Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-20


such as the Cincinnati Enquirer, call any
other than TIE Twiggs policy In regard to the
forts, coercion, civil war, battle murderNan
bloody ruin.
Mr.. Douglas accuses tho Administration of
apurpose 70 ~inaugurate civil war BY holding
and re-enfOrcihg the Southern forts, and thus
ito make q reconstruction of the Union i'm
possible. But the other course is 70 sur
render them, or permit them TO be taken.
And If they are TO be surrendered or taken,
the sooner il Is done the less hostile feeling
will be raised. Yet General Twiggs is de-
nounced as a traitor for acting upon this
policy which Douglas insists upon forcing
upon the Administration while Douglas is
said by the Cincinnati Commercial TO be en-
titled TO the profound gratitude ofthe Ameri-
can people for the manly sympathy and sup
port which be has given the mes Admins
tration.
Mr.. Breckenridge, in the Senate, Monday,
argued that the Government should recop-
nize Secession and give up all the Southern
forts. Why is General Twiggs any more a
traitor for doing it, than Mr.. Breckenridge,
who is under the same official obligation to
supportthe Constitution of the United States,
is for advising it2 If General Twiggs were
now in possession of the Texan forts, and the
Administration should call upon Congress
for means TO sustain him there, Mr.. Breckin-
ridge would refuse them, and permit the
forts to fall into the hands of the rebels.
Which of the two would in that case be the
greater traitor2
Where will this epithet stop if we begin
to apply it consistently 1t is our impress
sion that it had better be suspended for the
present; unless, indeed, the rapid change
which is going on in its Specification shall
make it a substitute for patriot. The forts
at Charleston were virtually surrendered
last Fall, when the Buchanan A~dministra-
ton refused to garrison them. The actual
delivery of Fort Moultrie was only a fulfill
ment of the inevitable conditions of that
policy. The surrender of Sumter is an
other fulfllment. 1t was inevitable from
the time that Fort Moultrie was allo wed to
fall into the hands of the Carolinians, and
batteries to cut off supplies and besiege Sum-
ter were allowed to be constructed all
around it, and material of war for that pur-
pose TO be transported under its own guns.
Yet, for carrying out this policy of the Ad-
ministration in abandoning its forts, Major
Anderson achieved so much honor that the
Republican papers of this city clamored for
his promotion over a senior and distin-
euished officer.
Fort Pickens will follow in the same way.
1t will require a powerful land force at once,
supported by a feet, to maintain it; Snd if
the attempt is made, Pensacola Harbor will
be the great battle ground of the fragment
airy Governments. There are but few in the
North yet cultivated up to the poiut of meet
ing this emergency in time. The Demo.
cratic journals are all in favor of giving up
every thing. So are the great Union de.
Tenders in the Border States. 1t is doubtful
if the Administration will so act in this
strait as to maintain the Fort; and if it does.
it viii have to take the responsibility, with
out the support of the Border States, and
after the refusal of its own party in Congress
to provide it with authority to use force in
maintaining what is far more important
than Fort Pickens-its revenue laws. So,
practically, we have the whole country COM
mitted to the policy of giving up the South
ern forts; and it is said that Mr.. Seward re-
CARDS it as a great stroke of Cancellation. If
20, the earlier they are given up the more it
will conciliate; yet for acting on this policy
General Twiggs is howled at, as a traitor,
from one end Of the country to the other.
Mr.. Crittenden regards the giving up of
the Southern forts as necessary for con-
Citation and a restoration of the Union.
General Twiggs acted upon this policy, hav-
ing the additional motive of natural unwill-
iDgness to turn his arms against his own
State. Yet Mr.. Crittenden is a frst-class
patriot; he had q farewell levee at Washing
ton, which all the members of the Admins
tration attended; it was seriously proposed
to appoint him to the Supreme Bench, and
our Cir cinnati Republican papers thought
it a great stroke of policy; he is invited to
visit New York, Boston and Cincinnati, as
the guest of these municipalities, and receive
popular o~vations for his patriotism; and it is
thought that if he should come here in time,
he might enable the American Democratic
fusion to carry the city election. But Gem
eral Twiggs's name rings with all the
changes on the epithet traitor for practicing
the same peace and Cancellation policy.
We did not intend to enlarge so at length
when we began this article. 1t will be seen
that we have made out General Twiggs a
fIst-elass patriot. If we should keep on we
should find him to be a second Washington,
with a fortune in his bones. The public
mind has been bent on Twiggs, while it has
been blind to the fact that his was nothing
but the peace policy which it demanded.
We presume it is SO convinced of injustice
by this time, that if Twiggs should come
North he would be greeted with popular
ova;ions. We doubt not that the Commercial
would declare that he was entitled to the
C. profound gratitude of the American PEG.
pie !" and it and the Gazette would insist on
having him promoted over General Scott,
arguing that in a vigorous military service
promotion should go by merit, not by
seniority. Such is journalism
German'AmerIcan Diplomats.
Our Washington correspondent alludes to