Letter from J. H. Jordan to Abraham Lincoln, April 4, 1861.

"This scheme must be broken up -- and at once!

1 Reenforce Fort Pickens. Let them attack it, if they will. (--Who knows that they will?) If they do -- the balls which they fire against its walls will rebound and strike them -- kill them; that is all! No body, out of the range of the Fort's guns will be hurt! There need be no invasion -- consequently no "civil war." But we better have twenty years of civil war, than let the Government go to pieces -- or than "recognize" the "Southern Confederacy," -- which would be recognizing the Right of Secession -- etc.

2 -- The Administration ought to do all it can -- in the line of its legitimate duty -- to encourage an attack or attacks by the Confederates: It should court and encourage, and bring it about, if possible. This -- in order to induce them to raise, equip and keep up a large military force, thus increasing their expenses, tax levies, &c, in order the sooner to break them down -- force a re-action among the people -- and in this way the thing would soon be crushed out."

Who is more guilty of starting war; those that act in self defense or those who knowingly antagonize to get the desired result? It goes without saying the Confederacy fired the first shot but they did so in a justifiable self defense. The Supreme Court said the Federal Government would lose in court against Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy and for they had no case they could win under the law.

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David Upton