More Armaments and Reinforcements for Forts in North Carolina and Virginia !--Norfolk Determined upon as a Bass for Northern Movements Against the South !-- Washington and St. Louis Base for Land Operations.
On the 15th inst., in the midst of the general jubilation over a boldly asserted statement that President Lincoln had ordered the surrender of Fort Sumter, and would probably determine upon the evacuation of Fort Pickens, and other Southern forts, we published a letter from authority, than which there is none more reliable in the city of New York, that a fleet of five armed vessels, loaded with men, provisions and munitions of war, was under orders to sail that night for the South, said to be for Fort Sumter, but certainly for some point on the Southern coast.--We were requested to communicate the fact by telegraph to the various Southern points which we thought to be menaced. Of course this intelligence was treated by those who believe in Abraham Lincoln, as unfounded and improbable. Every word of it, however, was afterwards confirmed by the public journals of New York, whilst, on the other hand, to this hour, their own story that Lincoln has ordered the surrender of Fort Sumter, so far from being confirmed, is now universally contradicted. Such an order would, in any event, be only what the Republicans have themselves styled it, a "military necessity," for, if not surrendered, Sumter will be starved out; but no such order has, up to this date, (Wednesday morning,) been given. On the contrary, the New York Times, Black Republican organ, of March 18th, speaks as follows:
‘ "There is probably not a particle of truth in the report, so widely circulated, that orders have been issued to Major Anderson to surrender Fort Sumter. Indeed, we have good reason, if not authority, for saying that, in spite of all that has been said on the subject, the proposition to surrender that fort has not been considered, nor even made in the councils of the President at Washington.
"In the Inaugural, Mr. Lincoln proclaimed his purpose to use the force at his command to hold, occupy and possess the forts and other property belonging to the United States. The only question which has been discussed in the Cabinet, so far as Fort Sumter is concerned, is how this pledge can be fulfilled. Instead of proposing its surrender, the President has called upon the proper Departments for information as to the means of reinforcing it. He desires and intends to retain it, and will use all the means at his command, and resort to every measure which the law and the public good will sustain him in employing, for the accomplishment of that end. He desires to reinforce Fort Sumter with both men and provisions, and has taken the first step towards executing that design, by calling upon the proper military authorities for information as to the force required for that purpose."
’ Having premised thus much, we now give the following important information from the same source to which we were indebted for our former intelligence. It appals us to think that such warnings as these may fall upon dead and incredulous ears:
‘ "New York, March 18.
"I learn from a reliable source that a vessel is now loading big guns and ammunition for Forts Caswell and Johnson, in North Carolina, and that within one week a strong force of regular troops will be sent to these points, to prevent their seizure by State authorities. It is further designed by the Government, acting under the advice of General Scott and General Totten, to garrison, arm, and provision the forts in Virginia and North Carolina for one year's siege. Norfolk has been determined upon as the Northern 'point d'appui,' or seaboard base for further movements against the Confederated States. Key West will be the rendezvous, from which the naval forces will menace the Gulf coast. The basis for the land operations have not yet been determined upon; but it is confidently supposed that Washington will be the Northern point and St. Louis the Southwestern. Fort Pickens attracts the present attention of the Cabinet and General Scott, and a strong reinforcement will be sent there forthwith."
’ Are the border States to be used as levers to coerce the Confederated States? Are they willing to submit their own necks to the impending yoke? Most earnestly we invoke the advocates of Delay not to disregard these solemn signs of the times. In this matter we know no party; we have no interests but those which are common with our fellow-citizens of the South; no desire for anything but their welfare and safety. But, when it comes to this, that we may not receive from New York even a warning of danger by telegraph, but it must be sent by letter, because the wires are under military surveillance, and when there is thus disclosed to us the most deliberate preparation to coerce and subjugate the whole South, manning and provisioning forts in our own borders for a year's siege, and making our principal seaboard towns the base of operations against the Southern Confederacy, is it not time for the press to cry aloud, and for the people, if none else will defend them, to take their salvation into their own hands?
