, 1861-01-09
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FK0HRE88SOT THE TREASON.
LETTERS FROM AN OFFICER IN FORT spM.
TER AND A PROMINENT CITIZEN OF
CuARLE2TQN,

LETTERS FROM AN OFFICER IN FORT suM.
| TIT THR ANR iRaR,,A 4 PROMINENT CITIZEN oE
The: Troy Times pnbli1hea two letter. writ
ten by In officer IN Fort Sumter to his father,
who rcaldcs In Troy In tbs flsst letter, which
was written Just boforo tho evacuation Of Fort
Moultrie, tho officer in question tays:
T "Thcrc Lave been not few offers "of nd
from the Northern 4tates. Regiments would
come, and In plenty, and It Is Indeed ono Of tho
hecring passages In our anxious experience
| TINT we have evidence Of practical sympathy.
der Of the proper Department Ut Washington.
| We will try to sustain the credit Of our POSI-
tion with these ftw. Tbs spirit Of the men is
noble; they nre perfectly up to the sentiment
| OF doing their duty, mud perhaps one OF tho
| best evidences Of their conduct may be found
In the fact TINT not man has deserted, or
been drunk, for nearly three months.", "
Tho second letter, written just after tho
transfer to Fort Sumter, il as follows:
| FoRT SUMTER, Evening, Dec. -, 1850,
| I Mt DEAR FA1HER: Before this reaches ron,
| you will probably have learned that wo hayo
| literally "taken tho bull by the horns.'' Soon
/ After sunset thIs evening, VIC arncuAted Fort
| 4oultric, and are now established In this In
| prcgnablc fortress, whore re are perfectly un-
| 3pproach2ble; while at the salne time VIC com.
| nland perfectly the harbor md Fort bIoultrio
itself. Vessels have been sont down every
| night, and hare watched uB closely, with
| Tiow to prevent this very move, but wc have
| Feathcrcd them. Hurruh for Major Anderson
We haYc man that is not afraid Of responsf.
bility, aud who had more Judgment aud q bet
ter sense Of duty than have ordinarily guided
1t Fort Moultrlc, re coald not fall TO have
fuccumbcd bcforo the large force that vas
| probably on the point Of being launched
against us. Between batteries, a close fire Of
Eiflemen and few columns Of assault, re must
| have been forced to yield, although it would
org man there
Major Anderson has been delighted with tho
temper and spirit Of this little command, not q
man OF which would have dinched from any
struggle that might have befallen US. We are
not to be touched here. It is four times as
lnrge as Fort Mou1trie, but tho walls arc sixty
feet high, and no landing can be made. Thcrc
y PIT one regret that Is, that Fort Monltrio
Gould not have been blown up, To night.
however, everything that eau be destroyed viii
4c. am sure general feeling of relief will
be experienced by the country 1t large at this
sponsibility.
| Not man at the fort had the slightest init.
nation Of this move, and only one or two
officers, until the moment it was executed.
0uf property and the ftmilies are all safe here,
Mltn e1 months provisions hospital stores, &c,
inc guns at Fort Moultrie arc spiked aud the
tlag staff cut down, SO that no palmetto flas
eau ever float on that stick. There is already
'ngreat excitement In the city; signal rockets
arc fired from the Island, but It Is loo late; wo
@ hvo decidedly got the bull by the muEzle.
inc revenue can be collected now, and the
Administration eau do its duty it 1t will. We
all think We have done the right thing, be-
cause we aEc stronger than ever; and although
VIC left our old home with regret, and dIsliked
much to waste tho labor that has been layishcd
there, NC are nnquestisnably now In our right
Place and position as soldiers and citizens We
did not leave from fear, bnt because there our
blood would be usclcssly shed. Here, such a
thing is impossible, unless these people nrc de-
tfrInined to butt their heads out against these
Wntls, and hope they have brains enough left
not to attempt that. Tomorrow morning the
stars md stripes will be hoisted oyer our new
position, although the sight will sting South
Carollnnto the Quick.
