New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-17
important point at which it is placed, we have no

hltoHo VI huOWluS.
The forts named as seized are Fort st. Philip,
Fort jackson, Fort Pike, and Fort Macomb, be-
side the arsenal at Baton Rouge. The arsenal
it will be Remembered, was surrendered on
Friday last to Gov. Moore, BY Major Harklns,
who held it with two companies 1t IS to be
presumed, until the contrary is shown that the
surrender was made by Major Harkins to save
useless slaughter of his men, on the ground that
with the force at his command it would be i'm
possible TO resist an attack.
The approach to New Orleans from the Gulf
is commanded by the four forts which we know
have been seized BY the insurgents. Fort st.
Philip and Fort Jackson are both on the Missis-
sippi, few miles above the mouth, and nearly
opposite to each other. They require about 600
men each when completely garrisoned, and are
capable no doubt, of preventing most forml-
dable force from ascending the river. Fort st.
Philip mounts ia guns, and Fort Jackson 100.
The Federal Government has expended upon the
latter 1897 500, and upon the former $25S,79
The approach to New-Orleans, and therefore
to the Mississippi by the way of Lake Pontchar-
train. is defended by Fort Pike and Fort Ma
comb The first, which is at the east end OF
the Lake, commanding the entrance from Mis-
sissipp Sound was officially reported, year
ago, as ain fine order and in good defensive
condition" 1t was then intended to substitute
four s.inch columbiads and S-inch sea-cOast
| howitzers for as many 2i-pounder guns. 1t
mounts altogether 40 guns, and has cost the
| Government $4,000.
Fort MacOmb is little south Of Fort Pike,
| at the Chef Menteur Pass, which connects Lake
| Pontchartrain with Lake Borgne, the head of
| Mississippi Sound. This also mounts 40 guns,
| and the same change was TO have been made,
last year, in its armament, as that proposed at
| Fort Pike. Its cost has been 1906, 99l. The
| full complement of men for both these forts is
| 800 each.
Such is the condition of Louisiana. The iorti-
| ications erected by the Federal Government to
project her and the Union from an invading
| foreign foe at cost of more than two millions
of dollars. have been seized by traitors in a state
of insurrection, aud their 372 guns turned against
| the Government to which they owe allegiance.
| The Federal authority is set at defiance, and
through the activity of the insurgents, and the
| combined treachery and imbeciity of the Admin
| istratiop, the Government is reduced 10 the
alternative of either acceding to any demands
which the rebels choose to make, aud thus
accepting the position of q conquered prov
ince. or else il must recover by force the forts
aud ornaments it has lost. Aud as things are in
| Louisiana, so are they all along the Southern
coast How long are We 10 wait before the
| Government asserts its own character, dignity
and rights Shall it be till the Capital itself is
in the hands Of the insurgents and they, with the
| American flag over their heads shall claim
| 10 be the Federal Government, and hang rs trai.
tors oil men who make any show Of resistance
TO the rebellion The audacty of the rebels
| ceases H. amaze us when We consider the supne-
ness of the Federal Executive. Whatever else
We may believe of the South, We know she
wants to have her own way; and if the
easiest method of securing it is 10 take entire
possession Of all that gives the Federal Govern
ment its executive power, aud put herself thus
| in position of treating with the North as sec
ton in revolt, why should not she do it ? Under
the opportunity which the inertness Of the Gov
eminent offers them, il is impossible to conceive
of their doing anything else than they are doing,
if they wish to bring the North into subsection.
History has no example of rebellion wnere by
the mere force of the most criminal weakness on
one side, the rebels were compelled to grasp sue
cess which, at the outset, they could have never
contemplated Must the country be precipitated
into a military despOtism, founded upon Slavery,
without SO much as one manly blow struck for
| Freedom