"ETHAN SPIKE" writes, that Hornby has "se- | cies, and enter into treaty stipulations with them. ceded," and that he consequently resigns his seat in the Maine Legislature. The following resolutions were passed at a public meeting of the new "sovereignty": Resolved, That we are opposed to koertion, except when exercised by ourselves. Resolved, That the okepation of the Baldwin lightus, by a State keeper, is a irritatin' circumstance, an' onless he is withdrawn, aour army be instructed to take possession of the same in the name of the taoun. Resolved, That ef aour reasonable demands is not complied to, that we will take possession of, an' hold for aour own use, the State's prison, and the insane assylum. Resolved, That the haybius korpus act, taxes, an' the Main law be an' is suspended. Also an ordnance relating to weights and measures as used in the likker trade. Be it enacted, That henceforth and for ever, in this ere realm, every quart pot shall hold a gallon. Ordered that the foregoin' articles shall be the constitution of this suvrinty.-Portland Transcript. THERE is good reason to believe that Maj. Anderson has received a very considerable accession to the forces under his command. A correspondent states that he has reliable authority for asserting men have been introduced into the fort, within the last fortnight. They are supposed to have been taken down by the Brooklyn, and to have been landed at night in small boats with muffled oars. This, if true, will account for the reports which, from time to time, have emanated from Charleston, of small boats having been seen at night rowing in the neighborhood of the fort. We may mention, as corroborative of this report, the fact, that letters have been received in this city from a gentleman who left here four weeks since, and is now within Fort Sumter. They are very guarded in their language, as if the writer did not repose unbounded confidence in the inviolability of letters intrusted to the Charleston Post-office. But of the fact that he has recently obtained access to the fort, and is now serving there under Maj. Anderson, there is that ten or twelve officers and about three hundred no doubt whatever.-N. Y. Times, Feb. 4. Feb. 12.-The Charleston Courier observes that, "The seceding States have pursued a brave, direct, decided course. They regard the United States as a foreign power. They are prepared to maintain a separate and independent nationality. If they are let alone they will never give Mr. Lincoln any trouble, and if the spirit of fanaticism is layed, and the North returns to its senses, they will establish intercourse with the Southern confederacy, and a better feeling will prevail between the two sections than has existed during the long period of their forced Union. But the patriotic and short-sighted compromisers propose to remain where they are and fight." It continues: "The South might, after uniting, under a new confederacy, treat the disorganized and demoralized Northern States as insurgents, and deny them recognition. But if peaceful division ensues, the South, after taking the federal capital and archives, and being recognized by all foreign powers as the government de facto, can, if they see proper, recognize the Northern confederacy, or confedera Were this not done, it would be difficult for the Northern States to take a place among nations, and their flag would not be respected or recognized." The Spartans, as the fierce people of the State of Laconia were generally called from their capital city, were this proverbially hard and undaunted people, small in number, but each man a host. Their narrow territory was peopled by two classes proper-laborers and fighters. The laborers were slaves and the freemen fighters. The South could detach one-half its whole male population to wago war, with as much ease as the North could onefifth, and in case of need the proportionate array of fighters which we could marshal would astonish the world, and it would be still more astonished by the solvent prosperity of our condition when we came out of a contest requiring such effort. When they talk about coercing, conquering the South, let the valiant Northmen consider that every Southern State is several modern Laconias, and all the States a grand aggregate of Laconias, which we verily believe could defy the invading armies of the whole world.-Mobile Advertiser. in South Carolina to abolish the Fourth of July, Feb. 14.-Some time ago it was gravely proposed and to select some other day for the annual occasion of blowing off the surplus patriotism of the Palmettoes. In the course of the popular revolt several favorite national airs were pronounced against, struck from the music books, and replaced by sundry French revolutionary melodies, with variations to suit the peculiar phases of South Carolina Jacobinand the Savannah Republican, after commending ism. More temperate counsels prevailed in Georgia, the action of the Southern Confederacy in "reviving the government and constitution of the fathers," calls upon the Congress to re-erect "the stars and stripes" as their national flag, and resume upon the Southern lyre "those glorious old tunes, ‘Hail Columbia,' and 'The Star-spangled Banner.'" Yesterday this question came up in the Congress. Mr. Brooke, of Mississippi, protested that the "stars Mr. Miles of South Carolina, who has been drawing and stripes were the "idol of his heart," when his salary pretty regularly for several years from the federal government, said that he had always, emblem of tyranny and oppression." We sincerely even from the cradle, looked upon that flag as "the trust that these fugitive States, after having stolen mercial Advertiser, Feb. 14. our constitution, will not claim also our flag.