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN CHARLESTON.
The Philadelphia Press has an interesting let
ter written By leading citizen of Charleston
to citizen Of Philadelphia. We give somo
extracts:
:" You ask me for my candid opinion of our
condition, and will venture to Give it to Won.
l,could not publicly utter the Sentiments Of
this letter without ritking my life The load-
eTs q ths conesntion, lks their prototypes ef Ns
French Reso@utio' are beginning 10 be terrified at
TIE (rati1s q hs 8eed 0ey haae soun: out, d yet,
the time for reaction IS not he7n The people
hnvc been infuriatcd through the efforts Of tho
politicians, and now, like 4 Parisian mob, arc
pushing their captains and 1ieutenants into tho
very midst Of the danger It makes nv heart
bleed to hear our glorious Union assailed, us
do every moment, aud see the Palmetto 1ag
floating from fortresscs built By the money Of
the whole people, shortly, too, It is probable.
to be turned against their Government. What
may bring these men to their senses is the tnv
system they have adopted. When per caDixo
sum is levied upon negro slaves, those who be-
gan and have driven forward this miserable
business will feel, in their own purses. t|,at
which IL now affecting men in nv situation
They will be brought to their scnses. fnr Il
stands to reason that re can no more maintain
permanent military force without immenso
and burdcnsomc taxation than ne car mt n,,r
Sans fleet in our horbor.
It is impossible for this state of things ia
continue without n collieinn-and whrn fh,t
comes, God help our people! The rivalry be-
tween Charleston and Savannah has al;says
been great, but that which was merely COM
merci!l competition and jealousy before &C.
rort is closed, Savannah may Be kept openNa
result TINT is not unlikely. ronsidcrinr t],.t -
large number Of moderate mcn nrc returned
to the Convention which is to assemble in that
CITY. r
/ send you copy of tho Charleston af.r.,,r,,
from which you viii see that every lInc riIf..
culjpc or abusipcthc South Ia Transferred from
Northern neysnaners into its columns NTnch
a. I have read Of foolish conduct. have nnvcr
seen ANYTHING 50 silly and childish NJ f1,ot or
the men who control onr Cnnyrnfion Ybc,t
arc not statesmen. Nt,J are l,.u0fitx and .ecn ~
8orc no Mouyhf Of kof,orYoe Their who1o d.
sign IS ono Of haste and hate. and even yo,,.
who hare your opfnion Of tlrc-catcrs ,rouid h.
surprjsrd IL see l1nw 1nucl, 1nnrc ;ndiscrrnt and
incxnrricncpd tbcv arr thon ynu hnvc hci:evni
thcn to be. These men anncar to fnrrct thet
while they NAV prevent m American man.of.
war from crossinr nnr hnrnnd con,inc- f,fr,on
1,1rt. and enforcing the limited Statrs l,1rs
they at the same fIrnr excludc Mi rnmmcrcc
from us. The suprcstion made n fi,,y f1y, non
That tho cutrancc to the mort slot,ld bc 5c,
Htroycd, Is 4 part Of their foolish nolicy. IT.
like the Russians at scbastopol, nc mi our
harbor with obstacles, NC Therefore not only
defy the Government, but staryc ourselves.
Our people seem to be on froIic. and nroh-
ably when they get sober will also ret sane.
The Mississippiaus. as well "a some In tbis
State. Alabama and Georgia. look to encccssfml
secession rs a Eay to cscape tbe naymcnt If
lust debts.
What shameful position for nm honc.t man
and M American. to takei How con snch 1,nn'
nle Obtain credit FINN ciyit;yed Enrone ,1ho,,
thev REUSE 10 f11till their ohl;eatinns ~ thc;r
Thc 1ate stifs.ninr If +hc p-csf;1ont mn, IT.,
o.,;5nn+ o+oera1nntyS5 ~ .ns ] nls.ueut, anu hls