The Strategic Movements Of The Administration

"rom ílio N". Y. ETeniqg Püit, (RupubUcan,) April 15. THE FIKST DEFEAT OF TK REBELS. It is evident that General Scott has ODce more beaten the cnemies of his country by mere force of liis admirable stratcgical genius. To Jo so, he has, as was neoessary, suffered not ouly traitors, jut loyal muu, to rest undor a misapjjreïension. Those who remeruber the impatience with which the American public watchcd lis apparent inaction at one period of the Mcxican war, will not have fbrgotten the shou,t of admiration which went up from .he people vvhen it was at last discovered .hat tho supposed inaction had been in reality the wisest and shrewdcst action ; and that by the most masterly display óf uüitary strategy he had outwitted the encuiy, and obtained a splendid vietory when nought but defeat and disaster starcd our army in the face. He who reads and comparos carefully -hc dispatches from Charleston, Moutjomcry and Washington in this morniug's ournala, cannot avoid tho gratifyiug conclusión that that which looks at first blush iko a disaster to the govorninent, is in cality but tho successful carrying out of an admirable plan of military aperations. Jcforc this the traitors ;ce tnemsolves caught in the toils. In fact, it seems to ïave sickened the chief traitor, Davis, already, for Montgomery dispatches relate hat when the nows from Charleston came, and the mob serenaded Davis and Walker, " theformer was not well and did not appear ;" aud even his Seoretary was cos. ivo of words, and " declincd to make a peecli." The facts which tend to the conclusión ve have pointed out may be summed up as follows : General Scott has been averso to the attompt to reinforce Fort Sumpter. Ho saw that it would cost men and vessels which the government could not spare ust now. As an ablo General,hosaw that Sumpter and Charleston were points oí' no military mportance, and would only need valua)le men to hold, if we took them - with no adequate advantage gained. He saw that the two keys of the posiion were Fort Piokens iu the Gulf, and Washington, the capital. He knew what Davis had not generalship to perceive, that on the 4th of March and for some weeks afterwards it would ïavo been almost impossible for the Federal government to defend Washington against such a force as tho traitors had already collected beforo Sumpter, and which could be inarched at auy time on a capital not yet prepared for defense - not yet even purged of traitors. His plans, based on these facts, were at once iaid. By every mcans iu his power, he concontrated the attention of traiors aud loyal men on Sumpter. He must iave seeu with iiftinite satisfaction the daiiy increasing force gathercd at Charles,on, while tho governiaent lost no tima iu strengtheniug tke capital. Every liour ,he traitors spent bofure Sumpter gave them only more surely iuto the hands of ihoir ruastor. To make assuranee doubly suro, h,e netended to lsave Fort Pickens in the urch. It was said to be in no danger, when Scott kuew that a formidable force was investing it. Men feared that all would be lost by the inaction of the govermnont, when it was uever more shrewdy energetic. At last Washington was reasonably safe. Forcea were gatliered. Once more our brave old General saw himsolf with neans in his hands. Thencame the armament popular! bxlieved to be deüinud for Sumpter. The government said not a Word - only asked of the traitors the op wrtuuity to seud its own garrison a needed supply of food. They refused- and "eariug tho arrival of the Federal fleot, druuk and besotted with treason, and imatient to shed the blood of loyal soldiers, ,hey made tho attack. Öcaree had they bogun, when they saw, with evident terror, ships hovering about the harbor's mouth ; they plied their canïon in desperate liaste ; but no shtp carne to Andersons help ! What was the matter ? Made bold by tlio furious thirst for )lood, they dared the ships to come in. But no slap ojfered ts assistance to Andarson ! More, the guns of Sumpter wcro only directed at the work of the traitors, aud Major Andersou evidently tried to ire in suoh marnier as not to kill men. He did not even try a few bomba on the city though it is certaiu, from a letter of one of his owu offieers, that his guns would reach boy oud the centre of Charleston. What was the matter ? Beauregard must have thought tho goverument ofiicers botb. fo.qls and cqwards. When his ov.'u boats were eailing unharmed about the harbor, betweeu Sumpter aud Moultrie, bearing his orders, was it possible that the forces outside could stand hctio wliile a bravo garrison was beiug lonc to death ? Whcn the battle was to :he doatb, would a sbrewd officer neglect ;o divert his enemy's attention by iiriug lis city ? If it soemod mysterious to us, waiting )n Saturday with breatb,less suspense, it ;mst bavo soomecl incomproliousiblo to my cool bead in the traitor camp. Still no ships carne in, and in fact the reporta state tl'.at quly tbree or four small i'essela reuiaincd in the offing. After forty ïours canuonado, in whioh ona man is kil'ed, Major Auderson, an officer of unloubted courage aud houor, runs up a ivhite fiag, surrenders the fort, aud beeoiaes the guest of Gcucral Beaurogard. Let no man bastily cry traitcr ! He only obeyed his orders. Ho made an honorable defee.sc. lfe took care to shed no blood. " He gave ordcts no(; to sight men, but to silenco batteries." Henutimc, while the rebels are ignorantly glorifying the viotory of five thouaand men over eighty, what news comes from Montgemery ? The telegrrrph, in tbc hands of the rebels, says ; " Fort fickens was reiiiforcod last night." " It is imderstood that Charleston Jtarbor is blockaded." Dispatches from Lieutonant Sleinmcr, eaptured by the rebels, gaye Davis the ftrst intimation of' his defeat ! No won der the rebel ohiei " wa.s sick," and went to bed ! No wonder that his Secretary Walker, declined to make a speech. And what from Washington ? These sïgnifipant p;uagrapli's : " The report that Major Anderson bas surrcndered, aud is the guost of General Bcauregard, bas boon communicatod to the President, lie latter ivas not surprised, Int, on the conlrari, remarked, ' The supphj vcssels could not rcach kim andhe did righV" When Lo was told that the port was that nobody was injured tu Fort Suinpter, he seeined vcry much gratified and rcmarkcd thathe rcgrcttcd that Ma-, jor Andorson could not be supplicd, as that was all ho nceded. " The next act in the play tcülrepraent a scène at Fort Piccens, in l'emacola harhorT j The position of affairs is this : Charleston is blockaded. Fort Pickons is I forccd by troops which the truitors ( ishly belicved were deetincd for Sumpter. ' Washington is secure beyond ture. The traitors have, without the slightest causo, opened the war thcy have so long thrcatened. The country is roused to dufend its assailed libertie?, and gatlicra cnthusiastically about the govermnent ; and treason has been checkniated afc the iirsfc blow it struck. Let them ksep Sumptur a few weeks. Let no man cry traitor to Major Anderson ! Let no man fear for the cnergy of the adnnnistratiou. Let us tliank God that brave old General Scott remfting to give his loyal hcart and wise head to his couutry's service.