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cojRREspojNrr>ETsrc ? between the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and the CiMMISSIONERS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. The following correspondence was read in secret session, and from which the in? junction of secresy was removed. Washington, December 28, 1800. Sir :?"We have the honor to transmit to you a copy of the full powers from the Convention of the people of South Caro? lina, under which we are "authorised and empowered to treat with the Government of the United States for the delivery of the forts, magazines, light-houses, and other real estate, with their appurtenances, with? in the limits of South Carolina, and also for an opportionment of the public debt and for a division of all the property held by the Government of the United States, as agent of the Confederated States, of which South Carolina was recently a mem? ber, end generally to negotiate as to all other measures and arrangements proper to be made and adopted in the existing re? lation of the parties, and for the continu? ance of peaee and amity between this Commonwealth and the Government at Washington." In the execution of this trust, it is our duty to furnish you, as we now do, with an official copy of the Ordinance of Seces? sion, by which the State of South Caro? lina has resumed the powers she delegated to the Government of the United States, and has declared her perfect sovereignty and independence. It woidd also have been our duly to have informed you that we were ready to negotiate with you upon all such questions as are necessarily raised by the adoption of this Ordinance, and that we weve pre? pared to enter upon this negotiation with the earnest desire to avoid all unncccssary and hostile collision, and so to inaugurate our new relations as to secure mutual re? spect, general advantage, and a future good will and harmony, beneficial to all the par? ties concerned. But the events of the last twenty-four hours render such an assurance impossible. We came here the representatives of an authority, which could at any time within the past sixty days have taken possession of the lorts in Charleston harbor, but upon pledges given in a manner that we cannot doubt, determined to trust to your honor rather than to its own power. Since, our arrival an officer of the United States act? ing, as we are assured, not only without, but against your orders, has dismantled one fort and occupied another, thus alter? ing to a most important extent the con? dition of affairs under which we came. Until these circumstances arc explained in manner which relieves us of all doubt as to the spirit in which these negotiations shall be conducted, we are forced to sus? pend all discussion as to any arrangements by which our mutual interests might be amicably adjusted. ?And, in conclusion, we would urge upon you the inunediate withdrawal of the troops from the harbor of-Charleston. Under present circumstances, they are a standing menace which rentiers negotia? tion impossible, and, as our recent expe? rience shows, threatens speedily to bring to bloody issue questions which ought to be settled with temperance and judg? ment. We have the honor to be, Very respectfully, Your obedient servants, R. W. BARN WELL, ) ' J. II. ADAMS, > Commissioners. JAMES L. ORK, ) To the President of the United Stal es. Washington', December 30th, 1S00. Gentlemen :?I have had the honor to receive your communication of 28th in? stant, together with a copy of "your full powers of the Convention of the People of South Carolina," authorizing you to treat with the Government of the United States on various important subject there? in mentioned, and also a copy of the Or? dinance, bearing date on the 20th instant, declaring that "the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other States, under the name of the "United States of America," is hereby dissolved. In answer to this communication, I have to say, that my position, as President of the United States, was clearly defined in the Message to Congress on the 3d instant . In that I stated that, "apart from the ex? ecution of the laws, so far as this may be practieaple, the Executive has no authority to decide what shall be the relations be? tween the Federal Government and South Carolina. He has been invested with no such discretion. He possesses no power to change the relations heretofore ex ist in <x between them, much less to acknowledge the independence of that State. This would be to invest a mere Executive offi? cer with the power of recognizing the dis? solution of the Confederacy among our thirty-three Sovereign States. It bears no resemblance to the recognition of a foreign de facto Government involving no such responsibility. Any attempt to do this would, on his part, be a naked act of usurpation. It is, therefore, my duty to submit to Congress the whole question in all its bearings." Such is my opinion still. I could there? fore meet you only as a private gentlemen , of the highest character, and was entirely willing tO" commuuicate to Congress any proposition you might have to make to that body upon the subject. Of this you were well aware: It was my earnest de? sire that such a disjiosition might be made, of the whole subject by Congress, who alone possesses the power, as to prevent the inauguration of a civil war between the parties in regard to the possession of the Federal forts in the harbor of Charles? ton ; and I therefore deeply regret, that, in your opinion "the events of the last twenty-four hours render this impossible/' In conclusion you urge