gantottr fltrilignartr. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1865 "The printing presses shall be free to every person who undertakes to examine the pro ceedings of the legislature, or any branch of government; and no. law shall ever be made to restrain the right thereof. The free commu nication of thought and opinions is one of the invaluable rights of men and every citizen may freely speak, write and print on any sub ject ; being responsible for the abuse of that liberty. In prosecutions for the publication of papers investigating the official conduct of offi cers, or men in public capacities, or where the matter published is proper for public informa tion, the truth thereof may be given in evi dence."—Ccmstiintion of Pennsylvania. Next Democratic State Convention The State Central Committee at their meeting on Wednesday, at Harrisburg, settled upon Wednesday, the 21st day of June nest, as the day of holding the• Democratic State Convention, and the Hall of the House of Representatives in Harrisburg, as the place. The meeting of the committee, we learn, was a full one, and the utmost harmony prevailed. Shoddy Philanthropy The philanthropy of fanatics is gener ally of a kind which does precious little good. It is not charity of that descrip tion which•beginneth at home. It is its nature to be fussy and pretentious. It delights in parading its intentions be fore a gaping world, and is neverso well pleased as when engaged in some scheme about,which a loud noise can be made. To it the applause of men is more than the approval of God and a good con science. It expends its energies in en deavoring to advance and push forward to completion utopian theories. It is thrown into spasms of sentimental ag ony over the recital of the nakedness of negro children in Guinea, and straight way sets to work to enlist all the old maids in the land in the manufacture of red flannel shirts for the little wretches. It never stops to ask about the thou sands who are shivering amid the rigors of an Arctic winter, in the very city where it holds its fairs, and organizes its sewing associations to provide the red flannel undergarments for the little negroes who swelter under the equator. It hears of misery and destitution in some far-off land of Booroboolagha, and straightway it weeps, and is ready to get up a huge subscription paper; but of the destitution and the squalid misery at its own door it knows nothing; and for that it does not care. It seems to be impossible for it to follow the Scriptural rule, " When thou givest, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth." It must parade its acts, and have drums and cymbals beaten before it when it goes forth on an errand of mercy. How the whole world of Abolitionists have wept over the miseries of the ne groes of the South. The eyes of all the maidens of Yankee land have been wet with sympathetic tearsas they have read the pages of Uncle Tom's Cabin. But have these people ever reflected upon the amount of misery and crime which shrinks away from the light of the sun in every one of our Northern cities Do they know that there is more real suffering, more sin, more shame, more a thousandfold to excite sympathy, In the single great commercial metrop olis of New York city than ever there was among all the negro slaves of the South? Yet, so it is, beyond a doubt. More white people are famishing, inure dying annually for want of proper food and proper shelter, than ever perished from similar' causes among all the ne grues of the South. To-day there is more real misery and dekstitution in that single great city than ever there was in the whole territory south of Mason and Dixon's line. The New York Tribunc of yesterday has a long article headed "The Dwelling Caves of New York." It commences thus: " T wenty-tive thousand bodies and souls are immured in the cellar tene ments of New York city. Denied the light of heaven and the breezes of earth, absorbing through their pores the hu mid miasins. and receiving into their lungs the foul gases that perpetually exude from feculent soil- above and around them, these wretched beings endure a slow but sure process of decay. They may be said to suffer physical and mural decomposition while yet alive ; and especially is this true of the children, whereof front fitly to seventy per cent. perish during infancy. Those who survive become a prey to various maladies, more or less acute or chronic, according to the duration of suffering to winch they may be doomed in their underground prison houses. And the children are but mere fragile types of their puny genitors; wilted leaves from the blighted stems , which they call their parents; those wretched men and women whose cadaverous frames are mildewed in life by their grave-like surroundings." One would suppose that would fur nish Henry _Ward Beecher and every Abolition preacher in the land with ma terial for more than one sermon; and it would seem only natural to anticipate some grand result from concert of action among the pseudo-philanthropists who attend upon their ministrations. But shall we witness anything of the sort? Not we, indeed. Similar statements are made, and similar exhibitions laid be fore these same people from time to time. But they fail to be moved to action. To relieve such distress as that, existing as it does right about them, is not their business. They are willing to - let these wretches rot and die at their own door. But let some one come to them with an exaggerated story of wrongs inflicted upon a negro in South Carolina, and they are ready to devote the last dollar, (generally some one else's dollar,) and to drain the last drop of blood t the blood of some poor sub stitute) to avenge the wrong Such is the philanthropy of Abolitionists. It is not of toe true stamp. It is a kind of hoddy philanthropy. A most misera ble counterfeit of the genuine article. We are sick and tired of It. It has be come a stench in the nostrils of all sen sible men. The Canadian Passport Order Rescinded ----Important State Circular. Mutual explanations have taken place between the Governments of Great Britain and the United States, which have resulted in a recinding of the pass port order of the 17th of last October, so far as relates to the province of Canada, and in an understanding that under the present circumstances, and notwith ing the notice lately given in that respect the naval force of the United States upon the upper lakes shall be the same which was stipulated by the treaty of April, 1817. The following is the proclamation on the subject or passports : DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHING TON, March 8t1i,.1865. Whereas pursu ant to the order of the President of the United States, directions were issued from this department, under date of De cember lith, 1864, requiring passports from all travelers entering the United States except immigrant passengers directly entering an American port as a people from a foreign country ; but, Whereas, Information has recently been received which affords reasonable ground to expect that her Britanic Ma jesty's Government, and the executive and legislative branches of the Govern ment have taken, and will continue to take, such steps as may be looked for from a friendly neighbor, and will be effectual towards preventing hostile in oursione from the Canada territories :Mu) the United States. • The President directs that from and otter th,s date the order above referred to, requiring passports, shall be modifi ed, add 60 IP4Ch thereof as relates to ,persons entering the country from Can ';ada shall be reseitided, saying and re sergiug the order-in other respectsin Jail force, WILLIAM H..SE WARD. Suan, Democrat, has been elected Mayor .of )3idolettord, Me., by 175 ina, Negroes at the Inauguration. One marked feature of Inauguration day at Washington was the multitude of negroes everywhere preont. They came fully impressed with the truth of Abolition teaching, and brim-full of importance and insolence. They forced themselves into the most prominent po sitions. They were perfectly übiquitous and utterly irrepressible. There was a regiment of negro soldiers in uniform in the procession, and enough to make up several regiments not in uniform. They jostled white people without com punction, and shoved their way into the best positions for seeing. They crowded white ladieS off the platform on which Mr. Lincoln stood to be in augurated. It was a grand jubilee for Sambo. The correspondent of the New York Herald gives the