..tatt tOOtilgtt.
a. W. JOaie t
JAS. 8. JIIIIMANGSO
Country, One Constitution, One
Destiny."
iltelitlASMAl
IMIDIMPAY, M. 8,1814.
• Fen PRIGIIIDZST IN 18644
GEN. GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,
Woo to do Decision of the Democratic Nu
lional Convention.)
“Walk the army is fighting, you melt-
Siena see that the war Is prosecuted for
preaarvation of the Union and the
fihtentfilltleit, and of your nationality aid
rate right, pa eitiaens.”
GEO. B. McCLELLAN.
•the Constitution and the Unit%
plate than together, If they stand, they
sad slitaid together; if they fall, they
pea MI tegether."...Daniel Webster. •
Tin New Year,
We tender our patrons the compliments of
the peation. May the coming year bring
them all Fished-for prosperity and restore
10008 10 9nr distracted land!
Gen, Lazear.
e LAzaea, the faithful Represen
of the people of this District in
the t Congress, improved the
brief - of the two Houses, by a
visit his family and friends in this
place.' o man in tle county enjoys a
)leipar :gree of public confidence, nor
more deslervedly. Honest and straight
forward, 'modestly but decidedly and at
all times depressing his opinions on all
Addeohs of political concern, he is utter
ly
e of the contemptible "dodg
to his charge by the "Greene
County Republican." The business of
pommittoeo or of his constituents may
,ogiciPionalli require his absence from
!be move when partizan Resolutions
are pending, or buncombe discussions
we dragging their flow length along, but
no imprtant measure of public policy
will 'wave his scrutiny or his vote, if
able to be in his seat. We will answer
for that; and the promised watchfulness
of. what the General "does not do" the
'vont Session in the way of voting
will not occupy more than two minutes
std a half per day of neighbor Evans'
'time. Would it not be as well, how
ever, for oar Argus-eyed cotemporary
to dente at hest that small portion of
his Wore to the examination and
"eleiiiing up" of the wholesale and tin
e9n iiipti:onal nigger-freeing projects of
sash Slimfissnakes as Lovejoy, Wash
hulas sad Stevens, and to the exposure
otti votes in favor of increasing the
. s .
pay of cornpzu rioops and against in-
Fralosi4 the pay of our gallant warn
aommes, Whose peculiar friend and cham
pion the "Republican" claims to be, and
would have our brave lads believe it to
, be I How would it do to "take a turn"
'at that sort of thing, at least for the
present
"Young and Pure."
flenatoi John P. Hale, of New Hamp
shire, belonging to the "young and
"
Five" Abolition party, admitted, the
other day, in the United States Senate,
that he had received a fee of $3OOO
for getting a prisoner out of the Old
001 at Washington, who had been
'arrested, 'Oonfiiied, and was to be tried
for defranifing the government. Ac
cording to John's notions of Puritan
'morality, it was all right, as he happened
`to «)0 litalreut lawyer "when this old
hat was new," some 20 years ago. It
political and not his legal influ-
One% IP*" was paid for, however, as
he had only to apply to Stanton for the
"parole," which was promptly granted.
was employed to defend a swindler
igndo use his influence to have him re
late*. For the former he got $lOOO,
rod fit the latter $2OOO.
Ga. McClellan.
The Caanairative Union National Conven
thithillihhiflataly re-assembled in Philadel
phia, ematested G. Gao. B. ItioCur.Lea
Dcrr Brallidenslo boy. Wit B. COWBELL, of
TESEEMMISE, fat Vise *evident. Hen. Amos
acted as President, and Dr. IL F.
%mom,
of New Yorif; as Secretary of the
Convention.
The *maks of McClellan paha clubs in
eviw ypol,, ix i ontry was xeconiniended.
lialikiirsir OlitO 41 " ) SurSari of
dieCknimiallithet Otik AM**, imul not
been combed in rihrence to the DOnliallt•
ties--that be had nothing to do with the
ponswitarhairrar.
