New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-18
CuARLEsTON HARBOR.

The importance of holding the forts in Charles
ton Harbor by force competent to defend
them is daily impressng itself more and more
on the public mind The whole question OF Sc
cesson, practically speaking, may very likely
turn upon this very point. South Carolina is
locked to by the Sece sionst States as the leader
Of the movement and according to her success
in it will be their inclination to follow her ex-
ample But so long rs Charleston Harbor is
held by the Federal Government, and the rev.
enue and navigation laws of the United States
are duly enforced there, what does Secession
practically amount to The necessity of taking
these forts and of thus rendering the harbor un-
tenable by the ships.of.war and revenue cutters
of the United States would put the Secessionists
to the test. They would hesitate q long time
before, with the means at their command
they would venture to assail these forts
if garrisoned and defended by an ade-
quate force. Should they make such an
attack and be repulsed with severe loss, as
would mort likely be the case they would then
learn what they seem now completely to shut
their eyes to, that it may require something more
than an ordinance of a Convention to separate a
State from the Union. With the forts aud the
harbor Of Charleston in the hands of the Federal
Government the SecessiOnists will be utterly de-
barred from taking On the character and func
tions of an independent State. They will be most
efiectually cOerced without any necessity on the
part of the United States to fire single shot,
unless it should be in pure self Defense provoked
by wanton attack upon the part of the Secs
sionists. They would be reduced TO the alter
native of making war upon the United States, or
of sending commissioners to Washington to en-.
deayor to patch up an arrangement.
The States which are expected to follow the
example of South Carolina will be very much
Influenced by the result of her experiment. II
South Carolina only succeeds, by her act Of
secession, in throwing off the cOnyeniences of
the Union, without assuming its most weighty
obligations, then other States will hesitate long
while before putting themselves into similar
awkward predicament.
1t seems to be agreed on all hands that what
is now most needed is delay, time to consider
aud reflect, so that whatever is done shall be at
last deliberate act and not the result Of pre-
cpitaton, passion, OF panic. Nothing tend
so much to secure this delay, and to impose
degree of caution, even on the course of South
Carolina herself as TO place before her eyes the
necessity, if she wishes to carry out her projects
of waging, not defensive, but an offensive war
against the Federal Government.
The course at present pursued BY President
Buchanan in withholding a competent garrison,
while laborers are employed night and day in
strengthening the defenses looks very much
lihe a double treachery. 1t appears as if he not
only intended, in violation of his oath, and OF
whas he himself confesses in his Message to BIZ
bis imperative duty, to betray the Notifications
into the hands of the Secessionists, but that b,
meant to give them up strengthened at the e1-
pense of the United States, and put into the
beat condition for resisting any attempts at re-
capture,