DAILY POST. The *Mon ee Is wags The 'Constitution es it is t Readt4g matter oak every page. WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOV. 5 EX-PRESIDENT BUCHANAN'S I LETTER. We print= to-day's Post the letter of Ba-President Buchanan, in reply to the late publicalion of General Scott, relative to the last ihonths of the late Administra tion. Theiiletter is an able one, and it relieves intl . :author of much of the odiiim which partiatin rancor and detraction have heaped tiplA him. This is not the time for. a fair iihd impartial history of Mr. Buchanan'a idministration ; it will require other men ' s td other times to do it justice, whether that justice be a complete vindi cation or Ondemnation. Onr belief is, however, that ,the faithful historian will record theiiket diet what has been termed the imbecility of the last few months of the Admini anon was a thoughtful com prehensionlif the-awful conflict in which we are engaged. The Natinnal Intelli ,( geacer remnrks: "In .the; gaper now placed before our readers, theivenerable ex-Presidentshews that he waisi l not unmindful of the obliga tions placed upon him by the trying events through which he was compelled to pass in the cloning months of his Administra tion, and hip clearly states the considera tions of pitilic duty under which he acted, as also theft limits under which he had power to eat at all. At the same time he placea is hb clear light some facts which, from the InOmmanding position he then held at theihead of affairs, he is able to present hi i 4 collocation that redeems his conduct from certain misapprehensions which maylhave been entertained at the time by observers less cognizant of all the oircumstanees which made up the situa tion,' as well civil as military, at the out break of secession." 31 STATE ELECTIONS Yestorday there were State elections held in - New York, New Jersey, Massa chusetts, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota; i Missouri and Delaware, the results of ivhich will settle the complexion of the next United States House cf Rep resentativl and probably the future des tiny of ot& puntry. If these States, yes terday, in Itheir sovereign capacity, fol lowed the laxample of those which voted in Octobet: by defeating the radical Abo litionists, "co may confidently anticipate a change in the policy of the Administration —a nhangekhich will have for its object the restoration of the Union and the pre servation the Constitution. On the • contrary, the people of the States al luded to thave endorsed the radicals, by electing th4ir candidates to Congress and to the Stails Legislatures, we can see no thing in We 'future for the country but incessant, destructive and lasting war. If the next 114 use of Representatives contain a majority 'kJ Emancipationists,,then that policy will :Ike fastened upon the Govern , :1 ment; then A war will be prosecuted for that purpose only, and the result will probably be a war o extermination; a servile in surrection,i which will result in the utter annihilaticiit of the blacks, the near de struction of the Southern whites, and the reducing to beggary and destitution _.the millions of -he North. Every day's experience only serves to develop. the designs the leading radicals. What they denougiced as slander upon them but a few mot4lis ag6, they now proclaim as being the 4 principles; and sentiments entertained! and avowed by the President but a few,weeks since they now denounce as treason it o the Government. If these intemperatil radicals succeed, the war will be continin!id indefinitely, and, it may be, degeneratinto a series.of butcheries and outrages the mere contemplation of which makes the! stoutest shudder. But we have hopes, antivery flattering ones, too, that the futurei4of our once happy country is not altogether darkness and despair. The late electiOns of October disclosed a rainbow ofjpromise shining through the gloom, while we hope that the results of yesterday' ffiroting, in the States which held eleetione, will break upon us with a spied , dor, bright'. and glorious as unclouded May 1 'll In the Omit Empire State, New York, the eontees has been conducted with des peration upon the part of the radicals. Noisy declamation and charges of trea son against heir opponents have been their exclusive weapons of attack. On the contrary, the Democrats and Conservatives have relieclitpon argument; and we ques tion very ninch whether, for solid and se rious reascitiing, lofty appeals to the virtue of the people, and defiant denunciation of arbitrary Pnwer,the canvass in New York, upon the; part of the conservatives, was -ever surpassed in this or any other eonntry. We venture no opinion on the result; oldt'party lines seem utterly oblit erated ; theoold constitutional Democrats and -Whigs nf the Clay and Webster school are shoulder to shoulder, while Abolition ists, sided •hy a large number of Demo erste, are united against them. In the city of New York, especially, the Abolitien lets have turned the war spirit to good ac count amotig the Irish-Americans, and have nominated several of them for im portant places, in the hope of securing a large DemOratic vote for their State ticket. TbS i names of Meagher, Corcoran, Murphy, Daffy, and others, who have been conspictioutilin the war, have been induced to lend th4 i iraid to assist their life long opponents. ' These, together with the art ful appealtilof Daniel S. Dickinson, will detach . from the conservative ranks, but their influence will, we believe, be more than balanced by the thoughtful thousands, whose action "is never seen 'till felt." .Babellious Slaves. The Newiprleatut Dena of the 12th inst. Corifinon the reported outbreak of slaves on the plastetion of Mr. Milaldon width.? murder o f lila overseer. Two other lan tntions have.beea- tlesert,Ad -- 17 - the A iTO on them; Letter from Ex-President Buchanan. - - - His Reply to general Scott. • The Beginning or thellebellion. To THE EDITORS OF THE NATIONAL INTEL LTDENCER: —On Wednesday last, I