upon me "the immediate withdrawal of the troops from the harbor of Charleston," stating that "under present circumstances they are a standing menace which renders negotia? tion impossible, and as our recent experi? ence show, threatens speedily to bring to a bloody issue questions which ought to be settled with temperance and judg? ment" The reason for this change in your po? sition is that since your arrival in Wash? ington, "an officer of the United States, acting as we (you) are assured not only without, but against your (my) orders,has dismantled one fort and occupied another, thus altering to a most important extent the condition of affairs under which we (you) came." You also allege that you came here "the Representatives of an authority which could at any time within the past sixty days, have taken possession of the forts in Charleston harbor, but which, upon pledges given in a manner that we (you) cannot doubt, determined to trust to your (my) honor rather that to its power. This brings me to a consideration of the nature of those alleged pledges, and in what manner they have been observed- In my Message of the :3d of December last, i stated, in regard to the property of the United States in South Carolina, that it "has been purchased for a fair equivalent by the consent of the Legislature of the State, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, ?fcc, and over these the authority to exercise exclusive legislation, has been expressly granted by the Constitution to Congress. It is not believed tl>at any at? tempt will be made to expel d United States from this property h\ ce ; but if in this T should pmve to e mistaken, the officer in command of the lorts has receiv? ed orders to act strictly on the defensive. In such a contingency, the responsibility for consequences would rightfully vest upon the heads of the assailants." This being the condition of the parlies, on Saturday, 8th December, four of the Repretentatives from South Carolina called on me, and repuested an interview. We had an earnest conversation on the subject of these forts, and the bei means of pre veritirig a collision between the parties, for the purpose of sparing ttie effusion of blood. UiigLrested, for prudential reasons, that it would be best to put in writing what they said to me verbally. They did so accordingly, and on Monday morning, the 10th instant, three of them pmsented to me a paper, signed by all the Repre? sentatives from South Carolina with a sin? gle exception, of which the following is a copy : "2\> His Excellency J<nnc.< BucJianan, President United States: In compliance with our statement to you yesterday, we now express to you our strong convictions thai neither the con? stituted authorities nor any body of the people of the State of South Carolina, will either attack or molest the United States forts in the harbor of Charleston previous? ly to the action of the Convention, and we hope and believe not until an offer has been made through an accredited repre? sentative to negotiate for an amicable ar? rangement of all matters between lite State and the Federal Government, provi? ded that no reinforscments shall be sent into those forts, and their relative military status shall remain as at present. JOIIX McQUEEX. L. M. BONHAM. W. W. B?YCE. LAURENCE M. K KITT. Washington, Oth December, 1800. And here I must, in justice to myself, remark that, at the time the paper was presented to me, I objected to the word "provided," as it might be construed into an agreement on my pat t which I never would make. They said that nothing was further from their intention?they did not so understand it, and I should not so con? sider it. It is evident they could enter into no reciprocal agreement with me on the subject. They did not profess to have authority to do this, and were acting in their individual character. I considered it as nothing more in effect than the prom? ise of highly honorable gentlcnient to ex? ert their influences for the purpose ex? pressed. The event has proven that they have faithfully kept their promise, although I have never since received a line from any one of them, or from any member of the Convention, on the subject. It is well known it was my determination, and this I freely expressed, not to reinforce the forts in the harbor and thus produce: a col? lision, until they had been actually attacked, or until I had certain evidence that; they were about to be attacked. This paper I received most cordially, and considered it as a happy omen that peace might stiJl be preserved, and that time might be thus given for reflection. This is the whole foundation for the alleged pledge. But I acted in the same manner as I would have done had I entered into a positive and for? mal agreement with parties capable of contracting, although such an agreement would have'been ou my part, from the na? ture of my official duties, impossible. The world knows that I have never sent any reinforcements to the forts in Charleston harbor, aud I have certainly never author? ized any change to be made in their rela? tive military status. Bearing upon this subject, I refer you to an order issued by the Secretary of War, on the 11th insr., to Major Anderson, but not brought to my notice until the 21st hist It is as fol? lows : "Memorandum of Verbal Instructions to Major Anderson 1st Artillery, Com? manding Fort Moultric, /South Caro? lina : "You are aware of the great axiety of the Secretary of War that a collision of the troops with the people of this State shall be avoided, and of his studied de? termination to pursue a course with ref? erence to the military force