Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-11-19

Gov. Pickens,of South Carolina, has issued
his annual message, whi,h is published in
the Charleston Mercury OF the 6thinst 1t is
rather unfortunate for the Governors rePu-
tstioR for veracity that the publication could
not have been deferred for day or two, as
on the next day, the 7th, the feet poured its
nurderous irou rain in upon the garrison at
Forts WSIker and Beauregard, and compelled
the Carolina troops therein established TO
fee paais-stricken, and thereby give the lie
60 the Governors assertions. But perhaps
he will be all the more honored in rebeldom
By having shown a capacity for unsupported
bOasdng, in which case the publication was
good thing for Pickens. In the course Of this
message the Governor says:
Thsrs is not the slightest danger Of our
bsinq subiuFated BY the North. Those who
coneeived such an idea had but little knowl-
edQs IS 70 the elements Of real power. They
are vastly detective In all those qualities
necessary Tor effective military organization,
particularly for purposes Of invasion, While
The Institutions Of the South train our peo-
PIE 70 individual self-reiancs, and to police
regulations with disciplined order. There
sre 40 agricultural people so essentially mill
tary IN their early training as are the slave
holding race Of the South
THE elements Of real power" do not seem
to have been wanting in the Wabash and the
death-dealing procession she led three times
around the magic circle in Port Royal en-
trance. And "the qualities necessary for
purposes Of invasion" do not seem to have
been lacking by the bold sailors who sent
the plunging shot and the bursting shell into
the ranks of the foe. On the contrary, dis.
interested party reading the reports Of the
engagement, would conclude that an inva-
sion was triumphantly achieved, notWith.
standing the vast advantage which skillfally
constructed forts always possess ever float
ing batteries. Moreover, the only "individ'
usl selErelianes" 'Our people" appeared tc
possess, in e very good degree, upon the oc-
clsion, was their reliance upon their legs fol
fast travelling from the scene of danger. II
was this same self.reliancs, we suppose, which
led them to scorn to carry their g1ns, ol
other means of defence, with them, and tC
throw them away so lavishly. The GoVer
nor's grandnoquent boasts, and his contemp
for Northern powers, would be absurd at any
time; read in connection with the details o.
the Port Royal engagement they are sublime
ly ridiculous.
But the document disproves itself 50 far as
South Carolina valor and power are con-
esrned. Frem it we learn that that State
has raised only nineteen thousand men fol
the war, instead of the fifty and sixty thou
sand we have heard of as her quota. The
greater part of theis force was composed Of
twelve months men, many of whom have
slready gone home. The Governor says that
''ths rest CT our population it for military
dut7, is in a state of comparative disOrgani-
aation." There are, in addition to the above
hut about three thousand effective men in
Charleston.
The Governor congratulates his people
that in their trying hours, ''the free people Of
color shave done their duty aad hopes the
State will never refuse to 'eKtend her guar.
,dian protection to this unfortunste and help
less class of our people" This is a little
ambiguous Are they 'helpless" because
they have no means of defence it they should
be seized and sold for State debt or because
they could not, under all the curse and ban
q Southern society, support themselves2
Governor Piokens, having sdmonished hi:
constituents that "elopds and darkness are
round about US, gives them his blessings and
commends them to Heaven.