re ceived the "National Iritenigencer," con taining Gen. Scott's address to The pub lie...This is throughout an nndisgnised ceri sure of my conduct tor the last months of the Administration, in regard to the seven Cotton States' now in rebellion. From our past relations, I was greatly surprised at the appearance of such a paper. In one aspect, however„it wag highly gratify. ing. It has justified me, nay, it has ren dered it absolutely necessary that I should no longer remain silent in respect to the charges which have been long vaguely cir culating, but are now, ndorsed by the re sponsible name of Gen. Scott. I. The first and most - prominent among these charges is my refusal immediately to garrison nine enumerated fortifications, scattered oyer six of the Southern States, according to the recommendation oft Gen. Scott, in his "views" addressed to the , War Department on the 29th and 30th of Octo• ber, 1860. And it has even been alleged that if this had been done it might have prevented the civil war. This refusal is attributed, without the least Cause, to the influence of Governor Floyd. All my cabinet must bear me wit ness that I was the President myself, re sponsible for all the Acts of the Adminis tration; and certain it is that daring the last six months preVious to the 28th of December, 1860, the day on which he re- , signed his office, after my request, he ex • ercised less influence on the Administra tion than any other member of the Cab inet,. Mr. Holt was immediately transfer red from the Post Office Department to that of War; so that, , from this time until the 4th of March, 1861, which was by far the most important period of the Admin istration, he performed the duties of the Secretary of War to my entire satisfac tion. But I did not immeiliately garrison these nine fortifications, in such a manner, to use the language of: Gen. Scott, "as to make any attempt to take au one of them by surprise or coup-de-main ridiculous? There is one answer both easy and con clusive, even if other valid reasons did ex ist. There were no available troops -with in reach which could be sent to these for tifications. Tolhave attempted a military operation on d scale so extensive by any means within the President's . power would have been simply absurd. Of this Gener al Scott himself seems to have been con vinced, for on the day, after the date of his first "views" he addressed on the 30th of October) supplemental views to tne War Department in which he states: "There is one (regular) company in Bos- ton, one here (at the Narrows), one at Pittsburgh, one at Augusta ( Ga.,) one at Baton Rouge," in all live companies only within reach to garrison or reinforce the forts mentioned in the "views." Five companies—four hundred men—to occupy and reinforce nine fortifications in six highly excited Southern States! The force "within reach" was so entirely in adequate that nothing more need be said on the subject. To have attempted such a military movement with so feeble a force, and the Presidental election impending, would have been an invitation to collision and secession. Indeed, if the whole American army, consisting then of only sixteen thousand men, had been "within reach," they would have .been scarcely sufficient for this purpose. Such was our want of troops, that, although Gen. Scott, believing in opposition to the opinion of the committee raised in the House of Rep resentatives, that the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln might be interrupted by military force, was only able to assemble at Wash ington, so late as the 4th of March, six hundred and fifty-three men, rank and tile of the army. And, to make up this num ber, even the sappers and miners we: e brought from West Point, But why was there no greater force within reach; This ,inestion could be better answered by Gen. Scott himself than by any other person. Our small regular army, with the exception of a few hundred men, were out of reach. on our remote frontiers, where it had been con tinuously stationed for years, to protect the inhabitants and the emigrants, on their way thither, against the attacks of hostile Indians. All were insufficient, and both Gen. Scott and myself endeavored in vain to prevail upon Congress to raise several additional regiments for this purpose.— In recomm ending this augumentation of the General states, in his report to the War Department, of November, 18&7, that "it would not more than furnish the reinforce ments now greatly needed in Flordia, Tex as, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, (T.,) Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, leaving] not a company for Utah." And again, !in his report of No vember, 1853, he says: "This want of troops, to give reason -abli security to our citizens in distant settlements, including emigrants on the plains, can scarcely he too strongly stated; but I will only add, that as often as we have been obliged to withdraw troops from one frontier in order to reinforce another, the weakened points' have been instantly attacked or threatened with formidable invasion." These "views" of General Scott exhib it the crude notions then, prevailing even among intelligent and patriotic men on this subject of secession. In the first sen tence the General, whilst stating .that "to save time the right of secession may be conceded," yet immediately says "this is instantly balanced by the correlative right on the part of the Federal Government against an INTERIOR State or States to re establish by force, if ,necessary, its former continuity of territory." (For this he cites, "Paley'a Moral and Political Philos ophy, last chapter." It may be there ; but I ave been unable to find it.) Whilst it is difficult to ascertain his precise mean ing in this passage, he renders what he did NOT mean quite clear in his suppll mentary "views." In these he says: "It will be seen that the "views" only apply to a case of secession that makes a GAP in the present Union. The falling off say of Texas, or