and torts in this harbor which shall guard against such a collision. lie has, therefore, carefully abstained from increasing the force at this point, or taking any measures which might add to the present excited state of the public mind, or which would throw any doubt on the confidence he feels that South Carolina will not attempt by violence to obtain possession of the public works or interfere with their occupancy. "But as the counsel and acts-of rash and impulsive persons may possibly disap? point these expectations of the Govern? ment, he deems it proper that you should be prepared, with instructions, to meet so unhappy a contingency. He has, there? fore, directed me verbally to give you such instructions. "You are carefully to avoid every act which would needlessly tend to provoke agression, and for that reason you are not, without necessity, to take up any po? sition which could be construed into the assumption of a hostile attitude; but you are to hold possession of the forts in this harbor, and if attacked you are to defend yourself to the last extremity. "The smallness of your force will not permit you, perhaps, to occupy more than one of the three forts, but an attack on, or attempt to take possession of either of them, will be regarded as an act of hos? tility, and you may then put your com? mand into either of them which you may deem most proper, to increase its power of resistance. You are also authorized to take similar steps whenever you have tan? gible evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act. D. lV. BUTLER, ''Assistant Adjutant-Gcnsral. ? "FOKTMoULTRlE,S. C, Pec. 11, I860." This is in conformity my instructions to Major Bttell. JOHN B. FLOYD, "Secretary of War." These were the last instructions trans? mitted to Major Anderson before his re? moval to Fort Snmter, with a single ex? ception, in regard to a particular which does not in any degree affect the present question. Under these circumstances, il is clear flat Major Anderson acted upon his own responsibility and without au? thority, unless, indeed, he had "tangible evidence of a design to proceed to a hos? tile act" on the part of the authorities of South Carolina, which has not been al? leged. Still he is a brave and honorable officer, ami justice requires that he should not be condoned without a fair hearing. Be this as it may, when I learned that Major Anderson had left Fort Moid trie and proceeded to Fort Sumter, my first promptings wore to command him to re? turn to his former position, and there to await the contingencies presented in his instructions. This would only have been done, with any degree of safety to the command, by the concurrence of the South Carolina authorities. But before any steps could possibly have been taken in this di rection, we received information that the "Palmetto flag floated out to the breeze at Castle Pinckney, and a large military force went over last night (the 27th) to Fort Moultric." Thus, the authorities of South Carolina, without wailing or asking for any expla? nations, and, doubtless, believing as you have expressed it, that the officer had acted not only without, but against my orders, on the very next day after the night when the removal was made, seized by a military, force, two of the three Fed? eral forts in the harbor of Charleston, ami have covered them under their own Hag, instead of that of the United Slates. At this gloomy period of our history, start? ling events succeed each other rapidly. On the very day, the 27th instant, that possession of these (wo forts Mas taken, the Palmetto flag was raised over the Federal Custom House and, Postoffice in Charlest? u, and on the same day every officer of the Customs?Collector, Naval Officer, Surveyor and appraiser?resigned their offices. And this, although it was well known from the language of my Message, that, as an Executive officer, I felt myself bound (o collect the revenue at the port of Charleston under the existing laws. In the harbor of Charleston we now find three forts confronting each oth? er, over all of which the Federal Hag has iloated only four days ago ; but now, over two of them this flag has been sup? planted, and the Palmetto flay has been substituted in its stead. It is under all these circumstances that I am urged immediately to withdraw the troops from the harbor of Charleston, and am informed that without this, negotia? tion is impossible. This I cannot do ; this I will not do. Such an idea was never thought of by me in any posssible contin? gency. Xo allusion had been made in any communication between myself and any human being. Put the inference is, that I am bound to withdraw the troops from the only fort remaining in the pos? session of the United States, in the har? bor of Charlcsten, because the officer there in command of all the forts, thought proper, without instructions, to change position from one them to another. At this point of writing I have received information by telegraph, from Captain Humphreys, in command of the Arsenal at Charleston, that "it had to-day (Sun? day, the 30th,) been taken by force of arms." It is estimated that the munitions of war belonging to the United States in this Arsenal are worth a half a million of dollars. Comment is needless. After this in? formation, I have only to add, that whilst it is mv duty to defend Fort Surater, as a portion of the public property of the Uni? ted States, against hostile attacks from whatever quarter they may conic, by such means as I may possess for this purpose, I do not perceive how such a defence can be construed into a menace against the city of Charleston. With great