& P. GRAY HEEEK, BELLEFONTE, PA. Friday Morning, Dec. 5, 1862. We {= Congress assembled on last Monday. + Editor. R £7 Srawp Act.— Old Abe putting down his foot. ¥ I Wouldn't blue-bellies bo a more ap- propriate currency for the Yankees, than gresn-backs ? rere Gar me The news fiom the Army is “All quiet sbout Fredricksburg,” it appears that the Confecerates did'nt please to evacuate it when ordered to do go. 7 The drafted men from this Stale— that is, we suppose, those of them who Lave not skedaddle, are under marching orders for Waushington- -g0 it is ssid. : pra eer eae ' 37 Gen. Burnside, not willing to macii- fice the lives of his men necdlessly, is about to have the proscription axe 8f Abram the First, to fall on his devoted head, § 077 The President’s Mvssage wag receiv- ed too late fi r insertion in tlLis week's pa- per. Although lengthy, we shall try to give 14 to our readers in our next sszus. OOP g§7 Why don’t the President issue a pro- clamation declaring Burnsides to Le in Rich- wend, and the “rebellion crushed out 2’ — ‘I1y it, Abram, we think it would be alout ae sensible as was your cmancipation proce. lamation, ieee dh Bf % I” Gen. Burnside hasn’t got to lich- mond yet. Strange, isn’t it ¥ Why don’t you go on, General ? What keeps yon atanding before Fredericksburg so long /— Somethivg in the way * Somebody there ? Hey ? On to Richmond.” “On, Bum- side, on!’ 7" The Confederates made quite a haul on Saturday last, near’ Falmouth. They captured between five and six hundred cav alry, horses, equipments and all. Why the deuce don’t Abram issue a proclamation to capture the impudent scampa that would thus asail an “unsuspecting” foe. —————— a $e = 97" We publish in to-day's paper, the eorregpondence Letween General Scott and Ex-President Buchanan. The hero of Lun- dy’s Lane has made nothing by this second attack on the old Statesman, as will be seen Ly the reader. If General Scott wishes to make a mark other than in battle, he had better assail some (me not quite so well booked up as Mr. Luchanan. # Nor Correct. - -The report in circulation that coal ol is advancing in price, because she “Wide Awakes' are going to light their lamps again. No, sir, the last of that pa- triotic tribe, was seen hunting for an ‘‘ab- dominsl supporter,” and trying to sell his lamp and cape to procure a substitute ip esse he was drafied. crn reel GPA ett §77 The Philadelphia papers of the 4th inet., say that Gen. Burnside is to be reliev- ed of his commard of the army of the Poto- wae, and his place filled by Gen. Hooker.— 80 be it. Go ahead, Abram—push on, Hal- leck—do your Lest, Stanton—ihe people will soon take it into their heads to relieve you. They will do it, though, in a different manner. Scotch caps and military cloaks will be needed, to prepare. gr Just Lika Troy. —The radical press- oa have denounced no man with greater vehemence than they have FanNanpo Woop ex-Mayorof New Tork. [ua speech just before the election he said: ‘Last spring 1 was offered — and leading Republicans of fered to put it mto Writing—that if 1 would desert they would make mie the next Gov- ernor of New York.” Comment is unnec- essary. — Ew. . The Fastest ¥oss ! “General Harrmck with bis ermy, traveled from Pittsburg Lending ta Cetinth, a dis- tance of tweflty cone miles, in fifty four days—the average daily march being con- siderably less than half amile! After he became General-in Chief, and out of danger, he digsmissed M’Clellan for benig too slow, although his march averaged siz miles a day, What will be done now with Burnside who has been twenty five days in marching #wenty milest Isn't Halleck the fastest nag of the three 7— Ea. — Beem E27 Some of our abolition exchanges seein. considerably rejoiced over “the prospects,” as they term it, of electing Sitnon Cameron to'the United Sates Senate. To be sure. the Democratic party has, in times that are past, been betrayed, basely betrayed, by wen who owed their political existence to. its organization ; but that does not argue that there wili be Democratic representa- tive in the next Legislature who can be purchased, or are base enough to accept a bribe. No, gentlemen, rejoice all you can on your **PROSPREOTS, ” for it is all you have left to glory over. Your scepire has fallen, your power hes departed, and you are now at the meroy of the goad old party that will save what you have left of our ence happy country. . ~~ Who is Responsible? We cannot imagine why it is that some of our would be Democratic exchanges have labored so hard, and especially since the is- suing of the order releasing the political pris- oners throughout the North, to place the re- sponsibility of the unconstitutional and eut- rageous acts of the old usurper at W ashing- ton, upon the miserable curses who Lave only carried out the orders of their master. Surely they would not have the people be- lieve that Abram Lincoln is not to blame for the illegal arrests, unwarrantable seizures, and false imprisonment of hundreds of pa- triotic, law abiding Democrats, who have suffered for months in close confinement in the damp and dismal cells of military pris- ons, and now liberated by the edict of the old culprit, not because he wished to, but for tho simple reason that the people spoke out cpen and boldly and said it SHOULD | be done. Upon the authority of orders issued by Abram Lincoln, these men were punished for crimes not committed ; and it is not Jight that