of all the Atlantic States, from the Potomac South, (the very thing which has occurred,) was not within the scope of General Scott's "provisional remedies;" that is to say, to establish by force, if ne sessary, the continuity of our territory. In his 'views' he also states as follows: "But break this glorious Union by whatever line or lines that political' madness may con- ' trive, and there would be no hope of re cruiting the fragments except by the lacer ation and despotism of the sword. To effect such a result the intestine wars of our Mexican neighbors would, in compar ison to ours, sink into mere,child' play." In the General's opinion, "a smaller evil (than these intestine; wars) would be to allow the fragments of the great Republic to form themselves into new Confederacies, probably four." He then points out what ought to be the boundaries between the new Unions; and at the end of each goes so far as even to indicate the cities which ought to be capitals of the three first on this side of the Rocky Mountains, to wit, "Columbia, South Carolina,') "Alton or Quincy, Illinois." and "Albany, New York," excluding Washington City alto gether. This tindacation of capital con• Wined in the original now in my possis ion' is curiously omitted in the version pub lished in the National Intelligencer. He designates no capital for the fourth Union, on the Pacific. The reader will judge what encouragement these views, proceed ing fromtio distingaished a source, must have afforded to.. the ieeesaionista '4ll the Ofittnn-Statea. • Ihave said e onghitn4 more than I enough to convince every mind why I did not, with a force of five companies, at tempt to reinforce Forts Jachson end St. Philip, on the M.issiseippi; Fort Mprgan, below Mobile, Forts Pietteneitnid.MoCre7e; in Pensacola Harbor. Fort Puluaki,ie low Savannah; Forts'Moultrie and Sdm ter, Charleston Harbor, and ,Ftirt Mon roe? in Virginia. These "views," both original and sup plementary, were published by General Scott in the National Intelligencer of January 18, 1861,nt the most important and critical period of the Administration. Their publication, at that time, :could do no possible good, and it might do much harm. To have published them 'without the President's .knowledge and consent, was as much in violation of the sacred con fidence which ought to prevail between the commanding General of the army l and the Commander-in-chief as it .would have been for the Secretary of War to publish the' same document without his authority.— What is of more importance, their publi cation was calculated injuriously to affect the compromise measures then pending before Congress and the country, and to encourage the secessionists in their mad and wicked attempt to shatter the Union into fragments. For the great respect which I then entertained for the General, I passed it over in silence. It is worthy of remark that soon after the Presidental election representations of what these "views" contained, of more or less correctness, were dnfortun ately circulated, especially throughout the South. The editors of the '•Nationalln telligencer" in aasigning a reason for their publication, state that both in public prints and in public speeches allusions had been made to them, and some misapprehensions of their character had got abroad. 11. and 111. General Scott states that he arrived in Washington on the 12th and, accompanied by the Secretary of War, held a conversation with the President on the 15th of December. Whilst I have no recollection whatever of this conversation. he doubtless states cot rectly that 4 did re fuse to send three hundred men to rein• force Major Anderson at Fort Moultrie, who had not then removed to Fort Sum. ter. The reason for this refusal is mani fest to all who recollect the history of the time. But twelve days before, in the an: nnal message of the Id December. 1 had urged upon Congress the adoption of amendments to the Constitutidu of the same character with those subsequently proposed byMr. Crittenden, called the -Crittenden Compromise. - At-that time high hopes were entertained throughout the country that these would be adopted. Besides, 1 beliuve, and this correctly, as the event proved, that Major Anderson was then in no danger of an attack. In deed he and his command were then treat ed with marked kindness by the authori ties and people of Charleston. Curler these circumstances, to have sent such a force there would have been only to im pair the hope of compromise, to provoke collision and disappoint the country. There are some details of this conversa tion in regard to which the ;4eneraPs memory must be defective. A t present I shall specify only one. 1 could not have stated that on a future contingent occasion I would telegraph "Major Anderson, of Fort Moultrie, to hold the Forts (Moultrie and Stilarter) against attack ;•' because, with priudent precaution. this had been done several days before. through a special messenger sent to Major Anderson for this very purpose. I refer to Major Buell, of the army. The General's supplementary note of the same day, presenting to me General Jackson's conduct in Mitt, daring the pe riod of nullification, as an example, re quires no special notice. Even if the cas e s were not entirely different, l had previous ly determined upon a policy of my own, as will appear irom my annual message. This was, at every hazard to collect the ens toms at Charleston and outside the port, if need be, in a vessel of war. Mr. Colcock, the existing Collector, as I had anticipa ted resigned his office about the end of I lecember and, immediately thereafter, I nominated to the Senate, as hissue. essor, a suitable person, prepared, at nos per sonal risk, to do his duty. 