The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-01-04
Aiming Treason at the Expense of the
People.

w I'LL uCCldtCu duNOCdtcS VI lUc ulS6O-
luton of the Union in the cabinet, and
a quasi disunionist and weak if not
corrupt man at the head of the war de-
partment, and president who apparently
considers it his policy to consult the feelings
of traitors rather than the safety of the coun-
| try. the movement of government arms and
stores to the states now threatening seces-
sion, to be placed either in their possession,
or within their reach, justly excites suspicion
and indignation. The heavy guns ordered
| south from Pittsburg, Pa, about which there
is very great and very just popular feeling
here, re:-To Ship Island. near the Balize,
mouth Of the Mississippi. 2l ten-inch Colum-
biads, l2S Founders; 2l eight-inch Colum-
hiads, 81 Founders, 4 iron guns. 32 FOUNDERS
10 Newport. near Galveston Island. Texas /:
% ten-inch Columbiads, l2S Founders; As
-ight-inch Columbiads, 64 Founders; iron
guns, 32 Founders. The Pittsburg Dispatch
of Tuesday said :-"Wi.l our people submit
to this? Our citizens, of all parties, de-
nounce the movement as treason, and prom
inent democrats, leading Breckinrdge men,
have telegraphed to Washington to have the
order revoked. If it is not done-when :rea-
son endeavors to destroy the Union, while
for two months yet in power, We owe duty
to the nation. to the state of Pennsylvania, to
ourselves to prevent, 10y :Orce, if necessary
the transfer of these munitions Of war. under
color of law, to the enemies of the nation.-
The people of Allegheny county should see
that the cannon purchased by the national
treasure are not conveyed to the far South :;
and they need not barricade Liberty and Penn
streets to prevent it. Let them decide that
no cannon shall be shipped till Charleston
arsenal is In the possession of the federal
government and Fort Moultrie reinforced.
and none WU be.
"On inquiring in Lawrcnceville, we were
informed that, for week or more govern
ment wagons have been hauling muskets to
the city, one of the employees stating that
ten thousand muskets were shipped within a
week-no doubt to be placed where traitors
can obtain possession of them without gun
being fired. From another source we learn
that small arms, cavalry equipments, balls
and shells, have been quite recently shipped
by river to the South The government is
even now 'hurryng up the completion of the
enormous l2-inch gun at the Fort Pit, foun-
dry, and hopes doubtless to have it South be-
fore the 4th of March, There are about
hundred 10 inch (12S pounder) cannon at the
arsenal. the orders are to ship forty four of
this size. Gen J. X. MoreheaG. NJ. C.. on
hearing OF these movements, at once tele-
graphed to Mr. Stanton, chairman of the mil
tary committee. House of Representatives,
to make inquiry at the war department on
The subject. He then applied to Major Sym
lngton for information, and learned that the
guns were designed for the new forts. which
had not yet been mounted. or even manned :;
that the carriages were made at Wateryliet,
n. L., and these guns were made for those
forts that all the muskets heretofore order
ed have been shipped. and no further requi
sltions made; that no canton have been
shipped except to fill ordinary rtquisi,ions"
The Washington correspondent of the
, New York Herald makes the following state.
ment:-
The secretary of war recently ordered the
superintendent Of the Springfield tMass.) ar
mory to deliver to Major Thornton, of the
army, twenty thousand musket>. as condemn
ed ordnance stores and to be sold. Major
J
Thornton has charge of the military stores in
New York city. 1t is said tnat the state of
Virginia has purchased them at two and 4
halt dollars each They cost the government
twelve dollars each. atc known as the model
of 1912, and could bc changed TO the lates,
and best mo.lel for seventy five cents each
by the simrlc process Z. r!iling the barrel
AS thele has barely been time to make the
tive hundred boxes in which to pack them, i.
Is doubtful whc;h, thcy have vet been re-
moved !ro.. Springfield. Two hundred
thousand muskets have been taken from tn.
Springfield armory. ny order of the secrc,ar,
of war, during th, last Year and distributed
over the So hern states About the sam,
number remain tn>rc at the present time, al
of which, with the alteration alluded to ahov,
may be made serviceabe'
According to the above statements no les
than three hundred md Twenty-Five Mousant
muskets haze been distributed over the sou
thern states during the last year. 1t seem
to us that the southern people must be thor
oughly armed by this time.