following ac count of the scene during the delivery of the Inaugural Address: During the delivery of the speech Stanton and Seward were remarkably attentive, rising and bending forward to listen. The crowd kept pushing nearer and nearer the platform. Sum ner smiled superciliously at the frequent Scriptural quotations. Negroes ejacu lated ` bress de Lord,' in a low mur mur, at the end of almost every sen tence. Beyond this there was no cheer ing of any consequence. Even the soldiers did not hurrah much. The statement that `the progress of our arms is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all,' met with no response, although the President paused significantly." The negroes seem to have been the only portion of the assembly which was much moved by the Scriptural speech of the ex-rail-splitter. The undue prominence of the negroes seems to have excited some disgust. When the crowd at the Capitol broke up there was a general jam, in which the sable element suffered some. One correspondent says, " The darkies suf- fered most. Soldiers knocked negro women about, and called them very uncomplimentary names. It seemed as if there was a reaction from the anti slavery sentiments of the inaugural, and every negro boy got an extra push on account of his color." Even Sumner seems to have got his fill of the negro, to have been satiated to repletion with too much of a good thing. For once in his life he gave the preference to a white man over a well dressed, pretentious negro. Perhaps his shyness may have arisen from the fact that the sable brother entered the Senate Chamber, and approached his desk, cane in hand. Mental association will sometimes bring up disagreeable memories. The following is the descrip tion of an interesting little incident: "An interesting scene took place while the Senators were waiting for the return of the Vice President. Messrs. Sumner, Grimes, Wilson and Hamlin were standing in close proximity to each other, earnestly conversing, when a re spectable looking colored gentleman, with cane in his hand and a bundle of papers under his arms, approached the group: He bowed very cordially to Senator Sumner, who returned the nod somewhat coldly, and, much to the dis appointment of those who witnessed `he scene, did not rush frantically for ward to his embrace. Mr. Sumner seemed busy arranging the papers on his desk, and this occupation lasted so long that the colored gentleman, who was supposed to be the new Supreme Court counsellor, had time to try his politeness upon the other Senators in the group. He met with no better success in that quarter. Nothing daunted, he again pushed for Senator Sumner's desk, apparently thinking that he should be all right the moment he confronted that Senator. In this he was disappointed. Senator Sumner re ceived him with an air of coolness, turned his back upon his colored friend, and immediately addressed with a cordial welcome one of his white con stitutents. The aforesaid negro, begin ning to think he had found his way into the wrong place, left somewhat chop fallen, and marched out of the hull, muttering something about the glory of being a negro." Surely such conduct on the part of Sumner, was utterly inexplicable, on the occasion of a grand negro saturnalia, on any supposition other than that of unpleasant reflections produced by the sight of the negroes cane. But it was not in the streets, and in and about the capitol alone, that the "coming man" made his presence and his rising importance felt. In the evening there was a crushing jam at the White House. Every body flocked there to shake hands with " Old Abe." There were high dignitaries and some very low people ; there were ladies of refinement attended by well dressed gallants, and strapping negro wenches with buck negroes to beau them ; all in one confused, crowding, swaying mass. The darkies made themselves as much at home, and were fully as self-important as any part of the assemblage. Throughout the day, in all places and at all times the negro was a prominent feature of the occasion. Let our readers remember that!we are not complaining. It was "none of our funeral." We should have been surprised if the negroes had not put on airs and made themselves conspicuously prominent. They had a right to regard the inauguration as a spectacle gotten up especially for their pleasure. The war is carried on for their benefit, and why should they not feel their importance, aye, and show it. By Degrees One at a time the leaders of the Re publican party are giving in their ad hesion to the doctrine of negro equality. In the Washington Chronicle we find the following endorsement of the doc trine. We have had occasion to note the readiness with which Forney has endorsed the new theory, and the eager ness which he has displayed to be found in the very front ranks of the party to which he has attached himself. Frbm day to day we notice significant para graphs in the Chronicle and the Press, like the following : "America has advanced on the theo ries of the old world. We not only pro claim the common humanity of the noble and the toiler, but we assert the doctrine of political equality and the divine idea of Human Brotherhood. True, many of us would limit that to the white race, but the day is coming when the noble sentiment of Terence will become the law of American thought : I am a man, and I think nothing foreign to me which concerns humanity.' Phe nation will, ere long, learn that it must deal justly by all classes of its citizens, and confer no privileges upon one by imposing disa bilities on another." Will any man doubt, or pretend to doubt the meaning of that paragraph? Is it not to plain to admit of any, equivo cal interpretation ? Released P. Gray Meek, Esq., the editor of the Bellefont Watchman, whose arrest by the military authorities we noticed a few days since, has been uncondition ally released. The charges brought against him were of the most frivolous character, and not deemed worthy of consideration. Thus, ends another case in which the most sacred rights of the citizen have been wantonly violated at the dictation of party malignity, Gross as was the outrage upon Mr. Meek, his sufferings are not what most move our indignation. It is the thought that, in a land pretending to be free, the law should be so shamefully defied, and military force be set up as supreme. Under such a state of things the best and most cherished rights of the citi zens are necessarily IPAdored insecure. Our boast of liberty has a hollqw mock ing sound. We are not ffeemen—_-nb man is really free while such things are possible. It is high time there was an to all this. Forcing Negro Equality Upon the South. In the city of Lancaster, and else- : where throughout the North, there are provisions made for the education of negroes. But these Schools ; though sup ported out of a common fund, are sepa rate and apart from those which white children attend. We are not yet quite so deeply enamored of the African as to be ready to agree that our children shall occupy the same room and the same seat in school with them. We do not deem this necessary', nor do we consider it to be proper. The. present plan adopt ed is the best—best for both classes. The same prejudice against the negro which prevails in the North exists in the South. It may not be very rational, it may be wrong, but it is there, and not to be eradicated. Even the Aboli tion leaders, who declainiso loudly in favor of conferring all the rights of citi zenship upon the negro, are found con tending that this will not necessitate aocial equality. Against that they pro test by word and act. They would not admit negroes to the Inauguration Ball, though any whin , person who chose to pay ten dollars tnr a ticket was freely admitted. They :are not ready to go negro equality to its fullest extent. But when they come to deal with the people of the conquered cities of the South, they are ready to c force the thing upon them in its most odious and repulsive form. Ben. Butler attempted it in open ing the public schools at Norfolk ; and now Gen. Hatch is adopting the same system at Charleston. The correspond ent of the New York Tribune gives the following account of proceedings at the latter place: As the military force here is small in comparison with the amount of work to be done, two Northern citizens interest ed in universal education, who are here on a visit—James Redpath of Boston and. Kane O'Donnell of Philadelphia— were invited to reopen the public schools and reorganize the system