The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-03-29
The Question of Fort Sumter.

Four months ago it was in the power of
the government at Washington to have arm
ed AMI kept every tortitication it possessed in
the Southern states. There was unmstaka
bic warning that the possession of all of them
would be the subject of early controversy
In regard to those in the harbor of Charles
ton. the danger was the highest. and ii
might almost be said, the only military au-
,horities in the country. regarded as So immi-
nent, as to invoke an earnest presentation OF
the subject to the president, and recon-
mendatlon that not moment should be lost
in providing for the protection of forts Noul-
tre and Sumter. How that recommendation
was received is matter of shameful history.
SO far from strengthening those important
points, every energy of the administration
was devoted to arming those VIII proposed
to capture them. Artillery of the heaviest
calibr guns Of the most recent ard I'M
proved invention {; munitions sufficient for
the reduction of 4 BerSen-op-Zoom. were
placed within reach of the insurgents. whose
designs, We row have conclusive reason to
believe, were as well known to the federal
executive as they were amorg the con>pira-
tors themselves. And for fear the proper Il
mount of skill should be lacking 10 direct
the use of the implements of warfare thus
deposited IN the hands of an unsh!.td mob.
a sufficient number Of practiccd and veteran
officers were permitted 10 res gn from the
regular service, to furnish the rebels with 4
competent military direction. IL was. of
couise. assumed that with such ample pr,pa-
ration on the one hand, and such entire iner-
10 bor not pn {>rY D,,
ed without resistance, and As if bv surprise ;
and the administration Of Mr. Buchanan,
while really abe,ting the designs of the cap
tors. would be able to discharge itself of any
very formidable responsibility for the loss
An accident only defeated this plan. MAJOR
Anderson, with some three score men,insteati
of remaining where in the administration
program, he might have been readily reduced
and captured, threw himself into Fort Sum
ter and detIed MS aSSallants. His example
was followed az Pensacola and at other Flor
ida forts. This interruption of the plot Ut
terly disconnected the government, up 20 that
moment absolutely controlled by Slidell, " *
fall and Davis. 1t was left the choice of pub
l;cly declaring its completely with treason, or
of Disgusting its criminality by pretending to
reinforce the gallant fellows whose LOYALTY
and courage had proved so embarrassing
Had thi. course been adopted with proupti-
tude, ii was possible to have saved Fort Sum
ter. But weeks were allowed to pass with
out action, during which the rebels vert per
mitted to obstruct the harbor, entiladc all its
approaches with powerful batteries. remove
the lights and buoys essential to the safe en-
trance of the relieving and to sur
round Sumter with forts, arma nlents and bat
terles exceeding In number and in guns the
detences of the garrison. 1t was only when
these difficulties hac been raised that the
Star Of the West attempted, with an oSterta-
tlous announcement of the intention, to bear
reiniorcements to Major Anderson Its fail
: ure was a toregone conclusion indeed, no
one previously counted upon its success I'M
less upon the assumption that the rebels
would, Il the critical moment, decline TO fire
the shot which should inausurate civil war
and that thus the vessel might safel, reach
the fort The event showed the futility OF
: such calculations and with the know se
that every hour was reducing the number OF
! men in the garrison through the expiration
of terms of enlistment that the provisions
were rapidly failing ; that fuel was almost ex
hausted, and that lights were even not to bt
: had, no further effort was made BY Mr. Bu-
chanan or his advisers TO succor the be!eaug-
uered post ere seems to have been nice
calculation that The resources of the defence
: would last until the 18th Of March, and the
late presidents retirement from office and
l beyond that epoch none of those reckless men
cared 10 pursue the consequences OF their own
default.
Now, therefore, when these dsjointed, bro
: ken, and almost hopeless fragments of gov
erumcnt pass into the hands OF ntw ad-
] mlnlstratlo:i, and it looks anxiously about 10
find what may be saved and what must be
l sacrificed, the question of Fort Sumter as
l sumes leading importance. Major Ander-
son announces that the means Of resisting a
t siege has diminished almost to 4 vanishing
point The late administration, in apparent
cousion with the insurgents, has permitted
: an entire exhaustion Of his supplies. SO per-
feet have the arrangement of the besiegers
become, that the same military leaders who
foresaw in October the need of reinforce
l ments at Charleston, and pointed out the
ease with which they might be introduced,
now declare that to reach and relieve Major
Anderson, an army of twenty thousand men.
: la-ded from fleet ottransports, and d pitch
ed battlemust De the sanguinary instruments
t of his relief But neither troops nor trans
ports have been provided by the late admin
-, istration. A month, two months, perhaps,
must elapse before such an expedition could
, depart, while the garrison is in no condition
even in the absence of attack, to hold out for