1/1. 1 0/1~ sistensik is
"OA Ate•
We wee with a outemporary that it is but
natural that apprehensions should belndulged
on ibis 04110; *r tin *stenos thin
Ulan oall*rK Itegtiltif tir depend'
oar 4001111110elet these Vita, The gen
entire of selintraix, at least as vise as we
are, wankd net depend on an inference, plafa
as it was, that the Federal Government was
the creature of the Constitution, as mach so
as a corporation isthe creature of its charter;
and that any power not granted to the Fed
eral Government nor forbidden to the States,
was reserved to the States and the people.—
They were not contented to leave that as a
'corollary, resulting . from the facts of the
case. They insisted that it should be ex
pressed, and it was expressed, and the clause
stands a monument of the wise jealousy of
the new power created. After this was so
plainly to be Wnilied, and after the expression
of it was demanded and secured by all the
States, it is now attempted to be overruled
by the war power. Such an attempt our
fathers would hardly apprehend. The war
power was but the arm of the civil power,
for its defence, and who would dream that
it could be a power by itself, to do what the
civil power had no right to do ; that the
mere servant of our institutions should as
sert a supremacy Ever them, when it was not
only implied, but expressly provided by all
the States that the military should always be
subject to the civil power? Our complex
system is that the Federal Government is a
real sovereign over the things committed to
it, the States are also real sovereigns over
objects reserved. We are under two real
Governments, each sovereign in its own
sphere.
There was a difficulty in point on the sub
ject. A Government must be the judge of
its own powers to be sovereign. The Federal
judiciary were left to be the ultimate guar
dians of both Governments, as to the limits
of their powers; for the Federal Government
and the laws made in pursuance thereof ware
made the supreme law of the land; and the
Federal judges were to decide finally if a law
was in pursuance of the Constitution. Noth
ing less than two-thirds of the States can
take an appeal from this tribunal, ane nothing
less than three-fourths of the States can
overrule St.
411-40 .--........-.............ir_...
The Rights - of - the States.
This provision leaves the question of con
flict, when it comes, to the States and the
people. State rights may be encroached
upon, and State rights for a time in peril ;
bat, after all, will they at last not stand the
test? There is reason to believe they will
weather the storm at last. The ties that hold
combinations of States may be disrupted; but
there is an intuition that the States are solid
units, that, like the ultimate atoms of matter,
are indestructible. At some point in the
progress of consolidation, it will affect too
many States to be tolerated. In the end, the
Federal Government is more likely to lose
than to gain by usurpation. What evils may
be done by errors or by design, in interfering
with rights plainly reserved to States, none
can foresee; but the end is not likely to be
favorable to the power that unwarrantably
interferes.
From the origin of our Government par
ties have threatened the disruption of the
Union ; but the thought of destroying a
State Government has not been cherished.—
A threat of rebellion against State authority
has not been made by any responsible party,
and has never met with any sympathy.
There are thirty-four parties to this jeal
ousy of State rights. Some great question
may override this jealousy for a time, but
only for a time. It has a natural and inde
structible basis, and, like the law of gravita
tion, acts constantly, and, like the same law,
will finally overcome the greatest impulsive
force. It is the interest of every State that
the rights of none of them shall be infringed,
and it is an interest that the people of a State
cannot fail to see.
It is natural that the party in power
should feel a repugnance to State rights.—
They stand in the way of the cherished pur
poses of the Abolition party, and it is a
point with them to bring the whole theory
of State rights into disrepute, if possible.—
This doctrine of the rights of the States is
now blamed with all the trouble by the shal
low Abolitionists. It, in fact, in their view,
is the cause of the house being divided
agabagt itself. Whatever the ambition of a
party prompts it to do, must be done, and if
the right of a State stands in the way, it is
an evil! Such obstacles they say ought to be
removed. •
The doctrine of State rights mad be abu
sed by being pushed to extremes, until a
.State is assumed to be an independent na
tion, with a right to set up for itself and re
cognize no power but its own. This makes
the Union voluntary on the part of the States,
and assumes their right at discret'on to ig
nore all Federal authority. Acting on this
extreme view, the Southern States have se
ceded ; hence the doctrine of State rights
comes in for responsibility for the crime of
rebellion, and those who insist on the rights
of the State at all are rebels, in the vocabu
lary of this political school.
Now, the doctrine of secession, monstrous
and erroneous as it is, is not more dangerous
than the theory that the Federal Govern
ment has any power not delegated in the
Constitution. We presume no bigot or fa
natic, who acknowledges any law but the
higher law, will pretend that the States have
not rights, sacred from any interference by
the Federal Government. It will not be
pretended that the States are not Govern
ments, with rights and powers reserved, and
therb is no dispute as to the material part of
these rights. There is, however, a great
lack of appreciating the value and sacredness
of these rights. It is agreed that a State can
not legislate upon a subject given exclusively
to the Federal Government. It must not
usurp power over such a subject, but it is
treated as a small matter, which eircumstan
cea may justify, for the Federal Government
to exercise power reserved to the Statek . add
disregard State authority. •
It is thought to be a light matter tq enter
a Slate with the Federal military, and heelare
wksio 'ball vete; a power that all adEgit be
bop eachealsob r ita,
,this States. Rare is a
Ada csiPi,'assittbrigita id* aicou4 l he**
.. 0 •
Say tribunal. It is, moreover, the most im
portant of State *lts. irbatifiarhe the
qualification of thylector none but a State
in with. the Felt Govern-
Willa, under its - grn power or any other,
a thus Work with a plibinly-reserved
right of a _State, then, indeed, there is no
such things as State rights ; ands State has
no rights that the Federal Governmef.t is
boßnd to respect ; and all our State Govern
ments are but machinery to be used by the
power at Washington.
