, 1862-05-17

to be about twenty thousand strong, Twelve
thousand foreign derszenB in New Orleans
had organized to fight in dcIeusc Of New Or
leans, but declined going out to fight In the
Confederate cause.
CowARD1cE CHARGED ON TIE REBEL MILITARY
LEADERS At NEW ORLEANS.
From the Mobile Evening News, April 3o1
Among the several prominent acts Of folly,
1ne11ciency and mismanagement which have
at different times and places dfgraced the con-
duct OF this war, the destruction Of the Con
tederlte fleet Of gunhoats in Lake Pontchar-
train stands stupendously Pre- e-eminent-unap-
preached and unapproaclable by whatever has
been done. or whatever may or can be done.
PreferriDg for the present to charge this act to
the account of folly and panic, rather than Of
tTeachcry-snd at present popular charge to
be left to the proper tribunal to investigate
We account it the most mortftying, intensely
humlllating and lancntable occurrence in cou-
nection With the loss Of New Orleans. We're
treason palpah1y in the case, it would only ax-
cite hot and inspfEatiDg indignation, and we
trust that 1t may be proved that our cause has
been so stabbed by a knaye or knayes rather
tlan BY fool or fools. TIE verdict ofa drum-
head court martial should award the rome to
the former or the bullet to the latter. Folly
may be mans misfortune, but it should not
be allowed to be his country's misfortune.
The laws do not recognize folly and stupidity
as legal exemptions from responsibility for Of
that folly as well as rascs1ity should be respon-
6lhle for their consequences. So it is Necessary
that for the good OF OUT country the 1nakife;-
tauons If folly should be accounted high mil
ltary crimes.
Fools hare oft pulled down empires that
Solors and Caesars have relred; wisdom caa
do great things, YET fooli6tncss can undo them
more rapidly. Bnt fools, and especially CON-
ard fools, can be controlled, and through bat
one a5ency-that Of fear Let the summary
punishment Of the guilty in this case be al
acute warning to other fools aud towards who
may be in the military employ Of the Confed-
eFacy-
In Lake Pontchartrafn there WAS . feet Of
NJ NJ cozen, more or less, effective g1n5oats,
and not IN cneu,y's vessel on that inland sea
Its entrances we're guarded by strong forttf-
cations, and On its waters Hoated vast value
OF shipping. Across the lake the city Of New
Orleans can Low be app cached By the enemy:s
transport 11cet, and aa army can be landed at
the city, OF abuve the city at Pass a1anchac,
il tie vicinity where the fugacious Lowell has
"n.sdc 4 stand" OF what avail is it that tile
hravt Duncan ard his heroic command held
the thattert forts On the Mississippi, and died
amid the 1uins to Keep Lincola's Expedition
aty land forces at bay Fort Pike and the
batteries which guard the entrances and the
gunboats are suddenly destroyed. and mcr-
chant vessels can sail into the lake up to the
city freiEhted with tens Of thousands Of in
yaders. We presume that this is already being
,
the last falnt hopes that have been suggested
On the basis Of the continued defence Of the
Mississippi forts keeping the troop transports
at bay until some effort could be made to
regain New Orleans.
We question very much if. after their ey-
hausting struggle with the Mississippi forts,
which SO much reduced their munitions, and
IN which they Suffered SO much loss, and with
SO much still to do in that river, the naval for
ces OF the enemy could have sent 4 competent
&irff f1En - lx,1n D.
fleet for weeks. Meantime something might
have been done to spIuck the flower safely
out Of this ncttle dangcr,n could the MissiS-
sippi forts have held ont.
And the matter may be viewed in another
and quite az disgTaceful aspect. That gun
boat feet might have been saved aud made
available elsewhere. There was !, route to
Mssile, and with it inyitingIy opened the YES
sells uMe burned. Merchant vessels and
stcan11s showed the way and came through
safely; why did not these war vessels of tic
Contedcracy also come? Bah tue thing is
brought up after it is necessarily so in order
10 the execution Of him or those responsible
for it. With that feet added to our light
draft squadron in Mobile Bay, We could make
effective defence against the best efforts of
the enemy. But, well-c'es Jam satis
WIT TIE MISSISSIPPI FAD TO BE SUNK.
