Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-02-01

/ L He CJJTHERN IOhIS.- Iut NdEIOUS eQ-
eral strong holds which have been erected
and paid for hy the people of the United
/ States. are naturally attracting much atten-
/ ton at the present juncture, more especially
those which guard the sea coast, girding the
| Southern States. The gross Outrages which
have been committed, and 50 far unatOned
for, in seizing and retaining possession of the
the property Of this Government, are
becoming each day more thoroughly ap-
preciatcd by the masses Of the people, and
storm Of iadig ignatiou is brewing in the ma.
t!onal heart against the impudent traitors
who have imperilled the peace and impeded
the commerce of the country, which Will ere
long burst upon them t. their confusion and
tiSalay. We are asked daily, how many
more tUrtresses remain, to afford OppOrtuni-
ties for the Southern Chiyalry to insult the
American Nation, through its Government,
by taking blooilesS possession thereof, un-
punished. and even unmenaced. The number
Of United States forts in siaveh0ldinS COM
munities-'' secession" or other-is thirty
three, tue cost of which was SIS,705, ,4O3
While the total Ut fortiica-
tious in N..ucru waters
amounts only to S,230, SIS
The lOrtifcatiOns On the Pacific
coast cost 2,4jO,50O
The fortifcatioas on the Nor
thcrn frontier, 73O,25O
Grand total L S. Qualifications $50, IL, ,97l
We are enabled to perceive from these is-
urcs, that the amount expended by the
General Government on wariike works for
the defence Of Southern ports and rivers, IS
now more than double that which has been
devoted to those Of the North II such a
thing as a Southern Conteieracy were posi-
bic, the adjustment Of the respective claims
to this property woud add another to the
numerous complications che new relations
would entail
There has been d great deal Of discussion
in regard to the practlcabihty OF Fort Sum
ter b1mbarding Charleston. Democratic
newspapers and ''we.i informed gentlemen
Of the South, insist that the city Is beyond
the range Of the guns in the fortress. Dem
ocratic legislators, who ought to be well
informed, assume in their speeches that
Major ANDERSON could, it lie wishel, LAY
Charleston IN ashes. 80 Probably when the
fort was projected, II was not cJntemPlatel
that "a contingency Ike the present one
would ever arise. Artillery has increased
its range since then. and uupunished treason
has grown bold
We need not g very far back for prsce-
dents to show what modern artillery may
do. Cannon are not made now, as in the
18th century, OF wrought iron hoops en-
closing bars OF the same material, like that
which burst in 1910, and killed JAMES II.
Of Scotland. In the late Anglo Russian
war, Sweaborg was successfully bombarded
at distance exceeding 1000 yards, by such
weapons as the English and French mortar
boats could carry. At tie very first trial Of
the AENSToNG gun at ShoeburyNess, it Is
said shot and she'll were projected by it
five English miles 1t is also stateI that it
has since been demonstrated that the same
gun can make first rate practice Ok target
nine feet square, mt the astonishing distance
of five thousand yards. 1t IS therefore reason
able enough to assume, that fort can be
made to command d town or anything els,
within the distance between Charleston and
Fort Sumter. There are guns that will
effect such purpose whether within the
walls Of Fort Sumter or not. Probably
Major ANDERsoN's arms VIII be found quite
long enough, should it become either polite
or necessary to extend them.-N. Y. C0,sr.
4 Enquirer.