he, whose doty itis to see that the laws aie faithfully exccuted, end the Constitution of the United States preserved and protected, should be exculpated and go unpunished, and these flagrant violatiors of the rights guaranteed to every American citizen be forgotten. Though he be a Pres- ident, he is subject to the laws, and should oath and usurpation of power. [tis no ex- cuse for Lim to say that he is igncrant that such acts were really committed, or that they were done without his sanction, for the orders creating these very lools to establish his despotism are not yet blotted from the record, neither have the proclamations de- claring it to be their duty to carry out mrs orders, pessed “from our memories. We should Ihe to know of some of the contemptible cowards, who a.e still claiming conservalism and justice, to be attributes of Abram the first, Who itwas that suspended the vrit of habeas corpus and declared mar- tial law throughout the entire North 2 Old Abe or his mmions ?—who it was that ecre- ated the offices filled with ignorant mar- shalls and insolent deputies, with which our country is filled almost as full as was Egypt with frogs—tho brainless asses that camry the commissions, or the imbecile disgracing the place once filled by Washington ? Who is it that refuses to release Dr. Ed- son B, Olds of Ohio, who was arrested on the Tying affidavit of some perjured whelp, because he will not take an oath to support the ApyiNistrATION 7 Abram Lincoln or the craven white livered scamps that do his bidding # Who is it that discharges the iu= mates of the “black holes?’ of the North, and denies them a trial or refuses to grant them a hearing 2 Abram Lincoln or his un- derstrappers 2 Answer ug, ye who would cover over with smooth words the violated oath of a man chosen as President of a free People—ye, who would patch the Constitu tion wiih abolition proclamations and tyran- nical erders—ye, who would crowd lies as black as hell down the throats of your own friends and neighbors, to save the carcass of an old despot from the righteous indigna- tien of an outraged people, Important Information. The Sanitary Commission have estab- lished an office of information in regard to patients in the Hospitals of the District of Columbia, and of Frederick City: Maryland. By a reference - to books which are corrected daily, an answer can, under ordinary cir- cumstances, be given by return mail to the following questions : Ist, Is [giving name and regiment of persens] in the hospitals of the District or of Frederick city. 2d. If so what is his proper address, 3d. What is the name of ths Surgeon or Chaplin of the hospital ? 4th. If not in hospital, at, has he recently been in hospital ? i 5th. 1f,s0, did he die in hospital, and at what date? : Oth. If recently discharged from hospital, was he discharged from service 2. 7th. If not what were his orders on lea ving ? . The Commission is prepared also to fur- nish more sepecific information as to the condition of any patient in the District hos- pitals, within twenty-four hours after a request to do so. from an officer of any of ils corresponding societies. The oftice of the Directory will be .open daily from 8 o- clock a, m.” to 8oclock Pp. m,and accessible in urgent cases at any hour of the night. ; The number of patients in these hospitals is about 25.000. = 1f found to be practica- ble, tha duty here undertaken locally by the Commission will be extended to include all the gencral hospitals in the country.— Addres, FRED. LAW OLMSTED, General Secretary, Washington D. C. tenes ee ecs——— . Gopey's Lavy Book, for Jahuary has been placed upon our takle. It is Superior to any heretofore received. * A New Year's Gift,” and * A New Year,” two steel cn- gravings which cannot be excelled are alone worth the price of the **Book.” ¢Husks,’ a new story by Marian llarland is commen- ced in this number, and promises to excell Alone,” “Hidden Path,” or any of the Author’s previous productions. ¢Godey,” for 1863 will contain 1300 pages of reading matter, 24 pages of music, 12 double exten- sion celored fashion plates, over 1200 wcod engravings, 14 steel engravigs, 780 articles by the Lest authors, all of which will be furnished at the following extremely low rates— One copy one year, $3. Two copies one year, $5. Three copies on year, $6. Four copies one year, $7. Five copies ono year, and an extra copy to the person sending the club, $10. Eight'copies one year, and en extra copy to the person sending the club, $15. Eleven copies one year, and an extra copy to the person sending the club, $20. The money in all cases must accompany the orders. We will furnish tha Walchman and the Lady’s Book, to any person for one year, at the low price of 28,50, paymble in $dvxgoe. be made to suffer the penalties of a violated |; .us it had been easier to bear. Terrerism and Outrage in Missouri. ** The condition of the people of Missouri,’ says the Crisis, “is fast becoming of na. tional importance, The transactions of the Government military authorities in that State should attract the attention of every citizen in the loyal States. Especially are the Democrats of the North. in the hous of their triumphs, bound by every tie of hon: or and justice to raise their voices against the daily acts of those for whom they, asa part of the government, are made responsi- ble.” Unable themselves to speak, write or vote without the bayonet at their hearts or