Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-04-06
From the Charleston Mercury.
Washington Correspondence.

tration an enigma, not easily explained or pn-
dcrstood Ileisa strange compound of weak
ness aud stronghold pucriic indccSion and
doGmatic positivcness-and the policy of his
Government, so far us it is understood, par
takes of both qualities
The Presidents stFongth, however, is con
fined to little things The :" inhexitlc pur-
pose" which the toadics of the Republican
press persist in attributing to him, is mani
Tested only in the dispcnsation Of the spoils.
lie will have his own way in the nomination
of pets to Office. From the tattcst snccurc to
the most poltry clcrkship, he insists upon
being the sole appointing power. The grave
affairs Of State are to him of little moment in
comparison with the distribution of rewards
amongst those who have served him faithful
ly. The alleged test Of fitness to which cler-
cal applicants are subjected becomes, under
these circumstances, farce Men who can
scarcely write their names, and blundcr in
working the simplest rules Of arithmetic, have
been installed in some of the Departments,
despite the protest of the cXamincrs--thc
residential decree, that the ignoramus "muSt
be provided for" overriding all scruplcs, and
and reducing standard rules to a nulity. In
these matters, thcn--and such as thcsc-Mr
Lirooln promises to be more than second
jackson. He is absolute in dealing with the
booty.
When principles are concerned, and grave
issues arc to be disposed of, Mr.. Lincoln and
his Cabinet become the mpcrsonation Of vacl-
lation and timidity. The Fort Sumter I'M
brogio has presented both characteristics in
striking light. From first to last, there has
been neither consistency nor spirit in anything
lie has done. He has evinced neither the
sense which submits gracefully to an obvious
necessity, nor the pluck which encounters
danger rather than shirk thc performance of
cherished duty The aim of the Executive
has, throughout, been to get rid of response
bility in the premises. 1t was not enough
that General Scott volunteered to be the scape
goat, by pronouncing the retention of the fort
military impossiLility. Republican Scna-
tors were made parties to Cabinet counscls.
Cabinet officers and the innumcrabe family
relatives Of the President were for the noncc
converted into lobby agents, fathoming the
mental Depths OF prominent Aboitionist$, and
talking Sage senators into the acceptance of
Andcrson's Withdrawal. The fast amd loose
game was played, though with more impu-
dcncc than ingenuity; the precise plea urged
in justification of the evacuation varying with
the shades of senatorial sentiment The zeal
OTIS, eager to war, were reminded that the
crouch of the tiger preccdes its spring. The
timid and compromising, afraid that the nooses
'Hey nave !lCH tor Seceocf' hccNs may be or
n'i'cn'S Vi t"e'r c"n, were persuaded tliat
'n'S irs' move was the ihitl"tory step OF
grand p"ciic poHcy' certain 10 Sun0"G an sec
ool'"i 'roup'cS Ana 'niS t"o,I"ceu me OF
,"ot.cS mas peGi! hcp! up III the SENATE ana py
'c"GtlS H hepupncon journals
nc evacuation ot sumter thch, possesses
~ ~ '"U'"l w S'S"'ic"hco "h"'cNeF' An hohcs1
!. ''':0I"' "ou'u nave co"Ncr'cu 'ic ''"''Sac-
''o'' ''''o q P!V"&V ga pI"e. vi "o'.I ''",~ &c
co"p"''iG" lis conS"ml'"t'o" WIN a lrank
"to"1' o' war nc woH.o nave Salu
"p''.u1h ~ 1"G luc" c' supj uS"''Gnj regard
':io i"G. .io"oe''cc o' oou'n S"Ioll"a ana her
S'S:er '''"'cs US an accom- P''she0 ia''' ana "c-
I"usoG III i.0 .iu'"cVs S'"Gcrc'y' II re!uc
'"n.5 or' Sl'lN.,a ahoSIiGf Key yieId
"''} !" necessity; '"c "l'hdr""al OF Ahder'
son co''ll''a"1 lS d mere piece Oh eNpoulehcy'
70 DC aIohcu ior pS '"p vigorous prosecution
VI hVSt''c ''''"s VI % l" o'''c' ul'tI.'ouS' Nj
'"cf Ol Vhc'c "ectW,"Vlo''S n,, "ouI4 nave COM
n'".uvo respect; nc oouI' ""u'u nave seen
'h"V IL h"o TO ueal "lth many, out'SpoNch
enemy; ana inc common sense ana patmotlc
oP'h'oh Oh the Nortn would nave fiuiied to
U,'e support o' a.! !reSiuonV VINO u'Ieu 10 STap-
PIC win olincuitcS w''h ViSor DchttlnS their
Importance W. L"hcoih n'S t!'to"" away
'"C oppor'unty ne mas not s"tisnca North
VI Sou'n' iiiS uu''eIe''S i'.s''use h'h'. ms
VppchchtS ocSP'Sc nm ana the Houth,
lo'N'''G "' nm rs Vto chiel luhc'iohary OF
H.,