The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-14
ENGLtsH OPINIONS on THE FORT
SUMTER AFFAIR
From the Msncae,ter Guardian !

risns, OF the civil war, which is now past |
praying against. in the United States. This |
point rs not by any means so easy to settle as |
{ may appear 10 be. y 1t appears |
that a messenger from the President of the |
United States conveyed to Gen Beauregard |
and Mr.. Pickens the Governor OF South Gar
DINA, an announcement that the Federal au- |
thorlties h ad determined TO proceed fmme- |
hlately TO extreme measures tor the purpose |
Of Introducing relnforcements OF men and |
OF provisions into the fortress.
This was an overt step towards coercion |
which, supposing the seceders 10 be justified
at all III throwing off the authority OF Wash
ington, viii, we think, be held to Vindcate
them from the range of blood gull tiness in
their determination to reduce Fort Sumter
~ force. It's peaceable surrender having first
been formally refused. 1t would be very
strained Interpretation of the sentiment of
humanity 10 suppose that nation or "A party
which has been served with a formal notice
OF attack, should wait iii the threat is car
ried into execution, for tear OF being clothed
with The responsibility of aggression
There is reason tor looking at this part OF
the question rather closely. The only plausi-
bic explanation of President Lincoln 5 conduct
Is that he has thought that political object
was To be obtained by putting the eSOntherners
IN the wrong. Tins reproach it hoped
that they might be made subject TO, II they
could be manpuvTed ia 10 firing the first shot.
We, however, only infer thus TO have been the
calculIlion, beca uee We do notknow any other
lay pothesIs fitted 10 meet the strange cIrcum-
stances OF the case. Great as has been the
manifest and unaffected biwidermeut of the
Cabinet at Washington since its construction
and OF the leading men in the Government
before they actually entered upon oiIce-We
must decline TO suppose them capable of i'm
agiuing mat this affair OF the ederai tort
Tessts, within the territory OF the seeding
States, has been dealt with to the utmost ad-
van tagp, from the PLAIN and stralgh forward
view Of their duty as rulers, which they pro-
Tess to take. For weeks past ii has been ru-
mOIed. win every appearance OF the rumor's
being true, that forL SUN ter was to be uietly
evacuated To say nothing OF the authority
on which this statement was circulated from
time 10 time, people naturally supposed that
had there been any serious luten ton to main
tam the fort, it would have been put in exc
cuLOn soon as the Lincoln administration
came into power. The interval since then
having been sedulousIy employed by the
South Caroiiniaus in throwing up batteries
and collecting men and material, 1t has been
long known that the place was untenabe,
even II any political end could be gained by
successfully resisting at this point pletensIons,
the Zeal strength OF which would have 10 be
pat to the itst elsewhere. II there We're any
doubt AS TO the soundness of this conclusion
on strategiCal grounds, 1t would be removed
by the event.
From the character which Major Anderson
holds, aud from the manner In which his du-
Ties in the earlier part OF this unhappy strug
gle Were performed, there is no reason TO
Ques ton his being Il man OF resoiu tion and
tue soldiers OF the American army are As lit
tie addicted AS any troops IN the world 10 sur
rendering posts entrusted 10 them, except un-
der the pressure OF necessity. Ihe battle OF
tharlest ton, or 10y whatever name 1t may be
called IN history, narrowly escapes, II IT does
escape. being ridiculous. III the interchange
OF shots went on, as II appears TO nave done,
Tor Two days and an intermediate night, IL
would seem hardly possible but that some
lives must have been lost but We are not told
that such was the case. All the information
VOuChsaIcd ls, that none OF the officers OF the
FEDERAL garrison were wounded, aud tnat
none OF the South CarolinIans Were killed
natever ludicIons associations CONNECTED
with the wars of the Italian States of the MD
die ages, or OF the Spanish American republics,
may be recalled by these particulars, it should
be- q subject of rejoicing to every rational man
that the useless horrors of an assault on the
fort were spared. As soon as its walls had re-
celved Ger tain amount of damage, the effect
of the firing of the wooden structures within
the work, Major Anderson struck his nag,
like sensible soldier, and was conveyed with
his men TO Charleston W here they had doubt
less had the most hospitabie reception, ana
the best treatment com patible with their state
as prisoners of war. II is worthy OF special
observation that the fleet Off the harbor took
no part in the conflict, as we must fairly pre-
sumo il would have done if any serious lnten-
ton of resisting the attack of the secessionsts
mad been entertained. The whole affair looks
like nothing SO much as q refusal on the part
of the United States authorities 10 leave
place in which they did not desire TO remain
without the application of just rs much force
as would entitle them to all the advantages TO
be derived from an action for assault and bat
terry.
