Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-19


tains this remarkable editorial;
Itis evident that General Scott has once
more beaten the enemies of his country by
mere force Of his admirable strategical gem
ius. To do so, he has, as was necessary, suf
fered not only traitors, but loyal men, to rest
under a misapprehension. ..'.r.
L Those who remember the impotence with
which the American public watched his sp.
parent inaction at one period Of the Mexican
war, will not have forgotten the shout Of ad-
miration which went mp from the people
when il was at last discovered that the sup
posed inaction had been in reality the wisest
and shrewdest action and that by the most
mastery display of military strategy he had
outwitted the enemy, and obtained q splen-
did victory when nought but defeat aud dis
aster stared our army in the face.
He who reads and compares carefully the
dispatches from Charleston, Montgomery
and Washington, in this mornings journals,
can not avoid the gratifying conclusion that
that which looks at first blush like a disaster
to the Government, is in reality but the sue
cessful carrying out Of an admirable plan of
military operations Before this the traitors
see themselves caught in the tolls In fact
it seems to have sickened the chief traitor,
Davis, already, for Montgomery dispatches
relate that when the news from Charleston
came, and the mob serenaded Davis and
Walker, The former S0ds not nell and did not
appear and even his secretary was costive
of words, and declined TO make a speech"
The facts which tend to the conclusion we
have pointed out may be summed up rs fol-
lows:
General Scott has been averse to the at
tempt to re. enforce Sumter. He saw that it
would cost men and vessels which the Gov
ernment could not spare just now.
As an able General he saw that Sumter
and Charleston were points of no military
importance, and would only need valuable
men TO hold, II we took them-with no ad-
equate advantage gained.
He saw that the two keys of the position
were Fort Pickens, in the Gulf, and Wash
ingtoD, the Capital.
He knew, what Davis had not generalship
to perceive, that on the 4th OF March, and
for some weeks afterward. it would have
been almost impossible for the Federal Gov.
ernment to defend Washington against such
force as the traitors had already collected
before Sumter and which could be marched
at any time on Capital not yet prepared for
defense-not y ct even purged of traitors.
His plans, based on these facts, were at
once laid. BY every means in his power, he
concentrated the attention of traitors and
loyal men on Sumter. He must have seen
with infinite satisfaction the daily increas-
ing force gathered at Charleston, while the
| Government lost no time in Strengthening
the Capital. Every hour the traitors spent
before Sumter gave them only more surely
into the hands of their master.
To make assurance doubly sure he pre-
tended to leave Fort Pickens in the lurch.
1t was said to be in no danger, when Scott
knew that formidable force was investing
it. Men feared that all would be lost by the
inaction of the Government when it was
never more shrewdly energetic.
At last Washington was reasonably safe.
Forces were gathered, Once more our brave
old General saw himself with means in his
hands. Then came the armament popuarly
believed to be destined for Sumter. The Gov
erDment said not word--only osked of the
traitors the opportunity to send its own gar
rison q needed supply Of food. They re-
fused-and fearing the arrival of the Federal
feet-dIunk and besotted with treason, and
impatient to shed the blood of loyal soldiers,
they made the attack.
Scarce had they begun, when they saw,
with evident terror ships lowering about the
harbor's mouth; they piled their cannon in
desperate haste; but no ship came in to An
deIson's helpl What was the matter2
Ma0e bold by the furious thirst for blood
they dared the ships to come in. But no
ship offered its assistance to Anderson More,
the guns of Sumter were only directed at the
works of the traitors, and Major Anderson
evidently tried to fire in such manner as
not to kill men. He did not even try few
bombs on the city, though it is certain, from
letter of one of his own officers, that his
guns would reach beyond the center of
Charleston.
What was the matter2 Beauregard must
haye thought the Government officers both
fools and towards. When his own boats
were sailing unframed about the harbor,
between Sumter and Moultrie, bearing his
orders, was it possible that the forces outside
could stand apathetic while brave garrison
was being done to death2 When the battle
was to the death, would a shrewd officer
neglect to divert his enemy's attention by
firing his city?
II it seemed mysterious to us, waiting on
Saturday with breathless suspense, it must
have seemed ineomprehensibe to any cool
head in the traitor camp.
Still no ships came in-and in fact the re-
ports state that only three or four small
vessels remained in the offing. After forty
hours cannonade, in ohich not one man Is
killed, Major Anderson, an officer of un-
doubted courage and honor, runs up white
flag, surrenders the fort, and becomes the
guest of General Beauregard. Let no man
hastily cry traitor He only obeyed his
orders. He made an honorable defense. He
took care to shed no blood. He ''gave or
ders not to sight men, but to silence bate.
ries."
Meantime, while the rebels are ignorantly
glorifying the victory of 5000 men over
! eighty, what news comes from Montgomery?
The telegraph, in the hands of the rebels
gays:
I" Fort Pickens Vds re enforced last night."
tbs understood that Charleston hdr60r is
blOekaded."
Dispatches from Lieutenant Slemmer,
| captured by the rebels, gave Davis the first
intimation of his defeat No wonder the
! rebel chief was "sick," and went to bed
No wonder that his Secretary, Walker,
| declined to make a speech.
And what from Washington? These
significant paragraphs:
"The report that Anderson has surren-
deIed, and is the guest of General Beaure.
gard, has been communicated to the Presi-
dent. The latter a0as not surprised, but, on
the contrary remarked, The supply vessels
| could not reach him, and he did right When
he was told that the report was that nobody
was injured in Fort Sumter, he seemed very
much gratihed, and remarked that he re-
| gretted that Major Anderson could not be
| supplied, as that was all he needed "
"The neTt act IN The play wiH represent a scene
at Fort Pickens, In Pensacola hdrbor!'
| The position of affairs is this; Charleston
is blockaded. Fort Pickens is re. enforced
by troops which the traitors foolishly be.
lieved were destined for Sumter. Washing
ton is secure beyond peradventure. The
traitors have, without the slightest cause,
opened the war they have so long tbrea-
ened. The country is reused to defend
its assailed liberties, and gathers enthusias-
tically about the Government, and treason
has been checkmated at the first blow it
struck. Let them keep Sumter few
weeks. -... .-..-... .r...r.
Let no man cry traitor to Major Anderson
Let no man fear for the energy of the Ad-
ministration. Let us thank God that brave
| old General Scott remains to give his loyal
PRIvATEERNe NIPPED IN TIE BUD.-In the
| Charleston Courier of last Thursday, says the
| ~. Un,i, E,aus.,, D.. ,va Gna an advar