The Lambertville press., 1861-02-06
General 9ews,
From Charleston.
Correspondence Of the PAiladflphiia Press.


made from time to time against clergy
men of the North for descanting on
the day from the pulpit or in the lec-
ture room, like Fl. w. Beecher. The
sermon preached yesterday evening,
however, in ST. Michael's Episcopal
Church, was not only open to that
charge, but in the highest degree trea-
sonable The Rev. gentleman select
ed for his text the first five verses of
the 18th chapter of Romans, Let
every soul be subject to the higher
powers !" and in the course of labor
ed argument, sought to prove that the
first duty of the citizens of South Car
olina was to its State authorities
that the laws and not the Constitution,
demanded their implicit obedience.
The people of South Carolina, he said,
are either good and law abiding citi-
zens or are disobeying Gods ordian-
ces, and, in the word of the text, are
heapirg damation to themselves.
The Legislature has adjourned this
evening. The flag question was again
reconsidered to-day, and final decis-
ion come to. The future standard of
the independent Government of that
great co mtry known by the name of
South Carolina is to be blue ground,
with white palmetto tree in the centre,
and hite crescent in the upper corner
on the left.
The principal part of the business
transacted during the secession has
been to vote away money which they
do not possess, and although this
free-trade body have mede legal ar
rangement to receive the United
States customs, they have at the same
time so utterly prostrated the COM
merce of the port Charleston that they
can expect but little from that quar-
ter to supply the deficiency
| heard on change to day from a
reliable source, though / do not vouch
for its truth, that Governor Pickens
has despatched a messenger to Col
onel Hayne, require him at given time
during the present week, to demand
from the President that Fort Sumpter
be evacuated in twenty-four hours,
the Governor himself to give Major
Anderson the same notice. There
are two or three circumstances which
seem to corroborate this report. For
instance, when Mr. Memminger and
Judge Magrath, who are the Cover
nor's advisors, have beer. taunted by
some impatient fire-eaters on the de-
lay, they have during to-day given a
sort of knoqoi'a9 intimation that the
blow will soon be struck. Again, the
battery which has been for some time
in course construction at Cummings
Point, near old Fort johnson, and
which is deemed very valuable posi-
tion for attack, is now all but COM
pleted /; and, besides this, an increased
number Of troops are this week ordered
to the trenches. The "hired" army,
to a man, are at their post, and have
been during this morning practising
with the guns. Lastly, both houses
of the Legislature terminated their
sittings with long secret " session.
All seems to render it not improbable
that something is looming in the i'm
mediate future.
/ ought to observe here that conf
denee in the Governor seems to be
returning, it being generally under
stood amongst those who are we'll
posted that Colonel Hayne has only
been kept at Washington to watch
over the actions of the President, and
to delude him with the idea that it was
not his duty to reinforce Mojor Ander-
son, when unable longer to pull the
wool over his eyes. Col. Haynes In
structious were to inform his Govern
ment that an attack may be made be-
fore the troops could arrive. This
diplomacy is deemed necessary, as it's
only intention was to delay all action
on the part of the Federal Government
till the insurgents were fully prepared
to take the fort.
The people Of Savannah are Justly
indignant at the steps now being ta-
ken in the Convention to ruin them
and their trade by following South
Carolina, and seizing the custom-house
revenue of the United States at that
port 1t will not only, as soon as it
becomes known, drive all commerce
away, but, as it has already done in
Charleston, viii throw the white la
boring men, and the free negroes into
distress and destitution.
The only thing now in Charleston
called by the name of "Union is
what one of your journals calls the
i" Noontide " Prayer Meeting. went
to the Globe street Church this morn
ing to hear what the elect think of Sc
cession. The Presbyterian clergyman