The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-01

while acting on the Adjustment Committee
of Thirteen, the two members representing
the Cotton States (Messrs. TooHBs and
DAVIS declared themselves ready to accept
the CR1rrENDRN Amendments an q compro-
mise.
"A despatch from Washington, the
other day, announced that 4" Hon. VIM.
Aiken, of South Carolina, has been forced
to contribute $4,000 to the revolutionary
government under threat of con6scation
of his property in case of his REFUSAL" To
this complexion it will come at last with
every property holder in the state. Gov.
A. had already, under pressure of Silent
screws of compulsion, furnished large
number of slaves to labor on the defences
erecting in Charleston harbor. Governor
AIKEN will be recollected as the last candi-
date presented by the Democrats in the
memorable struggle for the Speakership of
the House of Representatives on the Or
ganization of the 34th Congress, in 1855.
He lacked but single vote of an election.
When Mr.. BANKS was finally chosen, Mr..
AIKEN was one of his escorts to the chair,
Governor AIKEN, is, we believe, the wealth.
lest man in South Carolina, and the largest
STAKEHOLDER in the whole South. He owns
the island of Jehosse, on the Pon-Pon
river, thirty miles south of Charleston. 1t
contains four thousand acres, is devoted to
the rice culture, and is said to be one of the
most complete and scientifically arranged
and cultivated plantations in the southern
states. His negroes are over one thousand
in number. They are settled in neat and
comfortable houses, grouped in villages
over the island, and are said to exhibit
degree of comfort and contentment seldom
witnessed in any community, free or slave.
In 1852, while engaged as a member Of
Congress at Washington, the cholera ap.
peared at Jehosse, when Governor AIKEN
at once returned home, carrying with him
the best medical skill be could command.
he devoted himself personally to the care
and attendance upon the numerous sick in
his large family of slaves, ministering at all
hours to the wants and necessities of the
sick and the dying, alleviating their suffer-
ings while they lived and attending to the
offices required after death. The forcing"
of loan from such man as Governor
AIKEN furnishes volumes in evidence of the
real state of affairs in South Carolina.
Sergeant GEORGE McFADDEN, formerly
soldier in the United States Army, and
who was one of the laborers recently sent
away from Fort Sumter, gives an account
of the condition of that fort very different
from what generally obtains. The account
is furnished to the New York Evening
Post:
Fort Moultrie was in much better condition
for defence than Fort Sumter; nearly all the
guns were mounted, and everything was in
apple.pie order, and the men in good condition;
three days before we retired from Fort Moultrie
Major Anderson brought from Fort Sumter
an apparatus to mount the remaining guns.
This apparatus was left behind at Fort Moul-
trie. When we arrived at Fort Sumter every
thing was cold, miserable and unfinished. Fort
Sumter has tire faces to it, and some nine or
ten guns imperfectly mounted. These guns
cannot be depressed sufficiently to defend the
fort. They are mounted for long range shot,
and any object within mile or mile and
half of this fort, it would be as harmless to it as
our present fort on our battery enfilading the
channel between Governors and Ellis's Islands
would be harmless to the boats constantly pass.
ing it. Fort Sumter has no provisions. Major
Anderson took from Fort Moultrie some fifty
barrels of flour and one or two casks of other
provisions, seargant and squad of men in
citizens dress were sent ashore to purchase
provisions. They procured some eighty pounds
of beef, with vegetables, &c. The Charleston
vigilant committee would not permit them to
take away the provisions they had paid for, and
threatened the lives of the men if they persisted
in doing so. Fort Sumter has no fuel, and if
they have any at all it must be by burning
what they can find in the fort to burn. The
fort is in perfect state of incompleteness. and
as to Major Anderson being able to defend it
unless he is not attacked-it is all nonsense.
He will be a smarter man than take him to
be if he can do it against lot of men. Only
give me hundred determined fellows and I'll
have possession of that fort in half hour from
the moment we get on the landing; all I'd want
is an additional number of men to carry and
raise the ladders for the men to scale the walls.
Major Anderson never asked the workmen to
stay and fight under the American flag. If he
had done SO, l for one would We stuck to him
as long as have anything to stick to. On the
contrary, he was most anxious to get rid OF the
many extra mouths that were eating up the
provisions he wanted for his own men. As to
all the statements of the papers about his i'm
pregnability, it's all balderdash, &c.
"A resolution was adopted in the
House Saturday, providing for thorough
investigation of any secret conspiracy to
seize the Federal property at the Capitol.
This is right. Every measure should be
taken to guard against civil commotions,
and outrages upon persons or property at
Washington. The public has all confidence
in the ability of GEN. Scorr, and there is
no doubt that be has taken measures to
guard against every contingency.
= New Jersey endorses the Crittenden
proposition, and sends a delegation to
Washington to meet the Virginia and