New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-27

A contributor of the New York Herald furnishes
the following:
The pressure which has been attempted on the
President through the medium of the Charleston
forts Is great matter after all II the facts of the
case be faced fairly, The two works which are de-
signed to command the entrance Of the harbor are
Forts Monltrie and Sumter. The latter ia the larger
Of the two with three tiers of guns surrounded en-
tireiy by water, too shoal for heavy ships to ap-
proach, and yet sufficient to prevent the use of
batteries nearer than 800 or 800 yards, where the
shore line approaches most closely. With very
moderate garrison 1t would be entirely impregnabe
to any means at the disposal Of the State. And
yet Is much like King James in arrnor--as little
capable of doing harm as Of receiving it.. Yes
sells going up being only subject to its fire for
time.
does probably interdict the Mafit channel entirely
and has a better view OF the main ship channel
which it eDflades at long range on the northern
lead, but still cannot prevent the passage Of veg
sells. Unlike Fort Sumter it is open to approaches
by land, for which the sand supplies the best de-
fence against shells. The work ia designed for d
garrison of one hundred men in war, and in peace
was to be kept by half a company. II is, there
fore, nearly provided with its war garrison at the
present time. Indeed, in view of the means that
the State could bring to bear, it is sufficiently
manned, and the President Is altogether right in
refusing to reinforce the garrison when By so doing
he might precipitate the action of the State with
out adding materially to the security of the fort.
As professional thing the commandant was right
in asking the supply Of any deficiency, but he will
deserve to be cashiered if he does not maintain
the post long enough to receive relief should the
President decide to send it, even after hearing of
positive attack. On the other hand, should the
State seize Fort Sumter, 1t will be Of no avail in
case the Government insist on collecting the reve-
,,na " - %tet - tI-- -----s---- -
..... :. s....4s 49,. Issa,uins sl.s
case the President has shown more judgment OF
its true points and more nerve than many OF his
would-be counsellors in facing the issue. As Tor
Castle Pinckney that is out Of the question aniess
it was intended to reduce the city, which no one
dreams Of, while Fort Johnston IS equally inmate
| rial and, moreover, not very defensible from q
| land attack. 7l
President with another absurdity in making him
| kaan ready the Macedonian for servea at Charles
4 ton. The port Is entirely inaccessible to such q
draft, and lying off the bar at this season would be
i a very silly business for vessel without steam
4 which, in the prevailing weather, would just be
able to take care of herself without troubling
4 others.
/ There is better card than that to be played
One of the best corvettes in the navy is at anchor
near Norfolk just in from sea, and OF course ready
| to put to sea. Nothing easier than to embark a
| battalion from the fortress close by, steam to
Charleston, and if unable to tighten the ship as
1 to pass over the bar at high water, send up the
men to the forts in the launch and large cutters
| In fact, hundred seamen could easily be spared
| from the ship to hold Fort Sumter, without taking
4 any troops on D0afQ IOF tuat purpose. IneTe are
no better artillerymen than men-of-war's men, as
was proved at Sebastopo, where the feet furnished
i both the guns and the men.
i So much for the clamor in regard to the danger
l to the garrison of Fort Moutrie. But the Presi
4 dent has affirmed the non-existence OF constitu
| tiona power in himself or in Congress to coerce
State, it is not likely that he will permit himself tt
| be dragged into the measure by an effort to main
| tain positions which are only serviceable to the
| Government for that end.
| A dispatch of the 2lst from Washington says
| There is no longer any doubt that instructions
| have been sent to Major Anderson, upon the ap
peal of his wife to the President to surrender Fort
| Moultrie If the place il attacked by the Seces
4 sionists.
am assured by distinguished Pennsylvania
o.night, that he has received letter to-day from
as anything exists, if Fort Moutrie is taken by the
Secessionists, Wheatland, Mr.. Buchananis resi-
dence, will be burned to ashes.
In every hotel and every street in this city W,
hear hardly anything but denuncaton of the Presi
dent for his course in refusing to strengthen Mpjo
Anderson. Justice should be done to the Presiden
4 by asserting the fact and ! make the assertion
upon good authority, that the President stands il
fear of assassination if he attempts to increase thu
force at Fort Moultre. He has so expressed him
self to q distinguished Democratic member Of TIL
Government, who ! know would have denounce
him in the Senate as traitor had not the acknowl
edgment referred to been made which enlisted 70
the President the sympathy of the Senator, an
induced him to withhold his denunciation.
I The following voice from Maine will be goo
Offset to the announcement sent you tonight from
Alabama. The writer is a Democrat and says:
1 According to the reports we get from Washing
| ton, can hardly conjecture what the result Wi
be. The Abolitionists and Republicans have raise
the breeze, and now they must yield to the Sout
and make reconciliation aud give the South thei
rights and keep quiet. They are beginning here j
Portland to see their folly and yield to the South
and in one years time there will be no Republ
cans, and Lincoln will be to them as John Tyle
was to the Wing party.