Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 28.djvu/190

 184 Siillllni'll Ilixturirul Sufii /// I'li.fHi'x.

no explanation was ever given, simply because there was none that could be given. And Mr. Seward's own memorandum, made by him at the time, shows that he was acting all through this matter with the knowledge and approval of Mr. Lincoln. History affords but few parallels, if any, to such base conduct on the part of those occu- pying the high and responsible positions then held by these men. The only excuse that can be given for this conduct, is that they re- garded it as a legitimate deception to practice in a war n 'Jiich they had then already inaugurated.

LINCOLN ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBLE.

Mr. George Lunt, of Massachusetts, in speaking of the occurences at Fort Sumter, uses this cautiously framed language, as the question of which side commenced the war is one about which the North is very sensitive. As we know, on the yth of April, 1861, President Davis said:

"With the Lincoln administration rests the responsibility of pre- cipitating a collision and the fearful evils of protracted civil war."

And so Mr. Lunt says:

"Whether the appearance of this fleet (the Relief Squadron), under the circumstances could be considered a pacific or hostile demonstration may be left to inference. Whether its total inaction during the fierce bombardment of the fort and its defence continued for days, and until its final surrender, justly bears the aspect of an intention to avoid the charge of aggression, and to give the whole affair the appearance of defence merely, may also be referred to the judgment of the reader.''

The question also occurs, he says

" Whether this sudden naval demonstration was not a palpable violation of the promised ' faith as to Sumter fully kept,' as to be an unmistakable menace of 'aggression,' if not absolute aggression itselj '."

And he further says:

" It should also be considered that when the fleet came to anchor off Charleston bar, it was well known that many other and larger vessels of war, attended by transports containing troops and surf boats, and all the necessary means of landing forces, had already sailed from Northern ports 'destination unknown ' and that very