e danger of an early act of secession,
viz.: The seizure of some or all of the following posts: Forts Jackson
and St. Philip, on the Mississippi below New Orleans, both without
garrisons; Fort Morgan, below Mobile, without garrison; Forts Pickens
and McKee, Pensacola Harbor, with an insufficient garrison for one;
Fort Pulaski, below Savannah, without a garrison; Forts Moultrie and
Sumter, Charleston Harbor, the former with an insufficient garrison
and the latter without any; and Fort Monroe, Hampton Roads, without a
sufficient garrison. In my opinion, all these works should be
immediately so garrisoned as to make any attempt to take any one of
them by surprise or _coup de main_ ridiculous.

"With the army faithful to its allegiance and the navy probably
equally so, and a Federal Executive for the next twelve months of
firmness and moderation, which the whole country has a right to
expect--_moderation_ being an element of power not less than
_firmness_--there is good reason to hope that the danger of secession
may be made to pass away without one conflict of arms, one execution,
or one arrest for treason. In the meantime it is suggested that
exports might be left perfectly free, and, to avoid conflicts, all
duties on imports be collected outside of the cities in forts or ships
of war."

Again, October 31st, the general suggested to the Secretary of War
that a circular should be sent at once to such of those forts as had
garrisons to be on the alert against surprises and sudden assaults;
but no notice seems to have been taken of the judicious and wise
suggestion.

On December 12th General Scott arrived in Washington. He had been
confined to his bed for a long time and was physically very much
depleted. He again personally urged upon the Secretary of War the
views expressed in his note from West Point of October 29th as to
strengthening the forts in Charleston Harbor, Pensacola, Mobile, and
the Mississippi River below New Orleans. The Secretary did not concur
in these views. Finally General Scott called on the President, on
December 15th, in company with the Secretary, and urged upon the chief
Executive the importance of re-enforcing the forts mentioned; but no
action was taken. After the Secretary of War [Floyd] had resigned his
position in the Cabinet he was given a reception in Richmond, which
called out the remark from the Examiner, of that city, that if the
plan invented by General Scott to stop secession had been