The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-03-12

l. Iag, probably, the loss ct thousands of lives.
y In a military point OF view, weighing advantage
u and efforts, it will he advisable to cvacuate tn
e fort, and to breve the officers of its garrison 70
n heroic conduct.
II From The Washington National Republican,
s, THE EVACUATION OF FORT SUMTER.
e late last evening we learned that in a CabnG
If meeting Saturday, it was determined to evacu
y ate Fort Sumter. If the news is authentic, O
: Whlch we have no reason TO doubt, this measur
t mas been taken of clncillation to the borde
Htates The fort has no strategic Importance, ant
It may have been supposed that the Welding poin
= OF pFlde to South Carolina could very well be af
n iorded by great Government, would satisfy tht
country generally Of the pacific policy Of the Ad
mlnlstratlon, and enable it, without the appearance
= oi coercion, to be more stringent in the enforce
t meht OF the revenue laws.
r Special Despatch 10 Ne,g For; Herald
d W WASHINGroN, March l0.-The Cabinet meeting
called suddenly last night and continued until
late hour, produced quite sensation throughout
the city. When it was ascertained that in the ab
sence OF Mr.. Seward, Mr.. Weed was counseed with
, oy the Cabinet Ministers, it was generally believed
that the meeting had reference to the New York
appointments That subject, however, was not
considered in any manner whatever Intelligence
was received here last evening at the War Depart
nlent that Major Anderson without fuel, and
had only about fifteen DAYS supply of provisions
Inc President deemed this information of sufficient
Importance to require immediate consultation with
ms ms ministerial advisers; hence the Cabinet meeting
lhe whole subject freely discussed
1t appears that the actual condition of Fort sum
Ter is much worse than was represented by the re-
cent administration. The question discussed and
to be settled by Mr. Lincoln and his advisers is
whether Sumter be reinforced, and il So
what 1t will cost and, thirdly, what value will it
De to the service after it is reinforced These
queries are met thus: At the time South Carolina
passed her secession ordnance, Fort Sumter could
aud should have been reinforced. Mr.. Buchanan
neglected to do so. Secondly, to supply Fort Sum.
ter with men and provisions now would require ten
thousand men at least, and more naval ships than
can De brought into immediate requisitiOn, large
expenditure of treasure great sacrifice of life
and the initiation Of civil war. Thirdly, would the
administration be Justified in making such rein.
lorcement at such price, in view of the fact that
such terrible condition of affairs at Sumter is
only an entailment of the buchanan administration
upon the present, and not produced by any act of
the party now in power, but against its we'll
known policy, especially inasmuch as Sumter
would be of no value whatever to the government
| forced.
The present administration has had no quarrel
win South carolina, and is not inclined to assume
| or engage in any complications that the Buchanan
administration may have become eutangled in 1t |
VIII pursue policy of its own, and not follow that
OF Tits predecessor. 1t clear from the evidence now
before the President, that Major Anderson must |
nave supplies at once, be ordered to salute the
United States flag and evacuate the place. TO |
reintorce him under all the circumstances would |
only be viewed as an attempt to humiliate the peo-
pie of South Carolina with no good resulting to |
the Federal Government by it. The act would |
so be considered aggressive and wilfully coer
cVe because the fort would be useless if the South
CdTOIlnians were subdUed and the Federal forces |
became the conqUerorS, as they eventually would, |
Ar: Lncolns administration is not inclined to be |
put In this false position, and believe that the
present complicated state of affairs has been pro
duced by designing men to entrap the new powers
that be.
Major Anderson and his men have done well:
their services are needed elsewhere; they can be
ordered to another post now by Mr. Lincoln, be-
cause he has not been the guilty party to their
present condition. He remove them unnhu-
enced by menace or threat They cannot be rein
forced short of mourning the expense named above,
and starvation would overtake them before pro-
visions could reach them under anv circumstances
humanity, then, de mands their removal | am
sure these considerations, briefly stated, are the
main points now under discussion by the President
and Cabinet, and have doubt the result will be
the removal from Charleston harbor Of all causes
for future quarrel in that direction, so far as the
Federal Government is concerned. If it must be
done it will be done quickly, probably Tomorrow
30 much for the Cabinet meeting last night.
Special Dispatches to the N r Tyibuncl
WASHINGTON, March lO.-lfthe reports about the
evacuation Of Fort Sumter OF true, they prob
ably will be- for its relief has been DELAYED SO
long that reintorcements can hardly be sent in
sufficient numbers in season to its necessities.
The question is wholly military one; and must be
decided on military ground; bnt the moral effect
on the public lnnd OF orders to Major Anderson to
retire can only be counteracted by concurrent
proclamation for an extra session of Congress-
Legislation to arrest the action OF the Southern
Confederacy in regard to importatons seems abso-
lutely necessary.
