The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-04
AFFAIRS IN CHARLESTON.

VlsC on saturday TO the several iOrtlHeQ
in the harbo5. The Charleston papers give detail
ed accounts of the excursion, which is said to have
astonished even those who had previously enter
tanned the utmost confidence in the strength anC
the extent of these defences
Ia description appended to an engraved Illus
tration of the famous 'ron battery" on Cummings
Point, (the nearest battery to Fort Sumter,) the
i Aercsry says:
This unique work was built under the direction of
Major P. F. Stevens Superintendent o the Citadel
::Acaaemy, and attracts attention. chiefly owing to
'I slnPle put massive construction. 1t consists of
nGatt rame work OF yellow pine logs. The root
vi Tue same material, which dovetailed bars
OF ralIread iron of the pattern are laid from ton
10 bottom, all OF which is riveted down in the most
secure manner. On the front it presents an angle
of about thirty degrees. There are three mort
holes, which open and close with iron shutters of
the heaviest description. When open the muzzIes
of the Columbads fill up the space comnieteIv
The recoil OF the gun enables the shutters to be
closed instantly. 1t is asserted, high military
authority, that this inclined plane will effectuay
resist guns of the heaviest calibre-frst, because
no direct shot strike it except al an angle
which would the ball to glance; second, be-
cause its power of resistance is sufficient to with
| stand the fall of the heaviest shells The Colum-
bad guns, with which this novel battery is equip
ped, bear on the south wall of Sumter the line of
lire being at angle of about thirty five degrees.
This is not, of course, considered favorable for
preaching, but owing to the fact that the wall is
| ioop-noed for musketry throughout its entire
tGInslG, Wntch OF course, weakens it great deal,
the distance of l,l50 yards effect breach within
reasonable time
OTHER BATTERIES
! Passing on to the other batteries, we could mot
but marvel at the engineering skill displayed in the
construction of these formidable works. We have
| not room here to give minute account of each
battery Indeed this would be superauous, for,
with the exception of the iron battery, they all
| seemed to be built after the same fashion All
were walled in by the same impenetrable defence
OF thousands of sand-bags; all were in the same
| apple-pIe order, and all were guarded with the
| same ceaseless vigilance. We were soon reused
| from our admiration of these triumphs of military
! engineering by the report of one of the ten-nch
mortars, which showed that the days practice at
| the batteries had begun.
FIRING
! was kept up with spirit. One after another the
mortars and heavy guns sent their shot and shell
! lying over the waters of the harbor. To large
majority of the spectators the fight and bursting
of shell was something novel, and the scene was
altogether grand and impressive. The whole line
of the beach for miles cluuded in white smoke,
and the continuous flashing and reports of the
guns heightened the warike aspect of things
Among those who fired the mortars ex-senator
Chesnut, and we heard one of the officers say that
his shot was quite creditable one.
On the return trip the two steamers containing
the party passed directly under the grim walls of
Fort Sumter, the ramparts of which were crowded
with officers and men. "Dixie's Land" was PLAYED
by the bands on the steamers, and several white
flags were spread to the breeze, but whether the
gallant Anderson any of his small band respond
ed, the reporter ''saith mott
General Beauregard, in order to exhibit the
skill of his artiIerists, INDUCED the visitors with
q sight or artillery practice from two batteries
buoy in the ship channel, distant 1,600 yards
being used as the target The Courier says of the
result:
Three rounds given; at each round the Wis
itors expressed their admiration of the excellent
line shots that were made BY the gunners The
shell from the mortars thrown beautifully
On the last round the balls nearly all struck imme-
plp hu and pva tha bIO,r
FORT SUMTER.
The Courier of Monday thinks it unnecessary to
inform the members Of the Convention that "Fort
Sumter, that monument of imbeciIity and yacilla-
tion, and treachery, is not yet evacuated"
IT, says the Courier, the order from Washington
does not reach US very soon, it will be proper to
give an order from the Generals Room in the
Secession Hall, for the evacuation surrender.
CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS
A Committee of the State Convention appointed
to inquire how mnch of the legislation of Congress
has been abrogated by the secession of South Car
Oina, have made n lengthy report, which, after ex-
amining in detail the acts of Congress in force at
the date of the secession they arrive at the con-
ciuson that although moneys borrowed upon the
faith of the United States are not properly legal
obligations, since the parties bound by them being
sovereign States, cannot be enforced by legal pro-
cess and security of the creditors rests entirely
upon the good faith of the States; yet State GER
tainly cannot by Withdrawing from the Confeder-
acv, absove itself from high moral and political
obligations which it had contracted, in common
with the other States, while they were united.
The legislation of Congress on the subject of
weights and measures, and the standards of coin,
is declared to have force in the State. The
power of Furnishing counterfeters of federal securi
ties is practically abrOgated, but counerleipg is
pronounced an offence, and punishable by the COM
mon law.
