The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-02-22


men favorable to the establishment of con-
federacy composed of the Southern and
Northwestern states. A well-known leader
among the democracy has been approached,
our information goes to show, within the past
two or three days, by these agents, with a
view of obtaining his influence, but that he
declined having anything to do with so trail
torous scheme, as he is staunch Union
man. The object is to make free trade the
basis of the confederacy to cut off New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and all the
New England states, which are so welded to
a protective tariff These Southern gentle
states throughout all the Northwestern states,
who are making similar overtures, and that
it is their aim to spring the issue soon among
the citizens of those states"
The Charlestonians consider the failure to
get possession of the fort net only disgrace
full but calamitous. A Charleston letter to
the n. Y. Evening Post says:
''The Fort her own, Charleston would have
achieved perfect success in secession with
out it, nothing but detriment has accrued to
her individually. Few vessels enter her men,
aced harbor, the underwriters OF Europe, he
lieving her main channel blockaded, divert
the destination of their ships to other ports
the Tasman, the Canton and Paxton cleared
at London, to wit. Whatever the revolution
results in, our merchants sadly acknowledge
that it will take years to repair the damage
done to Charleston in etfecting it. Their ex-
ASPIRATION, too, is all the greater from the
contrast presented by Georgia She secured
her forts, seeded, temporarily trebled her
Savannah trade, and now boards New York
by Selling six versels as a forcible guaranty
for the delivery of arms which she yet indi
recty denies having purchased. In Charles
ton this last incident is spoken of with en-
thusasm, blended with envy. South Carroll
ma wishes that heaven had made her such an
other man for ruler as Gov Brown. His
daring and audaclty are contrasted with the
presumed temporizing policy of Gov Pickens
in a manner by no means favorable to the
latter"
Says the Louisville Journal: "a secess-
ion paper censures US for the intimation that,
in the event of dissolution and War, North
ern miscreants might cut the levees of the
Mississippi in high water and inundate the
country. But it is best to look the truth di-
rectly in the face. There is no use in mems
desperate!y shutting their eyes and souls to
what they must know in their hearts may be-
Five men, or even smaller number, might
make crevaSse in a Mississippi levee in one
hour and would men who steal nigsers in
time of peace be any too good to cut EN-
bankments in time of War? Would they
have any more scruples in cutting banks than
in cutting threats? There can be TO doubt,
that. if dissolution and war shall come, both
sections will be overwhelmed with the rush
ing tide of ruin. No mortal NAV tell which
section could most jure the other. Every
true heart must sicken at the fearful contem-
plation. Why will not the American people
be wise and discard the counsels of resent
ment and revense?"
A Louisianian in TIE besieging force at
Charleston writes to the New Orleans Delta:
Il understand that our leaders have deter
mined OH the policy Of wearying out Amber
sons garrison by long continued and inces-
SAINT fire. Serving ten-inch columbiads, III
close easements, is labor that must certain
y use up his seventy men before very long
They will have 10 relief, while our batteries
can easily be manned every hour by fresh
troops. 1t is, therefore, probable that the
bombardment will be steadily kept up until
Fort Sumter is silencci, from the sheer ex-
haustlon of the garrison. Il is possible that
this may occupy two or three days, but not
longer. The expense of this course. as |
! have said. will be enormous Every gun fired
from Fort Sumter costs, on al average, thir-
teen dollars. Every gun fred by The state
will be an average expenditure of nine do
lars. A prominent officer of Fort Mou!trie
Informs me that. by close calculation. ii has
been ascertained that when its batteries open
the cost per diem to the state, at that fort d.
lone. will exceed $4,000. Pretty heavy, that
Bat this is the surcst way of mastering the
fort, and We had better spend money than
lives in its acquisition"
The Louisville Journal warns the seeding
states OF the serious consequences that must
result from an interference with the naviga-
ton o! the Mississippi or the attempt of
Louisiana to collect river duties. Ii SAYS -
NO doubt when the cotton state govern
meht shall GO into full operation, the revenue
laws OF Louisiana, so far as the exaction of
duties is concerned, will be substituted by
the revenue laws of that government, and We
greatly fear that. unless the favorite old Sou
then theory of free trade shall prevail, the
government will exact, as Louisiana now
does, duties on goods passing up the Misss-
sippi Tor states out of the Southern contede-
racy 1t is in vain for any man to attempt
TO disguise or conceal the fact that. unless the
Southern states that have suffered themselves
to be precipitated into revolution can be won
back, the most dreadful of all national calam-
tiles, bloody and devastating and desola-
ting war. enlisting the tiercest and most de-
structire energies of hundreds of thousands
of men, is as inevitable as the fulfllment of
the DEGREES of God"