'no, body, however, throughout its entire stsaion, declined to act on this nomination. Thus, without a Collector, it was rendered im possible to collect the revenue. IV. General Scott's statement alleges that the "Brooklyn, with itiptain Vodges' company alone, left the Chesapeake for Fort Pickens, about January •-lid and, on the 29th, President Buchanan having en tered into a quasi armistice eijh leading rebels at Pensacola and elsewhere, caused Secretaries Holt and Toucey to instruct, in a joint rote, the commander 'Of the war vessels off Pensacola and Lieut.; Stemmer, commanding Fort Pickens. to commit no act of hostility and not to land Captain Vodges' company unless the Fort should be attacked." He afterward states, with in brackets, "That joint note I never saw, but suppose the armistice was Consequent upon the meeting of the Peace Conven tion at Washington and was understood to terminate with it." These statements betray a singular want of memory on the part of General Scott. It is scarcely credible that thief very joint note, presented in such odious Colors, was submitted to General Scott oq the very day it was prepared, (January 29th), and met his entire approbation. I wduld not make this assertion. if 1 did not possess conclusive evidence to prove it: On that day Secretary bolt addressed me a note, from which the following is an extract "I have the satisfaction of saying that on submitting the paper to General Scott he expressed himself satisfied with it, saying that there could be no objectiori to the ar rangement in a military point'of view or otherwise." This requires no - ,co,mment. That the General had every reason to be satisfied with the arrangement will appear from the following statement: A revolutionary outbreak had occurred in Florida ; the troops of the United States had been expelled from Pensacola and the adjacent Navy Yard; and Lieut. Slem mer, of the Artillery, with his brave little command, bad been forced to take refuge in Fort Pickens, where he was in immi nent danger every 'moment of being cap tured by a vastly superior force. Owing to the interruption of regular communica, Lions, Secretary Holt did not receive in formation of these events until several days after their occurrence and then through a letter addressed to a third per son. He immediately informed the Pres ident of the fact and reinforcements, pro visions and military stores were, dispatch ed by the Brooklyn to Fort Pickens, with out a moment's unnecessary. delay. She, left Fortress Monroe on the 24th of Janu ary. Well-founded apprehensions, however, were entertained at the time of her de parture that the reinforcements, with the vessels of war at no great distance from Fort Pickens, could not arrive in time to defend it against the impending attack. In this state of suspense and whilst Lieut. Skinnier was in extreme peril; Senators Slidell, Huuter and Bigler recei'ed a tel egraphic dispatch from Senator i Mallory, of Florida, dated at Pensacola, on the 28th January, with the urgent request that they should lay it before the President. This dispatch expressed an earnest desire to maintain the peace, as well as. the most positive assurance that no attack would be mane on Fort Pickens if the present status should be preserved. This proposal was carefully considered, both with a view to the safety of the Fort and to the unhappy effect which pan actual collision, either at that or any other point, might produce on the Peace COnvention then about to assemble at Washington. The result was that a joint dispatoh • was carefully prepared by the Secretaries of War and Navy, - accepting the proposal, with :important. modifications, which was transmitted by telegraph, on the 9th Jan uary, to Lieut. Slemmer and to the naval commanders near the. , station. it is too long for transeriptiori- suffice it to say it wasvalefUlly guardod 'at every, 00illt for the s curity of the Fort and its free coin maul ation with Wittihington. Th result waehighly fortunate. The. Broo.lm hait.4 Ong passage. Although t4hrf iift . : . -Pukirea t ti - Monroe on the 24th• Janu rye shii_.:did not arrive at Pensacola until the fitlilFebruary In ihe meantime Fort 'ickene;.'with Lieut. Slemmer (whose conduct deservis high commendation,) and is brave little band, were placed, by virtue of this arrangement, in perfect se- r until an adequate force had arrived fend it 'against any attack. The tort h in our, possession. Well might Scott have expressed his satisti3c ith this arrangement. The General curit • to dd sti Gen. tion • orient iti his supposition that this ement was'to expire on the termi , of the Peace Convention. V. But we now come to an important perio., when dates will be essentially necessary to disentangle the statement of Gen. Scott. The South Carolina Corn missi.ners were appointed on the 22d, and .rrived in Washington on the 27th Dece ber. The day atter their arrival it was unounced that Major Anderson had rein .ed from Fort Moultrie to Fort er. This rendered them furious. he same day they addressed an angry to the President demanding the sur u. of Fort Sumter. The President :red this letter on the 30th Decem a peremptory refusal. This brought a reply from the Commissioners on January, 1861, of such an insulting Sum 1 OLi ,I lette rend: 1 1 I' ) Ts e l r ' b v torthl the ..1 , :cter, that— the President instantly re. .d it to them with the following en : ment: "This paper, just presented e Preilidea, is of such a character, he declines to receive it." From time forward, all friendly, political personal intercouse finally ceased en the revolutionary Senators and resident, and he was severely attack them in the Senate, and especiAlly Ir. detterson Davis. Indeed, their ourse had previously been of the st character ever since the Presi li anti-secession message at the cum venseut of the session of Congress. rider these changed circumstances. 