personal regard, I remain yours very rcspeetfullv, JAMES BUCHANAN. To Honorable Roiiert W. Barxwell, James II. Adams, James L. Orr. Washington-, P. C, Jan. 1, 1861. Sir:?We have the honor to acknowl? edge the receipt of your letter of the 30th December, in reply to a note addressed by us to you on the 28th of the same month, as Commissioners from South Carolina. In reference to the declaration with which your reply commences, that your "position as President of the United States was clearly defined in the Message to Con Congress on the 3d instant;" that you possess "no power to change the relations heretofore existing" between South Caro? lina and the States, "much less to ac? knowledge the independence ofthat State," and that consequently you could meet us only as private gentlemen of the highest character, with an entire willingness to communicate to" Congress any proposition we might have to make," we deem it only necessary to say that the Slate of South Carolina having, in the exercise of that great right of self-government which un? derlies all our political organizations, de? clared herself sovereign and independent, we, as her representatives, felt no special solicitude as to the character in which you might recognize us. Satisfied that the State had simply ex? ercised her unquestionable right, we were prepared, in order to reach substantial . good, to waive the formal considerations I which your constitutional scruples might j have prevented you from extending. We came here, therefore, expecting to lie re? ceived as you did receive us, ami perfectly content with that entire willingness, of which yon assured us, to submit any pro? position to Congress, which we mi<_rht have to make upon the subject of the In? dependence of tin- Slate. That willing? ness was ample recognition of the condi? tion of the public affiiirs which rendered our presence necessary. In this position, however, it our is duty, both to the Stale which we represent and to ourselves, to correct several important misconceptions of our letter, into ivhieli you have lallen. You say "it was my earnest desire that such a disposition should be made of the whole subject by Congress, who alone possess the power, to prevent the inaugu? ration of a civil war between the patties in regard to the possession of the Federal forts in the harbor of Charleston, and I therefore, deeply regret thai, in your opinion, 'the events of the last twenty four hours render this impossible." " We expressed no such opinion, and the lan? guage which you quote as ours is altered j in its sense by the omission of a most im ! portant part of the sentence. What we did say was : "But the events of the last twenty-four hours render such an assur? ance impossible. "Place that "assurance" as contained in our letter in the sentence, and we are prepared to repeat it. Again, professing to quote our lan? guage, you say: "Thus, the authorities of South Carolina, without. waiting or ask? ing for any explanation, and, doubtless believing, as you have expressed it, that the officer had acted not only without, but against, my orders," &c. We ex? pressed no such opinion in reference to the belief of the people of South Carolina. The language which you have quoted was applied solely and entirely to our as? surances, obtained here, and based, as you well know, upon your own declaration, a declaration which, at that time; it was im? possible for the authorities of South Caro? lina to have known. But, without follow? ing this letter into all its details, we pro? pose only to meet the chief points of the argument. Some weeks ago, the State of South Carolina declared her intention, in the ex? isting condition of public affairs, to secede from the United States. She called a Con? vention of her people to put her declara? tion in force. The Convention met and passed the Ordnance of Secession.. All this you anticipated, and your course of action was thoroughly considered. In your annual Message you declared you had no right, and would not attempt to coerce a seceding State, but that you were bound by your constitutional oath, and would defend the property of the United : States within the borders of South Caro lina, if an attempt was made to take it by force. Seeing very early that this question of property was a difficult and delicate one, you manifested a desire to settle it with? out collision? You did not reinforce the nrarrison in the harbor of Charleston. You o ... . removed a distinguished and veteran offi? cer from the command of Fort Moultrie ' because he attempted to increase his sup ''? ply of ammunition. You refused to send additional troops to the same garrison, when applied for by the officer appointed ?! to succeed him. You accepted the resig nation of the oldest and most eminent member of your Cabinet, rather than al? low the garrison to be strengthened. You compelled an officer stationed at Fort Siunter to return immediately to the Ar? senal forty muskets, which he had taken to arm his men. You expressed, not to one, but to many of the most distinguish? ed of our public characters, whose testi? mony will be placed upon the record, whenever it is necessary, your anxiety for a peaceful termination of this controversy, and your willingness not to disturb the military status of the forts, if Commission? ers should be sent to the Government, whoso communications you promised to submit to Congress. You received and acted on assurance from the highest official authorities of South Carolina that no at? tempt would be made to disturb your pos? session of the forts and property of the United States if you would not disturb