of education on the most liberal basis. The school buildings were immediately taken pos session of .and a Bureau of Instruction opened. Tuesday and Wednesday were named as the times when applications for the privilege of teaching either at public or private schools would be con sidered. Certain of the old teachers ap plied to be reinstated in their former positions. There were some interesting scenes at these interviews. The applicants were received with distinguished consideration, and evi dently believed that they would be at Once installed after• a favorable opinion had been expressed as to their fitness. They were asked if they were willing to take the oath of allegiance? The first two applicants were astonished that " females" should be required to take the oath, but (possibly because they looked on divine truth as too precious a thing to be wasted upon Yankees, for they were violent Rebels) they said they had never been politicians, and of course would do whatever the authori ties thought right. They were then asked : " Are you aware, ladies, that there is no distinction to be made hereafter in the Public Schools, between any class of children—that if white children ap ply, they shall be admitted, and if col ored children apply, they shall be ad mitted ?" "In the same school, sir?" "In the same school, t't. 1, 0.'' Both ladies declined to t•,l:o cluu . :,,c of the schools on such conditions. Are our rulers mad .' Bove they neither discretion nor ordinary sagacity? Do they suppose they can ever restore the Union by the use of such means? Is it likely that a brave, spirited people, of the same proud stock from which the best of us boast our origin, will be sooth ed into submission by a constant offer of the grossest indignities? Are not those in authority adopting the very plan best calculated to make the feud between the sections everlasting? There is, and there can be, no excuse for such acts. They are gratuitous insults which have their origin in the very spirit which fostered the ill feeling front which secession sprung. Not even the plea that Charleston was the birthplace of that treasonable doctrine can justify such acts on our part. The time will come when the folly of all these things will be seen; but it may then be too late o repair the injury which is being done. The Nation's Shame Much of the conduct of our rulers fo he past four years has been well calcu ated to lower the American people ii the eyes of foreign nations, and cause the monarchists of the old world to point the finger of scorn at our republi can institutions. But of all the disre putable and degrading exhibitions, that which occurred in the Senate Chamber, on the 4th inst., is the most heart sicken ing and disgusting. To witness the Vice President elect of the United States in such a state of beastly intoxication as to be incapable of performing his duties and deporting himself in the character of a drunken rowdy and blackguard in the presence of foreign ministers and a large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen, should bring the blush of shame to the cheek of every individual in the Nation who cast his vote for such a miserable specimen of Abolitionism in the shape of a white man. And what account will the foreign ministers present give to their governments at home of this drunken performance of Vice President Andy Johnson? and how will their royal masters gloat and chuckle over the news ? Well may we exclaim, God save the Republic when 'imbecility and drunkenness are enthroned in the high places of powei‘i-when such men as Abraham Lincoln and Andrew John , son wield the destinies of the Nation. Verily, this Republic is being rapidly precipitated to the lowest depths of in famy and disgrace, and will soon be come a by-word and a reproach through out the civilized world. Most of the Republican newspapers are silent in regard to the disgraceful scene at the inauguration of the Vice President, but the Philadelphia Ledger of yesterday thus appropriately notices it: " The saddest spectacle attending the inauguration at Washington, on Satur day, was the Vice President of the country standing before an assembled multitude of his fellow-citizens en oring to articulate a maudlin speech, but unable to do so intelligibly. There have been shameful exhibitions in pub lic before by men occupying positions and places of honor, but on no period of our political history can there be found one which so degraded the high office the people had assembled to honor. The Senate, blushing for the scene, immedi ately ordered the bar for the sale of liquors to be removed ; but this does not remove the public disgrace of the spec tacle. It is painful to have to reflect in terms of censure upon persons exalted to the highest favors of the Republic-; but the only way to correct a bad ex ample in such positions, is for the peo ple to condemn the open improprieties of their public servants and hold them to a just accountability for their public conduct. To slur over such instances is to have more feeling for the indi vidual than respect for the position he occupies. The Way the Money Goes Simeon Draper,collector of New York, was sent to Savannah to take charge of the cotton found there, after the capture of the city. The New York Express says that Mr. D. took with him his son, as an assistant. , The cotton was weigh ed, and the son charged one per cent. on its value for two weeks labor—amount ing to one hundred and eighty thousand dollars ! To allow such a monstrous fee at any time, but especially when the country is groaning under debt and taxation, is no better than swindling ! and is a swift witness to the downward tendency of public and private morals. Yet, 'it& a word of rebuke do we hear from the Lineolli ttressOf Possibility of Peace That peace, an honorable and lasting peace,,might be obtained without much further bloodshed has been our abiding belief for months past. We have been fully convinced that the greatest ob struction in the way of a proper adjust ment of our difficulties, was the imprac ticable fanaticism of the party in power. They have persistently insisted upon such conditions as have rendered all hopes of a speedy end of the struggle illusory. Until they change their policy the war must go on. The South cannot and will not submit to the only terms which our rulers have seen fit to offer. This strife can neverbe ended while the extremists of each section are the spokes men for the warring sections. When their plans and theories are cast aside, and the voice of the great mass of the people of both North and South is al lowed to be heard, we shall have be gan to approach the end of our troubles. Then, and not till then, will there be some hope for this wretched and bleed ing nation. We are glad to notice signs of return- ing reason even in unexpected quarters. The N. Y. Tribune of Saturday has a significant editorial, from which we make the following extract: "We believe that a true Peace is, in all human probability, not far off; and we believe its advent may be hastened and assured by wise and prompt action on the part of our Government. If the President should issue a brief and lucid Proclamation, appealing to the Southern People not to protract a struggle which has become hopeless, and stating dis tinctly the terms on which they may be once more at peace with their coun try, we believe that there need and would be little further bloodshed.. The Rebellion is how kept from in stant and utter collapse by the false cry that nothing is to be gained by subrnisx sion—that all the property of Rebels is confiscated and all their lives forfeited under our laws 7 ,'so that, while the cour age born of desperation may yet achieve success, there is in the opposite course no hopes whatever. This is most un true; yet it has a certain plausibility to the minds of the ignorant. Let the President once more urge the Rebels to lay down their arms, proffering them inducements to do so, and he will there- by divide them into two parties—one inclined to peace and re-union ; the oth er furiously intent on fighting to the last. Standing distinctly by itself, the weakness of this latter would be so pal pable that three new and vehement pro clamations per day could not keep it in countenance. It would speedily col lapse and disperse, and the rebellion would be a thing of the past. May we not hope that this course is to be taken? Those are words of sense and sober ness. We hope they will be heeded.