, 1861-01-15


this. city. 1intters are coming to d head with
startling rapidity, Eyents flow SO fast TINT one
Is swept along rs by mighty river. The tel
cgzaph has doubtless given you, the correspon-
dence that passed between Major Anderson
and Cor. Pickens. It Is sharp on both sides.
But what pity Anderson has not few more
men in the Fort. His messenger bearing the
dispatches to the President arrived to-day. 4
Cabinet meeting was forthwith convoked, and
Is now in session. The question to be decided
Is, shall Anderson be sustained aud reinforced?
OF will the great Federal Government succumb
to the insurgcnt mob at Charleston? South
Cafolina has undertaken to eos1re thu United
.State,i Tho President cannot escape from a
decision Of the question. In his message sent
into Congress yesterday Buchanan says:
Inn animal message pressed the conviction,
ana
hr that no State has The right By its otcn act to
secsde from fhs EHio' u to throw OF its Federal
Oh At + fSss s9 ss, 9SSn Sa
exercised by any Stntc Of the Ccnlederacy, the Ex
ecutiyc Department Of this Government had no au-
thority under the Constitution to recognize Its ya
lidity By acknowledging the independence Of euch
State. This left me no alternative ~ the chief ex
ecutiyc oiicer under the Consultation Ct tho United
States but to collect the pYse rtretns and p'0tecf
Bic % under s1isting % laws. This il sti nj purpose
My province ts to execute. not to make, the laws
1t belongs to Congress exclusively to repcal modi
II or enlarge their provisions to c1igencies
But the right and the duty to use military force
defcnsiyely against those who resist the Federal
officers in the execution of their legal functions,
and against those who assail the property Of tbs
Fedctal Government, IL clear and uadtniaA%.
Now he has IN opportunity to put his ideas
Of constitutional duty Into effect The South
Carolina rebels lave publicly and unmistaka-
bly, committed an overt act nEg,ainst the Federal
Government. They have del berately fired
upon Government vessel containing United
States troops, and displaying the stars and
stripes, md forced her back, preventing her
from executing her orders. This is q palpablc
declaration Of war against the people Of the
United States.
If the decision Of the question Of what
should be done were left to Gen. Scott and
Attorney General Stanton, the President
would issue call for volunteers, flt out an cx-
pedItlon Of twenty steamers filed with men
and munitions, and dispatch them lmme ediately
to Charleston, and II that will not be sufficient,
send twenty 1norc-scud enough to force m
entrance into The harbor, silence the rebel bat
terlcs, aud retake the Government property
seized by the mob. II the insurgents In
Charleston shall fire upon the ueet, let
destroy that uest Of robellious yipers. There
fortunately happcns at this very moment to be
large portion Of the Government war vessels
iu American ports. The steamer Brooklyn Is
now in the vicinity Of Charleston; she was sent
with all haste to relieve the Star Of the West
The sloop Of war St. Louis, and frigate Sabine,
md steamer Powhatan arc on the way North
will be in Portsmouth in day or two. The
Crusader aud 1Yyandotte are at Pensacola, and
the Mohawk has just put into Key West with
two captured slaycrs. Tie sail and steam
ahips Constitution, the Plymouth, the Ger
mantown, the Jamestown, the Macedonian,
the Minnesota, the St. Lawrence and other
craft have been put in such state that in q
few days they could be made fit for.any sort Of
duty. Good men have been discrimatngly
picked up at the recruiting offices, while gene
ri cnlistmcnts were stopped; SO that the en-
tire naval force that could be rendered aya1la-
able is susceptible Of almost immediate use
fulness.
: The same writer from whom derive the
abote information In regard to the navy also
says:
4Nor have the preparations for the worst; made
IN tho navy. stopped here The faculties afforded
connection for transporting troops raridly from
the headquarters Of the Pacific squadron: At Pana-
n,a to tue navy yard. in the Atlantic States, sug
sssS e q sp L e s e. rsa
men-oswar' at home. Accordingly &C find the
United States steamers saranac, Wyoming, the
SQUADRON: in fact, called Up to Panama, where, VIC
believe, they will rcmain."
twill be seen that Uncle Sam is we'll pre-
pared to hurl blow upon the rebels that will
be wholly irresistible.
