Duke University Libraries 
 
 Special message 
 Conf Pam #292 
 

 From the President of the Confederate States, to the 
 Congress, with Accompanying Documents. 
 
 Gentlemen of the Congress: 
 
 In the Message addressed to you on the 2'Jth ult. , 1 refenod to 
 the course of conduct of the Government of the United States 
 towards the Commissioners of this Government, sent to 
 Washington for the puri)ose of effecting, if possible, a peaceful 
 adjustment of the pending difficulties between the two Gov- 
 ernments. I also made allusion to 'an intermediary, Avhosc 
 high position and character inspired the hope of success;" but 
 I was not then at liberty to make my communication on this 
 subject, as specific as was desirable for a full compreliension 
 of the whole subject. It is now, however, in my power to 
 place before you other papers, w^hich 1 herewith address to you. 
 From this you will percfive that the intermediary referred to 
 was the Hon. John A. Campbell, a Judge of the Supreme 
 Court of the United States, who made earnest efforts to pro- 
 mote the successful issue of the mission entrusted to our Com- 
 missioners, and by whom I was kept advised, in confidential 
 communications, of the measures taken by him to secure so 
 desirable a result. It is due to you, to him, and to history, 
 that a narration of the occurrences Avith which he was con- 
 nected should be made known, the more especially, as it will 
 he seen by letters hereto appended, that the correctness and 
 
accuracy of the recital have not been questioned by the Secre- 
 tary of State of the United States, to whom it was addressed. 
 
 I avail myself of this opportunity to correct an error in one 
 of the statements made in ray message of the 29th of April. 
 It is recited there that I was prompted to call you together, 
 in extraordinary session by reason of the declarations con- 
 tained in the proclamation of President Lincoln of the IStli 
 of April. My proclamation convoking you, wasissuid on the 
 12th of x\pril, and was prompted by the declaration of hostile 
 purposes contained in the message sent by President Lincoln 
 to the Governor of South Carolina, on the 8th April. As the 
 proclamation of President Lincoln, of the 15th of April report- 
 ed the same hostile intention in more specific terms and on 
 a mucli more extensive scale, it created a stronger impression 
 on my mind, and led to the error above alluded to, and 
 Avhich, however unimportant, I desire to correct. 
 
 JEFFEPuSON DAVLS. 
 
 Montgomery, May 8, 1861. 
 
 Lctlers from Hon. Jolm A. Cainphell, late Judge of the Supreme 
 Court of the United States, to Hon. Win. H. Seioard, United 
 States Secretary of State. 
 
 Washington City, April 13, 1861, 
 Sm : — On the 15th of March ult., I left with Judge Craw- 
 ford, one of the Commissioners of the Confederate States, a 
 note in writing to the effect following : 
 
 " I feel entire confidence that Fort Sumter will be evacua- 
 ted in the next five days. And this measure is felt as impos- 
 ing great responsibility on the administration. 
 
 '' 1 feel entire confidence that no measure changing the 
 existing status, i)rejudically to the Southern Confederate States, 
 is at present contemplated. 
 
 " 1 feel an entire confidence that an immediate demand for 
 an answer to the communication of the Commissioners will be 
 productive of evil and not of good. I do not believe that it 
 ought, at this time, to be pressed." 
 
3 
 
 The substance of this statement I communicated to you the 
 same evening by letter. Five days ehapsed, and I called 
 with a telegram from Gen. Beauregard to the effect that 
 Sumter was not evacuated, but that Major Anderson was at 
 work making repairs. 
 
 The next day, after conversing with you, I communicated to 
 Judge Crawford, in writing, that the failure to evacuate bumter 
 was not the result of bad faith, but was attributable to causes 
 consistent with the intention to fulfil the engagemement, and 
 that as regarded Pickens, 1 should have notice of any design 
 to alter the existing stratus there. Mr. Justice Nelson 
 was present] at these conversations, three in number, and I 
 submitted to him each of my written communications to 
 Judge Crawford, and informed Judge C. that they had his 
 (Judge Nelson's) sanction. I gave you, on the 22d of March, 
 a substantial copy of the statement I had made on the 15th. 
 
