Newbern weekly progress., 1861-06-11
From the London Times Of May ID.
r. RtTSSELL'S FIRST LETTER AFTER
IEAI1H
NORFOLK. Va.

Sumter has fallen at last. So much may be
accepted. Before many hours hope to stand
amid the ruins of a spot which will probably be
come historic, AMI has already made more noise
i'll the world than its guns, gallant as the defense
may have been. The news viii produce
AN extraordinary impression at New York--it
will dsconcert stock obbers aud derange the
most ingenius speculations But, considerable
as may be its results in amy part of the Union, l
venture to say that now here will the shock
such painful commissions i'll the Cabinet of
Washington where there appeared to exist the
most perfect conviction that the rlan for the re
lief of Sumter could not fail TO be successful.
either through the force OF the expedition Prov
upd for that object, through the unwilling
of the leaders Charleston TO fire the first shot.
! and to compel the surrender of the place by
tual hostilities The confidence of Mr.. Seward
in the strength of the name and OF the resources
! OF the United States Federal Government must
| have received a rude blow but his conf tencts
by no means of weakly constitution, and 1t
will be long ere he bring hims If to think
that all his prophcsles must be given up, one at
ter another. before the lnex"r'be logic OF facts,
with which his vaticinatlons have been IN - IRE
pressibe conflict" 1t seems t" me that MIR. Sew
ard has along undervaued the spirit and resolu-
! ton5 of the Southern Slave States, or that he
has disguised fom Others the sense he entertalns
of their extent and vigor.
! The days assigned for the life of the secession
have been numbered over and over again, aud
secession has not yielded up the ghost. The
! . bravalo' of the South has been sustained by
! deeds which render retreat from its advanced
position impossible Mr. Seward will probably
! find himself hard pushed to maintain his views
in the Cabinet in the face of recent events, Inch
will no doubt, be used with effect and skill by
! Mr. Chase, who is understood to be i'll favor OF
letting the South 90 it lists without any more
trouble, convinced as he Is that 1t is an element
of weakness in the body polite, while lie would
! be prepared to treat as treason any attempts III
! the remaining States of the Union to act on The
/ doctrine of secession. But the Union party must
| now prevail As yet do not know whether the
views | expressed relative to the destination OF
! the greater part Of the troops and stores sent
| from the North were correct, for 1t cannot be
| learned here how many ships were oft Sumter
when it surrendered but Notwithstanding what
has occurred, | reiterae the assertion that the
Washington Cabinet always said, and say they
had no intention to provoke a conflict there, ana
that had the authorities at Charleston continued
their permission to the garrison to procure sup
plies in their markets. there would nave been no
immdeiate action their part to preclpltate the
fight, though they determined to hold 1t
and Fort pic1ens, well rs Iortugas and hey
West and to victual and strengthen the garrison
of the former as soon as they we're aole' faIe
| was against them. The decision and power OF
their opponents against them. But their
defence will be that they could not do anything
until they got troops and shi ps and munitions OF
war together, and that they did as much us they
could in month.
Sumter in fact was mouse in the jaws of a cat
and the moment an attempt was made to release
the prey by external influence, the Jaws were
i closed
will produce, believe, in spite of what see, =
very deep impression throughout all the States
and will tend to bring about immediate col
lsion between the high handed parties on botl
sides.
When Mr.. Lincoln came into office, it was dis
covered that promise had been made by the
outgoing members of the preceding Government
to surrender the Southern forts. That promls
was ignored by the incoming Ministry. The
Southern Commissioners insisted on it that, apar
from the compact of Mr.. Buchanan's Cabinet,
pledge had been given to the South that no at
tempt " ould be made to reinforce the forts with
out notice to the Government at Montgomery
and so far as be ascertained, the authorities
at Washington did cause to lJe conveyed to the
Southern Confederation the expression of the
intention to victual Sumter; but whether they dt
90 in respect to their pledge, if it existed or II
consequence of the decision at Charleston t.
prevent the issusng of further supplies to The
garrison, is uncertain. The withdrawal of per
mission to market was all but act of war, Ii
the United States Government would act on the
hypothesis that the Southern Confederation was
an Independent power, it would surely have con
sdered the proceeding d prelude to immediate
hostility.
But the course thus adopted arose out of th'
preparations made by the United States Govern
ment in fitting out expeditions, the object o
which was.scarcely dubious. The Commission
ers of the Southern States at Washington, neve
acknowledged at last met with decisive rebuff
Just as Virginia saw her representatives from th'
. Convention on their way 10 ask Mr.. Lincoln t.
explain his intentions. The Commissioners wer
given to understand that their presence was use
less, and that the forts would be reinforced an'
on the intelligence thus furnished to the Govern
ment at Montgomery it was resolved to act b.
summoning Maj Anderson to surrender betor
suceor could arrive, and in the event of retusa
by compelling him to yield in the sight OF th
would-be relieving squadron.