The PUBLIC acts and records of the United States
and the judicial proceedings of the federal courts
during the existence of the Union, being the acts
are, in effect s,S@se, anu ~ al e en-
titled to the same respect as if the Union had not
been dissolved.
As to patents and copyrights issued during the
existence of the Union, the report says they were
granted by the authority of South Carolina, as
well as the other States, and, therefore, the par
ties entitled 70 their benefit have the same exclu-
sre right in this State to their writings or discov-
cries that they had before the Union was dissolved.
Any violation, therefore, of patent or copyright
having validity and effect in South Carolina, would
be an injury to property for which the party ag-
grieved might obtain adequate redress in the Courts
of the State.
Upon the important point of the validity of trea-
ties entered into between the United States and
foreign powers, the report holds that treaties SO
made, in the name of the United States were trea-
ties made by and for each of the States, as well as
all the States, and each State was Just as much
bound by them, and entitled to their benefits as if
they had been made exclusively in behalf of the
State, and by Government or agent exclusively
its own. Treaties bind, not Governments merely,
but be States OF which they are the organs; and
State does not, by changing its Government, dvest
itself of the obligations which it has contracted by
treaty with other States, forfeit the obligations
which they have assumed towards it. 1t follows
that treaties between the United States and for
eign nations, made during the existence of the
Union, are still subsising treaties between this
State and those natons, notwithstanding the Gov
ernment of the United States has ceased to be a
Government of the State.
CRITICISM on THE CONSTITUTION.
Mr.. j. lizard Middleton offered the following res
olutions, which he read to the Convention FRI
day:
L. Resolred, That the true policy of South Carolina
consists in the establishment of free trade and her
people will consent to yield obedience to any
government that violates policy so essential to their
prosperity.
2 Resolpcd, That is indispensaby necessary
of the mechanic amongst us, that the labor
markets of the world shoutbe opened to
ResoLred, That the right of selfgovernment by the
people this State acquired through the revolution
of l776 and ought to be held subject to the ma
tons of government national in its character whilsit
would be perfectly safe under federative system
f. ReSotred, That all attempts to miagle with any good
result national and ederave systems have proved abor-
tive, and will always be followed by unhappy consequent
ces and are therefore to be avoided
s. ResoEred, That the slaveholdng community that
allows itself be governed and controlled in any pat
cular by non slavehoding community, must be alike
blind to what is essential to its honor, its interests its
safety and the happiness Of its people.
6. ReSotUed That the permanent Constitution of the
Confederate States of America agreed upon at Mont
gomery, Alabama and recommended to our acceptance,
not permitting to us the establishment OF the policy OF
free trade taking out of our hands engaged as we are
cultivation OF tropical prOducSl the control
of supply of labor by positive prohibition, giving
official guarantee Of the right of power Of selgov
ernment home; minglng it does the national and
federative systems, and permitting the eventual acces
sions of anavery communities to our Confederacy oy
the absence of Constitutional prohbition-cannot be
accepted by South Carolina unless it be amended in all
the particulars above specified.
The resolutions were tabled.
TIE FLOATING BATTERY.
The flag of the Confederate States will be flung
to the breeze from the floating battery at ten
o'clock this morning. The proportions of the flag
are twenty by twelve feet and it will be raised at
a height Of sixty feet An Grafton suitable to the
occasion will be delivered. Refreshments have
been generously provided.
A SHOCKING ACcIDENr.-The last Wiiamsport
Ledger gives the following account Of most dread
ful accident, which occurred on the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal:
GAS lad, the son of Mr.. James Terrill, of Cum
herland, was driving his mules on the Canal near
Sbepherdstown, on last Sunday. the tow-line sud
denly snapped with great violence. The broken
rope sprung back like lightning, and as 1t sprang
hack il wrapped itself about the boys leg, making
lamb knot and casting the boy to the ground
At the same time the mules took fright and ran.
Thus they dragged the poor lad by the leg for two
miles and half over the rough, jagged stones that
crowd the tow-path in that section. When the
mules were stopped it was found that the boys
head and face had been bruised almost into Jelly;
his garments were in tatterS, and bis limbs were
torn and broken, while bits of flesh and spots of
blood were left upon the stones. He still breathed
but never spoke after he rescued. On Monday
morning his mangled remains were put on board of
the cars and returned to his home in Cumberland
INFLUENCE OF TREEs UPON CLIMArE.-Jochim
Frederick Sahouw, Professor of Botany at Copen-
hagen, speaks follows of the influence of forests
Hpon the atmosphere:
awe find the most evident signs of it in the torrd
zone. The forests increase the rain and moisture
and produce springs and running streams. tracts