The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-01-04


MOVEMENTS IN MARYLAND.
An address to the people of Charles county
signed by Gen. Walter Mitchell and others, ha
been published. The appeal, after recounting th
injuries sustained by the South at the hands o
their Northern brethren, reviews the position o
Gov Hicks in refusing to convene the Legislature
and advocates the calling of a State Convention
On this point the address says
Sovereign Convention of the people can b,
called and held by the people at any time they
please, without regard either to Governor or Legs
lature. 1t is an inherent and unaenabe right o.
which no power can deprive them. 1t is theiI
great safeguard against msrule and oppression
and the great reserved power which no free people
can ever part with. Great emergencies alone
justify the use of this great reserved power. We
believe that this great emergency has now arisen
and that the delay of even day is fraught with
danger, and so believing, it is recommended that
the people of Charles county assemble in the several
election districts of Charles county, in primary
meeting, on Wednesday, 10th of January, between
the hours of 10 A. NJ. and 7. NJ, and elect twenty
Delegates from each district to meet in county
convention on the following Monday, which
county convention shall elect three delegates to a
state sovereign Convention, to meet in the city of
| Annapolis or Baltimore; and also open c0rrespOn-
dence with the other counties and city of Baltimore
| on that subject And that there NAV be full and
fair expression of the will of the people, whether or
not they desire to be heard in sovereign conven-
ton, 1t is further recommended, that the people in
primary meetings appoint judges of election, and
vote by ballot for the delegates to the county con.
| Ventlon, and shall endorse on their ballots "FOr n
Sovereign Convention" or "Against a Sovereign
| Convention" Gan equal number of each ticket
will be printed at Port Tobacco.) For the convent
ence of the people the judges of the last election
are requested to act judges of the election, and
attend from 10 4. NJ to p. NJ.
Every man in the county is most earnestly re.
| quested to attend the primary meetings and vote
| Let the voice of the people be fully and fairly
| heard Now is the time for old Maryland to speak
! to speak calmly wisely and firmly. She may
yet unite the broken band or failing in that, she
may still avert the horrors of civil by Iust
mediation, and failing in ALL she will still have the
| proud consciousness that she has done her duty.
MAJOR ANDERsoNs POSITION IN FORT MoULrRIE
| Boston paper says We permitted to make
the following extract from private letter written
| by Major Anderson to gentleman in this city. 1t
Will be seen that the weakness of the fort and is
little garrison greater than the public
had reason to suppose, his whole force consisting
of but sixty effective men. Major Andersons letter
| is dated December "a, the day before he removed
from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumpter
"DEcEMBER "a.
"When inform you that my garrison consists
of only sixty effective men, that we are in a very
| lndifterentwork, the walls Of which are only about
| fourteen feet high, and that we have, within l6O
| yards of our walls, sand-hills which command our
work, and which afford admirable sites for our
batteries, and the finest covers for sharp shooters
and that, besides this, there are numerous houses,
|
see that If attacked in force, headed by any one bus
simpleton, there is scarce a possibility of our
| being able to hold out long enough to enable our
| friends to come to our succOr.
| "TTustng that God will not desert US in our
hour OF trial, am very sincerity yours,
| "RoBERT ANDERSON,
! "Major First Artillery, &C."
TIE UNITED STATES VESSELS STATIONED AT CHARLESTON
The revenue cutter said to have been taken by
the secessOnists at Charleston, is an old pilot boat
| now called the Aiken She mounts no guns, and is
merely hired by Government, and is used as a cut.
! ter. There has been United States revenue cut.
! ter on this station since 1854, when she foundered
in gale off the harbor, and all hands were lost ex
| cept two of the crew. The other vessels of the
United States in Charleston harbor are the schooner
Petrol, formerly belonging to the war or navy de-
partment; was in service during the Florida war;
she is now used as quarantine hulk; during the
| yellow fever months, being loaned by the Treasury
| Department to the Charleston Board of Health for
that purpose; the lighthouse-tender schooner Gov
ernor Aiken, is used in transporting supplies to the
| lighthouses and in removing and replacing buoys
| in the harb0r; the surveying schooner CTawford
this vessel was formerly revenue cutter, and was
the flag ship of the revenue fleet in 1882 during the
Notification; she, with eight others, captured and
took possession of the smuggling brig General
Hayne; the schooner Crawford the old of that
name rebuilt she is engaged surveying the
harbor and inlets near Charleston; the dminutive
steamer Fire Fly, (coast survey,) purchased of
| Commodore Vanderbilt for the survey of the Sa
vaunah river; was two months on the passage from
New FORK to Charleston, having to keep in shore.