their existing condition until the Commis? sioners had been sent, and the attempt to negotiate had failed. You took from the members of the House of Representatives a written memorandum that no such at? tempt should he made, "provided that no reinforcements should be sent into those forts and their respective military status shall remain as at present." And although you attach no force to the acceptance of such a paper?although you " considered it as nothing more in effect than the promise of highly honorable gentlemen," as an obligation on one side without a corresponding obligation on the other, it must be remembered (if we are rightly ' informed) that you were pledged, if you ever did send ? reinforcements, to return it to those from whom you had received it before vou executed your resolution. Von sent orders to vom- officers com? manding them, strictly to follow a line of conduct in conformity with .such an un? derstanding. Besides ali this, you had re? ceived formal and official notice from the j Governor of South Carolina that we had been appointed Commissioners, and were on our way to Washington. You knew the implied condition under which we came: our arrival was notified to you, and an hour appointed for an interview: We arrived in Washington on Wednes? day, at .'? o'clock, and you appointed an interview with us at one the next day. Early on that day (Thursday) the news was received here of the movement of Major Anderson. That news was commu? nicated to you immediately, and you post? poned our meeting until half-pasl 2'o'clock on Friday, in order that you might con? sul! your Cabinet. On Friday we saw you, and we called upon you then to re? deem your pledge. You could not deny it. With the facts we have staled, and in the face of the crowning and conclusive fact that your Secretary at War had re? signed iiis seat in the Cabinet, upon the publicly avowed ground that the action of ."Major Anderson had violated the pledged faith of the government, and that mfuss the pledge was iuslai'uv redeemed he was dishonored, denial' was inipossibhY. You do not deny it now, but you see to escape from its grounds: 1st, That we terminated all negotiation by demanding, as a preliminary, the withdrawal of the United States troops from t he harbor of Charleston ; and 2d, That the authorities of South Carolina, inrtcad of asking ex planation*anc1 giving you the opportunity to vindicate yourself, took the possession of other property of the United States. We will examine both. In the first place, we deny positively that we have ever, in any way, made any such demand. Our letter is in your pos? session ; it will stand by this on record. In it we inform you of the objects of our mission. We say that it would have been our duty to have assured you of our readi? ness to commence negotiations, with the most earnest desire to settle all question's between us amicably ami to our mutual advantage, but that events had rendered that assurance impossible. We slated the events, and we said that, until some satis? factory explanation of these events was given us, we could not proceed, and then, having made this request for explanation, we added, ??And, in conclusion, we would urge upon you the immediate withdrawal of the troops from the harbor of Charles? ton. Under present circumstances, they are a standing menace which renders ne? gotiation impossible," &v. "Under pre? sent circumstances!" What circumstan? ces? Why, clearly the occupation of Fort Sumtcr and the dismantling of Fort Mon!trie by Major Anderson, in the face of your pledges, and without explanation or practical disavowal. And there is nothing in the letter which would or could have prevented you from declining to withdraw the troops and offering the restoration of the status to which you were pledged, if such had been your de? sire. It. would have been wiser and bet? ter, in our opinion, to have withdrawn the troops; and this opinion we urged upon you, but we demanded nothing but such an explanation of the events of the last twenty-four hours as would restore our confidence in the spirit with which the negotiations should be conducted. h\ relation to this withdrawal of'the troops frun the harbor, we are compelled, however, to notice one passage of your letter. Referring to it you say, "This I T will not do. Such an idea was never thought of by me in any possible contin? gency. Xo allusion to it had ever been mude in any communication between my? self and any human being." In reply to this statement we are com? pelled to say it, that your conversation with us left upon our minds the distinct impression that you did seriously contem? plate the withdrawal of the troops from the Charleston harbor. And in support of this impression we would add, that we have the positive assurance of gentlemen of the highest possible public reputation and the most unsullied integrity?men whose name and fame, secured by lorg service ami patriotic achievement, place their testimony beyond cavil,?that such suggestions had been made to and urged upon you by them, and had formed the subject of more than one earnest discus edge that.induced us to urge upon you a , policy which had, to recommend it, it* own -wisdom and the weight of such au? thority. As to the second point, that the authori? ties of South Carolina instead of asking explanations and giving you the opportu? nity to vindicate yourself, took possession* of other property of the United States, we would observe, first, that even if this were so, it does not avail you for defence, * for the opportunity for decision was af? forded you before these facts occurred. We arrived