616 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



an axiom as applied to the relations of independent 

 sovereign States, such as those which had united them- 

 selves under the constitutional compact. 



The Democratic party of the United States repeated, 

 in its successful canvass in 1836, the deduction made 

 in numerous previous political contests, that it would 

 faithfully abide by, and uphold the principles laid 

 down in the Kentucky and Virginia Legislatures of 

 1799, and that it adopts those principles as consti- 

 tuting one of the main foundations of its political 

 creed. 



The principles thus emphatically announced em- 

 brace that to which I have already adverted the 

 right of each State to judge of, and redress the wrongs 

 of which it complains. Their principles were main- 

 tained by overwhelming majorities of the people of all 

 the States of the Union at different elections, especially 

 in the election of Mr. Jefferson in 1805, Mr. Madison 

 in 1809, and Mr. Pierce in 1852. In the exercise of a 

 right so ancient, so well established, and so necessary 

 for self-preservation, the people of the Confederate 

 States in their conventions determined that the wrongs 

 which they had suffered, and the evils with which they 

 were menaced, required that they should revoke the 

 delegation of powers to the Federal Government which 

 they had ratified in their several conventions. They 

 consequently passed ordinances resuming all their 

 rights as sovereign and independent States, and dis- 

 solved their connection with the other States of the 

 Union. Having done this, they proceeded to form a 

 new compact among themselves by new articles of 

 confederation, which have been also ratified by con- 

 ventions of the several States, with an approach to 

 unanimity far exceeding that of the conventions which 

 adopted the Constitution of 1787. They have organ- 

 ized their new Government in all its' departments. 

 The functions of the executive, legislative, and judicial 

 magistrates are performed in accordance with the will 

 of the people, as displayed not merely in a cheerful ac- 

 quiescence, but in the enthusiastic support of the Gov- 

 ernment thus established by themselves ; and but for 

 the interference of the Government of the United 

 States, this legitimate'exercise of a people to self-gov- 

 ernment has been manifested in every possible form. 



Scarce had you assembled in February last, when, 

 prior even to the inauguration of the chief-magistrate 

 you had elected, you expressed your desire for the ap- 

 pointment of commissioners, and for the settlement of 

 all questions of disagreement between the two Govern- 

 ments upon principles of right, justice, equity, and 

 good faith. 



It was my pleasure as well as my duty to cooperate 

 with you in this work of peace. Indeed,"in my address 

 to you on taking the oath of office, and before receiving 

 from you the communication of this resolution, I had 

 said that " as a necessity, not as a choice, we have re- 

 sorted to the remedy of separating, and henceforth our 

 energies must be directed to the conduct of our own 

 affairs, and the perpetuity of the Confederacy which 

 we have formed. If a just perception of mutual inter- 

 est shall permit us to peaceably pursue our separate 

 political career, my most earnest desire will then have 

 been fulfilled." 



It was in furtherance of these accordant views of the 

 congress and the executive, that I made choice of three 

 discreet, able, and distinguished citizens, who repaired 

 to Washington. Aided by their cordial cooperation 

 and that of the Secretary of State, every effort com- 

 patible with self-respect and the dignity of the Con- 

 federacy was exhausted before I allowed myself to 

 vield to the conviction that the Government of the 

 United States was determined to attempt the conquest 

 of this people, and that our cherished hopes of peace 

 were unobtainable. 



On the arrival of our commissioners in Washington 

 on the 5th of March, they postponed, at the suggestion 

 of a friendly intermediator, doing more than giving 

 informal notice of their arrival. This was done with 

 a view to afford time to the President of the United 

 States, who had just been inaugurated, for the dis- 

 harge of other pressing official duties in the organiza- 



tion of his administration, before engaging his atten- 

 tion to the object of their mission. 



It was not until the 12tb of the month that they 

 officially addressed the Secretary of State, informing 

 him of the purpose of their arrival, and stating in the 

 language of their instructions their wish to make to 

 the Government of the United States overtures for the 

 opening of negotiations, assuring the Government of 

 the United States that the President, Congress, and 

 people of the Confederate States desired a peaceful 

 solution of these great questions that it was neither 

 their interest nor their wish to make any demand 

 which is not founded on the strictest principles of 

 justice, nor to do any act to injure their late confed- 

 erates. 



To this communication no formal reply was received 

 until the 8th of April. During the interval, the com- 

 missioners had consented to waive all questions of 

 form, with the firm resolve to avoid war if possible. 

 They went so far even as to hold, during that long 

 period, unofficial intercourse through an intermediary, 

 whose high position and character inspired the hope 

 of success, and through whom constant assurances 

 were received from the Government of the United 

 States of its peaceful intentions of its determination 

 to evacuate Fort Sumter ; and further, that no measure 

 would be introduced changing the existing status prej- 

 udicial to the Confederate States ; that in the event 

 of any change in regard to Fort Pickeus, notice would 

 be given to the commissioners. 



The crooked path of diplomacy can scarcely furnish 

 an example so wanting in courtesy, in candor and di- 

 rectness, as was the course of the United States Gov- 

 ernment towards our commissioners in Washington. 

 For proof of this I refer to the annexed documents 

 marked, taken in connection with further facts which 

 I now proceed to relate. 



Early in April the attention of the whole country 

 was attracted to extraordinary preparations for an ex- 

 tensive military and naval expedition in New York 

 and other Northern ports. These preparations com- 

 menced in secrecy, for an expedition whose destina- 

 tion was concealed, and only became known when 

 nearly completed, and on the 5th, Gth, and 7th of 

 April, transports and vessels of war with troops, mu- 

 nitions, and military supplies, sailed from northern 

 ports bound southward. 



Alarmed by so extraordinary a demonstration, the 

 commissioners requested the delivery of an answer to 

 their official communication of the 12th of March, and 

 the reply dated on the 15th of the previous month, 

 from which it appears that during the whole interval, 

 whilst the commissioners were receiving assurances 

 calculated to inspire hope of the success of their mis- 

 sion, the Secretary of State and the President of the 

 United States had already determined to hold no in- 

 tercourse with them whatever to refuse even to listen 

 to any proposals they had to make, and had profited 

 by the delay created by their own assurances, in order 

 to prepare secretly the means for effective hostile op- 

 erations. 



That these assurances were given, has been virtual- 

 ly confessed by the Government of the United States, 

 by its act of sending a messenger to Charleston to give 

 notice of its purpose to use force if opposed in its in- 

 tention of supplying Fort Sumter. 



No more striking proof of the absence of good faith 

 in the confidence of the Government of the United 

 States towards the Confederacy can be required, than 

 is contained in the circumstances which accompanied 

 this notice. 



According to the usual course of navigation, the 

 vessels composing the expedition, and designed for 

 the relief of Fort Sumter, might be looked for in 

 Charleston harbor on the 9th of April. Yet our com- 

 missioners in Washington were detained under assur- 

 ances that notice should be given of any military 

 movement. The notice was not addressed to them, 

 but a messenger was sent to Charleston to give notice 

 to the Governor of South Carolina, and the notice was 

 so given at a late hour on the 8th of April, the eve 