the prison walls before their eyes, let those who ore in a less restricted atmosphere de- mand that an explanation be given of the monstious outrages continually committed there. The voice of thousands of men, wo- men and chi'dren ery to us ford protection, for justice: for that friendship and humani. ty we profess, and which we planted. upon our banner, aud under which we’ triumph- ed. We must not sink all our glory in a vulgar straggle as to who shall get the next offices. Our victories won by an uprising of the people “all well, and we have noth- more to do!” The more victories we win, the more we have got to do, and the more cool calculating and vigilant we have got to be. : Every Democrat in the North knows very “well, that could the Abolitiomsts have got the machinery totwork here which is descri- bec by our “St. Louis,” correspondent very few of those who voted the D¢mocrat ticket would have escaped the same fate. Our diff: erence in location, with a continous vigil- ance, difficult at times to control, is the only reason why we are not in the same predicament as eur Democratic friends of the Union, aud rights of the state—the peo- plein; Missouri—Ilundreds of Ohio Demo- crats are settled in Missouri, some of them of years standing. and sll the crime they committed was in being Democrats there as they had been here. Many of them came buck to Ohio the past year to escape th "| ptrsecation of the abolitionists there who daredfnot assail them here. They were Just as good Union men as they ever were, and fully concured in the idea that a seper- ation of rhe States mn the great; Mississippi Valley could not rema n any length of time in a state of peace. With peace they had every hope of a restoration of the national power, while in a state of war, division was inevitable, ar.d hostilitics and hatred could never ceuse. If holding such, or even much more mod- ified opinions then these, 88 many of the Democrats there do, is & crime, subjecting men to banishment, imprisonment, and a confiseatation of their property, then others holdin g the same views, are equally guilty, though livingiin the most extreme portions of the Morth. The scheme of the Abolitionists, broached years before the civil war broke out to ex- terminate the cld population of Missouri and re-populate the State with Abolitionists from the, North, we fear has had much to do with the extriordinary outrages which have been inflicted upon the peaceable and un- armed population of that desolated State.— But be the causes what they may, it is ime the pubtic atttention of the loyal States was being attracted to that region of ‘country, and the Administration ealled to account ior tlie conduct of its officers, and a full ex- planation given. The time is passed when the public voice can be stifled, and those in authority may as well concede, first as last, that their cons duct hat got to be submited to the crucible of public opinion, The decree of a ‘tree press and free speech,” has gone forth from a higher tribunal than that of “Old Father Abraham,” and that-decree i8 srrcrocable! Vox die in terram! Let no man think him- self great enough to turn it aside. The President And Liberty. "The Evening Post favors the coun vy with- thefollowing astounding piece of intelligence which the “order” of Mr, Stanton, this day published, jpartially confirms ; “The Presid ents fully _ convinced that the scase of the country 13 ove rwhelmingly against anything savoring of tyranny or of a military despotism.” Is he indeed ! After eighty years of Amer-- ican liberty and independence, a lawyer from Illinois, . elevated to the chair .of WasmiNG- TON, has acteally learned that the sense of ‘the country favors freedom. and’ it is not altogether, indifferent to justice and « the laws !_ Had’an enemy put this scorn upon ¢ Bat that an American journal should thus in the lan- guage of s court flunkey, reco the shame of the land, is almost to much for mortal patience. Quite to much for morta patience, a trial beyond all imagined for Jo, it is the same Jjourna’ls explanation of the process thiough which this light has reached the Presidential mind. « ’ ‘ “Some of the arrests madehave been un- necessary and unjust and the adminstration has suffered for its mistakes. The “’adwinstration has suffered,” mark you—not the, American citizens *‘unneces- surly and unjustly arrested, not American liberty indecently outraged ; not the Ameri- can name made laughing stock and scandal of the world, but the ‘<adminstration !” The temporary servants of the people have been made to tremble for their wases ; the intriguers of party for the saccess of their schemes. Can the force of bland unconscious basen- ess further go.