is steamboats, laden with war material
to be used in erecting batteries against us, were allowed to pass and
repass Fort Sumter, not only without opposition, but without even a
protest. Worse than all, he had commenced imprisoning the crews of
merchant vessels for contumacy in refusing to acknowledge his authority
as the head of an independent nation. In vain did these vessels reverse
their flags in a mute appeal to us to use our guns in their defense.
Anderson would do nothing--not even send a communication to the governor
on the subject, although the latter, without authority from the State
Legislature, was thus wielding all the powers of a military dictator.
The enemy were greatly emboldened at our weakness or timidity, and with
good reason, for they saw us stand by with folded arms, and allow
steamboat loads of ammunition and war material to pass us, on their way
to Morris Island, to be used in the erection and arming of batteries to
prevent any United States vessels from coming to our assistance.

Major Anderson was neither timid nor irresolute, and he was fully aware
of his duties and responsibilities. Unfortunately, he desired not only
to save the Union, but to save slavery with it. Without this, he
considered the contest as hopeless. In this spirit he submitted to every
thing, and delayed all action in the expectation that Congress would
make some new and more binding compromise which would restore peace to
the country. He could not read the signs of the times, and see that the
conscience of the nation and the progress of civilization had already
doomed slavery to destruction. If he had taken this view of the
situation, he would have made more strenuous efforts to hold on to the
harbor of Charleston, and the one hundred and twenty millions of
dollars, more or less, spent to regain it might still have formed part
of the national treasury.

The applause which, both in the North and South, greeted his masterly
movement of the 26th of December, made him feel more like an arbiter
between two contending nations than a simple soldier engaged in
carrying out the instructions of his superiors. To show the spirit in
which he acted, it is only necessary to quote from his letter to
Governor Pickens while the rebellion was still pending. He wrote: "My
dear Governor, my heart was never in this war." This sentiment was
repeated by him in letters to other parties, and, strange to say, was
actually sent in the form of an offici