Messrs.
Robert W. Barnwell, James H. Adams, and James L. Orr--to proceed to
Washington, "to treat with the Government of the United States for the
delivery of the forts, magazines, lighthouses, and other real estate,
with their appurtenances, within the limits of South Carolina, and also
for an apportionment of the public debt, and for a division of all other
property held by the Government of the United States, as agent of the
confederated States, of which South Carolina was recently a member; and
generally to negotiate as to all other measures and arrangements proper
to be made and adopted in the existing relation of the parties, and for
the continuance of peace and amity between this Commonwealth and the
Government at Washington."

The Commissioners, in the discharge of the duty intrusted to them,
arrived in Washington on the 26th of December. Before they could
communicate with the President, however--indeed, on the morning after
their arrival--they were startled, and the whole country electrified, by
the news that, during the previous night, Major Anderson had "secretly
dismantled Fort Moultrie,"[116] spiked his guns, burned his
gun-carriages, and removed his command to Fort Sumter, which occupied a
more commanding position in the harbor. This movement changed the whole
aspect of affairs. It was considered by the Government and people of
South Carolina as a violation of the implied pledge of a maintenance of
the _status quo_; the remaining forts and other public property were at
once taken possession of by the State; and the condition of public
feeling became greatly exacerbated. An interview between the President
and the Commissioners was followed by a sharp correspondence, which was
terminated on the 1st of January, 1861, by the return to the
Commissioners of their final communication, with an endorsement stating
that it was of such a character that the President declined to receive
it. The negotiations were thus abruptly broken off. This correspondence
may be found in the Appendix.[117]

In the mean time, Mr. Cass, Secretary of State, had resigned his
position early in December, on the ground of the refusal of the
President to send reenforcements to Charleston. On the occupation of
Fort Sumter by Major Anderson, Mr. Floyd, Secretary of War, taking the
ground that it was virtually a violation of a pledge given or implied by
the Government, had asked that the garrison should be entirely withdrawn
from the harbor