Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-12-21


particulars concerning the burning OF
Charleston II is much more serious than
the telegraph reported it. Charleston has
had blow which it rnnnot rec 'ver IN ma
ny years. We have our doubts whether it
viii ever recover. Nearly six hundred
buildings in the business part Of the city
have been burned. The loss of property
IL estimated by the Charleston Courier at
from FIVE to seven millions of dollars. In
a time of OF binary propriety years would
be req Tired to make Charleston what it
was befur. the Gre. But SO long as the
war continues, little or nothing can he done
TO rebuild the place. While our biocka-
dug squadron seals the port, commerce,
viii, hrrerIrd the warehouses now destroy
lis powerl-ss at Charleston. No cotton,
no rice gees out of the h"rhor, no
money comes in. The whdrves are
deserted, the factors are idle, and war
alone furnishes occupation for the citizens.
Sad enough was the aspect of the city be-
fure this terrible scourge visited the place
But of all the forl"rn spots in the be-
leAgurrrd South. ii must he the most for
lorn to-day. Singular, indeed, it is thai
SO soon after the fierce thrc.ts of the cIti-
zens to make tia M"sc"w reached US, they
were forced, against their will, to see the
finest portion of ii reduced to ashes
Standing over the smuu!d"ring ruins, lis
teuiug to the cries IF the helpless and home
less multitude. they can reflect upon the
folly of their threats They can UNDER
stand huw much easter and more comfurt-
able it is to talk OF IA burnt Moscow than it
is to live in one. Before tue FIRE, the Ner-
curv had said that the authorities could
not expect all of the inhabitants to
consent voluntarily to the destruction of
their properly, and that military officers
must be entrusted with the work of firing
the houses i'll case the Hessi"ns should APP
proarh too near. We imagine that the re-
luctance OF the Inhabitants will now be
greater than ever.
One cannot help smiling ut seeing the
expression Of sympathy which the Confed-
ernte Congress has made. Those who read
Gov. Pivkens Message will remember that,
according TO his representation, the Con-
ftdernte government was largely indebted
to South Carolina Now When aid is asked
of the Congress 1T Richmond for the
Chnrle>ton sufferers, how does that body
EXHIBIT its compassiou2 Why, by magnnn-
imously voting TO pay to South Carolina
portion of the sum due her. Is not that
Of ~ nnI,1n
and principles which the seces-ionistS have
shown from the beginning of their troubles.
They are almost AS mean in their treat
ment of each other as they are in their
CONDUCT toward us. Of course, the sum
appropriated by tue Congress will be paid,
if at all, in Confederate bonds or notes.
Toe appropriation is about one-sixth
of the sum due the State. At that rate
about all the towns in South Carolina
must be burned before the deb: can be
collected.
1t will be by no means strange if Port
Royal should become the chief seaport of
South Carolina. This FIRE n,my aid in pro-
duciuH that result. 1t is we'll known that
Port Royal harbor is incomparablv supe-
rior 10 Charleston and Savannah. The
distractions which our Government is to
place 10 the channels leading to these two
cities will of course greatly damage, if not
utterly ruin, their commercial prospects,.
But Port Royal, occupied by US as a MILL
tsry and naval rendezvous, is daily be-
coming of more and more importance, aud
may ye, sac Upon It's bay the comnhercs
VII OH has been divided between the two
cities OF Charlgstou and Savannah.
JOSEPH BRows, Governor of Georgia,
"a his .na.aape 30 The Lkri.Ininrr. saya,