The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-03-29
Major Anderson.

Isitpos.illo that the country has been
the victim Of huge sham, aud that Mai.
Anderson is'not so much Of patriot a.
he has been populurly supposed 10 bo -
lr not, why has ho constantly informed
the Government that he had ono need Of
rcinforcoments;" that his garrison were
strong enough for any attack; that he
could sweep away all opposing batteries
In half an hour with tho colunlbiuds and
mortars that no has mounted, aud thnt all
was wclll Such had been the tenor Of
biz Dispatches day by day until the new
Administration had risen 10 tho chair,
and upon that supposition no provi sion
had been mndC,to rrinlofc' or supply him.
Toward the latter part of Buchanan's adj
mnistrnlion tACrc was NJ least an uppa-
rent disposition 10 resist the odyunccs Of
the traitors, and after Holt had been np.
pointed $, crctory Of War, and Dix Sec
r,trary of the Treasury, and Scott had
boon entrusted with all military move
mcuts, the country brcathcd easier, and
was satisfied TINT Sumter would be re- |
tanned nt bll hazards hut thcro was no
occasion for putting the apparent dispo-
sitiou Of the Executive 10 the test, for
Mai. Anderson almost daily tclcgraphcd
that he needed no rciuiorccmcnts, aud
thut the Fort was well supplied with pro-
visions, the only articles wanting being
luol aud tobacco. So the Administration
or James buchanan came & an end aud
that of Abraham Lincoln began, the poo-
pie having no fears Of the safety of Fort
sumter, whatever might be done with
other Southern forts.
when Mr. Lincoln said in his Inaug-
urul that he should hold and possess the
Southern forts, and protect the United
States property, not ono who heard or
rcud it--savc, perhaps, knowing one or
two-drcnmcd Of any danger TO Fort
Sumter. They felt that Mt Forts Meul-
trir, pinckncy, Brown, and Pulaski, tho
question was Of peculiar interest, but
Sumter was considered safe at all events.
But scarcely has tho Inaugural bocn de-
| livcrtd, aud the oath Of office taken,
which made Abraham Lincoln President
Of the United States, when important
/ dispatches are received by the Govern
mcnt from Maior Anderson, that he hus
/ only fifteen days provisions in tho Fort
and must be relieved or withdrawn. To
reinforce or supply the Fort Is now inn
possible, and so We must submit TO the
infinite modification of seeing this grand
old fortress surrendered TO thu rcbcls.-
There isuo alternative. Tho President
has no power 10 call for moro aid than
tho regular army aud navy afford, aud even
thvsc--iEsullicicnt in numbers as they
trr--couid not reach the Fort before tho
garrison would bee starved out. Tho stars
and stripes must como down, and the
black Aag of secession u unit above Sum
tors walls, aud toll tp the world that We
ARE again beaten.
To this Administration belongs mono
Of this disgrace. II lis necessity forced
upon il, aud meets the question in the on
y possible way. Hut how comes il that
I. IL provisions in that fort are SO nearly
gone, the fact was not known before -
Two weeks ago there wcrc "provisions
enough to Withstand scigc,' according
to Major AnGcrson's dispatches; one
week ago thcr1 were "only enough to
last l0rcn days "and In one wock moro
the Fort will b. in the hands Of the trail
tors,
We make no charges against Mai. An
dcreon, in the absence of proof but how
can the contradiction in these dispatches
be explained l-CleucldHd Leader.