It mny be objected that the military forces
Of the insnrgcnt Statc5 would march the as
sistance Of the Charleston rebels. II this be
tue, 50 much the better. Charlcston,is the
plnce 10 meet every traitor in the Union. There
Is the place of all others to adjust the quarrel.
There is where the mischief commenced.
Charleston was the tory Headquarters in the
Revolution. It has been plcttin9. treason ever
and rebellion in all the ncighboring States.
Now let all the disciples and pruselytes flock to
Its anarchy standard aud suffer the tate Of their
instructors in treason. Ofall the places on the
continent, Charleston is the best and most up
propriate one at which to settle the issue be
tween the people Of the Union and the rebels
againstit It.
a call for volunteers to take part In the ar
bitration Of the National difficulties will be re-
spondeti to from every school district Of every
loyal State. The ships OF New England, New
York aud Pennsylvania will provide convey
ancc; the oyertlowiny graneries, aad ware
bles; the workshops Of the East, the raimcnt
and shooting irons and tools OF TINT nature,
and the twenty millions OF free people will
furnish tue men to use them. Short work can
be made Of the whole matter, to he followed
by Il long cru Of peace and concord This Ut.
tie family quarrel can readily be adjusted, II
Uncle Samuel will take the unruly members
across his knee and soeadly spank them.
The House did 4 good piece Of work ycstcr.
day in raising Special Committee Of five and
directing them to inquire whether any Execu-
tive Officers Of tho United States have been or
are now treating or holding communication
with ATTY person or persons for the transfer Of
forts aud other property; whether any demand
for their surrender has been made, and BY
whom, and what answer has been given; whc'
ther any officer or officers have entered into
any pledge not to send reinforcement Of troops
| to tAc harbor Of Charleston, and II 50, when
where, by whom, md on what considerations
| whether tue Custom House, Post Office, and
| Arsenal At Charleston have been seized, BY
| whom held in possession; whether auy revenue
| cutter has been seized, md whether ans efforts
| have been made to recover it. The Commit.
| tee to huye power to send for persons and pa
| pers, and report from time to time such facts
;s may be required by the national honor, &c,
The Committee consists Of MessR- How.
ard of Micigan,e Dawes Of Massachusetts,
aud Hickman of Pennsylvania, Republicans
and John Cochsnuc Of New York, md Branch
| Of North Carolina- Democrats. There will he
u searching Investigation inte the past conduct
Of tic abscondiug members of The Cabinet
and Of the schemes of the conspiratogs against
the Union.
II seems that al1 the forts and Government
property located In the Cotton States, have
been seized by the insurgents There will be
some treason trials and hangings for treason
before this business is ended.
The grand free trade aud direct tax1iio1
scheme of the Cotton States that has been dI
ynlged by the correspondent Of the New Yorl
Uer1'd, il making a profound impression
on on the minds Of the border State members
This sche1ne, Il put in practice, will XIII al
manufactures in the border States. The me
chauical indnetry of Delaware, Maryland
Western Virsiuio, Kentucky and Missouri
| will be utterly destroyed. 1t win lay out suct
places IS Bal ,imore, Wheeling, Louisville nne
| St Louis as dead as q 6mclt- The least sun
on which the Government Of tho Southern
Confederacy could subsist would be twenty
Hre millions per anuum. In addition 10 theil
present taxes Missouri will be called on to pay
three millions n year, Kentucky three nlillions
Virginia four millions, and Maryland two mil
lions. i few operations Of this sort will tnk<
| the Disunlon starch ont Of them.
SECOND LETTER.
Debate between Senator Davis Of Nils
klHstpPt aud Trumbuli OF IlIfnOln.
From our own Correspondent
| WAsMsSsroN, Jan. II, 1851.
Tho debate in the Senate yesterday between
JEFF. Davis and Judge Trumbull was pungcn