, 1861-03-13

IntereatIn& from Charleston-{seueral
Condition and Prospect Of Affairs. :.
Correspondence Of the Philadelphia nqui1er1
CHARLESTON, 5. e., March :. 16Gi
-,:s1GNs OF REACTION,
I returned to this city from Montgomery
nearly week ago, but was anxious, before
giving You my Impressions Of the state Of af.
flits, to be fully convinced Of their truthful
ness, I GIN to-day willing to hazard the opin-
ion that the "gas Is out Of the balloon" Loud
mouthed men, who breathed ont slaughterings
two weeks ago, feeling, as they had right
to do, that James Bnchanan's presence at The
head of affairs WIS protection to traitors, and
an insurance agufnst ali harm, have now sue
cumhed to the force of circumstances, and
the nearer the moment approaches for Abra-
ham Lincoln to take the helm, the colder do
they become. and great aud earnest anxiety
ties Is manifested on all sides.
':- FORT SUMTER.
It ts far from my wish to convey the idea
that the volunteers low upon the Islands are
wanting in pluck, for should so lameutable an
eFent as civil war ensue, they will doubtless
behave with that bravery and endurance which
has always characterized the American soldier;
but am certain that hundreds Of men who,
one month ago, were willing to 1nsh on their
their rage, esteemed the capture Of Fort Sum-
ter as IN fat aeoompi, and that the massacre
Of Major Anderson and bis gallant band was
only the idle work Of q leisure hour, and de-
pended solely upon their own Convenience for
its fulfllment, have come now to the comtem-
Plation Of the stern realities Of their position.
What are they? Simply these-that few
volunteer regiments have thrown up some
sand banks, on which they have mounted
thirty.tw0 Founders, and from which. with con-
siderable practice, they at1GHT be able to throw
balls against the walls Of Fort Sumter, bat
that a broadside from the weIl-directed co
1umbiads Of an experienced artillery corps
would destroy their widest hopes and scatter
their s'mole hills" to the four winds OF heaven.
This is the sober truth, and now, though 1t is
almost too late, they begin to see and feel 1t,
An experienced English engineer, who was
engaged in the Crimean war, and who has had
every opportunity Of examining the capabili-
ties Of Fort Sumter, and tile preparations for
its capture, told me yesterday that he could
hardly imagine that reasonable men could
have been so credulous as even to dream Of
sutcess~ He considers Fort Sumter as i,ap7eg-
1aa6le against any assault that they Gun make
ag inst 1t, and that, though 1t is defended by
less than hundred men, it will defy and tri-
umph over the united batteries Of Snl1iyan's
Island, Morris Island, Fort johnson, and Cas-
tie Pinckney.
WHAT TIE WORKEGMEN THINK.
It is, doubtless, the contemplation Of these
realities By some Of the more willy OF the poll
ticians, that has produced such an immense
change in the public sentiment Men who
have never before considered the obligations
due to the government they have sworn to
zens, await the action of the Southern Confed-
eracy, and abide by the orders Of President
Jefferson Davis, and that, anxious as they
are to chow their heroism and chiyalry in cap
turing fort Sumter, and in hosting the Palmet-
to Tag upon its ruins, yet that in honor, as
Law abiding citizens, they must respect the Or
ders OF constituted authority. This is the Ian
guage Of the leaders. Let us look for mo-
Ment behind the SCENES, and listen to the
complaints Of the rank and file, You have
been told before that very little Of the dirty
and really arduous labor which haa been per
formed upon the islands, has fallen TO the lot
Of the chivalry. They have only displayed
and thro1ged the night hannts Of Charleston.
Upon the Northern mechanics and clerks, the
Germans and the Iiish, have fallen the labor.
and they are just beginning to feel that IN un-
due share Of the burden has fallen upon their
unwilling shoulders. More than one OF two
men, who know would not betray them, have
sald this much to Ine during the past week.
complaining bitterly that the men alone inter
csted in this struggle, the men who own the mig
gers and real estate, have extended furlonp6s
for the benefit Of their hea1th, while they, the
poor men, are performing constant garrison
duty, and their wives AID children are suffer
ing for want of the neceesaries of life, ask-
ed . very intelligent mechanic to-day, what
could have induced him to take up arms in
such a cause? He answered that his position,
and that Of half Of the men upon the islands.
WAS substantially the same. Theirlittle savings
had been invested in a small piece of land,
which they were unable to sell, and therefore
could not leave tue State; or they had occupied
permanent positions, which they were anxious.
if possible, to keep; or else they had families
which they could not, for want Of means, re-
move. Each, for some such reason although
their hearts beat in unison with the conserSa-
tive cause in the Northern Border States, has
been compelled to sacrifice feelings and conyie-
tions to the rampant sectional f1naticism that
reigns around them. 4 smart and industrious
German said to me to-day, in reference to him
self and his fellow-countrymcn, "Our hearts
are with the Union, but when we lind our
selves amongst a flock Of dogs, what can we
do but bark?" I have heard SO many such
expressions, and during the last day or Two a
justified in telling you that, even in this hot
bed Of sectionalism, it some such Union loy-
ing and patriotic man as Mr.. Pettigfu would
but raise his voice In behalf Of his couutry
and the honor Of its tlagg, he would find thou
sands ready to array themselves on the side Of
the Union, the Constitution, and the enforce
ment Of the laws. The change that has taken
place in t4is respect during the last two weeks
is apparent. It is useless Tor the politicians to
shut their eyes much longer to the real senti-
ments Of tue working classes. They can see
unless they are blind-that there is no en-
thusiasm amongst them on behalf Of the South
ern Confederacy.
TIE FLOATING BATTERY A FAILURE
Jefferson Davis, who has been expected here
now for some days, and will probably arrive
tomorrow, is 10 come, it is said, for the pur-
pose Of inspecting the forts and the floating
battery, and reviewing the troops. With re-
gard to the floating battery, = Pennsylyanian
who was engaged in the construction Of it..
very felicltoukly observed to mc last night,
that "when jeff Davis secs It, he'll faiut,'' Il
is a miserable failure, utterly useless, and on
II proves the utter incapacity Of its project
ors. It is no wonder that the public are not
admitted to the wharf near which It is moor
ed. It is 1aughing-stock with all who arc in
the secret, and the secret is that, when half a
dozen guns are mounted upon it, the powder
wont Keep dry, az large portion Of tie runs
will be below the waters edge.
It is the greatest humbug with which the
people have yet been deluded, and Is, indeed,
tit subject for ridiculc. The Richardson
Guard Was the company detailed for service
on this fizzle, and forty men, only Irish and
Germans, were drawn for the purpose. ANU
tiny was the consequence, and the company
has been broken up.
- The total amount Of duties collected BY
the United States Government during the year
ending jan. 50, 1860, was 100000, against
s49,oo0o 600 during the year ending Jan. so,
1855.