 The 30th of March arrived, and at that time a telegram 
 came from Gov. Pickens, inquiring concerning Col. Lamon, 
 whose visit to Charleston he supposed had a connection with 
 the proposed evacuation of Fort Sumter. 
 
 I left that with you, and was to have an answer the follow- 
 ing Monday, (1st of Apiil.) On the 1st of April I received 
 from you the statement in writing : "(I am satisfied) the Gov- 
 ernment will not undertake to supply Fort Sumter without 
 sivinjr notice to Gov. P." The words '' I am satisfied" were 
 lor me to use as expressive of confidence in the remainder of 
 the declaration. 
 
 The proposition as originally prejiarcd was, " the President 
 may desire to supply Sumter, but Avill not do so," &c., and 
 your verbal explanation was that you did not believe any such 
 attempt would be made, and that there was no design to rein- 
 force Sumter. 
 
 There was a departure here from the pledges of the previ- 
 ous month, but with the verbal explanation, I did not consider 
 it a matter then to complain of. I simjily stated to you that 
 I had that assurance previously. 
 
4 
 
 Ou the 7th day of April I addressed you a letter on the sub- 
 ject of the alarm that the preparations by the Government had 
 created, and asked you if the assurances I had given were well 
 or ill-founded. In respect to Sumter your reply Avas, "Faith 
 as to Sumter, fully kept — wait and see." In the morning's 
 paper I read, " An authorized messenger from President Lin- 
 coln informed Gov. Pickens and Gen. Beauregard that provi- 
 sions will be sent to Fort Sumter — peaceably, or otherioise hy 
 force."' This was t-.e 8th of April, at Charleston, the day 
 following your last assurance, and is the evidence of the full 
 faith I was invited to wait for and see. In the same paper, I 
 read th«t intercepted dispatches disclosed the fact that Mr. 
 Fox, who had been allowed to visit Major Anderson, on the 
 pledge that his purpose was pacific, employed his opportunity 
 to devise a plan for supplying the Fort hy force, and that this 
 plan had been adopted by the Washington Government, and 
 was in process of execution. My recollection of the date of 
 Mr. Fox's visit carries it to a day in March. I learn lie is a 
 near connection of a member of the Cabinet. My connection 
 with tl)e Commissioners and yourself Avas superinduced by a 
 conversation with Justice Nelson. He informed me of your 
 strong disposition in favor of peace, and that you were oppressed 
 with a demand of the Commissioners of the Confederate States 
 for a reply to their first letter, and that you desired to avoid it 
 if possible at that time. 
 
 I told him I might perhaps be of some service in arranging 
 the difficulty. I came to your office entirely at his request 
 and without the knowledge of either of the Commissioners. 
 Your depression was obvious to both Judge Nelson and myself. 
 I was gratified at the character of the counsels you were 
 desirous of pursuing and much impressed Avith your observation 
 that a civil A\'ar might be prevented by the success of my me- 
 diation. You read a letter of Mr. Weed to sboAv how irksome 
 and responsible the withdraAval of troops from Sumter Avas. A 
 portion of my communication to Judge CraAvford on the 15tli 
 March, Avas founded uon these remarks, and the pledge to 
 
evacuate Sumter is less forcible than the words you employed. 
 These words were: Before this letter reaches you, (a proposed 
 letter by me to President Davis,) Sumter will have been 
 evacuated. 
 
 The Commissioners who received those communications, con- 
 clude they have been abused and overreached. The Mont- 
 gomery Government hold the same opinion. The Commis- 
 sioners have supposed that my communications were with you, 
 and upon the hypothesis were prepared to arraign you before 
 the country in connection with the President. I placed a per- 
 emptory prohibition upon this as being contrary to the term of 
 my communications with them. I pledged myself to them to 
 communicate information upon what I considered as the best 
 autliority, and they were to confide in the ability of myself, 
 aided by Judge Nelson, to determine upon tlie credibility of 
 my informant. 
 
 I think no candid man who will read over what I liave 
 written, and consider for a moment what is going on at Sum- 
 ter, but will agree that the equivocating conduct of the Ad- 
 ministration, as measured and interpreted in connection with 
 these promises, is the proximate cause of the great calamity. 
 