— Were ally other man than Abraham Lincoln President, we should expect to see them acted upon promptly and in 2 - ood faith. Proclamation Regarding Deserters by the President or the United States. ' A PROCLAMATION. WasHiscrrox, March 10.—Whereas, the twenty-first section of the act of Congress approved on the 3d inst., en titled " An act 0, amend the several acts heretofore passed to provide for the enrolling and calling out of the national forces, and for other purposes," re quires that, in addition to the other law ful penalties of the crime of desertion from the military or naval service, all persons who have deserted the military or naval service of the United States who shall not return to the said service or report themselves to a provost mar shal within sixty days after the procla mation hereinafter mentioned, shall be deemed and taken to have voluntarily relinqished. and forfeited their rights to become citizens, and such deserters shall be forever incapable of holding any office of trust or profit under the United States, or of exercis ing any rights of citizens thereof, and all persons who shall hereafter desert the military or naval service, and all persons who, being duly 'enrolled, shall depart the jurisdiction of the district-in which lie is enrolled, or go beyond the limits of the United States with the intent to avoid any draft into the military or naval service duly ordered, shall be liable to the penal ties of this section. And the Presi dent is hereby authorized and required forthwith, on the passage of this act, to issue his proclamation, setting forth the provisions of this section, in which proclamation the President is requested to notify all deserters returning within sixty days, as aforesaid, that they shall be pardoned, on condition of returning to their regiments or companies, or to such other organizations as they may be assigned to, unless they shall have served for a period of time equal to their original term of enlistments. Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do issue this soy proclamation as required by said act ; ordered and -requiring all de serters to return to their proper posts, and I do hereby notify them that all deserters who shall within sixty days from the date of this proclamation, viz., on or before the 10th day of May, 180:3, return to service, or report themselves to a provost marshal, shall be pardoned on condition that they return to their regiments and companies, or to such other organizations as they may be as signed to, and serve the remainder af their original term of enlistment, aria in addition thereto a period equal to the time lost by desertion. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this 10th day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, and of the independence of the United States, the eighty-ninth. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. By the President, ti iLLIAm H. SEWARD, Sec'y of State. The Vice President to be Removed. The N. Y. Tribune, having tried in vain to hide the disgraceful scene at the inauguration of Andy Johnson, by pre serving entire silence in regard to the matter for almost a week, came out yes terday with the following scathing arti cle. Says the virtuously indignant Greeley : "Mr. Andrew Johnson, our new Vice President, is said to have been demented by liquor when sworn into office, and to have made a senseless and discredit able harangue in consequence. And it is reported he has fallen into habits which disqualify him for the high posi tion to which he has been chosen. We fervently hope .that at least the latter and worse half of this scandal will prove untrue ; for, if it should not, the country will be subjected to the pain and scandal and Mr. Johnson to the mortification inseparable from his expulsion from office. If he has be come a drunkard, arid does not prompt ly and thoroughly reform, he certainly cannot remain Vice President of the United States; and, if he has any earnest and intimate friend, he will be so assured forthwith. The People may pity as well as mourn his fall ; but they cannot abide a drunkard in his present high position." What Will the Clergy Sap? It will be interesting to hear what the loyal clergy of the land will have to say to-morrow about the Vice President, for whose election they labored so diligent ly last fall. They abused and vilified the refined and dignified Pendleton without stint. What will they have to say from their political rostrums, on to morrow, in regard to the man they helped to put in a position where he has so effectually disgraced the country? Will they pray for him? They ought to, and that very lustily, for, according to all accounts, he is pretty near past praying for. We have very little faith in the prayers of political preachers, but we do not think they would hurt Andy Johnson. By all means, then, let him have the benefit of the prayers of the loyal clergy on to-morrow; and let him furnish them with a text for the day. He is a fit subject to point amoral, though hardly to. adorn a tale. Bombay is in a state of much excite ment over the great success of East India cotton cultfttion. Men who a short time ago were possessed of only moderate means have suddenly become million aires, and the manner in which it is said fortunes are being piled up there rivals the wonders of our own oil regions. Sheridan's Victory over Early The correspondent of the New York Herald, writing from Winchester, Va., gives the following detailed account of Sheridan's victory over Early : When Gen. Custer reached Fisher vllle, five miles from Wayesboro, he came upon the rebel videttes, but these he sent flying to their camps in quick time. On reaching a pointnearWaynes boro the column was halted, and a detachment sent forward to reconnoitre. This party soon discovered the enemy, posted on a range of hills near Waynes borough and South river.. The rebels had five pieces of artillery, in position, commanding the front on which Custer was approaching. Gen. Custer imme diately dismounted and deployed two regiments as skirmishers. In the rear of them, and on either side of the road, were solid regiments. The move ment on the enemy's works was the work of a moment. Our skirmish ers advanced with rapidity, firing at the enemy, and then the whole line moved on the enemy's position. The rebels fired one volley, and then ran like a flock of sheep. Their attempt to escape was fruitless, as Custer closed his lines on them, and surrounded nearly the entire force of the enemy, capturing eighty-seven commissioned officers, eleven hundred and sixty-five enlisted men, thirteen State and battle flags, seven cannon, one hundred 'Wagons, ambulances and other vehicles. Among the rebel officers captured were General Early's entire staff—Colonel Orr, chief of artillery, and Colonel Vesburg, com manding brigade. General Early did not attempt to rally or encourage his men, but fled when he saw Custer and his troops ma nceuvering for positon. He rode off on a fleet horse, attended by an orderly, and proceeded through the Blue Ridge, via Rockfish Gap, and towards Char lottesville. It seems that Gen. Early despaired of making any successful defence against Sheridan, and on the morning of the day Custer attacked him he caused all surplus stores and six pieces of artillery to be placed on a railroad train for trans portation elsewhere. This train was also captured by Gen. Custer, together with all the spoils, including a large quantity of artillery ammunition. The artillery were all destroy.e4 burst or spiked, and the gun carriages destroyed on account of the muddy condition of the roads. The victory was almost a bloodless one, as we only lost ten or twelve in killed and wounded. All the rebel wagons captured from the enemy were destroyed for the same reason above stated. General Custer remained at Waynes boro until General Sheridan, with the main column, came up, and then push ed on through Rockfish Gap to Green wood, at which the force mentioned at the commencement of this report was detached to escort the rebel prisoners to this point. At last accounts direct from Sheridan General Custer was within a few miles of Charlottesville, an important station on the Virginia Central Railroad. ( 4en eral Sheridan intimated to his‘oflicers •tt he had the game in his own hands and it would take a strong card of the enemy to beat him. The capture of Early's remnant of his once splendid army frees the valley of any regular force. The detachment detailed to escort the rebel prisoners to this point left Waynes boro on Friday, the 