January 17, 1861, The New York Herald
The news from Washington this morning is of the highest importance. Col. Hayne, the Commissioner from South Carolina, was informed by the President on Tuesday that any communication he had to make must be made in writing. Col. Hayne thereupon withdrew, in order to prepare his propositions, but up to last evening had not sent his communication to the Executive. It is known, however, that Col. Hayne’s mission is to demand the prompt and unconditional surrender of Fort Sumter to the South Carolina authorities; and it is also know that the President will unequivocally and emphatically refuse to comply. Furthermore, it is known that the President has desptched orders to Major Anderson to act entirely on the defensive, but to defend Fort Sumter against any attack to the last extremity. Colonel Hayne asserts that if the fort is not given up oceans of blood will flow. That the South Carolinians will attempt to capture is beyond question. Their chances of success may be judged of upon perusal of a description of the fortification and its means of defence, given in another part of today paper.
We have reports of a terrible state of affairs on the Mississippi river. It is stated that the Mississippi secessionists have planted cannon at various points along the banks of the river, that one steamboat has been denied passage, while others have been overhauled, and that several respectable persons have been compelled to return to the places from whence they started. Although these reports are partially verified by a member of Congress, yet we must have them confirmed before placing implicit faith in them.
In Congress yesterday Messrs. Simmons and Anthony, of Rhode Island, addressed the Senate on the crisis, and on motion of Mr. Clark, of New Hampshire, the Crittenden adjustment was laid on the table by a vote of twenty-five to twenty-three. Subsequently, a motion was made to reconsider the vote, pending which the Senate adjourned. In executive session, the appointment of Mr. Taylor, chief Clerk of the New York Post Office, to the Postmastership, was confirmed. In the House the debate on the crisis was renewed.
The public will doubtless be surprised to learn that Major General Sandford has tendered the whole of the First Division of New York militia to Governor Morgan, and that the offer has been accepted provisionally. Nevertheless, such is the fact, as the correspondence between these officials, which we publish in another column, will show.
The Georgia State Convention met at Milledgeville yesterday, and organized by choosing George W. Crawford chairman, and A. R. Lamar secretary. A committee was appointed to wait on the South Carolina and Alabama Commissioners, and request them to communicate with the Convention. The Convention then adjourned.
A full report of the speech of Gov. Floyd, ex-Secretary of War, at Richmond recently, at a banquet to which he was invited by his admirers, is given on the second page of today’s
Herald. This speech will attract considerable attention from the fact that Gov. Floyd unreservedly reveals the secrets of the Cabinet, of which he was a member, with respect to the designs of the administration relative to the secession movements of the Southern States. There are but few instances on record of a Cabinet minister out of place revealing State secrets, and the conduct of Gov. Floyd in this regard has been severely […..] upon by all parties.
We publish in another column a circular letter from prominent bishops and clergymen of the North, addressed to the clergy and laity of the South, in which they counsel a calm, discriminating investigation of the causes of the perils impending over the country, and a manly, Christian effort, under God to avert them.
There was a rumor about town yesterday that James E. Kerrigan, member of Congress elect from this city, is to be arrested on a charge of treason, under the recent charge of Judge Smalley. The circumstances which led to this rumor are detailed elsewhere in our columns.
The first drill meeting of the Union Volunteers was held last evening at the Mercer House. Subsequent to the drill resolutions were passed disclaiming any political or sectional object.
In the State Senate yesterday the Committee on Federal Relations made an elaborate report on the various resolutions having reference to the disturbed condition of the country. A synopsis of the report, together with the resolutions recommended by the committee, are given in our despatches from Albany. A resolution appointing the 5th of February as the time for electing a United States Senator in place of Mr. Seward was offered, and laid over. Benjamin F. Bruce, of Madison, was chosen Canal Commissioner.