including money and specie, thirty-
five thousand stand of arms, twenty-six pieces of mountain artillery,
and other military stores.

On the 2nd of March, she seized the revenue cutter "Dodge" and Fort
Brown.

Arkansas seized the arsenal at Little Rock, containing nine thousand
small arms, forty cannon, and a quantity of ammunition.

Virginia, according to the statement of Governor Letcher, would
have seized Fortress Monroe, but that it was firmly held by national
troops.

These were some of the acts of war committed by the seceding states
before the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln.

What was done by the administration of James Buchanan to meet these
acts of war? The answer to this question is a most painful confession
of feebleness, vacillation and dishonor. It was shown conclusively
that Floyd, the Secretary of War, during 1860 transferred from
Springfield and other armories to southern arsenals 65,000 percussion
muskets, 40,000 altered muskets and 10,000 rifles. On the 20th of
October, he ordered 40 columbiads and four 32 pounders to be sent
from the arsenal to the Fort, at Galveston in Texas, the building
of which had hardly been commenced. It was shown by a report of
a committee of the House that the vessels of the United States were
dispersed by the Secretary of the Navy to distant ports, for the
purpose of preventing their use in the defense of the property of
the United States.

The Mobile "Advertiser" said:

"During the past year, 135,430 muskets have been quietly transferred
from the northern arsenal at Springfield alone, to those in the
southern states. We are much obliged to Secretary Floyd for the
foresight he has thus displayed in disarming the north and _equipping
the south for this emergency_."

Jefferson Davis, on January 9, 1860, in introducing into the Senate
a bill to authorize the sale of public arms to the several states
and territories, significantly said: "There are a number of
volunteer companies wanting to purchase arms, but the states have
not a sufficient supply."

This bill was agreed to by the Senate by a party vote, yeas 28,
nays 18. In the House the bill was never reported.

Mr. Buchanan, in his annual message at the beginning of the 2nd
session of the 36th Congress, announced the startling doctrine that
a state could not be coerced by the general government, and said:

"After much serious reflection, I have arrived at the conclusion
that no such power has been del