3d inst. They marched eight miles and encamped at Fishersville. Colonel Thompson, com manding the brigade, finding his sup ply of food inadequate to meet the re quirements of his men and the prisoners, sent forward a detachment to several of the towns through which they were to pass, notifying the inhabitants tol , ,bring out to the roadside food for the rebel prisoners, or otherwise I hey would starve on the road. On reaching Staun ton Colonel Thompson found only a feeble response to his request, and learn ing that the rebels had stored large quantities of supplies in the Lunatic Asylum, a requisition was made on that institution, and our troops and the rebel prisoners were partially supplied with flour and bacon. Colonel Thomp son discharged this duty in as agreeable a manner and with as much humanity as the necessity of the case would per mit. The troops were not molested on their return trip until they reached the north fork of. the Shenandoah, near Mount Jackson, where they were met by a small but determined rebel cavalry force, under General Rosser. It appears he followed our troops from Staunton, and watched an opportunity to rescue the rebel prisoners. He waited until the 6th inst., when our troops were about crossing the Shenandoah. He boldly charged on the rear guard—the Fifth New York cavalry, Major Force —who suddenly changed direction, faced the rebels, and, with sabres in hand, and a cheer and a dash, he drove Rosser and his men in retreat up the pike towards Staunton, capturing twenty-seven rebels and killing fifteen others. This charge drove Rosser so far to the rear that he did not trouble our troops again. 'When our troops reached 'Waynes boro Gen. Sheridan sent four couriers, each with a.copy of an order to Gen. Hancock, to send a brigade of infantry and one of cavalry to meet the prisoners at or near Mt. Jackson. Two of the couriers were killed and two were cap tured. Hence the order. did not reach its destination. The prisoners all ar rived in town to-day, footsore and weary. They were tolerably well clad, but it was remarable to notice the dis parity in the ages of the troops. They ranged from fifteen to sixty years of age. Some of them are conscripts, and insist upon it that they never would have gone into the rebel army were they not forced. From their state ments it is said that a large force of Union cavalry was coming down the Virginia and Central railroad from Tennessee, and that it had reached a point very near Lynchburg. The prisoners were at once forwarded to Harper's Ferry, and from thence rhence they will be sent to Point Look out, Md. Important from Mexico The N. Y. Herald of yesterday has full details of Mexican anirs from its special correspondent, which it sums up as follows : The empire of Maximilian has been recognized by the British government, and its minister, Hon. Peter Campbell Scarlett, has arrived in the city of Mexico and had his imperial reception. The particulars are furnished of the pre viously announced capture of the city of Ojaca and its republican garrison of five thousand men by the imperial forces under Marshal Bazaine. It ap- pears that Gen. Porfirio Diaz, the re publican commander in that city, was not killed, as has been stated, but was captured, and had made his submission to the empire. We have also accounts of the capture by the imperialists of the republican armies at Jalisco, Tolucca and Zacatlan, and the republican Gene rals Rojas and Romero, The capture and death of Rojas, who was a famous guerrilla chief, have been already an nounced in the Hcrald. Austrian and Belgian troops for the Emperor Maxi milian continued to arrive in Mexico, and the imperial army was being thoroughly organized, the empire being divided into seven military districts. President Juarez still exercises govern mental functions in the city of Chihua hua, and some triumphs of republican arms in Sinaloa were reported ; but our correspondents express the opinion that all material opposition to the imperial government has been overcome. The Americans in Mexico celebrated Wash ington's birthday. Is Andy Johnson Vice President? In connection with the recent beastly exhibition of Andrew Jonnson in the U. S. Senrte, the Manchester (N. H.) Union well says: In this connection, it may be proper to say that Johnson has now no color of right to the position be occupies, for Congress refused to recognize the State of Tennessee as being in the Union. That State voted for President and Vice President, to be sure, but the electoral vote was thrown out, and the State left in the same category as South Carolina. If it is in the Union, its votes should have been received; if out, Johnson has no right to the position he holds. Repulse of a Rebel Raiding Party WASHINGTON, March 10.—On Thurs day night a party of rebel cavalry, un der a nephew of ex-Governor John Letcher, of Virginia, attempted to make a crossing at Muddy Branch on the Up per Potomac. They were met by the pickets of the Ist New Hampshire cav alry, who • drove them back, killing young Letcher and ten of the party. Guerrillas under one of the Kinchloes are in force in the neighborhood of Lees burg. The New Enrollment Act. [OFFICIA_L.] WAR DEPARTMENT, PROVOST-MARSHAL GENL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., March 8,1865. Circular No. 5 The following act of Congress is published for the information and guidance of all con cerned: AN ACT TO AMEND THE SEVERAL ACTS HERETOFORE PASSED TO PROVIDE FOR THE ENROLLING AND CALLING OUT THE NATIONAL FORCES, AND FOR OTHER FUR- SEC. 13. And be it further enacted, That where any revised enrollment in any con gressional or draft district has been ob tained or made, prior to any actual drawing of names from the enrollment lists, the quota of such district may be adjusted and apportioned to such revised enrollment, in stead of being applied to or based upon the enrollment as it may have stood before the revision. - - - SEC. 14. And be it further enacted, That hereafter all persons mustered into the military or naval service, whether as vol- unteers, substitutes, representatives, or otherwise, shall be credited to the state, and to the ward,township, precinct, or other en rollment sub-district, where such persons belong by actual residence (if such person have an actual residence within the United States,) and where such persons were or shall be enrolled (if liable to enrollment,) and it is hereby made the duty of the pro cost marshal general to make such rules and give such instructions to the several provost marshals, boards of enrollment, and mustering officers, as shall he necessary for the faithful enforcement of the provisions of this section, to the end that fair and just credit shall be given to every section of the country : Prot, ided, That in any call for troops hereafter, no county, town, township, ward, precinct, or election district, shall have credit except for men actually fur nished on said call, or the preceding call,by said county, town,township, ward, precinct, or election district, and mustered into the military or naval service on the quota thereof. SEC. 15._a nd be it farther enacted, That in computing quotas hereafter, credit shall be given to the several states, districts, and sub-districts for all men furnished by them, respectively, and not heretofore credited, , during the present rebellion, for any period of service of not less than three months, cal- culating the number of days for which such service was furnished, and reducing the rune to years; Provided, That such credits hall not be applied to the call for addition- al [mops made by the President on the twenty-first day of December, eighteen hun dred and sixty-four. SEC. Ili. a;/ be it farther enacted, That persons who have been, or may hereafter be drafted, under the provisions of the several acts to which this,is an amendment, for the term of one year, and who have actually furnisned, or may actually fur nish, acceptable substitutes (not liable to the draft) for the term of three years, shall .)e. exempt from military dtuty during the ime for which such substitute shall not be liable to draft, not exceeding the time for which such substitute shall have been mustered into the service, anything in the act of February twenty-four, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, to the contrary, notwithstanding. Sac. 17. And be it further enacted, That any recruiting agent, substitute broker, or other person who, for pay or profit, shall enlist, or cause to be enlisted, as a volun teer or