March 22, 1861; The New York Herald
News from Washington.
WASHINGTON, March 21, 1861.
The failure to evacuate Fort Sumter yesterday, as anticipated, is attributed in administration circles to technical reasons merely. It is now said the evacuation will take place immediately.
A crisis will soon arrive. Mr. Seward has been in favor of the evacuation of Fort Sumter. After a great amount of labor, he induced Gen. Scott to issue to the Cabinet an opinion that the fort could not be reinforced. This opinion influenced the other members of the Cabinet, with one exception, who viewed the evacuation as a military necessity. Under this influence the Cabinet were induced to submit their opinions to Mr. Lincoln, who has not yet decided whether to order Major Anderson to evacuate Fort Sumter or not. It is most likely that he will issue the order, inasmuch as the matter has gone so far. But it is useless to disguise the fact that nothing but the exertions of Mr. Seward has brought about this state of things.
Mr. Lincoln is puzzled to understand the strange inconsistency in the despatches of Major Anderson before the inauguration and after. Before it he had plenty of provisions and men; after, he was without provisions, could make no fight without more men, and it would be impossible to get either without employing twenty thousand men for land service and a fleet of war vessels. These two statements have been much discussed, and are yet the difficult point to surmount. It would be useless to disguise the fact that it is whispered in executive circles that Major Anderson is suspected of complicity with the secessionists of South Carolina.
A statement that no reinforcements have been sent South, and that no orders have been issued to reinforce Fort Pickens, is considered reliable.