The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-08-19
From the Charleston Mercury.
Responses to tho co.o,erat,on Mes.iue

Among these responses We may iniry
reckon tho recent accession Of u. >. troop,
in "us hnrJuuT; Tor though this iui ming ..
The Iiururus o! Charleston INTO an artillery
camp lot Mr.. Fii,inorc's army, may have
hGca determined on before the dat, o. the
meeting, II vas not deciGcd til the lorna.
tion Ola party disai.auteu 10 the action Of
the Stale WAS nncqulvocaliy indicated, anu
Il was not put III execution till that parry
tad orsanzpI, and gone actively TO WORK
To prove that scccssnI,l wns madness, ana
that Il South Carolina acted alone, she
would be ruined
Let US consider moment the proofs
iiiat tins concentration OF troops and muui-
tons oi war, al ound Charleston, il meant to
orcrawc US with the threat oI crcrcior,.-
The army ol The United Sla.o, IS very
SMALL compared wi h the wide held Oi is
duties. and there las lately been an extra.
uro.n,ry cal. Tor lis srYvtCes IN the West,
10 suppress ln.ian hoslIiliics That ser
vice has ueen lame y performed, nom the
want o. sufficient troops, and II IS under.
Stood that heavy rcclainalons have been
made hpun our Government by McXcc Oh
act onn, oi The r"vaEG> o. Indians from our
sluc, "b,th the United States, uudcr The r..
cent treaty, pledged themselves to RESTRAIN.
Ii rs not then iTo,u the Want OF usciul occu.
pa''on Tor the army that i, is gath &C.. here
Morcoscr, the companies sent h:ic .,c
Withdrawn IRON other posts, which are
thus cit dciencelcsS, to complete the army
OF .nltu'y power III oar harbor.
finasiy. me .a,t Congress thew out the
bI': making appropriations for ivrtIiication>,
aud :hus let u" money legally upplcnu.c
10 the carrying on '.. such worms. Fore
Sunlcr, the o.Iy fortress o, ,,ca, strength
III our harb'nr, Is aniinsAcd 1t 10 intend
uG ~ mn:nt !hie2 F.nstso suns--tlc up
per range upon The parnpc;. / he purthous
for the lowest range are in'sicd, but .ncrc
are no platforms Tor the guns, aud to mount
even tn.s tier, will require very consider.
able expenditure, not one dollar OF wnclI
has been appropriated by Congress. There
arc no barracks Tor the troops, no quarter
fnr officers. The whole interior is rough,
wuh heaps ui matrrlui Collected To flnish
The 'o't. There Is never AL appruJr ai.uli
10 arm a fortress till It is flashed, anu IL
would take two years 10 complete the work
according. 10 It's design. 1t IL under these
clrcumst,ices, that the President unucr.
takes 10 garrison Fort Sumter, without au-
tl,ority o law, and without prcceuent. Can
mefo bu Il ": t'ir oOJeut S~r t:vT,t:rrryv-
tl.cre have been scarcely men enough here
10 protect The works and multi ,uns from
the assaults OF rats. Nos, C,atic Pnckucy,
winch has scarcely had garrison IN The
memory oi man, n alive WITH artillery
practice; Fort Nouilr.e ~ iui: OF men, ana
a."Iy made display Of Federal rsotncr
ami hostility, hY refusing 10 allow the c,i-
zcns ol Charlie ',on 10 celebrate glorious
event of the pas, wilt.in It's enclosure; and
lastly, the unlin shed fortress IN the middle
oi the liarbnr is prcmAturc'y armed and
manned, without warrant OF law, t" gvc
proof Of The determination o! Federal gov
crnncnt TO draw the sword against oar
Stale. These preparatio:.s are ncant for
US. nnI they are nothing cs' than dc
cnra:.c1 OF war against South Caro- ina.