-—N. Y. World. : {77 We are often]asked, observes a cotem- porary, in view of the late elections ¢ What will Old Abe do? . We don’t know what he will do’; but we are free to- say what he ought to do. Hs ought to hire a sub- shitule, 177 In two towns of New Jersey, at the late State election there was not a Rrpub- lican vote cast. Inone offthe towns 290 votes were casi, all Demgeratic. In the other over 350 votes were cast, also all (Clirisgaas i8 coming. CRETE aT Constitutional Rights. We give below a few cxfracts from the Constitutions of several Northern States, as well as from the Constitution of the United | States. They contain principles which frec- men should be willing to maintain at all hazzards and under all circumstances, and which we, as citizens of a Republic, should see were protected and pres.rved. Although the people of each of the. States named, are guaranteed the freedom of speech and of the press, yet they are fully represented by men who dared to raise their voices in de- fence of these rights, in the loathsome dun- geons of sickening bastiles ! Shall a usurp- er continne to thus crush out the privileges of the people 7? Shall the doors of the politi cal prisons throughout the North still open to receive new victims ? or shall they be battered down and the suffering inmates re- stored to liberty and light 2 Itis for you Democrat, to answer, Read the following extracts and say whether your friends, your neighbors and yourselves, shall be robbed of the rights which the Constitution of your State aud the United States guarantees you. The constitution of New Hampshire says : “The liberty of the press 1s essential to the security of freedom and ought to Le in- vioiably preserved.” The constitution of Massachusetts says— “The liberty of the press is essential to the recurity of freedom, and it ought not therelore to be restrained by this Common- wealth.” ‘The constitution of Connecticut Says— No law shall ever Le passed to curtail or restrain the liberty of speech or of the press.” The constitution of New York says— “Every citizen may freely speak, write and publish his sentiments on all subjects, and no law shall be passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of .speech or of the press.” New Jersey, in the same words, asserts the full liberty of speech and of: the press, and that no law shall be passed to restrain or abridge those sacred rights. The constitution of Pennsylvania says— “The printing press shall be free to any person who undertakes to examine the pro- ceedings of any branch of the governwent, and no law shall ever be made to restrain the rights thereof. The free communication of thought and opinion is one of the invalua- ble rights of man,” The constitution of Ohio says — + Every citizen may freely speak and pub- lish his sentiments, and no lap shall ‘be passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech or of the press.” The constitution of Indiana sayg— ¢‘No law shall be passed restraining or re- stricting the right to speak, write, or print freely on any subject whatever.’ And so says the constitution of every State in the Union, guarding only against libels, but in the fullest manner defending and se- curing to every citizen the freeman’s right to the fullest liberty of speech and liberty of the press—a sacred right, never questioned but by tyrants, or crusned down but in the most degraded despotisms. The foregoing provisious in the State Con- stitutions were made in accordance With a provision of the seme kind in the Cons:itu- tion of the United States. [From the Constitution of she United States :] “1. Congress shall make no jaw respect- ing an establishment of religion, or prohib- iting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Alter defining the rights of the people, and the restrictions of the powers of the govern- ment over thecitizen, to doully insure the people in the protection of these rights, the framers of the Constitution summed up, as it were, their great work by adding the fol- lowing important provision : “This Constitution and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursu- ance thereof ; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, sha / be the supreme law of the land ; and the JUDGES in every State shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or LAWS of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.” [For the Watchman. ] Mn. Epitox : 3 J Being called to Wash- ington on business relative to some sick friendsan the hospitals, I was much grati- fied so find that our Pennsylvania soldiers, were so well provided for. Those who have friends in that city, in the hospitals, ought to feel under many obligations to Major James Gilliland, formerly of this pcounty, who has charge of the sick and wounded soldiers from this State. When not engaged with the necessary duties of his office, which are very onerous, he is ever willing to impart such information, and lend such personal assistance as are in his power, My principle opject, Mr. Editor, in this brief communication, is to make honorable mention of one who has done much for the relief of poor suffering humanity. The Relay Society is also worthy of much praise, for what it has been doing for the sick and wounded soldiers ; but the limits of this article will not admit of a more ex- tended notice. Hoping that you may find a place for this in your columns, I remain very respectfully yours, J H.H, MosmaNNoON, Pa. eres [= Brig-General Francis E. Patterson, of Philadelphia, was found dead in his tent, near Fairfax Court House, Gen. Patterson comwanded a Brigadeof New Jersey Troops. [lis death was very sudden and unexpected, but the cause of it has not been ascertained. The deceased was a sonof Gen. R. Patterson of Phi'adelphia.