Colts revolver placed on a pivot would be an
efficient battery for her, and in fact the only one
she could carry with any degree of safety. The
above named vessels collection of old rotten
| planks, and not worth (if required) the powder
and shell to blow them out of the water. There is a
light vessel stationed on Rattlasnake shoa, twenty
five miles from the city of Charleston.-N Y Her.
ala.
| THE HARRIET LANE YET ORDERED TO CHARLESTON.
The statement telegraphed from Washingto
that the Harriet Lane had been, would be, or
dered to Charleston, has not yet received any con
frmation in the shape of orders from head-uuarters
Capt. Faunce holds himself and vessel in readiness
however, to obey any summons from the Depart
ment. The opinion among the officers appears to
be that for any purposes of a blockade two sailing
vessels with auxiliary steam, would serve much
| better purpose than single vessel which wholly
| depends on steam. There two channels or prn.
| cipal entrances, to Charleston harbor; one, the
north channel, which will admit vessels drawing
fourteen feet of water and the other, the south
main ship channel the two being over five mile:
| apart. There is also the beach channel to the
northward, through which vessels of light draft
may pass at half full tide. OF course, it would
be impossible for vessel to guard all three pas
sages at the same time. The Government appear:
to have changed its plans, and have decided to EN-
ploy vessels of a larger class, which, in any con-
test with the forts, will be found more effective
than a small steamer like the Lane could be, how.
ever well she might be manned.-New York Times.
From the Correspondents of the Northern Journals.
LIN NUM- w
THE PRESIDENT AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA COMMIs
sIoNERS.
The Presidents reply to the Commissioners o
South Carolina has just been communicated They
demanded, as preliminary step in the initiation o
negotiations, that the troops be withdrawn from
the forts in Charleston harbor The Presiden
positively refuses to do this and reterates his views
in reference to the public property as set forth il
his message to Congress, and informs them that he
not only intends to collect the and execute
the laws, but to defend the property of the United
States with all the power at his command. He does
not recognize the Commissioners officially, but re
CARDS them distinguished citizens of the United
States from South Carolina.
The orders to Major Anderson are given in full
From them it appears he could only have acted as
he has done, and certainly, if he had any tangible
evidence that South Carolina designed taking For
Sumter. The policy pursued and the understand
ing had with the people Of South Carolina to the
evacuation of Fort Moultrie given, and the peo
pie of the United States will now understand what
kind of pledges existed between the President and
the authorities of South Carolina, and whether
South Carolina will be sustained, even by the
South, to take possession of property which does
not belong to her. The position taken by the Pies
ident has produced the utmost CONSERVATION among
the Commissioners and their friends.
The explosion this afternoon and tonight be
tween the Executive and the Commissioners will
render further speechifying unbecoming and unne-
cessary. The long looked for issue has arisen, and
the Commissioners OF the Palmetto State will re
turn home without having been able to take the
first initiative step in the adjustment of the diff
cuties. They retire with grace and dignity, so
far as their personal department is concerned, to
lay before the South Carolina Convention the re-
suits of their mission. In their communication to
the President they accuse him of violation of his
pledges, and ndulged in other remarks of so often
sve a character that Mr.. Buchanan without fur.
ther hesitation returned the communication to the
Commissioners unanswered.
The communication returned to them this after
noon by the executive was simply endorsed by Mr..
Buchanan not of a character to be entertained
by the President. The Commissioners were out
when the communication was sent back, and when
they returned to their residence they found it on
their table, with the above significant endorsement
They were astounded at this unceremonious answer
to their paper; and, negotiations thus
abruptly broken off, they concluded they had
nothing more to do than pack up and be
"otf for Charleston, early in the morning" The
Presidents communication to the Commissioner
occupied fifteen pages of fooscap. 1t will not b,
made public with the Commissioner consent, unit
their whole budget of Washington experience il
laid before the Convention, under whose authority
they act.
COMPROMISE.
Mr.. Holt, the Postmaster General and Acting
Secretary Of War, is one of the strongest and
staunches friends of the President and the position
| which he has taken. The whole South, it is said
have united upon Mr.. Crittenden's proposition
which is the same as presented by him to the Sen
ate Committee of Thirteen, with Mr.. Douglas free
negro clause, not allowing them to vote nor hole
office. If the Republicans will accept this "a settle
ment can be had in twenty-four hours. He says il
they do not accept it his fortunes are with thu
South. The Republicans assert positively that they
will not accept it. Mr. Seward,,it is said, is pre-
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