-Com A NEW PHASE OF THE GEORGIA SEIZURES. ACCORDING to the Savannah Republican, Governor Brown of Georgia acted hastily in seizing the New York vessels. Governor Morgan did not refuse to accede to the demand for the surrender of the arms seized by the police of this city. On receiving the telegraphic message from Governor Brown he wrote to inquire as to its authenticity; "and (says the Republican) so far as appears, he gave no intimation of his intention to refuse the demand for the arms." The same paper adds this significant paragraph, from which it is to be inferred that Governor Brown hoped to accomplish a master-stroke by an act of devotion to the South," so as to strengthen his claims for a prominent place in the new Confederation: "Under these circumstances it were impossible | of the secession movement, such good news would to beat it out of the brains of some uncharitable not have been kept for private consumption merely. persons that our Governor, in his hasty proceedings, -New York Times. was quite as intent on bringing something from Montgomery as he was from New York. For ourselves, we pretend to no opinion on the subject."Evening Post, Feb. 15. A NEW SONG OF SIXPENCE, SING a song of Sumter, A Fort in Charleston bay; Eight-and-sixty brave men Watch there night and day. Those brave men to succor, James is in his Cabinet Pickens is in Charleston, Blustering of blows; Thank goodness March the Fourth is near, THE following is one of Mr. Lincoln's stories. These he tells often in private conversation, rarely in his speeches: "I once knew a good, sound churchman, whom we'll call Brown, who was on a committee to erect a bridge over a very dangerous and rapid river. Architect after architect failed, and at last Brown said he had a friend named Jones who had built several bridges and could build this. 'Let's have him in,' said the committee. In came Jones. Can you build this bridge, sir?' 'Yes,' replied Jones; I could build a bridge to the infernal regions, if necessary.' The sober committee were horrified; but when Jones retired, Brown thought it but fair to defend his friend. I know Jones so well,' said he, and he is so honest a man, and so good an architect, that, if he states soberly and positively that he can build a bridge to Hades-why, I believe it. But I have my doubts about the abutment on the infernal side.' 'So,' Lincoln added, when politicians said they could harmonize the Northern and Southern wings of the democracy, why, I believed them. But I had my doubts about the abutment on the Southern side.'”—Commercial Advertiser. Feb. 25.-It is said that Jefferson Davis is at Charleston. Shortly after his arrival it was quietly arranged for him to pay a visit to Fort Sumter, which was accomplished privately. The interview is represented to have been an earnest and prolonged one, but all not immediately in the secret were left wholly to conjecture as to what took place between him and Major Anderson. It has, however, been knowingly given out at Charleston that there will be no fight at Fort Sumter-great stress evidently being placed upon the fact that these two old acquaintances in the army cannot be brought into bloody conflict with each other. On the other hand, it is believed that if the alleged visit had elicited any particular comfort for the great leader A TRAVELLER passing through one of the counties of Tennessee, on horseback, stopped at a modest cottage on the roadside, and asked for shelter, as it was quite dark and raining. The "head of the family" came to the door, and accosted the trav eller with, "What do you want?" "I want to stay all night," was the reply. "What are yer?" This interrogatory was not fully understood by the traveller, and he asked an explanation, "I mean what's yer politics?" rejoined the former. yer fur this Union or agin it?" This was a poser, as the traveller was not certain whether the "man of the house" was a Union man or a secessionist, and he was anxious to "tie up " for the night; so he made up his mind and said, "My friend, I am for the Union." "Stranger, you kin kum in.”