON, January 24,
1861.
GENTLEMEN: I have received your letter of the 23d instant, enclosing
a communication, dated the 22d instant, addressed to Messrs. Fitzpatrick,
Mallory, and Slidell, from the Secretary of War ad interim. This communication
from the Secretary is far from being satisfactory to me. But inasmuch as you
state that “we (you) have no hesitation in expressing an entire confidence that
no re—enforcement will be sent to Fort Sumter, nor will the public peace be
disturbed, within the period requisite for full communication between yourself
(myself) and your (my) government,” in compliance with our previous
understanding I withhold the communication with which I am at present charged,
and refer the whole matter to the authorities of South Carolina, and will await
their reply.
Mr. Gourdin, of South Carolina, now in this city, will leave
here by the evening’s train, and will lay before the governor of South Carolina
and his council the whole correspondence between yourselves and myself, and
between you and the government of the United States, with a communication from
me asking further instructions.
I cannot, in closing, but express my deep regret that the
President should deem it necessary to keep a garrison of troops at Fort Sumter
for the protection of the “property” of the United States. South Carolina
scorns the idea of appropriating to herself the property of another, whether of
a government or an individual, without accounting to the last dollar for
everything which, for the protection of her citizens or in vindication of her
own honor and dignity, she may deem it necessary to take into her own
possession. As property, Fort Sumter is in far greater jeopardy occupied by a
garrison of United States troops than it would be if delivered over to the
State authorities, with the pledge that, in regard to that and all other
property within her jurisdiction claimed by the United States, South Carolina
would fully account on a fair adjustment.
Upon the other point, of the preservation of peace and the
avoidance of bloodshed, is it supposed that the occupation of a fort by armed
men, in the midst of a harbor, with guns bearing on every part of it, under the
orders of a government no longer acknowledged, can be other than the occasion
of constant irritation, excitement, and indignation? It creates a condition of
things which I fear is but little calculated to advance the observance of the
“high Christian and moral duty, to keep the peace and to avoid all causes of
mutual irritation,” recommended by the Secretary of War in his communication.
In my judgment, to continue to hold Fort Sumter by the
United States troops is the worst possible means of securing its protection and
preservation as property, as it certainly is the worst possible means of
effecting a peaceful solution of existing difficulties short of war itself.
I beg leave, in conclusion, to say that it is in deference
to the unanimous opinion expressed by the senators present in Washington
“representing States which have already seceded from the United States, or will
have done so before the 1st of February next,” that I comply with your
suggestions; and I feel assured that suggestions from such a quarter will be
considered with profound respect by the authorities of South Carolina, and will
have great weight in determining their action.
With high consideration, I have the honor to be, very
respectfully, your obedient servant,
IsAAc W. HAYNE.
HONS. Louis T.
WIGFALL, D. L. YULEE, J. P. BENJAMIN, A. IVERSON, JOHN HEMPHILL, JOHN SLIDELL,
and C. C. CLAY, JR.
SOURCE: John Bassett Moore, Editor, Works of James
Buchanan, Volume 11, p. 131-2
No comments:
Post a Comment