Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-30
will not stop to discuss that matter

| minority Congress repudiates it through non
action. L; was presented to hat ooay lo - ,ho
tication or rather for rccommenuu..Ta " IN
States. TIN Premier looked atit CLOSELY -
pronier of this Administrator, Which n"s
hoon Installed in office by blast Of trumpet
and roll Of drum-this Administration that
has come stcalthily N by night into the Presl-
dental chair which was filled by Washing.
ton, and which, under some vague pretence OF
hidden assassins lurking in ambush, surrounds
itself with a guard of armed men-the Premier
OF this Administration, | say, glanced at it, and
what docs he proposc2 Alter. midnight con-
icrr,rccs with onr friends, pretendedly incllninS
10 compromise and settle il, why lie proposes
Il National Contention.
"wm you walk Into my rsrlor, said the spider to the ny;
Ill the prrllicst little parlor that ever you did spy"
Laughter.
That is exactly the parlor in which you are
invited to walk. Go into it and the fate Of
the poor ty is yours.
Now, Mr.. President, u want seriously to
know oil this Convention, what are you going
To do: } Yot cannot stand still. That is not
possible. Events are moving too rapidly
around you. Tie times are pregnant with
signs. Even if you were disposed to take q
little more slu;nbtr, you cannot fold your arms
and sleep ~sountly. You must do something.
And What is that something? On one day
there comes forth IA smile from the White
ll6usr; but, 10! the next day it is chased away
with d frown. On one day we hear that Fort
Sumter is to be abanduned-the next that the
Star OF the West with supplies is ready 10 sail
from New York for sone point Oh the South.
crn coast. J would fain hope that the news
l., authentic that Fort Sumter is to be
evacIa,vd and that that gallant man,
Meier Anderson, is to be relieved from !
condition which becomes more desperate eve
nv day. 4 fine gallant boy, the son OF
All esteemed and respected friend oil mine,
whvm | have known for many years, and whose
father was familiar with my iathcr-onr pre-
sent Minister To BraZil-iS now shut up III that
fort. know that he is prepared to die IN The
discharge Of his duty. He would not be a
Vlrriniau il he were not. But his father Is
2.UUu miles away, representing his Govern.
ment III a foreign Court. | thought | would
Wal; upol President buchanan, and try TO in
t.rrst him in behalf of Major Anderson and
those under his command. urged the linpos-
Sih;ljiy OF Sending rclir(-i saw no chance Tor
4 Successful defence. | represented To HIM, IN
tho mildesL terms could, the condition OF that
nobie boy. | advcgted TO the state Of the gar
r;sou. thai there were only s~eventy.odd PEG.
ue to man the guns; that after all this Vauut-
mo about the strength Of tho fort, there were
TO more than enough soldiers to man SIX guns,
and the ability would fail even to man them,
alter IL !rw DAYS Of conflict. Why not, then,
r.!icvc and discharge the garrison: They are
rcai; 10 perish in defence vi their duty-Thy
let tnr.u perish: Why shall your !ubes De
stained with the blood or your officers, when
vou have but n few days more to remain III
! Office. The reply in substance was duty"
could not feel it'll could not comprehend it
bu: there it was. was rcjDiced wien 1 uu-
.~.c.s.vul that the present occupant OF the Ere
sl1,,:tial Chair had decided to abandon the
fort. lie can do nothing else. He is in Il
s;raisht-iackct; ne cannot throw in supplies,
neither can he retain possession OF the lori
much longer. Bat | do not altogether Ike
the anpraIance Of the news Of this morning.
Yesterday the dove WAS let loose from lts cage
y, evidence that bitter waters we're subs!dlns
to ,lay the hawk is unlIooded and lilies on
rapid wing TO overtake the dove. trust yet
that there will be good sense enough OH the
part OF the administration 10 induce an evacu-
a,ion of that fortress as well rs others, without i
~corliic: OF arlns.
There are many things that look alarming.
The Star Of the W est and the Daniel Webster
are at New York with supplies, ready to sail
for the Southern coast. And a newspaper
nararra,h announces that General Scott has
been Studying out u plan by which Fort
Slm;er can he reinforced. This paragraph
10 not altogether credit, because do not be.
lie-c that The old wXr.worn chicttaln, although
he NAV have lost some Of the chivalrlc spirit
which, formerly illustrated his character and
his fame, has vet gone to that desperate cX-
~trenlity Of trying by Shift and cunning to az
compIjsi, what nohlc-heartcd u:en will ever try
to accomplish only by direct action. Mr..
President, | wish not only that Fort Sumter
and Fo.t pickens might be abandoned, but
/ That the, President would lift himself up TO a
and at onna VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS sbg'
milton of the Southern Confederacy. 4 COM
mcrcial treaty and a treaty Of alliance ofen-
sivc AMI defensive with them, would save
much OF the Union under which we have all
lived so long and happily Ii all cannot be
saved, save AS much as can be saved, even OF
the rragmentsE for every fragment will be
a gem glorious and priceless. But fear that
this policy is not TO be their policy. Italy
can rise up from the thraldom Of centuries
and win the bright coronet Of free govern
ment. The iron crown of Austria may be re-
moved from tie brow Of its wcarcr ~ do
honor 10 Hungary. But Mr.. Lincoln recog-
nizes no such principle as lying ct the base Of
American Institutions, as the right OF the peo-
pie OF any of these States to seek their happi.
ness under any other government than that
inauguratcd by himself, Of a sectional major
ity. IIence the Pacific and Mediterranean
fleets are, it is said, ordered home, TO cluster
about our coast! Hence, the whole border,
stretching off to California, is TO be left ex.
posed to the attacks Of the savages, by with
! drawing from it the two thousand five hundred
regular troops. Rumor speaks Of q pur-
ton Of these troops being stationed at WASH
ingtoN as a strategic point IL it he &C.
curale, | shall regard it as 'bearding the lion
in his den, the Douglas in his hall" 1t looks
like a strategic operation to coerce Virginia,
and keep you under subsection and control
Virginia is the bright star that now fixes the
a~ttcntion Of the country. Every eye is turned
to her. | fear that the game is to hold Vir.
ginia in thraldoui, if possible. IF it can
DC done by the practice Of chicancry and
s;,;leS, she will be kept in her present
attitude Of ~inac!ion. Depend upon it, all
means will be res0rted ~ TO accomplish this
object. Troops may be concentrated in cnu.
siderable numbers at Fort Washington and
Fortress Monroe. In that event what will be
i the condition of Alexandria and Richmond
Fort Washington upon the Potomac, garri-
soncd-and not a barrel of flour, not a hogs.
head Of tobacco, no article Of commerce, can
float by withou; being under the range Of its
guns. It Fortress Monroe is to be garrisoned
BY 1000 men, rs speculation has sometimes
inlina,cl, the trade Of Richmona-that trade
which floats down the James, the York, the
Pappahannock, and the other rivers Of the
Commonwealth, is essentially blocked out from
tue ocean by Il ship Of war stationed in the
Bay, to cooperate with the Fort Look at it, |
pray you, and let your action here anticipate,
and MS lar as it can avail, guard against the
state of things which may soon exist.
Whai Else presents itself to you? There isa
hint giscss,you from L quarter whidE. speaks
almost in tones Of thunder. What means the
rn.innu1iun nr il,ncn nc II unrn cuhinnt officers