Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-01-09
D1sARM1NG THE LOYAL STATES.

UlSARM1NG THE LOYAL STATES.
The events of the past few weeks are impress
sing the people of the North with the convic.
| tion that our i'm beetle President is permitting
his Secretary of War to disarm the loya States
in order that they may be able to make no eff
| fectual resistance to the consummation of the
schemes for the erection Of Southern Slave
holding CoDfederacy. This conviction resolv.
co itself into practical form at Pittsburgh.
when 1T became known that the Secretary OF
War had ordered the commanding officer OF
| the Allegheny Arsenal TO send 7S heavy guns
to Galveston Harbor, and 46 more to Ship Is
land, near Balize, the people of Pittsburgh in
| stInctively suspected treason, and resolved
that they should not be removed till the Ad-
mlnistration, by strengthening Fort Moultrie,
mad given an earnest of honest Intentions.
That they were justified in their suspicious,
the course of the Administration, which scorns
to conceal, but rather parades its sympathy
with the Secessionists, gives ample proof. But
We are prepared to demonstrate that what the
people only suspect is an established fact.
BY reference to the report OF the Chief En-
gineer of the United States Army in Vol. II
of the Presidents Message and Documents,
1S59-6O, ssShip Island, coast of Mississippi
page 651 and "Fortiications for the defense
of the entrance of Galveston Harbor and Bay,
Texas" page 653, it will be seen that work on
the foundation of the fort at Ship Island had
Just commenced, and at Galveston Harbor moth
ing at all had been done. This was a year ago,
and these documents afford the latest publish
ed data on the subject. No matter how rap
idly the work at Ship island may have been
prosecuted since that date, by the officer in
charge, it is not possible that much more can
have been done, up to the present time, than
lay the foundation. And from the way in
which the work in the Engineer Department
is conducted in ordinary times of peace, two
at least, and more probably four years must
q hpfnr fba RI ,.,,n he o1xy{ - l,,r
single gun put in position, or before suitable
shelter will have been provided for any mate-
rial of war whatever. As for Galveston, or
any work or works in that vicinity, if year
ago work was only ssabout to be commenced,'
knowing the locality, and the difficulties to be
overcome, we venture to say that with ordina-
ry progress the work would not he ready for a
single gun In live years; and, judging from
this report, we may assume that the sand has
barely been removed for the foundation. All
the other works on the Gulf have their arma-
ments, except FortLivingston lin Barataria Bay,
which is not finished nor ready for its armament.
1t is stated by the United States authorities
at Pittsburg that carriages for these guns are
being made at Watervliet in the State of New
York. This is not true. No carriages of that
description are now being made at that arse
nal, nor have any orders been issued to the
commanding officer there to issue carriages of
that sort from those in store. 1t is evident,
therefore, that the reported destiaaton of the
guns at Pittsburgh is Only blind-the real
object being to place them within easy reach
of the Secessionists. For some time, the great
lamentation at the South has been at the lack
OF heavy artillery. This movement on the part
OF Secretary Floyd was to supply that want,
and 100 carriages. probably for these guns,
have been ordered of house in New York
city, by Southern State authorities, with di-
rections to ship them this week. If the Pitts
ShOuId n
that the order for the carriages will be counter
manded, as the guns cannot be manufactured
at the South. Taking these facts in connec-
tion with the recent heavy shipments of mus
kets fIom Watervlet, Allegheny, ard Spring
field to the Cotton States while the great State
of N ork, for 25 years past, has not been a
bic to obtain her quota OF arms from theGener-
al Government, we cannot come to any other |
conclusion than that the War Department, with |
the knowledge and connivance of the Presi- |
dent, is deliberately playing into the hands of
those at the South who are now either in open |
rebellion against the Government, or ostenta-
tiously plotting its immediate overthrow.
1t is high time that the country was arous- |
ed to a thorough understanding of the position |
of our rulers at W ashiBgton. During the past |
year 2OO,OOO muskets have been taken from |
The Springfield Armory alone by the Secreta-
ry of War. and distributed throughout the |
South, not 10 mention the drain from other
points. Although the u >. Arsenal at Charles |
ton, with "a, 900 stand of arms, has been near
ly two months in possession of the Secession
ists ,cttin the past Ten days 5000 more muskets
hare been sent there from Watervliet TO the trail
tors in armed rebellion against the Govern
ment. Like quantities have been sent within
the same period to Alabama and Georgia. And /
so we find under the management of Mr.Floyd,
a steady drain OF arms and material of war
constantly going on fiom the North to the
South for the use of the proposed Southern
If this material was needed for
legitimate purposes, there is no earthly reason
for the transfer, we are in a state of pro-
found peace with other nations; and the send
ing of stores to forts in the condition of those
at Galveston Harbor and Ship Island is alto
ge. her contrary to the custom of the War De-
partment. The truth is, that without the aid
and comfort which, in pursuance of their trail
lorous schemes, the Administration have Civ
en- to the Revolutionists, the country would
never have been brought to the brink of civil
York Tribune.
HARD TIMES IN THE SoUTH.-All the news
from the South proves conclusively that the
Southern people are beginning to feel the fol-
y of the Secessionists at their own homes.
While attacking the Northern people, they
ind themselves, in many sections, without