Our fathers did not intend to give the
Federal Government such power. The,States
did not dream that they were ratifying such a
power when they adopted the Constitution.
Not a State would have consented to become
a nullity by conceding such a power to the
Federal Government. If there be danger in
State rights, here is one more dangerous; it
subverts go whole theory and basis of our
institutions. States, with all their rights,
are essential to our system. Whether the
system be good or bad, there it is, and any
change of this essential part of it is revolu
tion. The Federal Government has no more
right, under a plea of necessity, to usurp
power plainly not conferred upon it, plainly
reserved to the States, than a State, under
any such pleas, has to violate a law of the
Federal Government.
The danger of such usurpation may not
appear immediately. Our fathers decided
that it would not do to give such power to
the Federal Government. It would not suit
our people ; and for that reason a Govern
ernment exercising such a power would
fail at last. It would be upset by revolu
tions. Such a power would run into a des
potism or crumble to pieces by its own
weight.
Now, what is the danger of an exaggera
tion of State rights, of the greatest abuse ?
Secession is the worst. That, after all, is but
rebellion, that the error on the other hand
will be sure to produce.
In fact, this rebellion did not originate in
any theory of secession. Only a few who
went into the rebellion ever held the doctrine
at all. Indeed, if the doctrine had been re
cognized universally, there could have been
no reason to secede. The whole movement
was based on evils apprehended. If such a
remedy as secession really existed and was
acknowledged, no danger could have been
apprehended, for each State had a peaceable
and effectual remedy for it.
In a central Government, that claims the
power to nullify any State right, such appre
hensions will always exist. It was the fear
of usurpation of power, for which there would
be no remedy, that was used to 'educate
the Southern mind and fire the Southern
heart." .
The people were told that a party was com
ing into power that would not regard the re
served rights of States, and that they must
make haste now to protect those rights by
physical force before it was too late. It was
not, then, a belief in the doctrine of seces
sion that produced the rebellion. Whilst
some held to the doctrine, they knew it was
practically a nullity ; fer it was of no avail
if it were not recognized by the Government
itself.
At present, few would dispute the rights
of a State in theory. Specify these rights,
and they would be acknowledged in words ;
but what of them ? There is the trouble.—
If they are in the way, thrust them aside.—
Any excuse to disregard them will do. Pre
texts will never be wanting. The criminality
of a State in contemning Federal power on
such excuses and pretexts these men could
see, but they can't appreciate the crime they
commit. In fact, their crime is a merit, as
the fanatic will tell a pious lie for the glory
of God, or commit murder to prevent the
propagation of heresy. The rebels trample
down the laws and Constitution of the Uni
ted States. The enormity of their crime these
Abolition partizans can see ; but they disre
gard and trample under foot the Constitu
tions and laws of the States, and can't see
their own guilt, palpable and flagrant as it is.
They are fully awake to the wrongs and
crimes of others, but are blind as bats to
their own. Such is their consistency.
Waynesburg Messenger.
This sound and able Democratic paper has
put' on a new suit of clothes, and now rivals
in appearance, as it always has in capacity,
the neatest and best conducted papers in the
State The Democrecy of Greene will, we
do not doubt, take pride in rewarding the
skill and enterprise of the editor as they de
serve.—[Harrisburg Patriot and Union.
erWe always DID say our ootemporary
bad taste and discernment.
The Legislature.
The State Legislature cor vetted at Har
risburg on yesterday, Jan. sth, The Re
publicans have a majority in the House, but
the Senate will stand equally divided, as one
of the Republican members is in Libby prison,
at Richmond. The Harrisburg Union
thinks the House will be able to organize at
once, but that several days may intervene
before the Senate succeeds in organizing.
The Prospect.