—N. Y. Herald. "Air "THE writer of an elaborate four-column article in the Charleston Mercury contends that the prohibition of the slave-trade by the provisional government at Montgomery is intolerable-that it must be rebelled against. He says that it sets a stain, a stigma, upon slavery itself, and is little if any better than abolition. The secession party has swallowed the apple of discord, and the seeds are vigorously sprouting in its stomach.” "Jeff. Davis, in his Montgomery speech, said: Fellow-citizens and brethren of the Confederate States of America-for now we are brethren not in name merely, but in fact-men of one flesh, one bone,' &c. The confederationists may be of one bone with their new President and Vice-President, but if they are of one flesh with them, they are the lankest nation of bipeds ever known to natural history." "Save the Union, and make kindling wood of all your partisan platforms." "The Nashville Union, having despaired of being able to sustain secession in Tennessee by any other means, has taken itself to prayer. Has it made a sufficient trial of cursing? "The Memphis Appeal says, that the four years of Mr. Lincoln's administration will be the reign of steel.' The four years of Mr. Buchanan's have been the reign of stealing." "We don't think that South Carolina has any warrant for her conduct, but she evidently has a good deal of war-rant." · "A new national flag proposed for the Southern Confederacy bears in its centre the figure of a Phoenix in the act of rising from a bed of flame and ashes, with the motto, We rise again.' The Phoenix and the flame is thought to be beautifully typical of the death of the old and the resurrection of the new Union. We don't like the Phoenix as well as the snake, for if you cut off the tail of the latter it will wriggle a little after the separation, while the proposed bird of fable lives alone without a mate, and goes out like a pipe in its own ashes. But the confederated South should remember the history of another Phoenix, son to a king of Argos, who ingratiated himself into the favors of his father's mistress, and was deprived of his eyesight by divine vengeance."-Louisville Journal. JEFFERSON DAVIS is a prim, smooth-looking man, | But, in the mean time, the prospect of having Sumwith a precise manner, a stiff, soldierly carriage, ter is very pleasant." and an austerity that is at first forbidding. He has naturally, however, a genial temper, companionable qualities, and a disposition that endears him to all by whom he may be surrounded. As a speaker he is clear, forcible and argumentative; his voice is clear and firm, without tremor. THE editor of the Norwich (Ct.) Bulletin, sent Jefferson Davis, the President of the "Six Nations," a pen-holder made from a rafter of the house in which Benedict Arnold was born. In closing his letter of presentation the editor says: "I have taken occasion to present you this pen-holder, as a relic whose associations are linked most closely to the movement of which you are the head. Let it lie upon your desk for use in your official duties. In the eternal fitness of things,' let that be its appropriate place. It links 1780 with 1861. Through it, West Point speaks to Montgomery. And if we may believe that spirits do ever return and haunt this mundane sphere, we may reckon with what delight Benedict Arnold's immortal part will follow this fragment of his paternal roof-tree to the hands in which is being consummated the work which he began." ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS from childhood has been afflicted with four abscesses and a continued derangement of the liver, which gives him a consumptive appearance though his lungs are sound. He has never weighed over ninety-six pounds, and to see his attenuated figure bent over his desk, the shoulders contracted, and the shape of his slender limbs visible through his garments, a stranger would ever select him as the "John Randolph" of our time, more dreaded as an adversary and more prized as an ally in a debate than any other member of the House of Representatives. He is a careful student, but so very careful that no trace of study is perceptible as he dashes along in a flow of facts, arguments and language that to common minds is almost NEARLY all the favorites of Mr. Buchanan are enbewildering. He has the appearance of having un-gaged in the secession conspiracy. The monstrous dergone great bodily anguish, and his advanced transaction of Twiggs, in Texas, which bears the age and gray hairs contribute to give to his eye a double character of unmitigated treason and indirestless nervous movement. His size is medium, vidual dishonesty, has been long in process, and the and figure remarkably slim. His forehead is much celebrated Ben McCullough, one of Mr. Buchanan's wrinkled, and his locks flow over the shoulders, most intimate friends, has been engaged in it. His which stoop very much. A habit of wearing the household editor, William M. Browne, is at Monthat advanced to the left gives to his whole contour gomery, assisting disunion with all his ability, while an appearance at once remarkable and prepossess his late Secretary of the Treasury, his late Secreing.-Herald, March 4. tary of War, his late Secretary of the Interior, and most of those who advocated his policy in Congress, either hold position under the Southern Confederacy, or occupy prominent places in the organization which sustains it."