1 Scott, by note on Sunday, the 30th sniber. addressed the following inquiry President: Filli the President permit Gen. Scott, mat reference to the War Department. otherwise as secretly as possible, to two hundred and fifty recruits from York harbor to reinforce Fort Sum ogether with some extra muskets or ammunition, and subsistence? It is 14ed that a sloop of-war and cutter may: be ordered for the same purpose to morrow... l'lle General seems nut to have known thea that Mr. Floyd was out of otlice. N , ver did a request meet a more prompt eom liance. It was received on Sunday evening, December 36th. On Monday utor ling I gave instructions to the War and Navy Departments, and on .Slonday evemng Gen. Scott came to congratulate me that the Secretaries had issued the nec4ssary orders to the army and navy officers, and that they were in his posses sion. The Brooklyn, with troops, mili• . . storks, and provisions, was to sal hwith from Fortress Monroe for Fort, ter. I am, therefire, utterly at a loss magine why the (;eueral, in his state t, should have asserted "that the h Carolina Cornmissioners bad already many days in Washington, and no ement of defence ion the part ()l i the el States) was permitted." These missionerk arrived in Washington on ) 7th December,_ Gen. Scott's request made to the President on the 30th. 'OA complied with on the 314, and a le day is all that represents the "many of the General. gain, General Scott asserts, in the face hese facts, that the President refused How any attempt to be made to reti e Fort Sumter—because he was hold negotiations with the South Carolina imissioners. 4.nd still again, that erwards Secretary Holt and myself ' , armed, iu vain, to obtain a ship-of for the purpose, and were finally • ed to employ the passenger steamer rof the West.'" Will it be believed the substitution of the "Star of the West" for the powerful war steamer dsl)n, of which he now complains, we, the advice of General Scott himself? tve never heard this doubted until I the statement. t the interview already referred to be t the General and myself, on the ring of Monday, the 31st of December, I b Ti Ot ego ly : von ggested to him that, although I had received the South Carolina Commis• era in their official capacity, but mere private gentlemen, yet it might be idered an improper act to send the klyn with reinforcements to Fog, er until. I had received an answer I t them to uiy letter of the preceding that the delay could not continue than tarty-elght hours incurred in this suggestion as gentle ly and proper, and the orders were not smitted to the Brooklyn on that even- My anticipations were correct, for .. . ly e Mal tra ing. he morning of the 2d of January I re led their insolent note, and sent it back em. In the meantime, however, the ,eral had become convinced, by the esentations of a gentleman whom I ear to name, that the better plan, as ecretaries of War and the Navy in .ed me, to secure secrecy and success reach the fort, would be to send a fast wheel merchandise steamer from New with the reinforcement. Accord- ingl: the Star of the West was selected for this duty. The' substitution of this mer can .le steamer for the Brooklyn, which wou d have been able to defend herself in cast of attack, was reluctantly yielded by me o the high military Judgment of Gen. Scot. T. a change of programme required a brie • space of time; but the Star of the We• left New York for Charleston on the eve . ing of the 4th of January. On the vet. day, however, when this ill-fated ilt steer left New York, a telegram was disp tched by Gen. Scott to Col. Scott to con termand her departure; but it did not reac its destination until after she had gon to sea. The reason for this counter man shall be stated in the language of Sec tary Holt, to be found in a letter ad dres ed by him to Mr. Thompson, the late Seer tary of, the Interior, on the 6th of Max h, 18111:, and published in the Na tion 1 Intelligencer. Mr. Holt says: _ he countermand spoken of (by Mr. peon) was not more cordially sane d by the President*than it was by Gen. and myself ; not because of any die from the order on the part of the it Tho tion Sco sent dent, but because of a letter received lay from Major Anderson, stating, in that he reg . arded himself secure in isition ' • and yet more from intelli , which late on Saturday evening (sth ary, 18610 reached the Department, a heavy battery had been erected g the sand hills at the entrance to eston harbor, wi&ch would probably y any unarmed vessel (and such was ar of the West) which might attempt ke its way to Fort Sumter. This im nt information satisfied the Govern. that there was no present necessity nding reinforcements, and that when they should go, not in a vessel of erce but of war. Hence the cowl , nd was dispatched by telegraph to ark, but the vessel had sailed a time before it reached the officer Scott) to whom it was addressed." corn term New short Col. atement of these facts, established : tes, proves conclusively that the 4 en t was not only willing but anxious p briefest period to reinforce Fort r. A :1 by d: Presi. in th Saint. ;the 4th of January, the day before :parture of the Star of the West from ork, as General Scott in his state- E, ['mita, succor was sent to Fort Tay isv West, and to Fort Jefferson, Tor i eland, which reached these points e for theii security. He neverthe eculates on the consequences which have followed had the reinforce not reached their destination-in due and even expresses the extraordi- meat 1 lor, 91 tugp-s I in Ito less s migbt mental nary opinion that, with the possession of these,forts,tA'the rebels might have pur chased an early recognition.' ' • I shall, heat advert to the statement that the eirpedition under Capt. Ward, "of three or. four small steamers belonging to the Coast Survey," was kept back by something like a truce or armistice, [made here,] embracing Charleston and Pensa cola harbors, agreed upon between the late President and certain principal seceders of South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, &c. And this truce lasted to the end of the administration." Thing--altogether distinct in their nature are often so blended in this statement that it is difficult to sep arate them. Such is eminently the case in connecting the facts relative to Charleston with Pensacola. Having already treated of the charge of having kept back reinforcements.from Pensacola, I