New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-28
DysARMrNG THE LOYAL STATES

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DysARMING THE LOYAL STATES
The events Of the past few weeks are impress
ing the people of the North with the conviction
that our inbece President is permitting his Sec
Rotary of War to disarm the loyal States in or
der that they may be able to make no efiectual
resistance ~ the cOnsummatlon OF the schemes
for the erection of Southern Sla7eholdlng Con
federacy. This conviction resolved itself into
practical form at Pittsburgh. When it became
known that the Secretary of War had ordered
the commanding officer Of the Allegheny Arsenal
to send ~ heavy guns to Galveston Harbor, aud
as more to Ship Island near Balize, the people
of Pittsburgh instinetiyey suspected treason, and
resolved that they should not be removed TIL the
Administration, By Strengthening Fort Moultrie,
had given an earnest of honest intentions. That
they we're justified in their suspicious, the course
of the Administration, which scOrns to conceal,
but rather parades its sympathy with the Seces-
sionists, gives ample proof. But We are pre-
pared to demonstrate that what the people only
suspect is an established fact.
By reference to the report Of the Chief EDgi-
reer OF the United States Army, In Vol. II Of the
Presidents Message and Documents, 1890,
"Ship Island, coast Of Mississippi" page COL;
and - Fortifcations for the defense of the en-
trance of Galveston HarbOr and Bay, Texas. "
page 653 it will be seen that work on the foun-
daton Of the fort at Ship Island had just com.
,nenced. and at Galveston Harbor nothing at all
had been DONE This was a year ago, and these
documents afford the latest published data on
the subject. No matter how rapidly the work at
Ship Island may have been prosecuted since that
date, by the officer in charge; it is not possible
tbs' much more can have been done, up to the
present time, than lay the foundation. And from
the way in which the work in the Engineer De-
pertinent is conducted in ordinary times of peace,
two at least and more probably four years must
elapse before the work will be ready to have
single gun put in position, before suitable
shelter will have been provided for any material
of war whatever. As for Galveston, or any work
or works in that vicinity, if year ago work
was only " about to be commenced" knowing the
locality, and the difficulties to be overcome, we
venture to say that with ordinary progress the
work would not be ready for a single gun in
FIVE years; and, Judging from this report, we
may assume that the sand has barely been re-
moved for the foundation. All the other works
on the Gulf have their ornaments, except Fort
Livingston, in Barataria Bay which is not
finished, nor ready for it armament.
II is stated by the United States authorities at
Pittsburgh that carriages for these guns arc
being made at Watervliet in this State. This
is not true. No carriages of that description
are how being made at that arsenal, nor have
any orders been issued to the commanding officer
there TO issue carriages of that sort from those
in store Ii is evident, therefore, that the re-
ported destination of the guns at Pittsburgh is
only blind-thc real object being to place them
within easy reach of the Secessonists. For
some time, the great lamentation at the South
has been at the lack Of heavy artillery. This
movement on the part Of Secretary Floyd was
to supply that want, and 100 carriages, probably
for these same guns, have been ordered Of house
in this city, by Southern State authorities, with
directions to ship them this week. If the Pits
burgh guns should not be sent, We presume that
the order for the carriages will be counter
manded, as the guns cannot be manufactured at
the South. Taking these facts in connection with
the recent heavy shipments of muskets from
Wateryliet, Allegheny, aud Springfield, to the Cot
ton States, while, as viii BE- seen from letter
from an old militia man, published elsow here, the
great State of New York, for % years past, has
not been able to obtain her quota Of arms from
the General Government We cannot come 10
any other conclusion than that the Var Depart
ment, With the knowledge and conniyance OF the
President, is deliberately playing iato the hands
of those at the South who are now either in
open rebellion against the Government, or eaten
tatcusy plotting its immediate overthrow. r.,
1t is high time that the ,couatry was aroused
to a thorough understanding Cd the position Of
our rulers at Washington. Daring the past year
20O,QC0 muskets have beea taken from the
Springfield Armory alone BY tho Secretary O
War, and distributed thrsaehout the South, NO
to mention the drain from other points. AL
though the U. S. Arsenal at Charleston, witt
73,Ueo stand al arraS, has been nearly tw,
months inposssssieo of the Secessionists, ,citli,
the eqsl ies dsys 5000 mare .mash,is hare Bee
.ssr,' -,hcresssrom iNateryliet to the traitors il
armed rebellion against the Government. Liz
quantities ha'o been sent within the same perio