-Phila. Press. "SUMTER is to be ours without a fight," says the Charleston Mercury. "All will be rejoiced that the blood of our people is not to be shed in our harbor, in either small or great degree. To those who have troubled themselves with vague fears of war on a large scale, and the horrors of war extensively, the relief will be as great as the apprehension has been grievous. For ourselves, notwithstanding all the Northern thunder, we have never been able to bring ourselves seriously to believe in the probability of any more than a few collisions, sufficient to show that we are in earnest, and competent to make good our position of independence against our would-be masters. These gentry 'hold our valor light,' as also the honesty of the determination of the Southern peoples to be quit of them and their impertinent and detrimental interference through a government in common. It may, perhaps, yet be necessary to instruct them a little in these particulars. But it appears that for the present, under the circumstances in this case, they are inclined sensibly to dispense with experiment and its teachings. How far this discretion will revivify the hopes and stimulate the efforts of Reconstructionists throughout the South, is a matter to be discovered by observation. The temper and intention of the Northern people has now been so thoroughly developed and exposed to the eyes of all those at the South who will see, that we trust Union-menders are too late in their attempts upon the virtue and integrity of our people. Crushed eggshells and friendship abused can never be mended. We have no doubt, however, that herculean efforts will be made in that direction, and must only take good care of these weaker brethren at the South, whose sentiments are stronger than their reason, or who live in the past rather than the future. The strait-jacket was a valuable invention. CONFEDERATES AND UNITED STATESMEN.-The southern secessionists must be admitted to be blest with at least the philosophical virtue of self-knowledge. They term their new league the "Confederate States of America." Thus they call themselves by what they doubtless feel to be their right name. They are confederates in the crime of upholding slavery. A correct estimate of their moral position is manifest in that distinctive denomination of theirs-"Confederate States." This title is a beautiful antithesis to that of the United States of America. The more doggedly confederate slavemongers combine, the more firmly good republicans should unite.-London Punch. LETTER FROM UNITED STATES SENATOR LANE.— We have great pleasure in publishing the following letter from that brilliant statesman, the Hon. Joseph Lane, of Oregon. It may seem somewhat paradoxical that a Pacific statesman should be ferociously warlike, but that is evidently none of our business. We cannot comply with Mr. Lane's request in regard to hoisting the Palmetto flag, but we will say that we admire his (we allude to Mr. Lane, and not the flag, of course) boldness, candor, and eloquence: SENIT CHAMBIR, Washington, March the thurd, 18 & 60 onct. Eds. Vannurty Faire-if god spairs my live I shall seeseed with in 20 dase. jonson of tennysea is fernenst me, but he haint got no intellect into him. Sivil war is sertin & I wants to here the Kannin Rore. Hist the Palmettoe banner from on top your offiis & let it waive to the Brees. Don't mucillate this mannerscript and be particular not to maike no Misstaiks in the spellin and punktooate it proper, amerykan Staitsmen suffers from scrofulus papers which tries to bring them into ridicool by mucillatin there mannerscripts. On to the frey! the god of Bottles smiles upon the palmettoe flag. yours respectably, GOSEF LANE. -Vanity Fair. AN INCIDENT AT THE FORTS.-At an early hour yesterday morning, while the gunners were firing blank cartridges from the guns of the Iron Battery at Cumming's Point, one of the guns, loaded with ball, the men not being aware of the fact, was discharged. The ball struck the wharf of Fort Sumter, close to the gate. This, it appears, caused some excitement in the garrison of Sumter, for three or four of the ports fronting Cumming's Point were soon after thrown open. No warlike reply to the unintentional shot was given, however; and about two hours afterwards a boat was sent over to explain the occurrence to Major Anderson. The Major received the messenger in good part, and thus the matter ended, after having caused no little talk at the harbor forts and in the city.--Charleston Mercury, 19th March. WASHINGTON, March 10.