 I have a profound conviction that the telegrams of the 8th 
 of April of Gen. Beauregard, and of the 10th of April of Gen. 
 Walker, the Secretary of War, can be referred to nothing else 
 than their belief that there has been systematic duplicity prac- 
 ticed on them through me. It is under an oppressive sense of 
 the weight of this responsibility that I submit to you these 
 things for your explanation. 
 
 V^ery respectfully, 
 [Signed] JOHN A. CAMPBELL, 
 
 Associate Justice of the Supreme Court U. S. 
 Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State. 
 
• 6 
 
 DISPATCHES. 
 
 To L. P. Walker, Secrefarr of War: 
 
 An authorized message from President Lincoln just informed 
 Gov. Pickens and myself that provisions will be sent to Fort 
 Sumter peaceably, or otherwise by force. 
 
 General P. G. T. Beaurer/ard : 
 
 If you have no doubt as to tlie autliorized character of the 
 agent who communicated to you the intention of the Wash- 
 ington Government to supply Fort Sumter by force, you wiU 
 at once demand its evacuation, and if this is iefused proceed 
 in such manner as you may determine to reduce it. 
 
 Washington City, April 20, 1861. 
 Sir: — I enclose you a letter, corresponding very nearly with 
 one I addressed to you a week ago, (I3th Ayjril,) to which I 
 have not had any reply. The letter is simply one of enquiry 
 in reference to facts concerning which, I think, I am entitled 
 to an explanation. I have not adopted any opinion in refer- 
 ence to them which may not be modified by explanation^ nor 
 have I affirmed in that letter ; nor do I in this, any conclusion 
 of my own unfavorable to your integrity in the whole trans- 
 action. , 
 
 All that I have said and mean to say is, that an explanation 
 is due from you to myself. I will not say what I shall do in 
 case this request is not complied with, but I am justified in 
 saying that I shall feel at liberty to place tliese letters before 
 any person who is entitled to ask an explanation of myself. 
 Very KespectfuUy, 
 
 JOHN A. CAMPBELL, 
 Associate Justice of the Supreme U. S. 
 Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State. 
 
 No reply has been made to this letter. 
 April 24, 1861. 
 
Letter from Judge Camphall to the President of the Confederate 
 
 States. 
 
 Montgomery, Ala., May Y, 1861. 
 Sir: — I submit to you two letters that were addressed by me 
 to the Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United 
 States, that contain an explanation of the nature and result 
 of an intervention by me in tlie intercourse of the Commis- 
 sioners of tlic Confederate States with that officer. I consid- 
 ered that I could perform no duty in which the entire Ameri- 
 can people, whether of the Federal Union or of the Confede- 
 rate States, were more interested than that of promoting the 
 counsels and the policy that had for their object the preserva- 
 tion of peace. This motive dictated my intervention. Besides 
 tlie interview referred to in these letters, I informed the 
 Assistant Secretary of State of the United States, (not being 
 able to see the Secretary,) on the 11th April, ult., of the 
 existence of a telegram of that date, from Gen. Beauregard 
 to the Commissioners, in which he informed the Commis- 
 sioners that he had demanded the evacuation of Sumter, 
 and if refused he would proceed to reduce it. On the same 
 day, I had been told that President Lincoln had said that 
 none of the vessels sent to Charleston were war vessels, and 
 that force was not to be used in the attempt to supply the 
 Fort. I liad no means of testing the accuracy of this infor- 
 mation ; but offered that if the information was accurate I 
 would send a telegram to the authorities at Charleston, and it 
 miglit prevent the disastrous consequences of a collision at 
 that fort between the opposing forces. It was the last effort 
 that I -would make to avert the calamities of war. The 
 Assistant Secretary promised to give the matter attention, but 
 I had no other intercourse with him or any other person on 
 the subject, nor have I had any reply to the letters submitted 
 
 to you. 
 
 Very Kespectfully, 
 
 JOHN A. CAMPBELL. 
 
 Gex. Davls, President of the Confederate States. 
 
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