IL may be premature to say how far the cal
culations on which this course was taken are
likely 10 be justified bv the event. To our
limited power of judgment it appears, we
confess, To complete the character OF Mr LIN
coins policy AS including every known KIND
of blunder, Having first neglected to fight
until the chance of doing 40 with snccess had
passed away, he has now undertaken and
provoked a conflict under circumstances
which ensured his being humilia ted and beat
en, without the possibility of striking AN eff
fectiye blow in return. Morally, he is to the
fun rs responsible the Government of
Montgomery tor transferring the matters in
dispute between them from the arbitrament
of reason to that of arms. for his formal in
timation 10 them that he WAS about to resort to
force challenge that they could not be
eXpec ted to disregard. If he meant what he
said, 1t the virtual commencement OF
war; If he did not, 1t WAS stili more culpable
ne Idle menace. We say nothing in justifica-
tion OF the revolt of the seeding States :;
we only remark that Mr.. Lincoln seems
to us 10 have thrown away, with Singu-
lar impartiality, every advantage of aTgu-
ment and of material position, which he
possessed over them at the beginning
His position was most arduous one, beyond
doubt, but he need not have exerted him
self to make the most OF all Its inconvenlences
and dangers lie has lost Fort Sumter, w which
was perhaps necessary but has he succeeded
in exciting in the WavarIng communities of
the Border States the disgust and apprehen-
sion which Were desired, In order permanent
ly 10 ALLEVIATE them from the secedersG Moth
ing appears less probable. 1t will easily be
made TO appear that the Seutherners have
only taken up the sword when an appeal 10
II was made inevitable, and that with scarce
ly any bloodshed they have inflicted on the
United States conspicuous reverse. In re-
gard both 10 the moral attractions OF their
cause, and to their prospects OF ultimate sue,
cess il NAV fairly be inferred that they VIII
have been raised in estimation by these events.
from Wilmer Smiths European Times.l
Having Jared so badly in South Carolina,
President Lincoln will doubtless pause before
he proceeds further in the same direc ton
Indeed he is likely to have work on his hands
at home, for a belief prevailed that the Son N
ern forces would make an attack upon Wash
ington; but their anger, in all probability, has
been appeased by the possession OF the red
eral fort in Charleston harbor: which has
thus been secured under circumstances more
favorable than could have been anticipated. -
Both the opposing parties have done enough
TO redeem their pledges.
The spirit of Mr.. Liucoln's inaugural has
been vindieated by his attempt however un-
successful, 10 relieve Fort SUMTER and the
earnestness of the South in the course on
which 1t has entered ia seen in its de'errnina-
ton TO subdue and seize the fort which has
been an eyesore since the mencement OF
these troubles. When il was announced that
civil war has actually broken out between
the North and the South, shudder ran
through every frame; and If, as We hope, the
next arrival brings the consolatory tidings
that IL began and ended al Charleston n feel
ing OF intense pleasure will be felt in England
and throughout Europe.
COMMENTS OF 4 NEW YORK NEWSPAPER.
In an editorial upon the attitude Of Eng
land, the New York Express, of Friday last,
says:
We have at length the first impressions upon
the English mind OF the bombardment and
surrender of Fort Sumter--an event which
at.ada M