Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, who, joining him, drove quickly to the White House.

The President exclaimed, on hearing the news: "My God, are calamities never to come singly? I call God to witness that you gentlemen, better than anybody, know that this is not only without but against my orders. It is against my policy."

He was strongly urged to say that he would "replace matters as he had pledged himself they should remain," and, says Trescot, "he at first seemed disposed to declare that he would restore the status; then hesitated and said he must call his cabinet together, as he could not condemn Major Anderson unheard." Davis, Hunter, and Trescot, together with Floyd,* who subsequently came in, pressed Buchanan with great vigor, but failed because the President had "no official information" on which to base his action. However, he adjourned the appointment to meet the commissioners formally until the next day, hoping to "be able to accommodate them then."

Before the cabinet reconvened next day Floyd received an official telegram from Major Anderson confirming the news brought by the South Carolina commissioners and announcing that he had "abandoned Moultrie because he was certain that if attacked he must have been reinforced or the command of the harbor lost." Anderson was condemned by Buchanan, Thomas, Thompson, and Toucey. Stanton disagreed strenuously, exclaiming: "Mr. President, it is my duty as your legal adviser to say that you have no right to give up the property of the Government, or abandon its soldiers to its enemies; and the course proposed [to give up Sumter

*Floyd came in by request and as he departed, left this paper with Buchanan:

Mr. President:

Council Chamber, Executive Mansion.

It is evident now from the action of the commander at Fort Moultrie that the solemn pledges of this Government have been violated by the action of Major Anderson. In my judgment but one remedy is now left us by which to vindicate our honor and prevent civil war. It is in vain now to hope for confidence on the part of the people of South Carolina in any further pledges, as to the action of the military. One remedy only is left and that is, to withdraw the garrison from the harbor of Charleston altogether. I hope the President will allow me to make that order at once. This order, in my judgment, can alone prevent blood-shed and civil war.

December 27, 1860.

John B. Floyd.

and abandon Major Anderson] is treason and, if followed, will involve you and all concerned in it in treason."

ac

Nevertheless Buchanan met the commissioners on the 28th, cording to agreement. R. W. Barnwell (chairman) laid stress on the fact that the written arrangement of the 9th between the President and the South Carolina congressmen (to make no interference with secession) had been observed in good faith by the people of his State, and that there was no way by which the "violated and forfeited faith" of the President could be restored except to promptly return Anderson and his command to Fort Moultrie. Three times Barnwell declared: "Mr. President, your personal honor is involved. The faith you pledged has been violated and your personal honor requires that you issue that order at once."

The President wavered for some time, but, without question, would have redeemed his pledge to the secessionists if he had not been, as James L. Orr says, "previously screwed up and terrorized by Mr. Stanton, his new attorney-general." The commissioners, on retiring, handed to the President an elaborate paper, officially signed by all of them, giving a full and accurate copy of all secession negotiations and agreements with him, and begging him to make an explanation of his violation of those agreements in order to avoid bringing "to a bloody issue questions which ought to be settled with temperance and judgment." To this paper Buchanan promised a full reply in writing.

As the commissioners withdrew Stanton, accompanied by General Scott, called to see the President. Turning to Scott, Stanton inquired:

"General, will you tell us exactly what position Major Anderson is in from a military point of view?"

"Major Anderson was right in leaving Moultrie," answered Scott. "Sumter is the stronger fortress. In that two hundred men can repel South Carolina and six hundred defy the world."

"Then," earnestly said Stanton to the President, "I hope you will forward those six hundred at once," but they were not sent, although there were nine hundred trained soldiers at Watervliet Arsenal, near Albany, and in the vicinity of New York, of whom six hundred were instantly available.

CHAPTER XVI.

A REMARKABLE MEMORANDUM.

To the letter left with him by the commissioners, who styled themselves "ambassadors," Buchanan prepared a full reply yielding in the main the points they demanded. The proceeding was startling to Stanton, who exclaimed:

These gentlemen claim to be ambassadors. It is preposterous! They cannot be ambassadors; they are law-breakers, traitors. They should be arrested. You cannot negotiate with them; and yet it seems by this paper that you have been led into doing that very thing. With all respect to you, Mr. President, I must say that the Attorney-General, under his oath of office, dares not be cognizant of the pending proceedings. Your reply to these so-called ambassadors must not be transmitted as the reply of the President. It is wholly unlawful and improper; its language is unguarded and to send it as an official document will bring the President to the verge of usurpation.

As this stormy meeting broke up, Floyd handed in his resignation because the President was no longer keeping his "solemn pledges and plighted faith," and was succeeded, as already stated, by Joseph Holt.

Judge Holt says Stanton's "characterization of the South Carolina commissioners as law-breakers and traitors was not aimed at them but at Buchanan, whose relations with those gentlemen had just begun to dawn upon him." They were not "traitors" in the sense in which the term is generally used, because they had been invited to Washington to segregate the property, alienate a portion of the territory, and violate the integrity of the United States by the very person who had just made Stanton a member of the cabinet-President Buchanan himself! Therefore, if they were traitors, Buchanan was a traitor; if they were conspirators, Buchanan was an arch-conspirator-for was he not President of the United States, solemnly sworn to prevent the very thing he had asked these commissioners or ambassadors into the White House to consummate?