Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-11-23
THE SOUTHERN SECESSI ON MOVE
MENTS


day large meeting, irrespective Of party,
was leld at Montgomery, and Thomas
II. Watts and VIM. L. Yancey unani-
mously nominated. Mr.. Watts was du-
ring the presidential canvass, Bell and
Everett orator.
The steamship Columbia, Captain Ber-
ry, which sailed from New York on Sa-
turday for Charleston, raised the Ameri-
can flag from her peak and the Palmetto
flag from her mainmast as she left the
harhor. Captain b., it is said, owns
considerable real estate in Charleston,
and, it is alleged, that for certain polite
motives he was induced to fly the seces-
sion flag while at Charleston last. The
steamship herself halls from Charleston,
but is tile property of joint stock COM
pany in various cities of the Union.
1t is stated that Colonel Powell, de-
puted by Gov. Moore, of Alabama, has
arrived at Washington to purchase sevc-
raj thousand of the most approved arms
for the State Agents from Georgia and
Mississippi have also gone North to pur-
chase large quantities of arms They
are authorized to purchase the best arms,
regardless of the price.
The Richmond Dispatch notes the ar
rival there of 5000 smooth bore percus-
sion muskets, just purchased by the State
from the United States government for
the use of the voluntary infantry, and
adds:
We are informed thatrequisition has
been made on the War Department for
600 more of the smooth bore percus-
sion muskct, and it is supposed that there
are about 4 eco now in the hands of the
volunteers. We shall soon have, there
fore, 10, coo of them. 10000 fint-lock
muskets, of the United States make,
equal in quality to the others, and with
iiints i'll them, have been reserved by the
commissioners from the arms sold to Mr..
Anderson until 5000 of the new rifle
uuskets have been manufactured.
" a contract has been made for the re-
quisite accoutrements, 500 sets of which
have been delivered, and the delivery
will progress at the rate Of at least 300
sets week until the wants of the vol
unteers are supplied. The State, there
fore, is nearly ready to send 20, coo in
fantry to the field
In addition to thirty or forty bronze
field pieces already Possessed by the State,
the commissioners have purchased thir-
teen iron riled field guns, of the Parrot
patent, with one hundred rounds of the
Reid shell for each, and have obtained
by requisition, six twelve Founders, navy
howtzers, one Of them rhed These
last are not Gully provided with navy car
riages, which enable them to be put in
boats, and used in our creeks and rivers,
but will soon have army carriages, and
will constitute formidable battery of
mountain howitzers. We have at least
sixty bronze and riaed feld-pieces and
howitzers, and can equip ten batteries Of
six, or fifteen of four pieces each A
contract has been made for 3 900 shells
shrapnell, besides those purchased with
the Parrot guns
las VIC have heretofore stated, FIVE hun
drcd barrels of Dupont powder have been
purchased and stored in magazines built
for the purpose, here and in Lexington.
Nor have the cavalry been neglected -
Two thousand new sabres have been pur-
chased, and one thousand old ones of ex-
ceilent temper, have been cut aud scab-
barded. One thousand rGyolvers Of the
pattern used in the English army, known
as the Dean & Adams pistol, have also
been bought
" From the foregoing statement it will
be seen that we can, at hispresent time,
arm efficiently about twenty dvcthousand
men of all arms. Isis is about ! per
cent, Of our entire population proper
ton not inferior to the standing armies
of the great military powers Of Europe,
and a force greater than the State could
keep in the field"
Position OF VIRGINIA The Richmond
Dispatch thinks it probable that Govern
or Letcher will renew his proposition to
the last Legislature for convention Of
States, under the 9th article of the con-
sttution, to consider the state of the
country, and see if some measure can
not be taken, or some amendment Of the
constitution be made, which will restore
harmony to the Union, and protect the
rights and equality Of the States from ia
naticsm and radicaism.
A letter from Richmond says that Vir-
GINA will first ask the southern States to
20 iuto-a southern conference with her,
and it is probably they will 60, provided
she lays down before hand the programme
which shall form the basis Of action. -
This, it is supposed, Virginia will do to
the following effect:
First, a repeal Of the statutes NULL
flying the fugitive slave law by those
States which have passed such statutes,
with guaranty Of a faithful enforcement
Of that law in the future second, con-
cessoiI that the constitution authorizes
the carrying Of slaves into the common
territory, and consequent protection for
slave property therein; and third, that
Congress nor the Executive shall not in
tcrferc with slavery in the States or Ter
ritories, except for its protection in the
latter, when necessary"
If this programme shall be adopted by
the conference, and the North show any
disposition to compromise upon 1t, then
national conference will be called to adj
just the pending difficulties upon that ba-
sis. Should these measures fail to obtain
the sanction Of the North, secession of
all the Southern States will follow.
One Of the first acts of the next Le-
gislature will be to iegalize a system Of
reprisal in reference to any Northern