Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-12

thorized by special order from the Quarter,
mastcr.(ieneral. Our vigilance, which had
slackened little in this respect, is strictly re-
sumud
We sleep, have Implied uneasily. On
Monday night we were stimulated oy report
O; strange vessel seen on the coast, on Ssono,
apparently making preparations for the landing
or United States troops This story, brought
by negro TO his master, induced instant pre-
paration and got our military under arms IN the
briefest space Last night, too, similar alarm
of vessel entering the harbor provoked
firing of cannon, the display of rockets and
bluelights from Forts Mou!trie and johnson
and the putting forth Of guard.boats. which
satisfactorily aScertained the peaceful character
of the visitor Each night brings its rumors,
as each morning dispels them. Grim fact will
do it yet more distinctly one OF these days.
-~-.er,.s- -
The Purpose OF the War Department
We would call the attention Of our readers
to the following editorial from the New York
Herald Of February 9Th
The designs and purposes OF thew De-
partmcnt may he learned from what the He
raid says, is being done under its orders:
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INAUGURATION OF
Nix. I.lScolH AT WASHINGTON publish
ip another column strong ard significant adj
dress from Senators Slidcll and Benjamin, and
other Congressional representatives Of l.ouisi.
ana to the Convention OF that State which
decreed its secession from the United States,
strongly urging All immediate cooperation
with South Carolina, and approving of the
seizure of the forts and arsenals at New
Orleans, which they had urged. The Lou
isiana representatives were previously in IA
vor Of submitting 10 the authority of the
federal government until the 3r nt March but
we learn from their address to the Convention
that they were led to counsel immediate Seces-
sion in consequence Of the military movements
at Washington, which have been set on foot by
the rumors Of All intended attack ON the national
capital TO prevent the Inauguration Of Mr.. Lin
coin. They say that Gen. Scott is well known
to have submitted to the President "a plan OF
campaign on gigantic scale for the subiuga.
ton of the seeding States, the initiation Of
movements for garriSoning all the Southern
forts and arsenals, with view Of employing
them, not for the bencfcent purposes for which
they were inlendcd-our defence against a for
eign foe--but for intimidation and coercion.
1t is true that serious fears have been enter
tanned Of an attempt TO prevent the Inaugural.
ton of Mr.. Lincoln, and perhaps to seize upon
the Federal Capitol, by armed bands from the
border slave States Of Virginia and Maryland,
aided by volunteers from tue ncig hboring slave
States, and that in consequence OF these reports
| Gen. Scott has been concentrating troops, ar
tllery and munitions Of war at Washington.
We learn also that the United States troops
in the Northern States are being rapidly put
| upon u war footing. Atthe laboratories deStruc-
tive pyrotcchnics, with balls and cartridges, are
being prepared Large contracts for aInbu,
| anccs and field filters have been given out by
the War Department Within the past week
five hundred additional troops have arrived in
Washington, forming an aggregate Of about one
thousand men. with f7e batteries of light ar
! tilery--a quota sufficient ior an army Of five
| thousand men. Gen. Scott has also ordered
large supplies Of ammunition to he sen. TO Fort
McHenry.
In the Northern Navy Yards no less activity
| prevails The equipment Of vessels Of light
lraught is being pushed with energy, so rs to
have ready in L short time n coast guard &c
cruise in the Southern waters
The steamer Water Witch is already under
orders 10 be fitted out at Philadelphia; the
steam g,Inboat Pawnee, also at the same place
the Harriet Lane, at this port; the brig Perry
is now being speedily prepared at Brooklyn
the brigs Dolphin and Bainbridge are approach
ing readiness at Norfolk and Boston, and the
steam gunboats Crusader, WyandoL and No
hawk, HOW in the Gulf, can NIL he concentrated
ina few days.
These preparations, anu especially those sc
actively and quietly prosecuted under General
SCOTS orders, aided in this city by his son.in
Law, COL Scott, look warliGe. The latter is &C
lively experimenting operations here. Re
cruiting is in active progress. There are or
Governors and Bedloes Islands at this time
600 troops, chiefly recruits, who are being &C
lively drilled.
These movements have not passed unob
served BY the people in Virginia and Maryland
some Of whom have charged that the concen
tration Of the warlike arrangements at Wash
ingtoa is 10 form the basis Of coercive army
with the view Of ovcrawing those two States
and TINS prevent their withdrawal and keep
| them in the Union.
Military men consider that the present force
Of regular troops now in Washington is quite
ample to rcpel 10000 irregular troops, had
such number designed to prevent Lin
coins inauguration. General Scott continues
to order troops and munitions Of war to Wash
ington and to concentrate others ut New York
and other ccnVenicut places The Corps o.
Engineers have been removed from W est Point
to Washington q measure not rcsortcd 10 eX
cent in case the countryiS engaged in war
The garrison at that place has been left With
out regular soldier, thing which, it is said,
has not previously occurred since its establish
ment.
Now. il is manifest that if the two sections
of the country separate peaccaoly. and form
two distinct confe1rracics, there will be no ne
cassitv for coercion, and no need OF an IN
creased military organization but II there be
any good grounds for the news relative to
conspiracy to seize upon the national capital BY
an armed force, on or previous to the 4th OF
March, it is quite proper that precautionary
measures should DC taken to prevent it. Mr..
Lincoln has been constitutionally elected Pres
iden. Of the United States, and be should be
constitutionally inauguYatcd ut Washington,
the capital of the republic. The President,
the Secretary OF War, and General Scott, the
acting Commanderin. Chic! Of the army, are
perfectly right, Of course, in resolving that he
Shall he 10 inangurated. Any attempt to pre-
vent it by an armed mob. or any other body,
we have no doubt would be frowned down BY
the conservative people Of the South and the
North alike but if there be any fears that
such an outrage may be committed, it is clearly
the duty of the Executive. the War Depart
ment and General Scott to be prepared to re-
sist it, by the addition OF any number OF men
that may be deemed necessary, and illive thou
sand men are not sufficient by ri! means let
! them have ten thousand.
If, however, the intimations Of Mr.. Lincoln
and Mr. Seward that cocrcive policy is to be
pursued by the new administration should be
accepted as fact, and if the idea so forciby
embodied in this manifesto Of Messrs. Slidel
and Benjamin-that these military movements
are the precursors of gigantic plan to subiugatc
the seeding Statcs-should gain ground in
the border slave States and the South generally,
then the worst fate predicted for the country
will have befallen us--a devastating civil war.
II is unnecessary to say that the inauguration
oe ,,,aL - ,,,I;,,. ,ronld la Stuhhornlv resisted