New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-09

cate 10 the Convention. Cobb began to doubt IL
the Southern scepter would come TO his hand.
All the Disunionists forgot their schemes lot
personal Observation-Disclosures which, even now,
interfere somewhat with each other, ana the
whole crew turned in together to raise an ex-
element among the people. The most infiamma-
tory dispatches flashed down here from Toombs
at Washington. $4,000
The proper pressed clothed these in startling
type, and put them on bulletins. Now, it was
that troops had been ordered South; again. that
| cutter had sailed, or was to sail, with sealed
orders; again, that half the Cabinet had resigned,
| that coercion had been determined on, and that
| the South must arm for the defense Of her rights
Meanwhile, the crafty Cobb was stirring up the
| local press to the roaring point, and the local
press ragged and lashed its sides, and grinned
with hungry jaws SO it was not many days be-
fore even the quiet people really began to think
that there was a terrible time, and under the
Influences here given in outline the election OF
Wednesday was undoubtedly materially affected.
Another motive for the circulation Of these In
flaming reports was this: it has long been
| part of the tratorous plan in the heads OF the
| leaders to seize al Southern forts and arsenals
| before they could be put in condition to de-
| fend themselves. In some cases, they relied on
| the completely of the officers in charge; IN 9th
| ers. upon the weakness of the garrison allowed
by the Government. The chief consplrators IN
the South were in correspondence with each
other, and a thorough understanding existed
among them all as TO the business they discussed
| have reason for saying that the seizure of the
Georgia forts was not down so early in the orig
| inal programme as would appear now; it was
| intended to defer that act till the Convention had
| passed the ordinance Of secession, so that at
least pretense Of consistency might be made.
| Why, then, was the seizure fastened IL
| One reason was that it began to appear doubt.
| full if the Convention would pass the ordinance
80 speedily as the disunonists desired. Another
reason, and more powerful one, was that al
fairs at Washington did not look so promising
for treason as they seemed at one time; the res
gnation of their fayorite Floyd and the appoint
ment of Mr.. Holt, implied certain spirit which
they had not looked for in the White House.
Then the South Carolina Commissioners had not
been received at the Capital with the consideration
they thought they merited, and, altogether the as
pect of public affairs especially in the neighborhood
of the War Office, was not encouraging to traitors.
Come now, said the plotters, something must be
done at once. SO they prepared to strike IN
Georgia. Troops had been some time in readiness
for service, cstensbly TO go TO the aid OF South
Carolina, but really for work at home. Coy.
Brown was charged with his Lesson, and all
things we're in readiness. Ii is believed that
dispatch came from Toombs, suggested by the
South Carolina Commissioners, saying that it
was time TO strike. So they struck; and this
was briefly the way in which they did 1t.
The bulletins yesterday, and the day before,
broke out into pustulous dispatches, indicating
a terrible state Of bile somewhere, and the null
iitnde feyerishly asked, each man of his neigh
bOr what was going TO happen. A nobody
could tell, everybody fell into conjectures; each
mans conjecture was taken by his neighbor for
fact, and thus the air was cloudy with rumors.
All the better for the traitors; they want only
excitement Very common reports said that an
army was almost upon the South, and that each
patriot must now draw the sword; thus the peo-
pie became delightfully."- bellgerent in their feel
ings and actions. There appeared upon the scene
Governor Brown and his Attorney General Said
the Governor in his sleeve, They are about
right for it now, these peoples" but he cried
aloud, " Good Heavens The pubic property is
in danger. Let il be protected r.
And SO the Chatham Artillery, Savannah Vol
unteer Light Guards, and Ogethorpe Light
Infantry proceeded to protect" it. The opera
ton was simple and bloodless. The $50 men
went down 10 Cockspur Island, and took possess
sion of Fort Pulaski, no resistance being offered.
There was no one 70 offer 1t. ~
This new doctrine of protection appears to
have nightly tickled the excited Georgians; for,
shortly after he had taken possession of the fort
named above, Col. Lawton received communi-
cation from "a party Of gentlemen doesn't
this sound like Boston phrase Ito the effect
that they had seized and run aground the United
States enuecutter J. S. Dobbin, and that they
offered the prize to him. This was Jealous and
patriotic, of course, but il was little in advance
of the programme. Accordingly, Col. Lawton
directed Capt. Scrven 10 'recapture the un-
fortunate cutter, and hold it in obedience to the
orders of Gov Brown, which Capt. Server pro-
ceeded to do. .,E -.r
When the Governor heard what was done, he
wrote a note to Mr.. John Boston, the Collector
of the Port saying that the cutter, (Which was
seized by some unauthorized person or persons,
has, under the order given by me to Colonel
Lawton to protect Government property against
injury, been recaptured, and is now aground"
The Governor further said in the NEST handsome