in Washington on Wednes^ day. The news from Major Anderson reached here early on Thursday, and was immediately communicated to you. All that day men of the highest consideration ?men who had striven successfully to lift you to your great office?who had been your tried and true friends through the troubles of your Administration, sought you, and entreated you to act, to act atf once. They told you that every hour compli-' cated your position. They only askect you to give the assurance that if the facts "were so?that if the commander had acted without and against your orders, and- in violation of your pledges?that you would restore the status you had pledged' youf honor t<> maintain. You refused to decider Your Secretary of War?your immediate' and proper adviser in this whole mattet-? wait anxiously for your decision until he felt that delay was becoming dishonor. More than twelve hours passed, and two Cabinet meetings had adjourned, be? fore you what the authorities of Soifth Carolina had done, and your prompt de? cision at any moment of that time would have avoided the subsequent comphcar tions. But if you had known the acts of the authorities of South Carolina, should that have prevented your keeping your faith ? What was the condition of things? For the last sixty days you have had ia Charleston harbor not force enough to hold the forts against an equal enemy. Two of them were empty; one of those, too, the most important in the harbor. It could have been taken any time Yen ought to know better than any mm that, it would have been taken but for the ef-, fort? of those who put their trust in your honor. Believing that they were threatened by Fort Sumter especially, the people wer? with difficulty restrained from securing, without blood, the possession of .this im? portant fortress. After many and reitera? ted assurances given on your behalf, which we cannot believe unauthorized, they de? termined- to- forbear, and in got*? faith sent on their Commissioners to negotiate with you. They meant you in harm; wished you no ill. They thought of you kindly; believed yon true; and were will? ing, as far as was consistent with duty, to spare you unnecessary and hostile collis? ion. Scarcely had their Commissioner* left, than Major Anderson waged war* Xo other words will describe his action. It was not a peaceful change from on? tort to another; it was a hostile act in the highest sense, and only justified in the presence of a superior enemy and in im? minent perl. lie abandoned his position, spiked his gnns, burned his t;ii:i-carriagesv made preparations for the destruction of his post, and withdrew under cover of the night to a safer position. This was wjuv Xo inau could have b:-!ieved (without the assurance) that any officer could have tar ken such :?. step, "not only without order?, but against orders." What the State did was in simple selfrdefence; for this act, with all its attending circumstances, wan as much war as firing a volley; and, war being thus begun, until those commencing it explained their action and disavowed their intention, there was ho room for de? lay, and even at this moment, while we are writing, it- is more than probable from the tenor of your letter, that reinforce? ments are hurrying into the conffict, so that when the first gun shall be *lked, there will have been on your part oneSron tinuons consistent series of actions com? mencing in a demonstration essentially warlike, supported by regular reinforce? ments, and terminating in defeat or victo rv. And all this without the slightest provication; for, among the many- things which yon have said, there is one thing you cannot say?you have waited anxious? ly for news from the seat of war, in hopes that delay would furnish some excuse for this precipitation. lint this "tangible evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act on the part of the authorities of South Carolina," which is the only justification of Major Anderson, you are forced to admit "has not yet been alleged." But you have decided. You have resolved to hold by force what you have obtained through our misplaced con? fidence, and, by refusing to disavow tho action of Major Anderson, have converted his violation of orders into a legitimate act of your Executive authority. Be, the issue what it may, of this we arc assured, that if Fort Mi .iltric has been recorded in history as a memorial of Can> lina gallantry, Fort Sumter will live upon the succeeding pages as an imperishable, testimony of Carolina faith. By your course you have probably ren dered civil war inevitable. Be it so. If" you choose to force this issue upon us the State of South Carolina will accept it, and relying upon 'Him who is the God off Justice as well as the GhkI of Hosts, will endeavor to perform the great duty which, lies before her, hopefully, bravely and thoroughly. Our mission being one for negotiation and peace, and your note leaving us with? out hope of a withdrawal of the troops from Fort Sumter, or of the restoration of the status gjto existing at the time of our arrival, and intimating, as we think;, your determination to reinforce the garrinon in the harbor of Charleston, we respectfully inform you that we purpose returning-, ta< Charleston to-morrow afternoon. We have the honor to be, sir, very re spectfullv, your obedient servants, R. W. BARXWELL, ) J. H. ADAMS, V Commissioners. JAMES L. ORR, > To his Excellency, the President of the United States. The following was the endorsement on? the paper : ExEcanvE Mansion, 3 o'clock. This paper just presented to the Presi? dent, is of such a character that he d?^ cliues to receive it..