shall now say something of the charge of having also kept them back from Charleston. Neither a truce, nor quasi truce, nor anything like it, was ever concluded between the President and any human authority concerning Charleston. On the contrary, the South Carolina Com missioners, first and last, and all the time, were informed that the President could never surrender Fort Sumter, nor deprive himself of the most entire liberty to send reinforcements to it whenever it was be lieved to be in danger, or requested by Major Anderson. It is strange that Gen. Scott was not apprised of this well known fact. It was then, with some astonish ment, that I learned from the statement of the General that he had, on the 12th - March, Ist;1, advised that Major Ander son should be instructed to evacuate the fort as soon as suitable transportation could be procured to carry himself and his command to New fork. A military ne cessity for a capitulation may have existed in case there should be an attack upon the fort, or a demand for its surrender ; but surely none such could have existed for its voluntary surrender and abandonment. Probably that to which the General means to refer was not the quasi, but the actual truce of arms concluded at Charles ton on the 11th ofJanuary, Iso; 1, between Governor Pickens and Major Anderson, without the knowledge of the President.— It was on the 9th of .1 anuary that the Star of the West, under the American flag, was tired upon in the harbor of Charleston, by order of Governor Pickens. Immediately after this outrage, Major Anderson sent a flag to the Governor, stating that he pre sumed the act had been unauthorized, and for that reason be had not opened fire from Fort Sumter on the adjacent batteries ; but demanding its disavowal, and, if this were not sent in a reasonable time he would consider it war, and fire on any ves sel that attempted to leave the harbor.— wo days after this occurrence, on the 11th January, Governor Pickens had the au , dacity to demand of Major Anderson the surrender of the tort. In his answer of the same date, the Major made the following proposition : "Should your excellency deem fit, previous to a resort to arms, to refer this matter to Washington, it would afford me the sincerest pleasure to depute one of my officers to accompany any mes senger you may deem proper to be the bearer of your commnnd. This proposi tion was promptly accepted by the Gov ernor, and, in pursuance thereof, he sent on his part, Hon, J. W. Rayne, the Attor ney General of South Carolina, to Wash• t ngton, whilst Major Anderson deputeci Lieutenant Hall, of the United States ar my, t.i accompany him. These gentlemen arrived together in Washington, on the evening of the 13th January, when the President obtained the first knowledge of he transaction. But it will be recollected that no time intervened between the return of the Star of the West to New ork and the arrival of the messenger bearing a copy of the truce at Washington, within which it would have been possible to send reinforcements to Fort Sumter.— Both events occurred about the same time. Thus a truce, or suspension of arms,was concluded between the parties, to con tinue until the question of the surrender of the fort should be decided by the Pr si dent. Until this decision Major Anderson hadlaced out of his own power to ask for reinforcements,and equally out of the power of Government to send them without viola tion of public faith. This was what writers on public law denominate "a partial truce under which hostilities are suspended only in certain places, us between a town and the army besieging it." It is possible that the President, under the laws of war, might have annulled this truce upon due notice to the opposite party ; but neither Gen. Scott nor any other person suggested this expedient. This would have been to cast a reflection on Major Anderson, who beyond question, acted from the highest and purest motives. Did Gen. Scot:ever propose to violate this truce during its ex istence'? It he did, I am not now, and never was, aware of the fact. Indeed I think he would have been one of the last men in the world to propose such a meas ure. lie prompt Col. [Layne did not deliver the letter which he bore from Governor Pickens,demanding the surrender of the fort, tolthe President, until the 31st of January. The documents containing the reasons for this worrying delay were communicated to Congress in a special message of the Bth of February, to which I refer the reader. On the 6th of February the Secretary of War, under the instructions of the President, gave a per emptory refusal to this demand in an able and comprehensive letter, reviewing the whole ;subject. explaining and justifying the conduct of the President throughout. Its conoloding sentence is both eloquent and emphatic. "If, (says Mr. Holt,) with all the multi plied proofs which exist of the Presi dent's anxiety for peace, and of the earn estness which he has pursued it,the authori ties of that State shall assault Fort Sum ter and imperil the lives of the handful of the brave and loyal men shut up within its walls, and thus plunge our country in to the horrors of civil war, then upon them and those they represent must rest the re sponsibility." The truce was then ended, and General Scott is incorrect in statirg "that it lasted to the end of that Administration." An expedition was quietly fitted outat New York under the supervision of Gen. Scott, to be ready for any contingency. He arranged its details, and regarded the re inforcements thus provided for as suffi cient. This was ready to sail for Fort Sumter on five hours' notice. It is of this expedition that Gen. Scott thus speaks : "At that time, when this (the trace) had passed away, Secretaries Holt and Toucey, Captain Ward, of the navy, and myself, with the knowledge of the Presi dent, settled upon the employment, under the Captain, of three or four steamers be longing to the Coast Survey, but he was kept back by the truce." A strange inconsistency. The truce had expired with Mr. bolt's letter to Colonel Hayne on the sth of February, and Gen eral Scott, in his statement, says : "It would have been easy to reinforce the fort down to about the 12th of February." Why, then, did not the reinforcements proceed ? This was simply because of communications from Major Anderson.