— Ez, 17 Thousands of the drafted men from this State have deserted and returned home. Not much wonder. Men can't fight with a good stomach, when they see nothing to be accomplished but the eternal destruction of our free governmentand the liberation of Southern negros. T7"Marriage certificates are required to have a ten cent stamp on them to mak them legal — Rejoinder of Licut. Genaral Scott to Ex-President Buchanan, 1 the Editors of the National Intelligencer : yo 1 regret to find myself iu a controversy with the venerable ex-President Buchanan. Recently (October 21,) you published my official report w President Lincoln, dated March 30, 1861, giving a summary of my then recent commection with our principle Southern forts which. I am sorry to per- ceive, has given offence to the ex-President. That result, purely incidental, did not en- ter into my purpose in drawing up the pa- per, bat, on reflection, I supposed that, un- ge the circumstances, offence was unavoid- able. Letit be remembered that the new Presi- deut had a right to demand of me—the im- mediate commander of the Army—how it had happened that the ificipient rebels had been allowed to seize several of those forts, and from the bad condition of others were likely to gain possession of them also, Pri marily the blame rested exclusively on me Hence, to vindicate my sworn allegiance to the Union and professional conduct, the re- port was submitted to President Lincoln at an early day, (in, bis administration,) and recently to the world. "To that short paper ex-President Buchan- an publishes a reply of double the length in the Intelligencer of the 1st instant. My re- Jjoinder from necessity, if not taste, will be short, for I hold the pen in a rheumatic hand, and am without aid-de-camp amanu- ensiy, and, without a printed document’and my own official papers. Unable, in my present condition, to make an analysis of the ex-President’s long reply, I avail myself of a substitute furnished by an accidental visitor, who has kindly mark: ed the few points which, he thinks may re- quire some slight notice at my hands. 1. To account for not haying garrisoned | sufficiently the Southern forts named against acticipated treason and rebellion, according to my many recommendations, beginning October 20, 1860, repeated the next day, and again more earnestly, December 13, 15, 28 and 30, the ex-President says: * There were no available troops within reach.” Now, although it is true that, with or without the ex-President’s approbation, the Secretary of War had nearly denuded our whole eastern seaboard of troops in order to augment our forces in Texas and Utah, I nevertheless pointed out, at several of the above dates, the six bundred recruits (about) which we had in the harbor of New York and at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, nearly all organized into temporary compa- nies, and tolerably drilled and disciplined — quite equal to the purpose in question—be- sides the five companies of regulars near at hand, making about one thousand men. These disposal troops would have given (say) two hundred men to the twin forts Jackson aod St. Philip, below New Orleans ; an equal number to Fort Morgan, below Mobile; a reinforcement of one hundred men to Fort Pickens, Pensacola Ilarbor, and a garrison of the like number to the twin fort McRae ; a garrison of one hundred men to fort Jefferson, Tortagad Island, and the same to Fort Pulaski, below Savannah, which like Forts Jackson, St. Philip, Mor- gan and McRae, had not at that time a sol- dier—leaving about two hundred men for the twin forts, Moultrie and Sumpter, Charleston barbor where there were two weak companies, making less than ninety men. Fortress Munroe had already a gai- rison of some eight companies, one or two of which might, in the earlier period of danger have been spared till volanteers could have been obtained, notwithstanding printed handbills were everywhere posted in Eastern Virginia by an eccentric char- acter inviting reeraits to take that most i= portant work. Now, I Lave nowhere said that either of those forts, even with the reinforcement in- dicated, woud have had a war garrison. Certainly not. My proposition was to put each in a condition, as I expressly said, to guard against a surprise or coup de-main, (an off-band attack, one without full prepa- ration.) That these movements of small detach- ments might easily have Leen made in No- vember and December, 1860, and some of them as late as the following wonth, caun- not be doubted. But the ex-President soeers at my ““ weak device 7 for saving the forts. He forgets what the gallant Auder- son did, with a handful of men, in Fort Sumpter, and leaves out the ncceunt what he might have done with a like in Fort Moultrie, even without further augmenta- tion of men to divide between the garrisons. Twin forts, on the opposite sides of a chan- nel, not only give a cruss fire on the head of an attack, bus the strength of each is more than doubled by the flanking fire of the oth- er. * The same remarks apply to. the gal lant Lieut. Slemmer, with his hendfal of brave men in Fort Pickens. With what contempt might be not have looked upon Chase or Braz, in front of him, with vary- ing masses of from two thousand tv six thousand men, if Fort Pickens and its twin Fort McRae had had between them only two hundred men! 5 I have thus shown that small garrisons would have sufficed for the other twins, Forts Jackson, and St. Philip, also. My object was to save to the Uniom, by any means at hand, all those works, util Con gress could have time to guthorize a call for volunteers—a call which the President, for such purpose might no doubt, have made, without any special legislation, with the full approbation of every loyal man in the Un- ion. 2. The ex-President almost loses his amiability in