The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-03-23
AFFAIRS IN CHARLESTON,

~
correspondent warns the public of Charleston,
through the Mercury, that the rumored abandon
ment OF Fort Sumter may he trick of Lincoln's
Administration to blind the vigilance of the Caro-
lnians, and thus to reinforce the fort. awe must
be sure, he writes, "that we are in possession be-
tore we withdraw single muzzle of the 30 pieces
OF cannon that now bear upon that fortress. And
delay in the evacuation-the measure having been
resolved upon-wll be suspicious"
SNOW IN CHARLESTON.
The Mercury of Wednesday has the following:
The youngsters were in high glee on Tuesday
morning, and the Coolest inhabitants" were all
agog to lind, when they woke, the white mantle of
winter covering ground and tree and house-top. A
cold rain, alternating with drzze had fallen dur
ing the night and at 8 A. NJ. the thermometer stood
at 3O-two degrees below freezing point. At four
A. NJ the rain changed to a sleet and at half past
four it began to snow briskly, and continued for
about two hours, covering the ground for the depth
OF two inches. AS soon as day broke and folks be-
gan to stir, there was general wonderment and ad-
mlralon OF the novel scene Ere long snow aling
began; many chapcau was unceremoniOusly tossed
| from its owners head by the improvised missiles
and the sport lasted until the genial sun had melted
| away the last vestige of the snow The storm it
appears, was much more severe in the up-country
than here, and the damage to the fruit it is be
! Ieved, has been very serious. The fg-trees par
ticulary, are badly lrost-bitten. We have had no
snow as heavy since December 4th, 1858, when
! there was very similar fall.
| TALK ON EAST BAY AND AMONG THE JORBERs
Cotton, France the Tariff, Fort Sumter, and the
influx OF merchants from the interior towns of this
State, Georgia and Alabama have kept our mer-
camille community upon the Qui uiUe during the
whole week. 1t has now become fixed fact that
the cotton crop of lS60-6l will be nearly a million
bales short, and that all the additions that NAV be
made by the influence of the Bears to the receipts
cannot carry up the crop to four millions of bales
galveston acknowledges that she will be 50,000
| bales short Montgomery 40 600 bales; Columbus
40 900 bales. The total deficiency at the sea-ports
including the overland cotton from Memphis, which
Is now put into the New Orleans receipts, is near
100000 bales, aud the weekly receipts will, it is
said, increase the deficiency. Prices have adyapc-
ed since these facts have been known and it is said
that many lengthy and apologize letters have been
written mere by Shrewd European houses abroad
acknowledging that they have been in error in eg-
tlmating the crop, and imputing the blame to the
political state O: affairs amongst the Cotton States
| AN EXTRAORDINARY PLAGlARIsM.-An instance OF
plagiarism on large scale has just come to light
IN England which is likely to make a sensation nm
paralieied by any previous case of the kind. The
London Literary Gazette OF March I'd has an elabo-
| rate article or four pages. demonstrating in the
fullest manner that the famous poem of 'Lucile -
which revealed last year in such an unexpected
manner the genius of the son of Bulwer, is no bet
ter than very literal transaction of the "Lavinia
OF George Sand. That novel, published in Paris
about twenty five years ago, is of the few nov
els of George Sand which has not appeared in an
English dress; and the great number of large
works which have followed, had caused it to be
almost forgotten. 1t is very remarkable, however
that so bold and complete plagiarism from so well
known writer, extending through whole cantos
| of poems, should have remained undetected for so
many months. Mr. Owen Meredith, in his '"Dedi-
cation" of Lucille to his father, has the assurance
to say that che has endeavored to follow path on
which l could discover no footprints before me,
either to guide or to warn" In illustration OF
this astounding impudence, the reviewer in the
LherG'y Gazette places the passages from the novel
and the passages from the poem side by SIDE and
enables the reader to see that they are as nearly
identical as poetry and prose can be. In many in
stances, indeed, "Lucile" uses the very words OF
'Lavinia"-the French expressions for flowers that
have no English name. OF forty-seven pages
which the reviewer examined, the identity was com
plete. No literary reputation can stand such an
exposure as this; and we have probably heard the
last OF Owen Meredith as an author and poet. 1t
ADDS another chapter to the scandalous history of
the house of Bulwer.
| DANGERS OF THE SEA Observation-Disclosures the pro-
visions of the Naval appropriation BILL the Secre-
tary OF the Navy has purchased for $1,000 the
right to use "Dayidsons Boat Lowering Detaching
| and Attaching Apparatus,'' lately patented by
Lieut. Hunter Davidson, of the United States Navy.
This wonderful apparatus by which boat can be
lowered with perfect safety at sea, under any and
al circumstances will be offered to passenger