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1860-'61. DocMMENT No. 28.
War Department, January \Uli, 1860.
Sir : Your letter of the 12th instant addressed to the Pres-ident
of the United States, has by him been referred to this
department, and he instructs me to express his gratification
at the promptitude with which you have ordered the expulsion
of the lawless men who recently occupied forts Johnson and
Ceiswell. He regards this action on the part of your excel-lency,
as in complete harmony with the honor and patriotic
character of the people of North-Carolina, whom you so
worthily represent.
In reply to your enquiry, whether it is the purpose of the
President to garrison the forts of North-Carolina during his
administration, I am directed to say that they, in common
with the other forts, arsenals, and public property of the
United States, are in the charge of the President, and that
if assailed, no matter from what quarter or under what pre-text,
it is his duty to protect them by all the means which
the law has placed at his disposal. It is not his purpose to
garrison the forts to which you refer at present, because he
considers them entirely safe, as heretofore, under the shelter
of that law-abiding sentiment for which the people of North-
Carolina have ever been distinguished. Should they, how-ever,
be attacked or menaced with danger of being seized
and taken from the possession of the United States, he could
not escape from his constitutional obligation to defend and
preserve them. The very satisfactory and patriotic assuran-ces
given by your excellency, justify him, however, in enter-taining
the confident expectation that no such contingency
will arise.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully.
Your obedient servant,
J. HOLT, Secretary of War, ad interim.
His Excellency, John W. Ellis,
Governor of North-Carolina^ Raleigh.
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| Title | Page 1071 |
| Full Text | 1860-'61. DocMMENT No. 28. War Department, January \Uli, 1860. Sir : Your letter of the 12th instant addressed to the Pres-ident of the United States, has by him been referred to this department, and he instructs me to express his gratification at the promptitude with which you have ordered the expulsion of the lawless men who recently occupied forts Johnson and Ceiswell. He regards this action on the part of your excel-lency, as in complete harmony with the honor and patriotic character of the people of North-Carolina, whom you so worthily represent. In reply to your enquiry, whether it is the purpose of the President to garrison the forts of North-Carolina during his administration, I am directed to say that they, in common with the other forts, arsenals, and public property of the United States, are in the charge of the President, and that if assailed, no matter from what quarter or under what pre-text, it is his duty to protect them by all the means which the law has placed at his disposal. It is not his purpose to garrison the forts to which you refer at present, because he considers them entirely safe, as heretofore, under the shelter of that law-abiding sentiment for which the people of North- Carolina have ever been distinguished. Should they, how-ever, be attacked or menaced with danger of being seized and taken from the possession of the United States, he could not escape from his constitutional obligation to defend and preserve them. The very satisfactory and patriotic assuran-ces given by your excellency, justify him, however, in enter-taining the confident expectation that no such contingency will arise. I have the honor to be, very respectfully. Your obedient servant, J. HOLT, Secretary of War, ad interim. His Excellency, John W. Ellis, Governor of North-Carolina^ Raleigh. |
