New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-12

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hack all traditions all interests, all political feeling
are now forgotten and the whole community demands
that Justice should be done on the traitors OF she South
If wishes were weapons tne trunPe' ,i Dads. Of
every Southern fort, then the campaign would, no
doubt be short enough. But this enthusiasm OF the
North only leads 10 believe that nerce ana iasng
struggle lay possibly be begun Inc S,a.es lai1lui %
to Mr. Lincoln have now accepted the doctrine that
Secession is treason and that the seeding states may
leVmaely be conquered and held by the Nletors Dut
the tellpence which reaches from the Sou seems
10 show that the Confederate States are equaiy
mined on maintaining their independ-nce' Inc
ardor of New.York or even Boston, cannot
be greater than that OF Ne"-oriea17' he
| Southerners, indeed, may be expected 10 %
even more resolute than their opponents. inoI
know very well that there is now between Ineln anu
the North gulf which time and quiet may MI up, pu'
which the shock of war i'll widen until it IL impass-
bic forever They know what the Norlhefhers reIii %
not sufficiently to cOnsder-that the recapture o .no
Federal forts is nothing in ITSELF but merely symoohze.
the subsection of the recusant States to the
at Washington. One may well ask the Northerher5
what they intend to do when they have TecaPtufseu
Fort Sumter and what neX, and next Inc South-
erners know full WE'LL that the Central Government can
lot rest content with retaining the Federal proper
ty" and that long they, the SecessOnsts relsc
to acknowledge President Lincoln acts OF hos'ii.y
must take place between the two sections, tne
Southern ports must be blockaded and the Soutu-
ern States subject to the inroads of Northern and even
Of Abotonist bands. Therefore, though we have not
such detailed accounts from the Confederate Staeyee
from what able to publish to-day IL Is essy 70
see that the enthusiasm in the North was more tnah
equaed by the zeal of the SOuthemers Indeed az Is
generally the case the weaker party actually appears
in greater strength than its opponents since KNOW
ledge Of its nefiority leads to efforts ana sacrGes
which more than make up for Its Deficiencies Inc
Southerners show certainly signs Of waverlng, ana
it will be cheishng a delusive hope to imagine tha
either through fear of the Federal arms or from deler
ence to the majority of their fellowctizens the &C.
a1a hai i,plt IN nmI
should the North determine to enforce Obedience we
must be prepared for conflicts OF the most serious KIND
From The London Herald, MayI
The smoke of the bombardment IL gradually clear
ING awav from Fort Sumter, aud begin to define
the positions of the belligerente. The news OF the
attack and surrender of that stronghold surprised All
parties in the North, and 1t was only after successive
teegrams corroborating tho intelligence that the cu
zens of the Free States accepted its downfall as fact
The press of the country unanimously regadeu the
whole ailar unmitigated farce, worthy 10 rank
with such Yankee inventions as wooden nueg maple
cheeses Mississippi bonds, and similar notions Inc
conflict was 80 unlike anything heard Of hitherto that
no other explanation seemed possible than that the rival
Governments had agreed, sub rosa, to save appear
ances Gen. Beauregard ard MAJOR Anderson hring
upon each other with blank cartridge, and the latter
making harmless bonfire in the fort as finale. Inc
truth however is gradually coming TO light, and we
are compelled TO admit, In spite OF hrot appearances
that both Of the cOntendng parties were IN SOBER ear
nestness From the remarks OF those Journals winch
are supposed 10 be in the confidence OF the Government
we are led 10 infer the South ha been aneuyered into
the commission of grievous error, the time expended
IN investing and taking the fort perng, II II does not
render impossible, the success OF disunon Mr. Jener-
son Davis and the authorities OF Montgomery nave
grasped at shadow; and in so doing they have lost,
maybe for eyer the opportunity OF al almost certain
and an easy victory. -. ~
take our readers by surprise must state that the
credit Of this result beloogs not TO Mr. Lincoln but 70
Lieu,.-Gen. Scott, the eonqueror Of Mexico In COM
| mon with many thinking men In his country, ten;
| Scot foresaw at early period that the national
troubles must terminate in civil war, and he would
doubtless discover corroboatye evidence OF this IN the
choice made of Mr.. Jefferson Davis rs President Oh the
| Southern Confederation. That gentl man had been
| Secretary Of War during the four years OF Mr.
| Pierces Administration, and when Mr.. Buchanan
succeeded Mr. Davis entered the United States
! Senate, and was appointed chairman OF the stand
| ing Committee on Military Ailairs. The South
| has "A high opinion of his soiierly abilities, ana
il has Frequently been asserted that he preparing
TO place himself at the head Of the Secessonist army
and to march upon Washington but, if we may credit
the statements of prominent Northern citizens Gen
erl Scott had expressed but little admiration for bis
merits IA tacti,ian Taking for granted the reports
in the American papers by this maitland there is In
ternal evidence Of their c0rrectness-Presden Davis
has displayed lamentabe ncapacty IN allowing 10
slip by an opportunity which can never return aud
he will probably soon discover that the capture OF
! FOR, garrsoned by hundred men Il far different
affair from the management and direction OF cam
NNNN'
| now entering.
Gen. Scott foresaw, It il said that the key to the
struggle was in the possession of Fort Pckens and the
City Of Washington and lie planned hi measures ac-
cordngly. Tie former commanded the iarbOr OF Fen
sacoa and, TO a great extent, the commerce OF the
Gulf Of Mexico; while the occupation Of The capital by
the Seceders would not merely draw the BoIer States
into the new Confederation, but almost nece sits the
recognition Of foreign Powers II will be remembered
that Gen. Scott went to Washington soon after the
4ece scion Of South Caroua and that he was frequently
| In conference with President Buchanan and bis Cab
| met, and subsequently with that OF Mr. llneoln.
For many weeks past he has been engaged in tortfy-
| ing the caI ital but tie Department OF War had
be- 20 mismanaged by Gen. Floyd that the City OF
| Washington was comparatively undofended 90 late as
| the middle of March. Had a Southern army marched
upon the city was not in the power OF The North
70 prevent its capture but General Scott warded OIL
| the danger by drawing attention 10 Fort Sumter,
causng the rebel army to lie inactive in Cbareston
| harbor while he maured his own plane. Fort
Pickens was lett comparatively unGefended, IN order
| that the army under Gen. Beaurcgard might con-
| tinue to swell ts ranks, and when at length the
Government at Washington found itself prepared 20
act the secedes were induced TO attack Major Ander-
son by Mr. Iincoln's threat to succor that officer,
| and by the appearance of ships Of war oil the
| harbor. We always doubted the reports oi Fort
Sumter being surrendered 10 the South, and we now
| perceiye that its defence was mere fent on
The part Of the Government. IL Major Anderson had
seriously determined 10 oppose his aslalts he would
scarcely have given orders to his soldiers not TO sight
men; nor must be forgotten that not single shot
was fired Al Charleston, although the city well
within range IL is probable too that the captains oil
the ships Of war had received Instructions on no ac-
count TO seek enter The harbor their mission being
merely to blockade the port, which we now learn IL
effected Almost simultaneously with the receipt OF
this news at Washington telegram arrives from
Montgomery, containing the following startling intel
liRe ee: Fort PickeDs was rcenforced last night;
and President Davis at length hnds out the error ne
t.I. IL u. I'm