The Cleveland Leader, in an article on
the "good time coming" under radical
auspices, holds out this consolatory pros
pect to "men of this day and generation:"
Men now in the prime gf life will nev
er see the glad fruition of the coming
time ; let them be content to gaze upon
the promised land from a distance,
though it be from the mountain top of a
good old age.
,-The West Chester Jeffersonian has
the following good hit :
"Mons TaxEs.—A contemporary wants to
know what Andy Curtin will do if they put
an extra= of 80 cents per gallon on whis
key ! Do ?---swallow it, of course."
is said that ten thousand of the vet
eran troops of the Army of the Potomac
have already re-enlisted. and paymasters
have been ordered into the field to pay the
awn their beekipay Ind bounty.
ilirr• raw ent Lincoln is recovering from
a slight attack al varioloid.
"The gownsmanbao beet thig % m bled for
the last three "lam boa lint time
it ever bad the aim* 1.1. 1 en Ad-
ITEMS, POLITICAL AND OTHER-
WISE.
Tay Utilote.—The Boaso ll o ,tier
there are thre e s tuesnings te the phrase "The
u n i on ." 1.1 1 4 ; first is, the 'Union as it existed
under the RayqlVetukry bpnfederation ; the
second 'is, the tYnion under the Constitution ;
the third is the Union as the the radicals are
trying to reconstruct it. The first is a Con
federate Union ; the Second a Constitutional
Union ; the third a Consolidated Union.—
The first is the Union of Secessionists, the
second is the Union of Conservatives, the
third is the Union of the Abolitionists.
President Lincoln, in his letter to
Horace Greeley, and again, in his letter to
the Springfield, Illinois, meeting, declared
that he was for the Union with or without
slavery; but in his late message he proclaims
that seceded States must abolish slavery, or
they cannot be recognized as States. He
now declares that he is for the Union with
out slavery. Is he an Unconditional, or a
Conditional Union man, or what is he ?
mir Secretary Stanton, it is positively sta
ted, has assured several Philadelphia ne
groes of a speculative turn of mind, that ne
groes shall hereafter be placed upon the same
footing with whites in the matter of con
tracts ; whereat, it is said, the Shoddyites
are very indignant.
sar A Washington correspondent of a
Western paper asserts that Senator Jim
Lane was seriously exercised at the failure
of the House to reelect Mr. Stockton Chap
lain to the Senate, because, said he, "
repeats the Lord's prayer every morning,
and before the end of this Congress hp
would have kept it up till some of these nt,:r ,
bers would have learned it!"
A "FAT Tess."—A journeyman printer,
engaged on one of the daily newspapers at
Boston, has just received information that a
legacy of $7,500 is awaiting his acceptance
on the other side of the water, and that
there is more of the same sort in store for the
same individual.
A JOKE FOR THE OFFICE SREEER6.—Lin
coln is said to have a good joke upon all ap
plicants for office. He says he has but
one vacant place, and that is the command
of the Army of the Potomac. All decline
that, and depart for home satisfied that the
President has made them the best offer in
his power.
THE RADICALS AND THE MESSAITE.—The
Washington correspondent of the St. Louis
Democrat (Radical) thus writes of the Presi
dent's message :
"There is no use of attempting to disguise
the fact that the impression produced by it
as a whole, is unfavorable, and has not served
to strengthen its author."
a -The Philadelphia Ago says : " Our
Magna Charta was not wrung from any ty
rant, nor our habeas corpus from any Charles
II." There is the trouble: If we had
won it, through tears, suffering, and blood,
IL would not have been so carelessly thrown
away.
• iclrThe legislature of Alabama has voted
that the carpets that cover the floor of the
Senate Chamber, Hall of Representatives,
and all officers' and committee rooms in the
capitol at Montgomery, be cut up and given
to the soldiers of the army for blankets.
,Investigations into the affairs of the
Quartermaster's Department at Alexandria
are still progressing, and the old Capitol re
ceives almost daily some of the parties im
plicated in the recent frauds. The contrac
tors come in for a full share of the penalties.
al -The N. Y. Herald gives Lincoln up—
hear it : "We abandon 'Honest Old Abe'
as a hopeless case. We have puffed him,
we have praised him, and have helped him in
every way, but can get no good out of him."
illdrlt is reported that letters have been
received from Gen. Grant, which state that
it is against his wishes and consent that his
name is so conspicuously brought forward in
some of the New York journals for the Pres
idency.
Keep it Before the People.
Hon. Chas. Dennison Democratic member
of Congress for the Luzerne District, recent
ly offered a resolution in Congress, in
creasing the pay of the soldiers in the army,
per mouth, to $3O. For this righteous
measure every Democrat in Congress voted,
but it was voted down by the Republicans.