substitute, any insane person, or convict, or person under indictment for a felony, or who is held to bail to answer for a felony, or person in a condition of intoxi cation, or a deserter from the military or naval service, or any minor between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years, without the consent of his parents or guardian, or any minor under the age of sixteen years, knowing him, in either case before men tione I, to be such, or who shall defraud or illegally deprive any volunteer or substi tute of any portion of the state, local, or United States bounty, to which he may be entitled, shall, upon conviction in any court of competent jurisdiction, be tined not ex ceeding one thousand dollars, nor less than two hundred dollars, or imprisoned not ex ceeding, two years and not less than three months, or both, in the discretion of the court aforesaid. Six. IS. And he it further enacted, That any officer who shall muster into the mili tary naval service °U tile United States any deserter from said service, or insane person, or person in a condition of intoxica tion, or any minor between the ages of six teen and eighteen years, without the con sent of his parents or guardian, or any minor under the age of sixteen years, knowing him to be such, shall, upon con viction by any court-martial, be dishonor ably dismissed from the service of the United states. SEr. 19. And be it further enacted, That MEN2=== to take the place of an enrolled or draftec man, and it is shown by evidence that shal be satisfactory to the Secretary of War that such substitute was, at the time of his enlistment, known by the party furnishing him to be non compo,s mentiN, or in a condi tion of intoxication, or under conviction or indictment for any offense of the grade of felony at the common law, or to have been guilty of a previous act of desertion un satistied by pardon or punishment, or by reason of any existing intimacy or ailment, physically incapable of performing the ordinary ditties of a soldier in actual service in the ranks, or minor between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years, without the consent of his parent or guardian, or a minor under the age of sixteen years, it shall be the duty of the Provost Marshal (ineral, on advice of the fact, to report the seine to the Provost Marshal of the pro tter district; and if such person, so enlisted and incapable, shall have been, since the passage or this act, mustered into the ser vice as a substitute for a person liable to draft, and nut actually drafted, the name of the person so liable who furnished such substitute shall be again placed on the list, and he shall be subject to draft thereafter, as though no such substitute had been fur nished by him ; and if such substitute so enlisted, and incapable as aforesaid, shall have been, since the passage of this act, mustered into the service as a sulistitthe for a person actually drafted, then it shall be the duty of the Provost-Marshal Gener al to direct the provost-marshal of the dis trict immediately to notify the person who furnished such substitute that he is held to serve in the place of such substitute, and he shall stand in the same relation and be subject to the same liability as before the furnishing of such substitute. SEc. 20. And be it further enacted, That in case any substitute shall desert from the army, and it shall appear by evidence satis factory to the Secretary' of War, that the party furnishing such substitutes shall have, in any way, directly or indirectly, aided or abetted such desertion, or to have been privy to any intention on the part of such substitute to desert, then such person shall he immediately placed in the army, and shall serve for the period for which he was liable to draft, such service to commence at the date of the •desertion of the substitute. SEC. 21. And he it further enacted, That in addition to the other 11twful penalties of the crime of desertion from the military or naval service, all persons who have desert ed the military or naval service of the United States, who shall not return to said Service, or report themselves to a provost marshal within sixty dayS tiller the proc lamation hereinafter mentioned, shall be deemed and taken to have voluntarily re linquished and forfeited their rights of citizenship and their rights - to become citi zens; and such deserters shall be forever incapable of holding any oflice of trust or profit under the United States, or of exer cising any rights of citizens thereof; and all persons who shall hereafter desert the military or naval service, and all persons who, being duly enrolled, shall depart the jurisdiction of the district in which he is enrolled,_ or go beyond the limits of the United States, with intent to avoid any draft into the military or naval service, duly ordered, shall he liable 'to the penalties of - this sectioh. And the President is hereby authorized and required forth with, on the passage of this act, to issue his proclamation setting forth the provisions of this section, in which proclamation the President is requested to notify all deserters returning within sixty days, as aforesaid, that they shall he pardoned on condition of returning to their regiments'and companies, or to such other organizations as they may he assigned, until they shall have served for a period of time equal :to their original term of enlistment. SEC. 2:2. And bed the enacted, That the third section of the act entitled, "An act further to regulate and pride for the en rolling and calling out theiinational forces, and for other purposes," approved July fourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four,be and the same is hereby repealed. SEC. 23. And be it further enacted, That any person or persons enrolled in any sub district may, after notice of a draft, and be fore the same shall have taken place, cause to be mustered into the service of the United States, such number of recruits, not subject to draft, as they may deem expedient, which recruits shall stand to the credit of the per sons thus causing them to be mustered in, and shall be taken as substitutes for such persons, or so many of them as may be drafted, to the extent of the number of such recruits, and in Ine erder designated by the principals at the time such recrusts are thus as aforesaid mustered in, SEC. 24. And be it further enacted, That section fifteen of the act approved February twenty-four eighteen hundred and sixty four, entitled "An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces, and for other purposes," be and the same is hereby amended by inserting after the words" any civil magistrate," the words " or any person authorized by law to administer oaths." SEc. 25, And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to detail one or more employees of the War Department for the purpose of administer ing the oaths required by law in the settle ment of officers' accounts for clothing, camp and garrison equipage, quartermasters' stores, and ordnance, which oaths shall be administered without expense to the parties taking them, and shall be as binding upon the person talking the same, and if hAnry, taken, shall subject them 'O , tritci7me pen alties, as if tiia saase 'wez, il i*red'by a magistrate or justice of the peace. SEC. 26. And be it further enacted, That acting assistant surgeons, contract surgeons, and surgeons and commissioners on the en rolling boards, while in the military service of the United States, shall hereafter be ex empt from all liability to be drafted under the provisions of any act for enrolling and calling out the national forces. SEC. 27. And be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from and after its passage: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall operate to postpone the pending draft, or interfere with the quotas assigned therefor: Approved, March 3, 1865. [Sections from one to twelve, inclusive, do not relate to this bureau, and are omitted.] JAMES B. FRY, Provost Marshal General A - veto. [From the Patriot and 'Union.] We must do the present Governor of this Commonwealth the justice to say, that he has exercised the much ques tioned power of the veto less frequently than any of his predecessors in office. Having a majority of political friends in both branches of the Legislature, may be one reason of forbearance ; and yet, even under these circumstances, he has several times broken over party tram mels, in very decided tones, and upheld the Constitution against the encroach ments of party madness, and despite the clamors of party tyranny. We are fully conscious that a commen datory remark from us will be regarded, by most of his party, as anything but complimentary in fact. Still we feel constrained to call public attention to the message sent to the House of Repre sentatives yesterday, returning the bill annexing the county of Washington to the Judicial district of Allegheny. In other words, an attempt to legislate a county out of a Democratic district into one under Abolition rule. This was, in effect, also denying the people of Wash ington county the Constitutional right of suffrage in reference to their Judiciary until the next election of Judges—a term of some seven years. Nor is this all: Showing how far party madness will carry some men, there is actually a provision in the bill referred to, authorizing Judge Sterritt, of Alle gheny, to deputize any one of tire other Judges to g o over to the county of Wash ington to hold the several courts for that county Men might thus come to be tried for capital offences in the Oyer and Terminer Courts, by Judges of the District CoUrt of Allegheny, whose ju risdiction and powers at home were re stricted to purely civil cases! We sincerely thank Governor Curtin for having turned aside one of the bold est and most reckless efforts we have ever known in our State to place the Judiciary under the feet of party ma lignity and personal prejudice. The in dependence of this right arm of our re publican institutions has been already well nigh destroyed ; and this is, in deed, a welcome and timely exhibition of that ancient respect which forms so beautiful and prominent a feature in the systems of the most enlightened governments of the earth. We give in this paper the brief and pertinent message of the Governor, to gether with the opinion of Attorney General Meredith, with whom he fully concurs. We bespeak for the Attorney General's paper, also, a careful perusal. It is marked, as his opinions generally have been, by high legal acumen, and clear logical reasoning. We bear of threat; that the bill thus defeated shall yet be carried over the heads of the Governor and the Attorney General. We cannot believe that there are enough so reckless as thus to hazard the rights and interests of the unotrend ing people of Washington county. The action of all their Courts—the rights of suitors—nay, the majesty and power of law in its highest features—might thus be rendered uncertain, unsettled and powerless, in one of the oldest most prosperous and peaceful counties of the Commonwealth : Ex ECUTIVE CHAMBER, HARRISBURG, March 10, 1505. j To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Goomontocatth of Poon.s.ifivonia: GENTLEMEN: I herewith return to the House of Representatives, in which it origi nated, hill No. 154, entitled " An act relative to the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsyl vania," with my objection to the same. It is with much regret that I feel com pelled by toy oath of office to withhold my signature from this bill on account of its being in violation of the Constitution. I have, on this question, requested the opinion of the Attorney General, a copy of which I transmit with this message and as part of it, and I entirely agree in the con clusion, at which he has arrived. (Mall subjects, and especially on a matter so vi tally important as the Judiciary, I conceive it to be necessary to abstain from any action that may clash with the true meaning and spirit of the Constitution. Whatever may be the result, I feel bound by every ol)liga lion that can bind a magistrate, personally and officially, to do what I conceive to he my duty in this regard. OPIN lON My opinion is requested by the (:overnor on the question whether any of the provi sions contained in the bill, entitled, An Act relative to the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania, - are unconstitutional. This bill proposes to annex Washington county to the Fifth Judicial District, (now composed of Allegheny county alone,) pro vided a majority of the qualified voters of the Washington county shall vote in favor of such annexation. There is no connection between the counties composing a Judicial District except that they have the same President ,Judge of the Courtof Common Pleas. The second section of this hill provides that the Judges of the District Court of Al legheny county, and the Assistant Law Judges of said county may hold the several Courts of Washington county as they may severally be assigned to that duty from time to time, with their consent, by the Presi dent Judge of the Fifth .Judicial District, and shall have the same powers and juris diction which are now or may hereafter lie conferred upon him. The - aunesatiou of Washington county to tho Fifth Judicial District would not make the Judges of the District Court or the Assistant Law Judges of Allegheny county Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Washington county. This section therefore authorizes the Presi dent Judge of the District, at his pleas ure, to substitute for himself, in the Courts of the Disiriet, a Judge of one of the Courts in another county of the District. There are acts providing tier the holding of special Courts by the President Judge of another District, where the President Judge of he proper District is disqualified to sit. And such acts are supported from the neces sity . of the case, to prevent a total failure of jus lice. But to allow a President Judge merely at his own pleasure, to appoint a Deputy to perform his judicial functions (as this bill proposes) would, in my opinion, be a breach of the fundamental principles of the Constitution, which provides for the judicial power, and for the appointment or election of Judges to exercise it. I am aware that a particular clause in the Constitution which provides expressly that the President Judge of the Common Pleas shall be one of the Judges to hold a Court of Oyer and Terminer, has been modified by decisions which allow a law Judge of the same court to take his place, or allow the Judges of a court created by the Legislature to hold an Over and Terminer independent ly of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. But I am not aware of any decision which would allow the President Judge of a dis trict at his option to appoint from time to time at his Deputy, or locate tenen,, a Judge of a court of one county to hold - either the civil or criminal courts of another county. I am therefore of opinion that the second section of the bill in question, would, if en acted, be a violation of the Constitution. - WILLIAM M. MEREDITH, Attorney General. The Tire President Taken to an Asylum. The correspondent of the New York Herald telegraphs to that paper the im portant fact that Andy Johnson, in the custody of Preston King, has been re moved from his haunts hi Washington to the country residence of old Mr. Blair. The venerable peace commis sioner accompaniedthe party. The Vice President is tobesobered up and brought to his senses, if possible. What regimen will be adopted is not known. The same correspondent says: " It is also stated in official circles to night that several doctors have been called in for consultation, with a view of making out a case of temporary in 2 sanity, and thus obtain an excuse to dispose of the Vice President, The fact that Mr. Johnson was nominated atEal timore through the influence of Weed and Seward, is much commented upon by the radicals. Seward is held respon sible by them for the recent disgraceful scene in the Senate, and an effort is being made to make a point on this fact." How Shoddy Is Favored On the .18th of February, when the amended revenue bill was before the House of Representatives, the duty on diamonds and jewelry, was reduced to five per cent. at? tffl/b7.enz. These are shoddy luxuries, and are therefore favor ed, whiy, the duty on printing paper is 4 % 4. at, tAch a high figure that none is ihaported. The rich can have cheap diamonds and jewelry, but the poor can not-have cheap books and newspaperx Letters from the Queen of England to the Emperor and the Empress of Mexico. The Mexican papers publish the fol lowing important letters: LETTER TO THE EMPEROR. My Brother: Being desirous to give to your Imperial Majesty an immediate proof of my sincere friendship and of my lively de sire to maintain the most friendly relations between great Britian and the Empire to the sovereignty of which Your Imperial Majesty has been called, I have determined to accredit near you the Hon. Peter Cainp bell Scarlett, a member of my honorable Order of Bath, in the character of my Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten tiary. By the, long experience which I have of the capacity of Mr. Searlett, and his zeal in my service, I am pursuaded that ho will lufill the important duties of his mission in such a manner as to obtain the esteem and confidence of your Imperial Majesty, and that he will justify my choice of him as resident Minister at your court. In the meanwhile, I ask you to give entire credit to everything that Mr. Searlett will com municate to you in my name, especially when, in placing this letter in the hands of Your Imperial Majesty, he assures you of my invariable esteem and of the highest consideration with which lam, my brother, of Your Imperial Majesty, the good sister. vicromi, QtEEN, To my good brother, the Emperor of Mexico. olst/e II ia,lsur, Nee. It, 1664. LETTER To Tut: EMPRESS CARLOTTA. - 11 V 4 'i 4 er mot It', msin : /laving selected - the lion. Peter Campbell Searlett, a member of my honorable Order of Bath to reside at the Court of the Emperor, the august husband of Y. I. M. in the character of My Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenopotentiary, I have charged him with handing this letter to T. I. M. :ma I send you the assurance of my most sincere friendship and esteem. I am pleased to believe tutu Y. I. M.will favorably receive Mr. Scarfi!lt, and will give entire credit to all that he may tell you in my name,lind especially when he ex presses the sentiments of invariable ittrections and consideration with which I am, my sister and dear cousin, of Y. I. M., I.le tit.eetionate sister tintl cousin, VB "I'HE EEN. To toy good sister and dear cousin, the Empress of Mexico. Ih'italsur, -Ver. laid. REPLY To Tit E EROR'S t.Err nit ON Itts .31 , / Brother I received front the lauds of Senior D. Francis° A rrangoiz the letter which Y. I. \l. addressed to nie on the ti7t h of.lune last, informing me that, having ac cepted in Europe the crown whirl the great majority of the Mexican people offered to you, Y.I. Alajosty lets taken possession of the throne on the 112th .f that w o mb, as Emperor of Mexico, in presence of the au thorities of the capital nail the rommittes trout the Dtpartments. Y. I. M. cannot doubt the interest which this important oc currence inspires to ate. Profoundly in terested in the tranquility and well-being of Mexico, I trust that the etablishment of the Empire will he the beginning of a new era of order and prosperity for this country, and Y. I. :NI, may rest assured that I sledl endeavor to Improve iind strengthen the re lations bet ween treat Britain :mil the Em pire, which Divine Providence has placed under your authority. I avail myself with pleasure of this occasion to manifest to Your Imperial Majesty my lively wish for your personal happiness and for the long duration and the glory of your reign, as well as the feelings of sincere friendship and cordial esteem, with which I am, my brother, of Y. I. M. the good sister, VICTORIA, QUEEN. To m - ' good brother, the Emperor of Mexico. Castle ll'iiuls•or, I Ill'Coventber, 1864. important Decision of the Supreme Court Regarding Reconstruction and Prize Cases An important decision has been ren dered by Chief Justice Chase, in the Supreme Court, which settles the policy of reconstruction: It arose on the great prize case growing out of the cotton cap tuu•ed by the Mississipi squadron during the Red river expedition. During the military occupation of the Red river country, in March last, the navy seized large amounts of cotton on the planta tions near the river . . The cotton was sent to Cairo, and libelled in the South ern District Court of Illinois as lawful prize for the navy. Nearly all the cotton seized was claimed by private in dividuals, The case appealed was that of the United States against seventy two bales of cotton, Elizabeth Alexan der, claimant. The court below decided/ in favor of the claimant, and the United States appealed. The counsel for the government and the navy claimed, in their argument before the Supreme Court, that the cotton was the enemy's property, captured in an enemy's con n try,and was condemnable as prize of war. The claimant's counsel denied the right of land captures by the navy, and also claimed that the country at the time or the seizure of the cotton was not enemy's country, lad occupied by the Union forces; thatan election was held and del egates elected to it constitutional conven- troll, which had met, abolished slavery and established a civil government, thus securing to the people all the rights and privileges o fciti zens 0 f the United States. Chief .1 ustiee Chase delivered the \. G. (URTIN opinion of the court, sustaining the de cision of the court below, and decided that the cotton was not a prize of war, and that the navy could take no prize nterest n the proceeds. The ( !taut also ield that the cotton should have been timed over to all anent or the Treasury Departmeht ; also that it, should have been disposed of in pursuance of the act of Congress of March 12, 1503. This act allows loyal claimants to recover pro ceeds of their property in the Court of Claims. In addition to this, the court decided that the election held in that part of Louisiana, during Gen. Banks' occupation, and in pursuance of his orders, was null, void and of no effect. The federal occupation was declared of so short duration as not to remove the character of the enemy's country. The court directed the libel to be dismissed. Fellow Counte,yown:-1 made an inau gural address four years ago; there is no particular occasion for another. The public knows as much as I do, about the progress of our arms. We have great hopes—but we make. no predictions. [SkwAit D's depart-- men t.] Four years ago all tried to :verb war. Both parties hated to tight. \Var came. The slaves are one-eighth of thy., population, and a "peculiar :.id power ful" institution. "Somehow" they caused the war. All pray to the same God. He don't appear to be on either side. When He makes up His mind we will have to stand it. Meanwhile, without malice, let us charitably and firmly continue to cut each other's throats: taking care of such unfortunate people as may be widowed and orphaned; in order that we may not injure or harm one another, but main tain just and lasting peace among- our selves and other nations. The Reported Attempt to Assassinate The report that a man named Thomas Clemens had matured his plans for the assassination of the President on inau guration day had its origin in the fol lowing facts: Clemens and another person came from Alexandria on Saturday. They were both extremely disorderly, and seemed to have been drinking freely. Clemens in particular was very abusive,. He said, using gross and profane lan guage, that he came here to kill the President • that he was late by about one half hour, and that his Saviour would never forgive him for failing tc do so ; that he would do it that night— namely, the sth of March, and that he came expressly to do it, and he would do it before he left town. He further more said that the Govertiment had' robbed him of a certain sum of money.. This is the substance of an affidavit.. Clemens has been turned over from the military to the civil authorities, and has been committed to jail for trial by the court. Morgan R. Wills, Esq., one of the- Editors of the "Herald and Free Press and R elm bli,an," is among the drafted of this borough. What change there will be made in the con - duct of our contemporary on this account we have not heard. The Herald and Republican is among the super "loyal" of the devo tees of Father Abraham, and its drafted editor will not think of applying for exemption or putting in a substitute. He will, as a matter of course, we say,. don the true blue of the "gallant brigade" and go with the stately step of the wtsr rior to help to put down this "accursed rebchion."—A Or rid Own Register. "John P. lisle our Minister to Spain. Hon. John P. Hale, of New Hampshire has been appointed and confirmed as Minister' to Spain. This nomination has taken by surprise some of the par ticular personal friends of Mr. Lincoln, who have been systematically persecu ted by Mr.., Hale for two years past. They say the surest way to the Presi dent's favor is to oppose his policy and abuse his friends. MEE= The Inaugural Boiled 'Down the President An Editor Drafted
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers