, 1861-03-13
Fort SUMTER .. C 4nF1e8tOn NIer.
curry After ne .Gaugura1.

Fort SUMTER =. C 4nF1eston NIer-
curry After ne -GauEura1.
[From the Mercury March 5th-]
But still we would sag 10 our people, fer
the present, keep cool, and bide your time.
The honor Of this State is Il further involved
in the matter. It las been x 1sferred to tie
shoulders Of The Gnyernmen II the ConJede7-
ate States Of Americo. Whetn: wisely or not,
it is now too late to discuss. ~ course now
is one entirely Of policy and Will strategy. We
% no. profess to bs g Gaeeprately coSnlzant 81
be var, there must "a plan and policy for
the campaign. These must origi,sa' from t1l:.
heads OF the Government, We hare now NO.
thing to lose by time-everythiu:s T., gain.
War six weeks ago might have placed VjrEinia
now by our side. War would have been il the
name Of the State Of South Carolina The
glory, prestige, and historic fame would have
been hers. It is no longer so. The blood will
be RI; but little Of tue profit. That blond,
however, her people are still, as they have evfr
been, willing generously to she'd Nor will
any foreign foe unmo1ested cross her border
by sea or laud. Beyond this, policy and
strategy must rule the action Of the General
Government at Montgomery. Their decision
with regard to this harbpr Will be carried out
by the troops Of Carolina
That President Lincoln will attempt to COL
lect revenue off the bar is now beyond ques-
ton. What then? Here lies the QUESTION in
which alone this State is directly concerned.
What course is then to be pursued by the
Southern Government There arc bus two
open. The one, immediate attack OH Fors
Sumter; the other, to besiege and starye out
the fortress. To attack the fort will not re-
move the men-of.war from of our bar. What
then will be gained? It Is question.
To declare martial 1aw over the whole har.
bor, including both shores and the wharyes q
the city, prohibiting all approach to Fort Sum
Ter by night or by day, excluding from it all
supplies Of any description, and all inforuaa.
tion OF communication to It's inmates, may bc
the policy decided upon. Salt meat and warm
,rs ss-ther may most etIectually do our work for
ns To -aluforce Fort Sumter Is now only to
haeten The Nod Of starvation, for no ship.of
1 war can n enter our ',arbor and land supplies.
shonld she succeed in inning to the Fort she
will be under the constant fir OF three OF iou1
batteries within telling or destrucLse asseanee
She must be quickly destroyed. In the .t.ca4
time our ships, or ships laden with our goods
for foreign ports, may continue their course a.
usual.
Even should blockade be declared, it car
in no way interfere with the cgre6s AID III
%ress of neutral bottoms in their ordinary ayo
cations Of trade A duty may doubtless, fol
the present, be collected on such imports a:
arrive here directly from abroad. OF this
reckoning must be made In the calc1lstlon &
costs, pro and cor. A few months must setil'
the whole question. And the taking Of For
Sumter Immediately cannot, as far as we CT!
perceive, hasten that period. WeWill be Httl
i further when we have finished than When #
begun-minus some valuable lives. ..
The above calculations are, Of course, base'
upon the supposition that matters inside th
harbor remain in stat's quo. a felGgcre1t al
titnde on the part Of Fort Sumter must II
| once precipitate war, and the fort mnst b
| taken in SelCprotection.
In throwing out the above suggestions, u
! do not undertake to advice .hose much NOR
competent to deal with the emergency tha
| We can be. They .re advanced simply L
| thoughts that have occurred to Us in weighin
! and balancing the issues now before us. VI
! let them 20 for what they may be worth. Tht
/ proper authorities will decide upon the cours
that will seem best to them, and We will i
entirely satisfied to assist in its execution
whatever it may be.
!. We shall soon learn what are the plans {
| President Davis. They will probably be d.
cided By the future action Of Lincola.
+; Especial Dispatch t. the n T. Herald
i WASHINGTON, March 8, 1851.
| The statement that Mt. Roman, one Of til
Commissioners from thae Southern Confedt
! racy, had arrived here, is untrue. Gp to tai
evening he had not reached Washington. 5il
i Crawford has information that he left Ne'
! Orleans some days ago, and therefore he
! hourly expected. As soon az he arrives her
! it is expected they will have an interview wit
President Lincoln.
+ The preliminary aseps to that end have al
ready been taken. Il Is pretty we'll settle
i that their mission will prove 4 failure. Iii
Lincoln has decided upon the policy he intend
to pursue, and It will be fully carried out b
Gen Scott, through the War and Navy d.
part1nents.
General Scott, Secretary Holt, General Can
eron and the Secretary Of the Navy were
conference for several hours today. TIE
were arranging matters looking to the reIs
forcement Of Forts Sumter and Pickens, all
it will be carried ont very e1aboratcly.
Ee1.. Scott has been studying this matter fu
II fo- some time, and it is understood, has al
ranged it to his entire satisfaction. He is I
the opinion that Heterogeneous csn be throw
into Fort Sumter easily and with but lit.
loss Of life
Major Anderson, however, is OF ditIere,
opinion. He believes it would be useieas t
send less thap fifteen or twenty thousand me
to Charleston harbor. This number would
able to silence their batteries and other mea1
of defence, and successfully reinforce SuIutt
with men ind supplies.
Both arms, the Army and Navy, of the 70,
ernment will be actively employed for son
tine to come In carrying out the policy of il
new administration. orders to his Ell!
have, it is believed, already been issned Oil
It was for this reason that Colonel Cooper, A
jutant General, through whose department II
orders have to be issued, resigned his positie
in the army There will be other resignatIo.
Of distinguished OFFICERS when this matter
fully known.
The events Of the next two weeks Son:
will be exceedingly interesting and highly II
portaut.
The border slaye Statc influences, it iB sal
are operating upon the administration for Il
abandonment of Forts Sumter and Pickens