The national Republican., 1861-04-06

on the Gull of Mexico. 1t is in no sense
local work, but it is as strictly national as the
forts at Key West and Tortugas. And it is not
threatened with assault by Florida, but by Mis-.
sissippi and Georgia and South Carolina who
have no more justification in waging war az gsinst
US at Pensacola, than the Emperor OF France
has.
If there is to be " ,ffatricidai conf,ct" at
Fort Pckens, we shall deplore it as much as
our neghbors Of the Intelligencer can, but we
shall not like them, impute the blame TO those
who ore innocent. We shall stand by our own
Government end our own country, against all
enemies, foreign or domestic. If there is fight
ing at Pensacola, it will be by the deliberate
and voluntary choice Of the JEFF. Davis cabsl
and upon their heads be the consequences.
Tn Alexandria (va.) Gazette of yesterday
exhibits very different and much more COM
mendable spirit than that exhibited BY the In
teUigencer.
The Gazette says
eve have been instant, in season and out
of season, in advocating and enforcing as far
as we could BY argument and appeals to rea-
vation Of the public peace, in the present con.
dition Of our country-the policy Of peace
measures both on the part of the United States
and the Confederate States. Every day strength
ems our convictions on that head. To inaugu-
rate hostilties on the one hand or the other
would lead to fearful and enduring evils"
The italicizing is the Gazette's and not
ours, and is intended to mark more significantly
its belief, that this duty of preserving the peace
is not one.sided duty, obligatory only upon
the United States, but that it is a duty as we'll
of the Confederate States" If it is the JEFF.
Davis conspirators who "inaugurste hostili.
ties" they will have no sympathy among the
Union men Of the South, but, on the contrary,
they will rally with alacrity to the support of
President Lincoln. The National htelliyencer
is entirely at fault in its philosophy.
The "McNEILL LErrtR.-We give below,
for what it may be worth, letter published in
the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, as being
from Johnson McNeill, a private at Fort
Sumter:
"BuFFALo, April 4, 1861.
ave have enough to eat and drink, and suf
6cient to keep US for four months, Our fuel
is scarce, but that is nothing. The rebels think
we have been idle, but they nor any one else
will ever know how many men we have in this
garrison. We have got sufficient to hold the
fort against the whole South in body. Major
Anderson is true soldier, and so are the
other officers, and the men would die for him.
l only wish we had chance to give the rascals
: HI, and we can do it, too.
"If ever we get out of this fort, it will not
be with the wish of our officers. As to sending
US men and supplies, it is all nonsense to talk
about it it cannot be done. We are all right,
if old Lincoln will only have the backbone to
stand by u.s.
EB Judge McLean's age is stated at seven.
ty-six years. The National lntelligsncsr says
"He was native of New Jersey. While
yet child, he removed with his father, first to
Virginia. then to Kentucky, and finally to Ohio,
where he resided the remainder of his life.
Having qualified himSeff for the pfuiession Of
the law, and prscticed it for some time, in
1873 he entered public life as Representative
in Congress, in which he served till 1916, fur.
T nshing during the term the ssms model Of do.
votion to duty and Of purity Of life that subse-
quently marked his distinguished career a.
Postmaster General, aud for thirty years as
ASSOCIATE Justlce on the Deneh OF the supreme
Court he had been quite infrm for some
time previous to his departure few days age
from Washington, aud his early decease was
not unexpected to his friends here"
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS. The Pres
dent yesterday made the following appoint
: ments, viz:
. Edward Prentis, to be collector Of the port
Of New London, Ct. .,
, Nehemiah D. Sperry, postmaster at New Ha
ven, CT.
Charles. Thomson, postmaster at Corning
NY.
!. David W. Cheeseman to be assistant U. 8
treasurer at San Francisco, Cal.
Walter s. DEMO, melter and refner at the
San Francisco mint.
. DEPARTMENTAL.
n ~ n