New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-15
TIE SECESSION MOVEMENT.
THE FORTS IN CHARLESTON HARBoR,

Now AMI then something crops out which goes
Q great @ay to disclose what is going on un!ier
the Surface. Thus, for instance, the Ledge
which is required Of the several candidates for
Governor, indicates the existence of the settled
prr,oss, to which have so often alluded, not TO
stow the Federal Government to hold tho Forts
b Charleston Harbor The pledge is that, "G
- excited Governor he will resist the reinforce
"ment of the troops in Charleston Harbor
whether such reinforcement is attempted bgfore
'or after the State has seeded" Here is the
virtual declaration of the purpose by South Car
DINA ultimately to possess the Forts; that should
the Government undertake to send more troops
for the purpose of holding them, South Carolina
viii instantly attack with the view the capturing
them; in other words, the sovereign State of
South Carolina will not permit the Federal Gov
crnment to protect its own property or ex-
ercise jurisdiction within her borders. TIL
fact is, the possession of the Forts in
question is absolutely necessary 10 the plans
OF South Carolina. With them abe thinks she
can compel negotiation, and in fact coerce the
Government. She viii not suffer the Forts to be
strengthened, because it is within the line of her
plans to take them either before or after
"secession" shall have been ordained as circum.
stances shall decide. She may want to attack
them, at a moments warning, in order to pre-
cipitate the catastrophe and bring about coercion
as the means of rushing on the other Cotton
States, or she may want them to resist the rev.
eIue laws. Whenever she decides that she wants
its forts, South Carolina has made up her mind
10 have them; and very naturally she wants to
get them at the least cost of life possible. This
being her game, she lie able to bully, cajole coax
and coerce the Government into letting her have
her own way. Instead of South Carolina being
coerced, she is absolutely cOercing the Federal
Government; sire has been dong it all the while,
and will continue to do it so long as the Admin
istration submits, which we may assume for a
certainty will be to the end.
Pretty much everything here now is in the
military way. The volunteer companies keep up
their drills, and await the day when they shall
be led against Fort Moultrie. There has
Gently been presented to the Legislature me-
mortal, signed by some halfdozen of the leading
military spirits in Charleston "in view of the
l." imminence of war between the Northern States
of this Confederacy and this State, either
States" After giving the views of the signers
as to TIE proper manner of offering the mill
tary, the gentlemen proceed to argue OF length
the necessity Of an Engineer Corps. This is
South Cardinals weak point. She has no able
engineer officer at her command, and has been
bidding high for one. The lease of military
bridge, which it is necessary to build IN the
face of an enemy" is spoken of. 1t is we'll
understood here that allusOn is made 10 the po
stion Of Fort MOultrie, and the emergency
likely 10 arise in attacking it. In order to give
the reader some idea of this and the other forti-
fcations in this harbOr, | viii state briefly their
location They are three in number, namely,
Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter and Castle Pinck
ney. The fort is on Sullivan's Island, which /
principally within the corporate limits OF IN
CITY Of Charleston. This island Is separate
from the main land by narrow channel, which
sometimes ut low tide may be fordcd
though it would be very unmilitary thin
for an attacking expedition to rely on TIL
this method of approach. 1t is precisely her
that the bridge spoken of, as is now clearly fore
seen, will be wanted, and it is said that the
means of supplying the want is in considerable
state of forwardness, though the results thus far
have not been altogether satisfactory. Fort Moul-
tre il on the seward side Of the island, nearly
q mile distant from this channel, so that It's pas
sage would be measuraby Gin the face OF az
enemy" and directly SO should the commanding
officer erect batteries at the point OF landing
which. however, is not certain to be DONE Sui
livans Island is quite thickly built up, generally
with wooden tenemeDts, and horse railroad
trayerses the whole distance. The Fort itself Is
IN extensive work, well provided with everything
but men. Its guns are, many of them, OF the
largest and best description, and nearly all the
recent improvements in explosives have been H.
Produced, in the use of which the men are well
drilled. Indeed, / may state with confidence that
the officers and men at MOultrie very much ex-
Gel in this particular Recently-within the last
ten days-a trench has been dug around the en-
tire Fort, and, without going into minute detail,
it will be enough to say that everything is being
done necessary to place the work in the beat
possible condition of defense. She has recently
received six months provisions. What Is want
ing in men will in measure be made up Oy
discipline and completeness of death-deaiing sp-
pOiptments. The distance between Fort M0ultrle
and the city is about three miles.
Castle IJnckney stands in the harbor, wholly
surrounded by water, which cannot be bridged
readily. between Moultre and the city, and can
10 o,aro.ed On only by heavy guns IL mounts