The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-01-04
From the N. Y. Tribune.
Disarming the Loyal States,

Tho events of tho past few weeks are i'm.
pressing tho people Of the North with tho
conviction that our mbeciIo President Is
permitting his Secretary of War to disarm
tho loyal States, in order that they may be
ablo TO u,ako no cffcctual resistance to the
contamination of the schemes for tho ercc.
ton Of Southern Slaveholding Confcdora.
cv. This conviction resolved i.cf into
practical form at Pittsburgh. When it bo
came known that tho Secretary Of War had
ordered tho commanding officer OF tho
Allegheny Arsenal to send 70 heavy guns to
Galveston IIarbor, and 4G moro to Ship
Islard, near Balze,the people of Pittsburgh
instinCtively suspected treason, and resolved
that thoy should rot bo removed until tho
Government, by strengthening Fort Moul.
,rio, had given an earnest OF honest inton-
tions. That they were justified in their
suspicious, tho course of tho Administration.
which scorns to conceal, but rather paradcs
its sympathy with tho Scccssionists, gives
ample proof. But wo arc prepared to dem
onstrato that what the people only suspect
is an established fact.
By reference to the report Of tho Chief
Engineer of tho United States Atmy, in Vol.
|. of tho Presidents Message and Docu
ments, lS59.G0. ship Island, coast of Miss
ssippi," page 65l; and "Fortications for
tho defense of tho entrance of Galveston
Harbor and Bay Texas" page G53, 1t will
bo seen that work on tho foundation Of the
fort at Ship Island had just commenced, aud
at Galveston lIarbor nothing a.. all had been
done. This was n year ago. and thoSe doc
umcnts afford tho latest published data on
tho subject. No mattor how rapidly tho
work at Ship Island may have boon prose-
cutcd since that date, by tho officer in
charge; it is not possible that much moro
can havo been done, up tc tho present tmo,
than lay tho foundation. And from tho
way in which tho work in the Engineer Do.
partmcnt is conducted in ordinary times of
peace, two at least, and moro, probably four
years must elapso before tho work will be
ready to have single gun put in position.
or before suitable sholter 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
"ubout TO be commenced knowing the
locality, and tho difficulties to bo overcome
We venture to say that with ordinary pro
gress tho work would not 10 ready for y
single gun in five years and, judging from
this report, wo may assume that tho sand
has barely bccn removed for tho foundation
All the other works on the Gulf have their
armameRts, except Fort Livingston, in Bar
ataria Bay, which is cot flushed, nor ready
for its armament
II is stated by tho United States nuthori
ties at Pittsburgh that carriages for these
guns are being made at Watcrvlct in this
State. This Is not true. No carriages o.
that description are now being made at that
arsenal, nor have any orders been issued to
tho commanding officer thcro to issue car
riagos of that sort from those in store. II
is evident, therefore, that the reported das-
tination of tho guns ut Pittsburgh is only
blind-iho real object being to place them
within oasy reach of tho Sccessionists. For
somo timo. tho great lamenlation 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 thcso samo guns,
havo been ordered of house in this city.
bv Southern Sato authorities, with direc
lions to ship them this week. If tho Pitts.
burgh guns should not be sent, We presume
that tho ordcr<for tho carriages will be
countcrmnndcd, as tho guns cannot bo man
ufac,ured II, the xputh. Taking these facts
in connection with tho recent heavy ship
mcnts of muskots from Watcrviiet, Allie
ghcny and SpringGoId.to the Cotton States
while, as will DO seen from lottcr from an
old militia man. published elsewhere, tho
great State Of Now York, for 25 years past
has not been ablo TO obtain her quota of
arms from tho General Government. we
cannot como to any other conclusion than
that tho War Department, with tho knowl-
edge and connivanco OF tho President, is
deliberately playing into tho hands of those
at the Sorth who arc now either in opon ro.
beilion against tho Government, or Osten
tatiously plotting its immediate overthrow.
1t is high iim0 that tho country was
aroused to u thorough understanding of tho
position Of our rulers at Washington. Du.
ring tho past year 200 000 muskcts have
been taken from tho Springfield Armory
alone by tho Secretary Of War; and diStrb.
uted throughout tho South, not to mention
tho drain from other points Although the
u. S. Arsenal mt Charleston, with 73, 1000
stand of arms, has hoon noarly two months
in possession of tho S0ccssioniss, iUHhin The
past ten days 5 00) more muskeis haze been
sent there from Watorviet to tho traitors in
armed rebellion against tho Government,
Like quantities hnvo boon sent within tho
same period to Alabama and Georgia And
SO wo find, under tho management Of MIR.
Floyd, II steady drain of arms and matoriais
of war constantly going on from tho North
to tho South for tho uso of the proposed
Southern Contedoracy.
If this material was needed for legitimate
purposes. thorc is no earthly reason for tho
transfer, as We arc in state of profound
peace with other nations and the sending
of stores to forts in tho condition Of those
at Galveston Harbor and Ship Island is al.
together contrary to the custom of tho War
Department. Tho truth is, that without
tho aid and comfort which, in pursuance OF
their traiorous schemes, tho Administration
have given TO tho Revolutioniss. tho coun.
try would never have been brought to the
brink Of civil war.