WAsHINGToN, March 10-Much sensation was
produced this morning by report, which OBJ
tanned currency and credit in important circles,
that Major Anderson would be Withdrawn from
Fort Sumter. As no official action has been taken
by the administration, this rumor is not entitled to
Teight with the public, though it has made some
t,-i,.sssion here 1t is well known that Major An
deIson cannot now be reinforced without immi.
nent danger of a serious collision. Two steamers
OF light draft with supplies OF men and provisions
nave been IN readiness for some time to make the
attempt whenever ordered, under command of an
officer who is willing to take the risk and feels
confident of success. But the military prepara- =
tionS in and outside of the harbor of Charleston
render any such experiment hazardous, unless sus-
tanned by heavy naval force, which could be used
now, as the main ship channel is entirely clear of
distractions
The War Department has obtained detailed
statement of the stock OF provisions in Fort Sumter
and 1t IS abundant for a considerable time, except
IN bread, which is not sufficient for over thirty
days. One OF the first and most important ques-
tions, therefore, before the Administration will be-
whether Major Anderson will be supplied or with
drawn. That decision cannot long be postpcned
for, though he receives meats and vegetables
from the markets of Charleston, this permission
may be cut off ct any moment by an order from
Gov. Pickens or Gen. Beauregard. to whom Jeffer-
son Davis has c0nided the direction of military
operations there
The Cabinet had special session of over three
hours last night, in which the policy concerning
rort sumter was fully discussed An informal con,
ference was also held this morning, at which sew
erai members were present. No decision has yet
been reached but the general opinion prevails to-
night that the troops will be Withdrawn
This condition of things was purpOsev contrived
oy, Mr. buchanan, andMr Holt declares openly that
the present Administration can n no wav be made
responsible for any course that may now be adopted
~ says that the fort could have been reinforced
thirty Gays ago without serious difficulty and
measures had been taken for that purpose, but Mr..
buchanan positivel refused to have them executed
dis whole policy was to bequeath a complication TO
his successor which compelled of two alter
the certainty Of civil war.
Especial Despatch to the Ne1c Fork Timesl
WASHINGTON, March l0.--The question Of rein
forcing Fort Sumter has been under consideration
in the Cabinet, and it is understood that the ques
ton whether or no it is not desirable to withdraw
al the troops, except two three men, rather
than incur the bloodshed which will probably occur
Delere troops and supplies put into it, is now to
be decided.
The immediate necessity of settling this question
grows out of the fact that there is only a limited
supply OF bread at Fort Sumter, but plenty of salt
meat, and that it must either be resupplied or
abandoned very soon. The question has been under
discussion in high military circles for several DAYS
Uen. scott advises that reinf0rcements cannot
now be put in without enormous sacrifice of life
VI course his views on the subject cannot be known
olhcaliy to the public, but he is understood to saw
tnat @ we nave neither military naval force at
nanu suiicient to supply the fort against the
threatened opposition, which it would require
twenty thousand men to overcome Besides If it
snooid Initiate civil war, in addition to uniting the
SOuth and overwhelming the Union sentiment
there IN the waves of passion, it would require two
hundred and fifty thousaad Government soldiers to
carry on the struggle, and a hundred millions of
money TO begin with In such an event, twenty
thousand men would be needed to preserve Wash
lngton and the Government archives.
The general impression here the streets is that
the Administration has determined on withdrawing
the troops from Fort Sumter leaving only one
corporal, two men and the Stars and Stripes, COM
peiilng the chivalry to capture the fort after ALL
They have been threatening to do it for three ;
months, and failed when there were onIv about
seventy men in it. They may have an opportunity
10 accomplish 1t against only three.
southern Union men express the earnest hope | ,
that tine Administration will pursue such policy
as VIII render it unnecessary to send Federal
troops South. II that is not done, they say the
pressure brought about by secession is pushing on
reaction in the Southern mind which will sweep
the secessionists into oblivion They fully expect
10 nave an armed conflict in Texas, but prefer that
II snail be between the Unionists and Dsunonists
OF the South. All the Union men ask is the pryi-
ege OF whipping out their own traitors.
heard distinguished secessionists confess to-
night that II Mr.. Lincoln does withdraw the troops
from Fort Sumter, secession is dead and every
leader IN the movement ruined. On the other hand
it is feared that the withdrawal will be misunder-
stood in Europe and have bad effect there The
whole question is exceedingly embarrassing
Union and Secession Demonstrations in
Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark, March 9.-On the reception
of President Lncons Inaugural, the secessionists.
in consequence of some accessions to their ranks