Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-03-15

A Washington aispatch othe N. 7. Times
- ~ TUHabAy, March II, 1861
FORT SUMTER TO BE EVACUATED.
The impression prevails here that the Cab
met to-day decided on the issue OF an order
for he evacuation Of Fort Sumter, although,
Of course, nothing official is known on the
subject The best evidence to which access
can be obtained lead me 10 believe Il true
Il is generally conceded among military men
| here Oi longest experience that Fort Sumter
eannot be reinforced without great loss Of
I life and the expenditure OF millions Of money
Ia this opiuiGa 0ea. Scott and Secretary
1 Cameron fully concur. Itis understood that
4 the President and Secretary Chase have been
strongly opposed 70 abandoning the post and
they are constantly, receiving circumstances
from Nbttherni radicals against the Pyqela-
ton. Some Of these eTen 60 90 fat IS TO
threaten political retFibuiion and the destEuc-
ton Of the party. Several letters and papers
with marked articles on the subje have been
received BY the President and Cabinet. All
| this, however, will have no effect upon the
settled policy Of the Administration, which ]
have the strongest reasons for helieYing ib 70
avoid anY collision st 0hEflestOa. Forts
Piekens aud MoRae will not be- disturbed
however, At present as II Is deemed necessary
TO have forces along the coast in case OF an
emergency. D' '' .- .i| Sii....r ,br-.-r,5
RUmors about the evacuation Of Fort Sam
ter are at least premature. No such orders
have yet been given, but nearly sll consider
1t inevitable. q 90 3 EiWGILa Il %
A Washington dispatch to The n. Y. Her.
aid, says; INV llst
am able to state positively, on the contra
ry, that the abandonment Of fort Slsnitsr has
been determined upon by ths Prssidsnt and has
Cabinet, An order 70 that effect has, how yer,
not yet been issued, and may not be. for some
days. The cause Of The delay, Is not want Of
resolution, but simply desire to prepare the
,NnFtharn mind better for her now inevitable
emergency. This Is the case in a nutshell.
Both Gen. Scott and Gen, Wool have given,
upon request, their opinion advising an eEac-
uation.
Strange as it may sound, it Is now posi-
lively known that Secretary Chase unexpect-
edly came out advocating it n the last Cabinet
meeting, and that MesSFs, Cameron aud Blair
were most reluctant to assent.
The case Of Fort Sumter only requiring
immediate action, nothing definite has been
decided in reference to the other Southern
posts. With the precedent thus established,
however, their surrender will probably bt
a question of time. r -...5s .-s.r .f.4r
The order has not yet been given to evacu-
ate Fort Sumter, That it will be, within two or
three days am sure. The preferences of men,
| nor the policy of party can prevent it. It's
stern necessity that compels the act, and is
beyond tbs control Of party leaders. Militia
ry science will govern the Administration
am certain that if the President was sure
that Major Anlerson had provisions and fuel
enough to last until reinforcement could reach
him, they wosld be sent no matter at what
cost rs .1ll sl..5s f, s. rs ir .55-
Nobody regrets the existing state of facts
concerning Major Andersens position more
than the President. he had no part ia the
work ofereating them, but, at the same time,
coming into power with them staring him
fully in the face, he does otpropose to shrink
from the responsibility of meeting them, and
will do 80 as promptly as the importance of
the subject VIII admit and act as wisely up
on them IS time and facts viii allow rrry
= ilearn to-day, frorn an official source that
cannot be Questioned, that no vessel drawing
more than six feet of water can enterthe har-
Dor Of Charleston. The channel, closed up
some time since with sqnken vessels, is still
closed.
There is another fact of too much impart-
snce to overlook. Ny dispatch of the 9th,
stated that it would require ten thousand
men to invest and engage the various bat
teries on Sallivan and Morris Islands, erect
ed to reduce Fort Sumter and ptsgent its re-
infOrcement by the United States Govern
ment
I made the statement upon good authority,
that such was the estimate of General Scott
To-day l have official information that Major
Anderson gives j. as his opinion that it would
require twenty Thousand troops to make the
reimbursement success, from the fact that
that the first movement in that direction
would call into the field atleast fifteen thous-
aa6 men, mustered from the seeding States.
p Every one who knows anything about the
condition of the federal troops is aware
it would be utterly impossible to throw one
thousand troops into Charleston harbor with
in fifteen, twenty or thirty days, much less
TWEEN y thousand There is no authority to
call upon the States for troops, Congress
having adjourned without having any such
authority. More yet there is no money or
authority provided Tor recruiting in the regu-
lar service. E1s e.'6. 55 s7r
In view Of these facts, what can Mr.. Lin
coin and his advisers do but dispose of the
question at once by removing the men from
Fort Sumter and leaving The South Carroll
mans with their powerful batteries to go
home. ttS