having his rceglect of the forts “attributed,” us hae says, “without the least cause to theiinfluence of Governor Floyd;” and, he adds, * all my Cabinet must bear me witness that I was the Presi- dent myself, responsible for all the acts of the administration,” ! ; Now, notwithstanding this broad assump- tion of responsibility, I should be sorry to believe that Mr. Buchanan specially con- sented to the removal, by Secretary Floyd, of 115,000 extra muskets and rifles, with all their implements and ammunition, from Northern repositcries to Southern arsenals, so that, on the breaking out of the maturing rebellion, they might be found without cost, except to the United States, in the most convenient position for distribution among the insurgents. So, too, of the one hundred and twenty or one hundred and forty pieces of heavy artillery which the same Secreta- ry ordered from Pittsburg to Ship Island, in Lake Borgne, and Galveston, Texas, for forts not yet erected! Accidentally loarn- ing, early in March, that, under this postiu- mous crder, the shipment of these guns had commenced, I communicated the fact to Secretary Holt (acting for Secretary Cam- eron) just in time to defeat the robbery. But on this point we may hear ex-Secre- tary Floyd himself. At Richmond, he ex- pressly claimed the honor of defeating all my plans and solicitations respecting the forts, and received his reward; it being there universally admitted that but for that victory over mo there could have been no rebellion. 3. Mr. Buchanan ‘complains that I pub- lished., without permission, January 18, 1861, my views addressed to him and the Secretary of War, October 29 and 30, 1860. But that act was caused, as I explained to him at tho time by the misropresentations of the vicws in one of the esrlior speeches o the sama ex-Secretary after his retarn to Virginia, | +4. Ove of my statements complaining of the joint countermand sens through the Secretaries of War and Navy to prevent the landing &t Fort Pickens of Captain Vodges’ comprny unless the fort should be attacked, is eited hy the ex-Prerident to prove a sin- gular want of memory on my part; and a note from Secretary Tote is addressed to show that I bad entirely approved of the Joint countermand the day (January 29,) that it was propared. Few persons are as little liable to make a misstatenent by acci- dent as Mr. ITolt, and no one more incapa- ble of making one by design; yet, I have not the slightest recollection of any inter- view with him on this subject, Ts re- member, however, that Mr. Holt, on some matter of business, approaching my bedside about that time when I was suffering great- ly from ‘an access of pat. + Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Holt, and myself were all landsmen, and I could knpw but little of the impossi- bility of landing troops on an open sea beach, with a high wind and surf. My. Touey, Secretary of the Navy, with officers about him of intelligence and nautical ex- perience, ought to have said plumply that if Vodges was not to land except in the case of attack upon Fort Pickens, he might as well have remafned at Fortress Monroe, as the prohibition placed the fort, so far as he was concerned, at the mergy, or (as the event showed) on the want of enterprise on the pie of the yebel commander as Pensaco- ey : Possibly thero are other parts of the re- ply’ which a superficial reader may think requires comment or elucidation ; and, in- deed, here is ancther marked for me by my kind visitor + 3 5. The ex-President has brought togeth- er a lybrinth of dates respecting the arrival and depariure of rebel commissioners, ar- mistices, &c., with which, as I had no oflit cial connection, [ may have made an unim- portant mistake or two; but, as I have not by me the means of recovering the ciue to those windings, I shall not attempt to foi low him. WINFIELD SCOTT. Now York Fifth-Av. Nov: 8. 1862. ——— Ee — Letter From Ex-President Buchanan, Tothe Riilor of the National Intelligen- cer. . With a few remarks 1 shall close the con- troversy with Gen. Scott, into which [ have been most reluclantly forced by his volun- tary and unexpeclod attack,” This has nevertheless, aflorded me an opportunity of correcting many unfounded reports which [ had long borne in patience and in silence.— In my answer, 1 have already furnished clear and distinct respons: s to all the alle gations of (ten. Scott ; and in his rejoinder he has not called in question any of my statements, with a single exception. Which of ws is eorrect in this particular depends upon the question whether his recollection of an event which occured more than cight- een months ago, or the statemeny of Mr. Holt reduced to writing on the very day, is entiled to the greater credit, ‘I'he General in the introduction of his re- joinder, assigns as an excase for the criti- cism on my public conduct that this was merely incidental to his alleged official re- port to President Lincoln on the condition of our fortifications, and was not primarily in- tended for myself. From this statement one would conclude that he had made such a report. But where is this to be found 2 — For it he refers to the Jutelligencer of the 21st October ; but there I discover nothing but his letter of four points to Mr. Seward, dated on the 3d March, 1861, advising the incoming President how to guide his admin- istration in face of the threatening dangers to the country. In the single introductory