— It was most fortunate that they did not proceed; because the three or four small steamers which were to bear them would never have reached the fort, arid in the attempt must have been captured or de stroyed. The past inadequacy of the force provided to .accomplish the object was demonstrated by information received from Major Anderson at the War Depart ment on the last day of the Administra tion. I purposely forebear at present to say more on this subject, lest I might, howev er unintentionally, do injustice to one or more of the parties concerned, in conse quence of the brevity required by the nature of this communication. The facts. relating toit, with the appropriate accom paniments, have been fully presented in a historical review, prepared a year ago, which will ere long be published. This review contains a sketch of the four last . ,i,:.:--- A l l months of my A:dininialt*on. It is atn partial; at least such is mi'bonest?con'iib tion. That it has not yetlieen published has arisen solely from, ari.-apprehension, no longer - :entertaiiind, that something therein might be unjustly :preverted into an interference with the Goveinment in a vigorous prosecution of the war tor the maintenance of the Constitution and the restoration of the Union 1 which was far,' very far, from my' intention. After a careful retrospect, I can solemn ly declare before God and my country that I cannot reßroach myself with any act of commission or omission since the existing trouble commenced: I have never doubted that my coUntrymen would y et do mejustice. In my special message of the Bth of Janu ary, 1801,1 presented a full and fair ex position -of the alarming condition of the country, and urged* Congress either to adopt measures of compromise, :or, fail ing in -this to prepare for the last alterna tive. In both aspects my recommendation was disregarded. I shall close this docu ment with) a quotation of the last sentences of that message, as follows : `•ln conclusion, it may be permitted me to remarklthat I have often warned my countrymen of the dangers which now i surround s. This may be the last time I shall refs to Ole subject officially,. I feel that my d ty has been faithfully, though it may be iMperfecily, performed; and what ever the result mayle; I shall carry to my grave the j nonscionsness that I at least meant well for my country." ' i Your obedient servant, JAMES BUCHANAN. Wheatlan 1, near Lancaster, Oct. 28, 1882. THE ,DE AMA. The legitimate drama has possession Of our stage again, with Mr. C. W. Couldock and his interesting daughter as its chief renresentittives; and we are pleased, too, that their delineations of character are being witnessed by unusdally large and attentive audiences. Mr. Couldock is an artist of peculiari ties, marlied and distinct as any we have seen. His excellencies and blemishes are peculiarl . his own. '1 hose traits which render him remarkable in a certain line of character totally disqualify him for a suc cessful personation of others. Judgment and feeling are his specialities, and they prepondqate in all his delineations. He cannot play Richard the Third, nor Sir Giles Overreach, like the elder Booth; but that great tragedian would make a sorry comparisoti with Mr. Couldock ,in Luke Fieiding or John Mirdinay. Where the domestic, honest, blunt and affection ate hero is painted, as in the case of Field ing, it finds in Mr: Couldock a represent ative without a rival—at least upon the American stage. The class of characters such as the two to which we hard Alluded, and Peter Pro bity, in the Chimney Corner, have been by Mr. Couldock moulded into a separate and distinct department of the drama. They conatitute a role of themselves, and he, their representative, is as peculiar as they. They are new and singular, both in plot and action, and he appears peculi arly qualified tb properly appreciate and represent them. The authors of these pieces have disregarded all precedent in preparing them, and Mr. Couldock is just as original in acting them. Everything like stage tradition is disregarded by both author and actor; and while the former has added something to the literatpre of the drama, the latter has constituted him self its sole reprerientative. There is but one Luke r Fielding, and but one represen tative of similar.characters, and he is Mr. Couldock, now at the Pittsburgh Theatre. There is quite a variety of other charac ters in Which Mr. Couldock is excellent, if not s 9 great as he is in Fielding. His performance of Richelieu, last evening, was marked by a perception of the author, true to his creation of the wily Cardinal; while the delineation of the part was lull of disCrichination and effect. On Tuesday, Nov, 4th, at lOo'clock a in.; MIN NIE LOUISA, only daughter of Capt. I'dward and Annie Louisa Evans, aged 2 yens. 7 months and 19 days. The funeral will take place this day at 3 o'clock p. from zesidence tat Penn street above Me chanic, 113 Cindinnati commercial, copy. On Tuesday morning. at 6 o'clock p 111., SARAH JANE. wife cf Victor Harp, aged 30years 4 mos. The Fu seal will take place on Thursday morn ing Nov. th. at 8 o'clock,from her late residence nesr the German Catholic Church, BirMingham, DIED Cl 00 CIDER ALL THE YEAR l$• ROUND.: Sulphite of Lime will preserve Cider for any lengi of time. litirectio'oo for ifs ooe.