The same day, Mr. Washburne, who had
talked and voted against paying the poor
soldiers even one dollar per day, introduced
and passed a bill paying the clerks at the
capitol $4 per day, and that only for about
six hours' work, each day. Who are the Sol
diers' Friends?
The "International Mill."
The Heenan and King fight, at Tunbridge.
England, on the morning of Dec. 10th, last
ed thirty-one minutes, King winning on the
25th round. The prize was ten thousand
dollars.
It is said that Morrissey will win between
$36,000 and $45,000 on the Heenan and
King contest, which be carefully laid out in
bets. On the other hand, the proprietor of
a Broadway saloon has lost $12,000 on the
fight. Neil• Bryant, the champion chess
player, is said to have "gone in" to the tune
of $20,000 on Heenan, and is, of course,
"gone up." It is estimated that between
$lOO,OOO and $200,000 changed hands in
this country on the result.
THE AGE OF Pmurr Esswasp,—Four
teenth Street, Washington, is said to con
tain, throughout its whole length, south
from Williard's, not one house that is not a
house of ill-fame. A contract has just been
made to build a house of the same charac
ter that is to cost $BO,OOO Old Babylon
and ancient Rome were models of purity,
compared with Washington under Republi
can rule—the party whose platform was to
"restore the Government to the purity of
the Fathers." Perhaps they meant the very
early fathers—those who lived in Herculan
eum and Pompeii, and the exhumed itemy
symbols of wisse faith and practices 'hi
modern thaekaapitad the aateakimant (but
not tire aintinitl9a) et bauiders.--filareford
Tow. .1
Gen. George B. McClellan.
•The Hartford Tunes recalls attention
to the well-grounded belief that Gen.
McClellan would have gone into Rich
mond, in the peninsula - eainpaign, lithe
Administration bad permitted ..Dowell
to advance with his forty thousand ;Men
and to hold Stonewall Jackson inehick,
as McClellen requested. 'The Tir c ues
adds:
"After Pope's defeat, he rallied the dis
organized troops, and beat Lee in two
pitched battles in the brief space of eight
weeks.. He was then within 48 hours of
another battle in which he was confident
he could
,most thoroughly defeat and
break Up Lee's army—and then he was
removed. What has been done since ?
What has the year and a half produced by
the change t"
Desperation of the Rebel Congress
In the rebel Congress measures of a des
perate nature, prompted by desperate ne •
cessity, were being speedily framed and a
dopted. The House had passed a bill to pro
hibit the circulation of and traffic in United
States currency. Also, a bill abolishing the
system of substitutes in the army, and com
pelling those who hare furnished substitutes
to enter the army in person, at the same
time holding on to the substitutes.
A REMARKABLE SPEECH
A remarkable speech had been made by
Senator Brown, of Mississippi, urging the ex
tremest measures for raising men and mon
ey to carry on the rebellion.
PRICES GOING STILL HIGHER.
The prices of provisions in Richmond
were still going higher, and the supply was
t. The people were called upon to
bring forward their bullion, gold and silver
plate, &c.
The Health of the President.
The Philadelphia Inquirer announces the
fact, that "the President has so far recovered
his health as to enable him to visit Ford's
Theatre nightly, to witness 'Jacket." We
suggest the propriety of the war clergy call
ing their flocks together, and after the style
in monarchial countries, thanking God that
our illustrous Chief Magistrate is so far re
covered in health as to be able to visit a
second class theatre nightly, to listen to the
vulgar jokes of a low commedian.--[Fulton
Democrat.
—The Administration majority in the
House of Representatives voted, to a man,
against submitting the question of the con
stitutionality of the Conscription Act to the
adjudication of the Supreme Court of the
United States. Either these gentlemen ex
pect a decision adverse to its constitution
ality or they do not. If they do not, it was
wanton folly not to remove the strong feeling
in the public mind against the bill by pro
curing an indorsement of it from the high
est judicial authority. If they do anticipate
a decision adverse to the bill, their vote pro
claims an utter indifference to the Constitu
tion, and a willingness to see it "laid on the
shelf as a piece of waste parchment."
Der-Among a long list published in the
Bulletin, of men who were drafted in this
county, but failed to report, and "are liable
to be arrested as deserters," is the name of
James Hurling, late of this place. If any
body wants to arrest him as a "deserter,"
they will find him in his grave, at Clear
Spring, Maryland, where he died while in
the military service of the Government.—
[Williamsport Gazette.
