[Homer_J_Simpson]

Affairs of the Nation: The Proposition to Evacuate Fort Sumpter – 2-3
The Congress of the C.S.A. – 3-4
The Virginia State Convention – 4
Important from Texas – 4
General Political Intelligence – 4
Editorial: The Geographical Question of Secession – 4-5
Seedy Seceders Scrambling for Office – 5-6
Editorial: Haliburton on the Anderson Case – 6

[BroJoeK]

"Forts Pickens and McRea will not be disturbed..."

Fort McRea is a Civil War era post near Elephant Bute, New Mexico.

So this reference must be to Fort McRee just across the bay from Fort Pickens:

[BroJoeK]

"Affairs of the Nation: The Proposition to Evacuate Fort Sumpter – 2-3"

This is worth a second notice:

"HOW TO COLLECT THE REVENUE

Secretary CAMERON is understood to favor the policy of collecting the revenues outside the ports, after Secretary CHASE shall have drawn requisitions upon the officers of the seceding States, and they have refused to comply.
As the Southern Confederacy have no Navy to attack vessels laying outside their ports, the revenue, in his opinion, can thus be collected, and the rebellious States reduced to allegiance by actual necessity consequent upon trade."

In 1860 total Federal revenues were about $56 million, of which $53 million came from tariffs on imports (not exports).
Of the $53 million in tariff revenues, the following came from Confederate ports:

1. New Orleans: $2.1 million = 4%
2. Charleston: $300 thousand = .6%
3. Mobile: $118 thousand = .2%
4. Galveston: $92 thousand = .2%
5. Savannah: $89 thousand = .2%
   Total US revenues from original Confederate states = $2.7 million = 5% of Federal tariff revenues in 1860

So there was very little Federal revenue to be collected at Charleston, and certainly no need to go to war for it.

Another paragraph worth noting:

"TREASURY DISBURSEMENTS

The Treasure will probably disburse, tomorrow or Thursday, in payment of some of the obligations laying upon the Secretary's desk.
There are several millions of claims more than can be met.
The Treasury is very low, but drafts are due today and tomorrow which will reimburse it to quite a large amount."

The US national debt had doubled under Democrat President Buchanan, from $29 million to $64 million, and Congress was accustomed, however reluctantly, to authorizing more debt to pay our bills.
But Congress did not authorize debt before it was needed and so waited until the end of President Buchanan's administration to authorize enough.
The Treasury department never had a problem selling its debt (thank President Jackson, among others, for that!) but did sometimes have to scramble & juggle to keep our creditors paid.

[BroJoeK]

And still another piece worth noting:

Dispatch to the Baltimore American
WASHINGTON, Monday, March 11

"The battle of the Cabinet has been fought, and Mr. SWEARD has triumphed.
The Cabinet has ordered the withdrawal of Major ANDERSON from Sumpter , and thus have destroyed the hope of the Secessionists to cement in blood the destruction of the Union..."

So, secessionists were "disappointed" Lincoln's administration seems intent on surrendering Fort Sumter?
They hoped to "cement in blood" the Union's destruction?

Somehow I think they will, after all, get blood, but the Union's destruction, not so much.

[BroJoeK]

"Editorial: The Geographical Question of Secession – 4-5"

And yet more good stuff!
This editorial talks about the fact the "solid South" is far from, and that some Southern states, and large regions of others, have very few slaves and so are solidly against secession.

The editor does not know, seems not to have considered, how many of those now loyal to the Union will change their minds once shots are fired at Fort Sumter.