Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-03-15
rORTSU INTER-.


ouvb, 10 have been done long time ago TO
,,o,ect that fortress and the men In 1t from
che rebels about it, and to save the honor Of
the nation is easily stated. But from treach-
ery. imbecility and obstinRey in the high
,laces Of the late Administration, that was
~, done; and the question now assumes
other aspects and proportions 1t IS easy "
say the honor of the Government o'''-'
the promp, reinforcement of Fort Sumter ~
matter a. what cost; but it is no' %
say where the troops and vessels OF "N'
:, ha fonnd os.hand, sufficient Tor sa'n
IT.. ba,bor of Charleston, with It's
- narrow and crooked channels, now
,r6laded by strong batteries on every sioe'
lid he run nc doubt by feet OF shallow
ar xar steamers. if had them
On hand; and on army of well disciplined
men. twenty thousand strong, If 1t could be
suddenly landed there, could quell the spirit
Of rebellion ct Charleston, and soon open the
yoy to Fort Sumter. But the Government
has neither on hand the feet of shallow
draft war steamers nor the troops for tn
such an army, and be the Will to have them
ever 50 great, they cannot be provided with
out del4y.
1tsno matter of surprise, therefore, TO
l..- that earnes. consultations are had at
Washington on this subject BY those who
have the responsibility thrown on them not
N talk about it, but TO &C; on it. it is not
likely that the public is as thoroughly In
formed Of the counsels and plans OF the Ad-
ministration, as the positive newspaper
reports from the capital indicate. A few
DAYS. however, will settle, beyond dispute,
what is to be done. The fpeci4l despatch to
the New York Tribune, March 10, says;
The Cabinet had a special session of over
three hours last night, IN which the policy
concerning Fort Sumter was fully discussed.
An informal conference was also held this
morning, at which several members were
preseut. No decision has yet been reached,
but the general opinion prevails tonight
that the troops will be withdrawn.
This condition of things was purposeIy
oontriyed ty Mr.. Buchanan and Mr.. Holt
d clares openly that the present Admlnistra
ton can in no way be made responsible for
nnv course that may now be adopted. lie
saws that the tort could have been Te-enforced
,hirty days ago, without serious difficulty,
AID measures had been taken for that purpose,
but Mr.. Buchanan positively refused to have
them executed. His whole policy was to
beoueath a complication TO his successor,
which compelled one Of two alternatives
either withdrawal. or reinforcement with
thc certainty of civil wal"
The statements in the other papers d. not
GiIar essentially from those in the Tribune.
On the proposed evacuation OF Fort Sum
ter, the n Y. Eve. Post saws:
Every man who respects his country and its
government feels that the evacuation OF the fort.
At this time, would be the deepest humiliation
and disgrace. Our govern uent Is the wTetchedest
apoloey for O government If II cannot protect It's
own property and enforce the laws. But IL II
should be found impracticabe, in the demoralized
condition Of the military departm MS and the
finances to assert the federal supremacy, The
ebanan. He had it in bic power, a few month";
riace. when the tre1chery Of the southern politi
Glars wa. vet IA is sIeli, TO crush the viper by
single decisive step. He c uld have reinforced
every southern font within the space OF IN 18th
YnDd-eds OF men stood ready in this city 10 &C
eDn,lisa the work at q weeks notice. B ut hit
corr nlici y with the traitors and bis imbecility
defeated all action
The y. 7. Commac0l also says, es every
honest and intelligent man must cay, thai
the necessity for such a step, if unavoidable,
had its ground in the treachery and imbecil-
ity Of the late administration but it seems
to think that If Fort Sumter is abandoned
"the whole question is virtually settled, and
the American Union irrevocably destroyed
for lack of power to sustain it",-and that
the independence OF the Southern Confeder.
scy may as well be recognized at once.
We do not sec that by any means. The de-
termination, expressed by the new Admins
tration, to possess and hold the fortresses and
property of the National Government, does
not imply a determination to work impossi-
bilities. The few troops composing the army
Of the .. S. scattered abroad in the nation
few hundreds garrisoning important forts
which can not be left without q risk Of hav-
Ing them taken possession Of by the rebels
some in Utah. more than half way to the
Pacifc-two or three thousand more in the
interior of Texas, demoralised also BY the
treachery Of their superior oficers,-can make
but sorry display of force for the Govern
ment, at Charleston, where great force is
needed, and needed within few days too, to
accomplish anything in that way. 1t was
the boast of Floyd that the [. S. troops were
% disposed that several months must elarse
before they could be gathered to make any
head way against the 'secessionists."
The naval forces Of the nation were left in no
better condition for effective service. Treason
bad done its work there also. Yet further,
it was the fixed purpose of Buchanan and his
unprincipled Gids in both Houses of Congress.
that no law should be passed whereby the
new Administration could gather volunteer
forces TO act with, no matter how treat the
necessity for them. To leave the Government
to the new Administration IN as belrlcss
condition for any prompt action, as possible,
was the plan. If thereby the Republican
could be crippled ct its be-
ginning, no matter what light become Of the
honor or integrity Of the nation, the wishes
Of lhess corrupt allies of the southern rebels
would stand the bes. chance to bs answered.
or course it viii be notifying 20 every pat
not If there shall prove to be stern necessity
70 abandon Fort Sumter. Il viii DO q disgrace
10 the nation, yet nothing compared 70 tie
q grace from the wide spread treason uni
corruption which will have caused it. 1t is 10
Few thing in military afAirs for important
positions 10 be abandoned, because such is
he condition Of Affairs that they can not be
.eld for the time. II there is necessity, it
as. be yielded to, and the turn of affairs
must be awaited to recover what is lost.
To abandon Fort Sumter, if it can be avoid
L.