Sar "Old Abe's" last and most stupenduous
joke is his offer of amnesty to the slavehold
ing Hotspurs of the South upon condition
that they become abolitionists after the Gar
rison pattern. It is horrible pleasantry,
however, in view of the hideous waste of
blood and treasure his ill-timed joke will oc
casion. —[N. Y. World.
Politeness goes a good ways. Henry
Ward Beecher says "an impudent clerk can
do as much injury to a store as the neglect
of the proprietor to advertise his goods:'—
Two undoubted and significant facts which
every one interested will please bear in
mind.
eir "The Admistration at Washington, and
Congress, care more to free the negroes than
to restore the Union. All their actions prove
this.—[Pottsville Democratic Standard.
And their actions also prove that they
care much more for the freedom of the ne
gro than for the liberty of the white man.—
[Age.
PITTSBURGH MARKETS.
Prrrsarann, Saturday, Jan. 2
Hay—The receipts being limited, holders
were firm. Sales were made at the scales at
$40441 10 ton. Baled firm. Straw was
unchanged.
Flour—We could perceive no change in the
market. Holders were firm and held out
for the outside rates. The principal bnsiness
done was from store by the dray load to meet
the wants of the local trade. Among the
sales were 320 bbls. at
Extra—s6,oo. •
Extra Family—s7®7,26.
Some choice brands were heldligher; wag
on Flour was unchanged.
Apples—The market contains an abundant
supply. We note sales of 320 bbls. at $3,25
on the wharf; sales 100 bbls. from store, at
$2,80 `f3 bbl.
Butter—The demand has fallen eff. Sales
of Fresh Roll was made from store at 26®
28c.
Eggs—The supply has increased. Sales
1,200 dozen at 22a24c ef doz.
Lard—Was firm, and prices are looking up.
Sales of 20 tees at 180 15 tb.
Dried Fruit—The demand is improving.—
Holders are endeavoring to excite the mar
ket.
Apples--; note sales of 150 bush. at
$1,87a2,06 bush.
Pure/ice— ere held at $4,25a4.87i.
arain:—There was a large inquiry for this
article, and the receipts are beginning to in
crease. Among the sales may be noted the
following:
Corn—Th* demand was active. Sales of
1200 bus. at $1,28a1,30 bush. Sales were
made to arrive•during the coming week, at
$1.25 per btishel.
OtdoL-Were looking up. We note sales
of 1400 t 1128: at 7
l3aeley—The dettr i n i taceeds the supply.
Soles of 2,00 D bus. Spring at $1,40a1,41, and
2,900 do Fall at $1,51 per bus.; 1050 bushels
the terms of which were withheld.
intelit- 'Wu steady, with a good demand.
Bed was MU at $1,3761,40, sad Inds as
111,45a1,48, as per loality. . .
.I"'\ MO •
r
qti#
A Suoonehd Creiry Expedition.
A correspondent .9f " the N. Y. Tri
bune, writing from Bealton Station on
the 27th, says : On Monday, Decem
ber 21st, the Maine Cavalry, Col. 0. M.
Smith, accompanied by the 2d, Bth and
16th Pennsylvania Cavalry, left Bealton
Station at noon, and marched rapidly to
Sulpher Springs, where, after a short
halt, they proceeded to Amissville,
where the advance guard of the expe
dition charged upon a small party of
rebels, capturing one prisoner. Reach
ing Gaines' Cross Roads, another small
party of guerrillas were discovered and
driven to the mountains. Pushing on
the expedition reached Sperryville,
where a small rebel force held Thorton
Gap, and *red considerable resistance
to our troops, but were obliged to beat
a precipitate retreat. On the night of
the 22d, our forces were encamped with
in four miles of the neat little town of
Luray. During the night our pickets
were attacked by a portion of Gilmore's
guerrillas. A short skirmish satisfied
them that prudence was the better part
of valor, and they retreated, carrying off
their wounded.
At daylight on the 23d inst. the ex
pedition encountered a feeble picket
force in front of Luray, a stronger force
being stationed iu the town. A gallant
charge scattered them in all directions,
and a number of prisoners fell into our
hands. Two deserters entered our lines
at this point. At Luray, Col. C. H.
Smith, commanding the expedition, sent
officers to examine the post-office, jail,
and other public buildings. A number
of conscripts had been removed from
the jail, upon learning of our approach.
Orders were given for the destruction
of a three-story building, used as an ex
tensive saddle and harness manufactory,
and stored with cavalry and artillery
stock and equipments. Adjoining this
building a large tannery, filled with raw
and finished stock. to the value of sev
eral hunrded thousand dollars, was
burned and otherwise destroyed.
