"]
[Footnote 149: "New York Herald," March 19, 1861.]
CHAPTER XI.
The Commission to Washington City.--Arrival of Mr.
Crawford.--Mr. Buchanan's Alarm.--Note of the Commissioners to
the New Administration.--Mediation of Justices Nelson and
Campbell.--The Difficulty about Forts Sumter and Pickens.--Mr.
Secretary Seward's Assurances.--Duplicity of the Government at
Washington.--Mr. Fox's Visit to Charleston.--Secret Preparations
for Coercive Measures.--Visit of Mr. Lamon.--Renewed Assurances
of Good Faith.--Notification to Governor Pickens.--Developments
of Secret History.--Systematic and Complicated Perfidy exposed.
The appointment of Commissioners to proceed to Washington, for the
purpose of establishing friendly relations with the United States and
effecting an equitable settlement of all questions relating to the
common property of the States and the public debt, has already been
mentioned. No time was lost in carrying this purpose into execution. Mr.
Crawford--first of the Commissioners--left Montgomery on or about the
27th of February, and arrived in Washington two or three days before the
expiration of Mr. Buchanan's term of office as President of the United
States. Besides his official credentials, he bore the following letter
to the President, of a personal or semi-official character, intended to
facilitate, if possible, the speedy accomplishment of the objects of his
mission:
"_To the President of the United States.
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