Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-02-27


% Major Anderson-Prosross Of the Ds-
fonses for the Harbor-The DimoaItF or
scnding Federal He-enforcements.
The Charleston IS. C.) correspondent Of
the New York Tribune writes as follows ON
the Goth inst: l
South Carolina is now thoroughly divided.
Up to this time che has been as thoroughly
united as is possible for State or community
to be in any cause on the single idea Of Sc
cession. Having pushed the Gauss 10 the
point where practical details must be dealt
with, she Is radically divided ON a variety Of
questions but mainly on the qucstioa Of
tariff. Ihe practical portion are for & tariff
for revenuoj the theorists are for ec-fraie.
Mr.. Memminger has ever been the favorite Of
the former. The line dividing Che support4
ers of moderation and precipitation in con-
Quoting the other grave qaestions growing.
out 81 the present crisis is not less marked.
but n clearly defined. These divisions are
destined to exert an important influence on
the management of those questions
In spite of the bitterness of feeling conse-
quent on the attitude Of the city toward
Fort SUMTER this entire cOmmanity. at
least the most respectable part, has felt
sincere regret st the serious illness of Major
Anderson. He was attacked about week
since with pnegmsnia In an aggravated
form, as is reported, and has since received
The extraordinary labors and trials which
the MAJOR has undergone for tie last three
months, devolving or him a wgiqdt Of re-
spOhsibilfy sufficient 20 crush almost any
mar, have quite dtstrOyed his HeaIth. I
have it from one speaking from personal
knowledge, that so weighed down has the
Major been, particularly since his garrison
has occupied Fort Sumter, with the peculiar
responsibility resting on Inn, that he has
known scarcely moments rest
Day and night he has laSored to make
Fort Sumter CeienRible against the hostS
moving around him. 1t has been one ab.
soTbinR, devouriEB idea, which has been
shared to the fullsst extent b5rhis s1bor-
dinateS, even TO the humblest private. But
on hino, after all, rests the responsibility;
and The country may be assured tLes he will
perform his whole duty with as large a
share Of prudence an5' bravery as eTer man
did. Irspite Of the peculiar state Of things
here, believe that thie entire communiIy
would rejpjce to hear os Major Andasson's
restoration to health. F5fhdoxical as Il may
appear, thi5 community is; at the samotime,
equally united in policy'which, if oEFfied
out, will put Major Andersen and his entire
garrison to TIE sword
The rebelJaFe sending hitler and youder
for negroes 10 labor on the hagbor deferses.
Not only ha5'GOv. Pickens given notice by
advertisement, but planters are served with
4
portion Of the feid hands to Charleston to
labor for the STATE, together with provisions
tsed them. Thts is only another way to
force men to give to the cause. The occa-
sion for this sudden extraordinary demand
for laborers is, the expected endorsements
to be sent by the Federal Government to
Fort Shmter. Every days delay renders
the re- enforcing of 5Ae fort more difficult
undertaking. Both sides of the hsrbor, for
miles around the mouth, and uD and down
the cDNst are being fortified with Batteries,
bearing on the course of vessels intending
ito enter. They intend to be as tli0rouph
and expeditions in their preparations to
keep away re-enforcsments as they have
confessedly been in making the siege of
Fort sumter successful. I am apprehensive
that the Federal Government is nopfully
alive to this subject.
Major Anderson, as I have frequentlt sug-
gessed, and as ] am now ab4e to state reliably,
has never pretended that, even under the
most favorable circumstances, with his small
garrison he could make q successful deSense
fer 8 great length of tins, though he could
do 30 for several days. end possibly foYRn
indefinite period. He has not desired resen-
forcements, hitherto, unless provisions came
at the same time, Except he was attacked"
In case he was attacked he would need them.
in order to make the holding of the fort GER
tain. Since an attempt to rs enforce the fort
would bring on an engagement--open the -
siege prematurely for him-Ae. has wished to
have it deferred till he was fully prepared.
In saGh condition, or any thing like il, he
has not found himself till within the last ten
days..
Meanwhile the rebels have perfected cor
responding arrangements, so far as such a
thing is possible, not only for making the
siege successful, but for defeating any at
tempt the Government might make for re.
enforcing Fort Sumter. By delay--by ''pre-
serving the present status of things" as Mr..
Buchanan calls it-they have gained every
thing, and the Federal Government lost in
an almost corresponding degree.
hope the authorities at Washington, they
who have the practical charge of this very
important matter, understand well the diff
culties that must attend any attempt to re-
enforce Major Anderson either before or after
the siege shall have commenced. Three
weeks age / could have said how, in the
judgment afmany the thing could have been
done with little hazard or loss. What then
seemed entirely practicable, seems now Alto
gether dubious.
More than one who then, on the spot here,
agreed with me in the opinion that the
introduction of re-enioreementS all the way.
by water was entirely practicable, are now.
quite inclined to favor the opinion that if
Fort Sumter is relieved it must be BY troops
landed on the coast miles above and march
ing to Charleston, fighting their way, as.
most likely they would have to. Govern
ment gravely mistakes if it supposes, for an
instant, that this matter has not grown to
the full proportions of real warfare, to be
treated as one nation, treats anotherin arms.
To proceed on any other plan is to fail.
In no other way will South Carolina act;
and she is now prepared to carry on form
idable warfare with the Federal Government
at any and every point. 1t is a trial of
strength, as really SO as was the.late war be-
tween the United States and Mexico, and
the Federal Government should 90 as earn
estly about its plans, and with. as little
reservation as it did then. Less than this
invites failure and disgrace.