—The question of reinforcing Fort Sumter has been under consideration in the Cabinet, and it is understood that the question whether or no it is not desirable to withdraw all the troops, except two or three men, rather than incur the bloodshed which will probably occur before troops and supplies are put into it, is now to be decided. The immediate necessity of settling this question, grows out of the fact, that there is only a limited supply of bread at Fort Sumter, but plenty of salt meat, and that it must either be re-supplied or abandoned very soon. The question has been under discussion in high military circles for several days. Gen. Scott advises that reinforcements cannot now be put in, without an enormous sacrifice of life. Of course his views on the subject, cannot be known officially to the public; but he is understood to say that we have neither military nor naval force at hand, sufficient to supply the fort against the threatened opposition, which it would require twenty thousand men to overcome. Besides, if it should initiate civil war, in addition to uniting the South and overwhelming the Union sentiment there in the waves of passion, it would require two hundred and fifty thousand Government soldiers to carry on the struggle, and a hundred millions of money to begin with. In such an event, twenty thousand men would be needed to preserve Washington and the Government archives. The general impression here on the streets is that the Administration has determined on withdrawing the troops from Fort Sumter, leaving only one Corporal, two men, and the Stars and Stripes, compell ing the chivalry to capture the fort after all. They have been threatening to do it for three months, and failed when there were only about seventy men in it. They may have an opportunity to accomplish it against only three.-Times, March 11. IN New York city a bill was found posted on the sheriff's bulletin, this morning, for recruits for the army of Georgia. Its appearance in the absence of any local excitement, created considerable amusement. The bill had the appearance of having been folded in a letter, and its recipient doubtless stuck it up among the sheriff's auction notices for a "sell.”—Commercial Advertiser, March 7. THE authority of the Government of the United States has been called in question, to a greater or less extent, on eleven different occasions, viz. : The first was in 1782, and was a conspiracy of several officers of the Federal army to consolidate the thirteen States into one, and confer the supreme power on Washington. The second was in 1787, called "Shay's Insurrection," in Massachusetts. The third was in 1794, popularly called "The Whisky Insurrection of Pennsylvania." The fourth was in 1814, by the Hartford Convention Federalists. The fifth-on which occasion the different sections of the Union came into collision--was in 1820, under the administration of President Monroe, and occurred on the question of the admission of Missou ri into the Union. The sixth was a collision between the Legislature of Georgia and the Federal Government, in regard to certain lands, given by the latter to the Creek Indians. The seventh was in 1820, with the Cherokees, in Georgia. The eighth was the memorable nullifying ordinance of South Carolina, in 1832. The ninth was in 1842, and occurred in Rhode Island, between the "Suffrage Association" and the State authorities. The tenth was in 1856, on the part of the Mormons, who resisted Federal authority. The eleventh, the present (1861) rebellion in the Southern States. COLONEL DONALD, of Leake county, Mississippi, recently gave a novel party to the young people of his neighborhood. The ticket sent to each young lady, required that she should come dressed in Mississippi manufactured apparel, in the manufacture of which she must in some way assist. The young gentlemen were also required to dress in the manufacture of Mississippi, made in Leake and Attala. There were nearly one hundred persons of both sexes in attendance, all attired as directed. The scene was not brilliant, but the papers say it was patriotic.-Evening Post, March 29. THE Charleston Courier is credibly informed that Gov. BROWN of Georgia, has attached the Northern stock in the Macon and Western Railroad, amounting to about one million of dollars.-Times Telegram, March 10. March 21.—Old Abe's administration is just now in a most woeful fix. If coercion is attempted towards the seceded States, the Border Slave States will go out of the Union, and the country will be lost. If a pacific policy is adopted, the Chicago platform will go to pieces, and the Black Republican party will be broken into fragments. The President's position may now be likened to an intoxicated individual, who was one very cold night holding on to a spile on the edge of the dock, and who thus moralized: "If I hold on here," said he, "I shall certainly freeze to death, and if I let go I shall fall in the water and be drowned."