522 



NEW YOEK. 



Inasmuch, however, as no State passed it at 

 that time, it rather confirmed the sentiment of 

 hostility than modified it. Public feeling was, 

 however, in favor of some mode of compromise. 



On the 22d of March the police of New York 

 seized 38 boxes of muskets, shipped for Sa- 

 vannah on the steamer Monticello, in New 

 York, and deposited them in the State arsenal 

 in New York City. On Saturday, the 2d of 

 February, Messrs. D. C. Hodgkins & Sons, of 

 Macon, citizens of Georgia, produced at the 

 Executive office satisfactory evidence that 200 

 of said guns belonged to them as their individual 

 property, (the others were said to belong to 

 Alabama,) and claimed of Governor Brown the 

 protection of the State, of which they were 

 citizens, against the seizure. The Governor 

 immediately wrote to Governor Morgan, and 

 telegraphed the letter, demanding the imme- 

 diate delivery of the guns thus seized to G. B. 

 Lamar, of New York, whom he named as his 

 agent to receive them. The Governor waited 

 till the following Monday evening, and still re- 

 ceived no reply to his demand. He then tele- 

 graphed the operator of the line at Albany, N. 

 Y., to know whether his despatch to Governor 

 Morgan had been received and delivered to 

 him. The operator replied that it had. Gov. 

 Brown then waited till half-past nine o'clock 

 Tuesday night, and still received no response 

 from Gov. Morgan. 



He then determined upon reprisals, and there- 

 fore issued to Col. Jackson the following order, 

 directing the seizure of the vessels named : 



EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, > 

 MII.LEDGEYILLE, GA., Feb. 5, 9| p. M. \ 



I have demanded of the Governor of New York the 

 prompt delivery to my agent, for D. C. Hodgkins & 

 Sons, citizens of this State, of their guns, seized by the 

 police of New York, on board the Monticello, and de- 

 posited in the arsenal of that State. The demand has 

 been delivered to him. He has had a reasonable time 

 and has made no reply. I am determined to protect 

 the persons and property of the citizens of this State 

 against all such lawless violence,at all hazards. In doing 

 BO I will, if necessary, meet force by force. I feel it my 

 duty ia this case to order a reprisal. You will therefore 

 direct Colonel Lawton to order out sufficient military 

 force and seize and hold, subject to my order, every 

 ship now in the harbor of Savannah, belonging to 

 citizens of New York. When the property of which 

 our citizens have been robbed is returned to them, then 

 the ships will be delivered to the citizens of New York, 

 who own them. JOSEPH E. BROWN. 



Col. H. R. JACKSON, Aide-de-Camp, Savannah, Ga. 



In obedience to this order there were seized 

 the barks Adjuster and D. Golden Murray; 

 brigs W. K. Kibby and Golden Lead, and 

 schooner Julia A. Hallock. 



A reply, sent by Gov. Morgan, was received 

 by Gov. Brown after the seizure of the vessels. 

 Meantime the owners of the ships seized made 

 application to Gov. Morgan for redress. He 

 replied as follows : 



STATE OF NEW YORK, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, ) 

 ALBANY, February 9, 1S61. \ 



GENTLEMEN : I received, this morning, a telegraphic 

 despatch from you, stating that your " barque Ad- 

 juster had been seized in Savannah by order of the 

 Government of Georgia, on account of arms detained 



in New York," and asking to be informed " how ia 

 proceed, under the circumstances, in order to avoid 

 loss and detention." 



In answer to your inquiry, I can only say that your 

 remedy is through the United States Courts, or, if you 

 so elect, through the Courts of the State of Georgia, 

 within whose limits the offence of which you complain, 

 is stated to have been committed. In a case of this 

 kind the executive authority of New York can render 

 you no assistance, for the obvious reason that no law 

 of this State has been infringed ; and because the 

 wrong was not perpetrated within its jurisdiction. If, 

 as you state, officials or citizens of Georgia have de- 

 tained your vessels as a measure of retaliation for the 

 alleged seizure of certain arms by the officers of the 

 police of New York, the tribunals of that State, or of 

 the United States, it must be presumed, will determine 

 the acts as entirely unjustifiable, and will afford you 

 ample redress for any loss by detention or otherwise 

 which you may suffer. If your vessel is delayed for 

 any other reason than that suspected by you, it is but 

 fair to assume that the Courts of Savannah will ex- 

 amine into the facts with that impartiality which should 

 characterize all judicial proceedings. 



It is but proper to add that if the detention of the 

 Adjuster is the deliberate act of the constituted author- 

 ities of Georgia, it is equally unjustifiable, and there 

 can be no doubt that, at no distant day, the Federal 

 authorities will obtain full reparation for you for any 

 damages you may sustain ; it not, then the General 

 Government itself, which owes you protection in re- 

 turn for your allegiance, is thereby under the fullest 

 obligation to indemnify you. 



Very respectfully yours, E. D. MORGAN. 



Messrs. FUNCH & MEIDCHE, New York. 



On the same day, however, the following 



despatch was sent : 



NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 1861. 

 To his Excellency, Gov. BROWN : 



The arms have been put at the command of the 

 owners here ; please release all vessels. 



G. B. LAMAR. 



Upon the receipt of the above despatch the 

 Governor immediately issued the following 

 order to Col. Jackson : 



EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, ) 



MlLLEDGEVILLE, Feb. 9, 9 P. M. ( 



I have just received a despatch from G. B. Lamar, 

 my agent in New York, stating that the arms have 

 been put at the commands of the owners. The object 

 for which the seizure was made having been accom- 

 plished, and the rights of the citizens of this State 

 having been vindicated, you will order the vessels 

 seized to be immediately released. 



JOSEPH E. BROWN. 



To Col. HENRY R. JACKSON, Savannah, Ga. 



Governor Brown then returned to Mr. Lamar, 

 at New York, the following despatch : 



EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, } 



MlLLEBGEVILLK, Feb. 9, 9 P. M. f 



The object of the seizure having been accomplished, 

 and the rights of our citizens having been vindicated, 

 I have ordered the release of the vessels. 



JOSEPH E. BROWN. 



To G. B. LAMAR, New York. 



The crisis was now at hand. The new Ad- 

 ministration at "Washington had been five weeks 

 in power, and had made no movement. The 

 congressional elections of Connecticut and 

 Khode Island had taken place on the 1st of 

 April, and the Democrats had gained four 

 members. The elections elsewhere were giv- 

 ing indications of reaction. The garrison at 

 Fort Sumter was nearly exhausted of supplies, 

 and a surrender, until the national affairs 

 should be adjusted, or forcible reenforcement 