sentence to this letter he barely refers to his ‘printed views,’ (dated in October, 1860) which bad been long before the public; but it contains nothing hike an official report on tle condition of the fortifications. Whether the introduction of this letter to the public, without the consent of President Lincoln by one of the General's friends, in a political speech during a highly excited gubernatorial canvass, had influenced him to prepare’his criticism on my conduct, ic is not for ‘me to determine, At what period did Gen Scott obtain the six hundred recruits to which he rerers in his rejoinder 2 This, was certainly after the date of his ‘views,’ on the 30th October, 18- GO, becar.se in these he states emphatically that the forces then at his command were ‘in all five companies only within reach to garrison or reinforce the [nine] forts men- tioned in the * views.’ nN Did he obtamn theke recruits in Novemuver ? If so had he visited Washington or written and explained to me in what manner this Juilitary operation could be aczomplished by the four hundred men in thé five companies and the six hundred retruits, 1 should have given bis representations all the considera- tion eminen:ly due his high military reputa- ton. : But he informs us he did not ‘arrive in Washington till the i2th of December. His second recommendation to garrison these forts must consequently have been made ac- cording to his own stafement, on the 13th, 15th, 28th, or 30th of December, or on more ' than one’of these days. At this period the aspect of public affairs bad greatly changed from what it, was in October. =~ Congress Was now In session, and our relations with the Setédda Chtton States had been placed before them by the President's message. — Proceedings had been instituted by that body with a view toa compromise of the dangerous questions between the North and the South ; ‘and the highest hopes and warm- est aspirations were then entertained for their success. - Under these circumstances it was the President’s duty to take a broad view of the condition of the whele country, in all its relations, civil, industrial, and com- mercial; as well as military, giving to each its appropriate intiuence. "It was only from such a combination that he could frame a policy calculated to preserve the peace and to consolidate the strength of the Union, — Isolated recommendations proceeding from one department, without weighing well their effect upon the general policy, ought to be adopted with extreme caution. ‘ But ic seems from the rejoinder that Sec retary Floyd at Richmond had claimed the honor of defeating General Scott's ‘plans and solicitations respecting the forts, it be- ing there,” says the General, ‘universally admitted that but for that victory over me there could have beén no rebellion.” This is, in plain Eoglish, that the secessionists of the cotton States, who have since brought intu the field hundreds of thousands of un- doubtedly brave soldiers, wonld have aban- doned in terror their unlawful and rebellious desigris, had Gen. Scott distributed among chieir numerous forts {our hundred and eigh- ty men in October or one thousand in De. tember ! This requires no comment. 1 have never been able to obtain a copy of the speech of Mr. Floyd at Richmond, to which 1 presume General Scott refers ; but I learn- ed, both at the time and since, from gentle- men of high respectability, that in this same speech he devounced me most bitterly for my determination to stard by and sustain he Union with all the power I possessed under the Constitution and the law. And here perv mie to remark that it due to General Scuie as well as myself to d- ny that there is any portion ef my answer which justifies the allegation that the -‘Ex- President sneers st my ‘weak devices’ the words ‘weak device’ boing marked as a quo- tation) for saving the forts.” This mistake I must attribute to ais “accidental visitor. Aad in this connection | emphatically de- clare that the General neitper before nor af- ter the publication of his views” in ti:e Intelligencer of the 18h January, 1851, without my consent, assigned Any reasqu to me for making this pu-lication, or ever'‘en sade to ihe subject. In this licannot ho mistaken, from the deep jm: essiga. which the occurence made i gs memory for the reasons aircady mentioned in my aa- swer. : - ~ i . I should have nothing more to add had Gen. Scott in his rejoinder, confined himself to the topics embraced in his original letter. He has extended them, and now for the first time, and in a sarcastic and no kindly spi rit, refers to the alleged stealing “of public arms by Sceretary Floyd and their. trans. portation to the South in anticipation of the rebellion. The most conclusive answer to this allegation‘is that, notwithstanding the boasting of Mr, Floyd at Richmond evi- dently with a view monciliating his new al- lies cited by the General as his authority, no public aims were ever stolen. This fact in established by the report of the committee on Military affairs of the Hou-e of Repre- sentatives now before me, mado by Mr. Stanton of Pio, their chairman on the 18ih February 1861 and to be found in the second volume of the reports of Oommittees of tha House for the session of 1860-61, This re- port aud the testimony before the committee establish : 1. That the Southern States received in 1860 less instead of more than the quota of arms towhich they aro entitled by law; and that three of thgm— North Carolina, Mississippt and Kentucky —received no arms whatever and (hig simply because they did not ask for them. Weil may Mr, Stanton have said in the house “that there and missapprehensions as to the true state of facts in regard to this matter.” 