On the return march, - five other tan
neries were destroyed by fire, witn their
contents, between Luray and Sperry
vine. Near Sperryville, a two-horse sut
ler wagon was captured, containing a
rebel mail and a quanity of medicines and
dry goods. This team was on its way
from the 'Upper Potomac to the rebel
lines. At little Washington a charge
was made upon a gang of Mosehy's men,
resulting in killing one and capturing
another. The entire expedition reached
its camp on Christmas eve well supplied
with poultry for their Christmas dinner,
having marched 125 miles, inflicting a
serious blow to the enemy, and captur
ing a number of prisoners, without the
slightest casualty. The prisoners had
$7,000 in rebel shinplasters when cap
tured.
From the South-West.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.—The follow
ing dispatch has been received at the
Headquarters of the Army, dated Chat
tanooga, December 28.
Col. Long, of the 4th Ohio cavalry,
commanding second Division of Cavalry,
reports from Calhoun, Tenn., Dec. 28th
that the rebel Gen. Wheeler, with 12
or 1300 cavalry and mounted inthutry,
attacked Col. Sibert and captured a sup
ply train from Chattanooga for Knoxville,
at Charlestown, on the south bahk of the
Hiawasse. The escort had reached the
encampment at Charleston last night,
and Col. Sibert's skirmishers were hotly
engaged with the enemy this morning.
When Col. Long was apprised of their
approach he immediately moved the
small force for duty in his camp at the
time . , one hundred and fifty men, crossed
to Col. Sibert's support, when the rebels
shortly afterwards gave way. Col. Long
pursued them closely. Discovering
a portion of their force cut off on the
right, he charged thBm with the sabre,
completely demolishing and scattering
them in great confusion. Several of the
enemy were killed and wounded. There
were 121 prisoners captured, including
five commissioned officers. The main
rebel column fled, and were pursued five
miles on the Dalton road, and when last
seen were fleeing precipitately.
Col. Long's loss was one man slightly
wounded.
The officer in command of Coasser
Station, at Cleveland, also reports that
he was attacked early this afternoon, De
cember 28th, by a force of one hundred
rebels. He drove them off, however.
[Signed] GEo. H. Tiiom.ts,
Major General Commanding
The Exchange of Prisoners Ceased.
The exchange of prisoners has again
ceased, after 500 had been brought from
Richmond. The rebels refused to hold
any interviews with Gen. Butler. and
give notice that they will not respect any
flag of truce that covers him. This was
a determination of a Cabinet meeting at
Richmond, at which it was resolved to
print the declaration of outlawing against
him. Gen. Ould expressed his satisfica
tion with Gen. Butler's plan of exchange,
and was willing to act on it. Indeed,
they had commenced exchanges under it
before they had learned of the appoint
ment of Butler as Commissioner. Under
it they had agreed to make no discrimina
tion against colored soldiers and their
officers; except slaves. They refused to
exchange slaves on any terms. Gen.
Butler now proposes to put an end to all
further intercourse with the rebels on the
subject, and resort to coerceive measures
to compel them to terms.
The Escape of John Morgan.
Accounts from Chattannooga to the
18th inst., state that Gen. John Morgan
escaped across the Tennessee at Gilles
pie's Landing, 60 miles above Chattan
nooga, on Sunday. Captain William
Cummings and Robert Cumings, who
escaped from Columbus with him, were
captured with 14 of his esocrt of 30.
Reaching the neighborhood of the river
they pressed every citizen to prevent an
alarm, and constructed a raft at the
mouth of Mills Creek to cross. A citi
zen who eluded the pickets gave the
alarm, and the attempt was nearly frus
trated. Morgan sseapecton a valuable
race horse, presented hi* in Kentucky,
going in the direction otAthens.
Price s ' of Goods at th(ssuth•
The following prices were obtaine.st
an auction sale of /foods, at Wilmington.
X. C. a few days ago :
French wove C~oorset®, $25 each ;
Welsh flannel, 0.75 to $8 ; fancy
shirting, $5 ; blotched shirti.l 4 , $l, •
4.55; woolen cloth, $2l to $29 , ' , t;.3
broad cloth, $65 ; black do. $ ;
cambric handkerchiefs, $35 per dc-•
shawls, $75 each; fancy flannel sL ftz.
