New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

.rha War of 1856 between the Uniteu oH''cs
aud l;reot Britain" an anonymous pamphle' P""
1shed hy Robert Clarke X Co, CINCINNATI uolunk'
IN n class of literature TO which inc s"cooSs :" "'
Rattle of Dorking" u few years ago gave oo"N,'''
ahIe nopulartv II Is distinguished however li''n
.s. 81 ,bsso imaginary histories by the evident
sarnestncss which inspires It, The author oe"',o'
that we are absurdly destitute ut any military u0
fence and that our financial and cohnet0'"' ~,
TENS expose us to irghtiul disasters III caSo u
foroicn war: and he undertakes to arouse bis co"n
trvmen by pointing out what would happen u
couspiracies Of Feuian aritators and the cf''u'"'
oo,,,n,icitv ot American demagoeucs should Involve
ne IN hostilities with Great Britain. In th'S '"i
ful narrative n feet of English steel a'l""''"
frirates adapted to the capacity Of INC 9"'" -
Canadian canals, suddenly appear vi ~ 49,.
and lay Buffalo Cleveland lo'co'' ~
Chicago etc. under contribution C"'iH INK y"
the shining TO the Canadian sloe' so'"ins " Wv
coal DESTROYING the railroads ana cAd0''"s '
mons money indemnites under threat OF oeSVoS'.S
49, ot,,a- SIMILAR operations take place on the
.e.coasts and New-YOrk besides being assessor
Cor n contribution of $l0O,00O000, Is occupied ny
Tho onenv until the close OF the war 1t IS Wholly
onaxal var aud we have no means OF meeting inc
attack, Our harbor forts are incomplete ana ui'-
armed Our ordnance Officers have hoV uouo Wv
batting the best form of gun Oar t"rpeuo SCI 10
is good so far il goes, but Ii covers Only SINAI,
mart o: the exposed coasts. Volunteers are lo'"u
In abundance. hut they are unorganlzeu t"eIe ',.'
no arms for them. and they cannot hgh' SHIPS. l"
n short time the country is Prostrate" ana o"Ss
,,soce bv having n thousand millions III money ana
bonds. surrenderng Jumbo, ceding san Juan
Island giving the freedom of our coast. river ana
1l,o tr,do 10 British vessels, and agreeing TO lay
M HIGHER duty than 10 per cont upon BRUSH
,oods The military disasters are attended by a
complete collapse of credt. Dissemination oil the
currency, suspension OF trade ami coihtunlsVic
outbreaks: and in the concluding chapter showing
what followed after the war. the author outlines Il
,,rettv comprehensive scheme of reform. lie womb
not ONLY teach us to protect our coasts put he
would have us substitute an elective mhu"
system for the regular army and establish reVe
nue. currency and tariff which wo1ild not 10 o'ei'
thrown Inv tbe chances of wal. The questions IN
political economy raised by TINS chapter are "o' "
he disposed of ofi-hand by such imaginative
essays but the picture of the exposed condition OF
orr coasts is faithfully drawn and it will convey
valuable lesson if it only teaches our political
blathcrskites that we cannot make war nj our
Measure and cannot always safely threaten 1t. AS
n plea. apparently from the West for sea-coaSt
0efences 1t will perhaps arouse Congress TO duty
which has long been shametully neglected.
Lieutenant IOlOntI iliOtidS W. NHN'S'''' " 49,
9th Infantry. is the author of All interesting mono
uraph ON "The Political Conspracies preceding the
Rebellion and the True Story of Sumter ana
& pickensr g. r. Putnams Sons. which, although
e. do.s not embrace 50 much the title IN ght lead
oue to EXPECT has its value as contribution to
the history OF a strange and dark peri"i u sets
forth the conspraces of the secessonstS before the
VIII to get possession of the deiences OF Charleston
Harbor: it exhibits the fidelity and prudence OF
Major Anderson in IA most attractive hGht; ana
finally il treats of the attempts to Ielleve sumter
and the reasons why those attempts tailed. II Is
in this part of his little book that LieutenantEol
ouel Anderson clashes with some other historians
and offers matter for debate He repeats the
accusation male by more than one authority That
Secretary seward deliberately defeated the second
ATTEMPT to reinforce Anderson because he had prom
ised the rebel commissioners that the fort should
he surrendered and that he executed his purpose
Inv secretly causing the Powhstan. with all the
troops and the barges fer landing, TO be detached
from the expedition after it had sailed and sent TO
Fort Pickens. But the present publication oiels
no new evidence in support of this charge on the
contrary the long and very interesting letter from
Ouartermaster- General Meigs TO the author giving
the details OF tie Powhatan affair Is dead against
il. General then Captain, Meigs, was one OF the
officers who planned end fitted out the PicIens ex-
nedition: il wa, he who suggested the employment
NJ the Powhatan, which had just arrived IN New
Yorl from foreign cruise and was supposed TO he
ready for sea he knew nothing of any attempt to
relieve Sumier. does he believe, indeed that
the Powhatan. properly speaking, over was =" de-
tacbed" The Pickens expedition was prepared
with great secrecy. and the order to Lieutenant.
now Admiral Porter. 10 take the Pcwhntan. WAS
given b, Mr. Lincoln personally, without the
/ ,,vIedce even of Secretary Wellcs Aftcrward
Nov of
. oraer. assigned the Powhatan to the Sumter expe-
d,tion and when the second order reached The
Rrooklvn Navy Yard Porter was .straning every
nerve TO get the ship ready under his secret insrnc
tious from the President. He called me to
Br,oklyn finding the case blocked says General
Meigs sand | showed Captains Mercer and FOote
the sign manual OF the Presidents told them that
the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary OF War
knew nothing If this, and asked which they would
obey. the President or his Secretary. They con-
cluded 10 obey the Presidents order exhibited to
them" All this is inconsistent with the theory OF
Mr. Stewards conspiracy" The character OF
Major Anderson Is thus forcbly described: a
more hottest honorable and chivalrous man never
lived lie was "A Southcrner, and III proper sense
wasa southern sympathizer. He loved his State,
and he loved his friends and from accidental aSsO-
Citations most of his friends were Sodtherneis.
Bnt few men ever lived who came so near having
no political opinions and sympathies whatever.
He probably never voted in his life. He used To
say that his fathers religion aud General Washing
toms politics were good enough for him. The Ten
Commandments the Constitution of the United
States and the Army Regulations were his guides
in life For the subject Of this essay, for the
political problem which his conduct subsequently
brought to the test of practical solution cared
as little as any man Of his day. lie was sincerely
religious and soldier of antique character and
courage Above all, he follower of his flag.
To him it was like a sacrament. an outward sign