-Charleston Mercury. WHAT is martial law? Few there are who understand the full significance of this term. At this time, a correct understanding of its meaning is unusually important. Martial law is defined by Bouvier, as "a code established for the government of the army and navy of the United States," whose principal rules are to be found in the articles of war, prescribed by act of Congress. But Chancellor Kent says, this definition applies only to military law, while martial law is quite a distinct thing, and is founded on paramount necessity, and produced by a military chief. Martial law is generally and vaguely held to be, a suspension of all ordinary civil rights and processand, as such, approximates closely to a military despotism. It is an arbitrary law, originating in emergencies. In times of extreme peril to the State, either from without or from within, the public welfare demands extraordinary measures. And martial law being proclaimed, signifies that the operation of the ordinary legal delays of justice are suspended by the military power, which has for the time become supreme. fore resorting to it, the Administration would be constrained to expect that alternative. Even if successful without great loss of life, nothing would be gained but the retention of a fortress which has only a local value in protecting Charleston, and is of no national moment whatever. Capt. Fox is fully impressed with the courage, integrity and sincerity of Major Anderson, with whom, however, his communication was necessarily limited, as Gov. Pickens sent Capt. Hartstein, late of our Navy, as an escort with him to the fort, who kept within earshot during most of the interview, or at least, near enough to prevent any free communication. He considers that the fort can be reinforced either by a military operation, which, of course, would require a force not at the disposal of the President, or by the strategy already referred to, with its attendant hazards of a desperate conflict. The supply of provisions now in the garrison, will probably enable Major Anderson to sustain his command reasonably well until the 15th of April. From all the facts disclosed by this investigation, it is manifest that Fort Sumter must be abandoned, or civil war inaugurated. Capt. Fox is cautious, intelligent and well-informed, and was brought to the notice of the government by Mr. Aspinwall and some of the principal ship-owners of New York and Boston.-N. Y. Tribune. THE HEIGHT OF IMPUDENCE.-Parson Brownlow thus felicitously describes "the height of impudence." · "An Alabama secession paper inquires if the border States know what is The Height of Impudence?' We answer for the border States, that it is to see and hear a man swaggering and swearing It suspends the operation of the writ of habeas in every crowd he enters, that he will go out of corpus; enables persons charged with treason to be the Union because he can't get his rights, by hav summarily tried by court-martial, instead of granding the privilege guaranteed to take slaves in the jury; justifies searches and seizures of private property, and the taking possession of public high-ways and other means of communication. Involving the highest exercise of sovereignty, it is of course, capable of great abuse; and it is only to be justified in emergencies of the most imperative and perilous nature, such as now appear to exist in Baltimore and Washington. WASHINGTON, March 26.-Capt. Fox, who visited Fort Sumter on the requisition of the War Department, has returned here and reported the result of his mission. It is very well understood that he had a plan for introducing reinforcements, which had been submitted to members of the Cabinet, and was regarded as measurably practicable, but attended with the probability if not certainty of collision, which constituted the chief objection to its adoption. He is perfectly familiar with all the approaches to the harbor of Charleston, having been long connected with the Coast Survey, and had practical experience as the commander of one of Aspinwall's steamers. His scheme did not contemplate any serious danger in running the gauntlet of the batteries on the islands which guard the channels, but only in landing the men and provisions at Sumter, after it had been reached. If a fire was opened upon his transports from Fort Moultrie or the other batteries, it would be necessary for Sumter to silence them in order to discharge the reinforcements. Any attempt, therefore, looking to that object would almost inevitably lead to bloodshed, and be | Territories, when in fact, he does not own a negro in the world, never did, and never will; and withal can't get credit in any store in the country where he lives, for a wool hat or a pair of brogans!" NEW YORK, April 3.-It is reported from NewOrleans that the Mexican General Ampudia was marching to invade Texas with 3,000 men, and that he had declared the State to belong to Mexico by right, and as it was no longer defended by the Union, a good opportunity was offered to Mexico to reassert her authority.-N. Y. Tribune. March 31.-Mr. George N. Sanders telegraphed to-day from Montgomery, a special despatch to the N. Y. Tribune, that "Newport is again to become the commercial rival of New York. If Sprague is elected Governor of Rhode Island, that plucky little State will at once abandon the old hulk of the Union, offering at once a commercial depot and a summer residence for Southerners. The estimated value of the traffic thus diverted from New York, may be set down at $50,000,000 annually, so long as the latter remains in the Union. "Fort Pickens will soon be reduced to the same condition as Fort Sumter. Glorious accounts come from all parts of the New Confederation."-New York Tribune, April 1. AN interesting incident is told, concerning the independent and successful stand taken by a wo |