2 Seeretary Floyd ander suspicious eir- cumstances on the 23d December 1860 and buta few days before he left the department had without the knowledge of the President ordered one hundred and thirteen (113) coi- -| umbiads and cleven (11) thirty two pound. ers 1 be transported from Pittsburg to Ship Island and Galveston in Mississippi and Texas. This fact was brought to the knowl- edge of the President by a communication from Pitisburg : and Sccretary Holt imme. diately thereafter countermanded tho order, and the cannon were never = sent. The promptitude with which we acted elici- ted a vote of thanks, dated on the 4th Jan- nary 1361 from the Selec: and Common Councils of that city “to the President th. Attorney General and the acting Secretary of War,” Mr, Holt. Alter this statement how shall we acconut for the explicit declaration of Gen Scott that “accidentally hearing early in March that under this prsthumoas order (that of Mr. Floyd of the 224 December) the shipment of these guns had commenced, 1 communica- ted the fact to Sceretary Holt (acting for Seeretary Cameron) just in time to defeat tha robbery ¢7 And this isthe same Sec- retary Holt who had countermanded the posthumous order n the previous Decem- ber. And strange to say these guns but fur he alleged interposition of Gen Scost, were about to be sent so late as March from the loyal States into those over which Jeff. erson Davis had then for some time pres: ded! tad Gen. Scott reflected for a moment he couid not have fallen into this blunder. Jt is quite manifest he was “without a prife document and my (his) own official papers.”’ 3. The Government had on hand in ths year 1859 about 500.000 old muskets which bad been condemned ¢ as unsuitabie for pub lie service,” under the aci of 3d of March, 1825 They were of such a character that although offired both at public and private sale for $2 50 cach, purchasers could not be obtained at that rate except for a compar- atively small number, On the 30th of No vember 1859 Secretary Floyd ordered about one fifth of the whole number, (105.000) to be sent {row the Springfield Armory where they had dccumulated, to five Southern arsg- nals “in proportion to their respective means of proper storage.” This order wag carried imo efect by the Ordnance Bureau in the usual course of administration and * without reference to the President. Ii is but jus. tice to say that from the testimony = betore the commitice there ix no reason to suspect that Secretary Floyd issued this order from any sinister motive Its date was months before Mr Lincoln’s nomination for the Presidincy, and nearly a year before his election and whilst the Secrctary was stil an avowed opponent of secession. Lndeed the testimony of Colonel Craig and Capt, Maynadier, of the Ordnansze, before any evil intention on his part, And yet these ‘condemned muskets,” with a few thousand ancient rifles of & cali- bre then no longer used dvd trdnsformed by Gen. Scott into 115,000 eatra muskets and rifles with all their implements. and aumm- ation.” This is the first time ¥ have Eeard —certainly there was nothing of “the kind sent with these condemed and inferior arms to their places of storage just ag though they had been intended not for safe but 1m- Inediate usc on the field. The truth is that is impossible to steal arms and transport them from one depository to another without the knowledge and active participation of the officers = of . the Bareaa,§ both at Washington and these depositories. It may he observed that Colonel Oraig, the heed of the Bureau, at this period was as correct an oflicer and as loyal and as honest a man as exists in the country. Yours, very respectfully, JAMES BUCHANAN. Wheatland near Lancaster," November 17. ——— eee CouNreRFREIT GREENBACKS.— Among the numerous counterfits :afloat arg photograp- ic five dollar Treasury notes: They are well calculated to deceive, would not be de- tected at a casual glance by one man out of ive hundred. Compared closely with the a they are found to be about the sixteenth of an jach longer, and stiffer. The signatures show moreZgplaily on the back of the bills than in the good money, and the shading of the engraving is heavier and darker. Other defects would probably be disclosed ona very critical ex- amination. It islikely these coualgifeits have obtained a wide feirculation, hd it will become necessary; for the people to be a little more careful in handling *‘green- backs,” than they have heretofore been. TT Net Span [Z7Tho Lewistown Gazette calls the Democrats who were incarcerated in Forts Warren, Layfaye¥ie, &c,, “‘cutthroats.” | If they were to mete out justice to the mis- erable devils that caused their imprison- ment, they would cut the throats of every cowardly whelp among them. Justice may yet triumph. Beware old man. NPoverty is often despair. = A good fellow went to hang himself, but finding a pot of gold. went merrily home. Bat he who had hidden the pot, weat and hang kid are a good deal of rumors. and speculation - the committee is wholly inconsistent, with’ before the commitlee—that ammunition was, .. oem
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