—Take one quarter of an ounce for every gallon of Cider, or ten ounces of the Sulphite to every barrel of forty gallons—first mixing it With some Cider or water. ,After a few days draw off the Cider carefully into' another barrel. For sale in bottles containing a sufficient quan titybarrel of Cider by f° " 4l 1- SALON JOHNSTON: oc2o corner Smithfield and Fourth streets. THE I WM. PENN' HOUSE FOR RENT. ZHE tiIIUBSCRIBEIII. WILL RENT His property and sell his Punuture of that old established W.H. PENN HOUSE, on Penn skeet, near the canal bridge. The house is well situated and near tho location of the new depot of the Pennsylvania Central Railroad. land has a good run of custom at the Present time. SALVADOR SLOCUM. n 04.6 wd PUFF BOXE4 PUFFF BOXES PUFF BOXES I am in receipt of a superior lot of fine Puff Box es. Those wishing anything in thisline should ca'l and examine my stock before purchasing else -where. JOSEPH FLEMING. JOSEPH FLEMING, corner of t'e Diamond and Market street. no 3 corner of the Diamond and Market Street. SUPERIOR SODA ASH a! POT ASH Superior SodaAati and Pot Ash, Superior Soda Aah and Pot Ash, Superior Soda Ash and Pot Ash, AT JOSEPH FLEMING'S JOSEPH FLEMING'S, comet of the Diamond and Market street corner of the Diamond and Market street. no 3 GOOD CIDER ALL THE YEAR round ' y the use of EUT.itAL SULPHITE OF LIME. Call and procure . a circular, with directions for using it. The Best and most Reliable Article, EA. Put up in bottles sufficient tor one barrel of Cider. For sale at . JOSEPH FLEMING S. JOSEPH FLEMING'S., Corner Of the, Diamond and Market Streets. Corner of the Diamond and Market Streets, 003 SOLDIERS, FAMILIES, CAN SAVE MONEY BY BUYING THEIR BOOTS anti SHOES M'CLELLANWS AUCTION, NO. 55 FIFTH STREET, no! Tb-DAY'S ADVERTISEMENTS ULECTIVIIE AT THE AMON CIT COLLEGE. corner of Penn and Bt. OJair streets. Wednesday morning atH A.M. FIXED CAPITAL. NOTICE!!! ANOTHER NEW STOOK OF BOOTS and SHOES, JUST RECICTWED . AT CONCERT - HALL SHOE STORE. AND WILL BE SOLD CHEAP AS EVER lERSONSI :WISHING ANl , 7Am° IN P that Idle will find it to tbeir interest and to the interest of their pciaketa to give us a call be fore purchasing el.sewhere, and we will convinoe that YOU • , . ONEERT HALL SHOE STORE, is the place to Nu Your Boots and Roes.— They are direct from the Manufacturer and war ranted to be first class goods. Mens', Misses, Womens and Children's work of all kind kept constantlt on hand and at prices to suit toe times. TOTBE PUBLIC • Daily arrivals, by Express and RailroLl, of • NEW GOODS ! AT , . Itlacruni. Glyde7s, NO. 78 MARKET STREET. Latest style's of TRIMMINGS, YMBROIDER IES, COLLARS, Handkerchiefs, Laces, Fancy Goods, Read Nets, Patterns, Shirts, Corse% &e. Large assortments of Hosiery, Motes. lkin .shing GON:I9 for Ladies and Gentlemen, and Children; Pins, Needles, Thieado, and other small wares. - We invite the special attention of Wholesale and Retail besets, confident that we tan meet ev ery want in price and variety. . MACRUNI &(GLYDE, not 78 Market st...bet. 4th and Diamond. SECOND LOT OF SECOND-HAND PIANOS & MELODEONS, EAL BARGAINS, AROSNWOOD Oil TA VE PIANO, - round corners, made by Chickering & Pons. only 23i; years 0.1: a very fine instrument 00 A Rosewood 6% octave Plana same as above 200 Ft osewood 6% octave Piano, Chicktring& ' Sons, about 4 yrs old, in firdvatecondivon 185 A Rosewood ox i octave Piano made by 13004 , maker, Philadelphia, !wood . Piano 150 A Roaewood octave Piano, iron frame. made by Hallet,Davis &Co in good order l4O A Rosewood 6%octave upright Piano, made by Gilbert. Boston, 125 A Mahogony 6 octave Piano, made by Etod art & o.„ a very good instrument, 120 • A Mdbogony 6 octave Piano, N. Y. mate 85 A Walnut 6 octave Piano, Lease 75 A Mahogony 6 octave Piano, Loud & Bro. 45 A Mabogony - 534 octave Piano "20 A Mahogony 0 octave Piano -20 A Rosewood 5 octave Piano style Melodeon made by Mason g Hamlin , as good es new 70 A Rosewood 5 octave Piano style Melodeon made by Carbardt 60 A Rosewood 5 octave Purtable Melodeon made by Carhardt—o 875 . 25 Sok sale by .JOllll H. MIELLOIt 9 cloi 81 Wood street. DI - vIDEND. Pirreaugag, November 4.1862. IRE WESTERN INSURANCE COE- N. PANY of Pittsburgh, has this day declared a Dividend of TWO AND A HALF DOLLARS per share un its capital stook, oat of the earned premiums of toe last six moats. pas able on and after the 11th. , P. W. GORDON. Sec'y. nos:2lvd MEROIfiNTS AND MACIIPACTIIItERS' BA NC Pittsburgh. Nov. 9,166 . 2 THIS BANK HAS THIS BAY DE GLARED a dividend of FOUR PEtt CENT. on its capital stock out of the profits for the last six months, free of all taxes, ;payable on or after the 14th inst. W. If. DENNY, Cashier.: nay ilexu or Prrysairaosi. Pittsburgh, Nov. 4, 1862. A DIVIDEND OF FOUR PER CENT. -tR„ (4 on the capital stock of this Bank, for the past siic months, has beon declared this day, and will be payable to the stoosho'ders i r their lentil' representatives on or after the 14th inst • This dividend will be free of the United btates tax, the Bank having mutinied the payment of the same to the Government. JOIIN HARPER, no4;3td<w. .Cashier. - - MAOHAN BANS} Pittsburgh, Nov. 4.1862. 111111 FIE MECHANICS' RANH HAS THIS AL day declared a Dividend of . FGUR. CENT, on the capital stock -exolusiVe of 0 098111- m3nLiax) payable to the Stockholders on or after the 14th inst. -G O. D. McGREW, Cashier. nos ALLIGHENY BANE.). Pittsburgh. Nov. 4,1862. IWE PRESIDENTADD DIRECTORS L f this Bank, have this day declared a diva dead of FOUR PER CENT. on the eapl al stock, payable to Stockholders. or their legal represen tatives on and after the 14th inst, free of (loyern- meat tax. - J. W. COUR. Cashier. no4td. NEW STYLE'S IN SHAWLS JUST OPENED AT W. & D. ,HUGUS 9 , LONG WOOL SHAWLS, Square Wool p.hawl, NEW STYLE STRIPED BROCHE SHAWLS, • IN LONG AND SQUARE. MISSES LONG WOOL SHAWLS. MISSES SQUARE WOOL SHAWLS, CHILDREN'S LONG AND splint WOOL SHAWLS. NEWEST, STYES IN - Lathes', Misses and °blithe& HOOP MIMES. no 4. 04'1'8.-2" BEIStIELS PANE OATS Justreceiva and for sale by • " • ' " JAS. A.LETZEIL nal Corner market and Fast street 4' F it it * l s an Fn YFC, just _received and Web; REIMER W o odOB. no 3 N 05.1126 and.l23 streat. F E LT SHOES SHOES FOR LADIES AND GENTS, W. E . ._151C111111111117, ('O., .31 111TH STitlat SHOES
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers