Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/72

 62 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Buchanan still hesitated, and Mr. Barnwell said to him at least three times during the interview : " But, Mr. President, your personal honor is involved in this matter ; the faith you pledged has been violated, and your personal honor requires you to issue the order." Mr. Barnwell pressed him so hard upon this point, that the Presi- dent said : " You must give me time to consider ; this is a grave question."

Mr Barnwell repeated to him for the third time: " But, Mr. Presi- dent, your personal honor is involved in this arrangement." Where- upon, Mr. Buchanan, with great earnestness, said : " Mr. Barnwell, you are pressing me too importunately — you don't give me time to consider — you don't give me time to say my prayers ; I always say my prayers when required to act upon any great state affair." 1

The interview terminated without getting an order to restore the status of the troops in Charleston harbor.

The commissioners the next day addressed him a communication more plain than diplomatic, in which they reviewed very fully his pledges not to allow any change in the status of the forts in Charles- ton harbor. After reading their communication, he returned it to them with an endorsement: The communication was not respectful ; that he would not receive it

General Floyd declared when he first heard of Anderson's removal that if the President did not order him back to Moultrie that he would resign his position as Secretary of War, and he did resign be- fore the commission left Washington.

The circumstances which transpired during the eventful week that the commission was in Washington satisfied us that General Floyd ] never gave Major Anderson any orders to remove, and that if such j orders were communicated to him in Floyd's name, or from the War Department, such orders were issued clandestinely and without Gen- eral Floyd's knowledge. *****

There was no formal vote passed in the Convention with reference to the course that was to be pursued by the State towards the forts in Charleston harbor as to occupying them. After the communication already referred to, by Mr. Miles to the Convention, it was tacitly en- dorsed ; many members of the Convention believed that the commis- sioners to Washington would be able to negotiate amicable terms of separation between South Carolina and the United States. It was supposed that such negotiations might occupy several weeks, and not until the commissioners reported a failure in the purposes of the mission did the Governor or any member of the Convention con-