From the Savannah Republican, April 2e1
:, As the Federals approached New Orleans
the ram Mississippi, the telegraph informs us,
was unfinished and had to be burned in order
to save it from the hands of the enemy. Had
she been complete no Federal vessel could
have approached the city. It is understood
that the delay Of the work WAS occasioned By
The fall lure OF the Etowah Iron Works, in this
State, to complete its contract for iron bolts
in due season. Whose fault was this? It is q
grave question, and we will let Mark a.
Cooper, one Of the proprietors OF the Iron
Works, answer it for himself In 4 recent let
ter on the subject to the Atlanta Intel2igcucer
he says:
The order for this iron for the New Orleans cuu-
boat was received on the 18th March last, aud is
amtng the last orders we have received. We have
shipped promptly to thu, order all The iron We lad
on hhnds or could make to the exclusion Of any
body's order. We have not made it. First, BE-
cause the transportation Of the coal at Chattanao
r. was neglected. Second, because within the
last two weeks sf7ty or seventy Of our men vonn-
ieeEed and Joined the army. Consequently We
hare been and are now standing still. for lsck Of
men, When the government officers shall tind out
that iron ca1srot Be- made without men. and " II
detail the men we need to work here we HWY SUP
@ p!y shelr wants. There men hare been reared up,
taoEAt and trained at this establishment, and We
| prefer them and know not where to get others
VIC nave multiplicity Of heayy orders for rail-
roads and the government several months prio7 to
TIC tue 2, ons IN question Tnese a!so are suspended
Tor the tame cause. We have likewise mauy indf-
yldral oidefs Of Two or three months standing
Which were paving veil to iii the oEders fr rna
bt'ats and Gun.carrascs. We have repeatedly
made re9uisiton on the War Department: for oar
| adxitirg Them Of The condition Of Affairs.
acn VII sec, therefore. that the responsibility
,R The Sa$e n2s
respond tothc wants Of the Government for any-
th1nf. IN our power to furnish. In this VIC have
rendered ourselves and all We have, il apy and ey
patton q sustained Sssd @ ans9s me9s
1!1bg repulees Whcn the acceptance Of our offers
| Ton1d have eaved the country millions Of money
ard thoueands of lives @~0'
The Etowah Hs district With rolling population
| dIed and thirty volunteers for the war, and our
| works are stopped Oh that account.
Very respectfully, MARX A. CoorEn.
| HARD HIT TO THE REBEL ADMINISTRATION.
/ [From the Norfolk Day Book, May71
! We undoubtedly expected from the Queen
! clty OF the South some greater display Of re-
| donment and surrender of the most approved
fornaulas Of military science, but the people Of
| the eon1h would have preferred seeing some
more rcsolnte demonstrations.
In the mi autiue, however, as it may have
! been an Inevitable event, we defer any st,lc-
tr.cs until there shall hsve been some estab-
! ilshed charges Of coHardice OF treachery on
fhc part Of those to whom the defense WAS
| committed.
That the Navy Department did not know
OUT ler!s were untenaole, and that it compile
ted tho great gunboats exactly in time to be
destroyed BY the enemy, raises presumption
Of gross ineompctency on the part Of the See
Iefary, and those to whom the, subjects had
been committed.
The pride :of office and the arrogance of
professional knowledge must have received
! many humiliat1Dg lessons lately, aud we hope
!. Those who have been thus deceived, and I'VE
90 greatly deceived others by asserting New
Orleans to be imprcgnable, will acknowledge
their fallab'i'y, and listen With respect in fu-
lure to suggestions of others.
T0-HHrfnrr4t,in4