$230 per dozen; pins, $10.25 per
age; whole and colored hose, $36 ; shoe
thread, $9.15 to $9.871 ; flax tread,
$12.121 p.er lb ; bonnet frames, $25
per dozen ; envelopes, $5O to $6O per
M ; note paper, $5O ; printinc , paper,
$3.37/ per lb; steel pens, (5.61/ to
$10.25; pen holders, $15.50 par gross;
playine. cards, $3B per dozen packs ;
Bourbon whiskey, $205 to 225 per
doz ; sperm candles, $lO ; Jamaica cof
fee, $7.621; Congou tea, $9.92 to 11 ;
sugar, $2.85 for brown. $4.12/ to $4.-
40 for crushed, $5.25 to $5.40 for
loaf; codfish, $1.40 to $1.65 per pound;
salmon $4lO to $415 ; mackeral, $2OO
per barrel ; sardines, $4.121 to $5.871
per box ; pickels, $25 per dozen jars ;
ladies' gaiter*, $35 to $47 ; ladies' grain
boots, $28.50; ladies' kid boots, ?.50 ;
girls and misses cashmere boots, 824 ;
French calf bluchers, 844 ; russett bro
gans, $27 ; russsett cavalry boots, $65 ;
short Wellington boots, $5O per pair
alcohol, 70 to 72 ; brandy, $92.50 to
$107.50; Holland gin, $45 to $53;
whiskey, $58.50 to $62 ; rum, $39.54
per gallon ; olive oil, $33 per gallon.
Congress.
Congress has adjourned without a-
mending the Enrollment act ; and if any
draft is to be made on the sth of Janua
ry next it must be made from the first.
class, and with the $3OO com
mutation clause in force. It is stated
that it is the intention of the government
to go on with drafting from the first
class, expecting that Congress will speed
ily authorize the consolidation of the two
classes, so that a draft can be made upon
the second class before the expiration of
the month of February. Gen. Schenck
is very strongly in favor of the consolid
ation of the two classes and has so ex
pressed himself in the House; while Mr.
Stevens, of Pennsylvania, is opposed
to the proposed change. Congress will
consolidate the classeS, however, imme
diately after the adjournment. It is con
sidered certain, however, that the com
mutation clause in the present act will
not be abolished. The "voice of the en
tire country seems to be against it. Mr.
Wilson, of the Senate Military Com
mittee expresses the opinion that the
much-debated clause will be retained,
and air :A should be retained.
Terrible Railroad Accident,
The Washington Chronicle learns that
about six o'clock on Saturday evening
the train from Brandy station ran off the
embankment at Bristow Station, destroy
ing several yards of the track, the locomos
tive, and four cars, besides killing four
men and wounding fifteen. At the time
of the accident, the train was moving at
the rate of at least 20 miles an hour. At
Bristow Station, where there is a switch,
the track is in bad condition. Within
eighty yards of the scene of the accident,
is a bridge of considerable size, which
must have given way had the train pro
ceed farther, thus rendering certain the
loss of at least one hundred lives.
It is stated as the cause of the catas
trophe, that the switch having become
unmovable further than than to a cer-.
tab point, the person whose duty it was,
to change it ran up the track towards
the coming train and attempted to 'stop
it ; but being unprovided with either
lantern or torch, his efforts were fruit
less.
The Fleet off Charleston.
BOSTON, Dec. 80.—The usually well posted
correspondent to the Boston Herald, writing
from the fleet off Charleston, dating Dec. 28,
ECM
I see by the papers that there is a great
deal of uneasinsss becau,e the Navy here is.
idle. Let me say that if the people at the
North only knew the reason why we are idle,
they would stop grumbling. In due season
they will have a chance to rejoice over the
doings of the Navy before Charleston. To
prove that this is no idle statement, lam
willing to wager one hundred dollstrs with
any Northern grumbler, that, it everything
works according to the plans laid out,
Charleston. will be occupied by our forces,
sixty days from date.
Gen. Averill'a Raid.
Files of Richmond papers to the 22d *t.„
say much excitement had been occasioeW by
Gen. Averill's daring raid, and all the ac
counts of the vast destruction of property by
his command are fully contained. It was
thought at one time ho was endeavoring to
reach Danville and liberate the Union priso
ners there. The rebels were confident of
capturing him, and declared that if he escap.
ed their cavalry had better be re-organized.
Ha;yea Ferry, Dec. 28, 9p. tn.—
Brig. General Callum, Chief of Staff :
General Sulivan's column retured safely,
bringing one hundred prisoners, about a
hundred horses, equipments, itc. My
different columns are now safely back.
They captured in all over four hundred
prisoners and a large quantity of propee
ty. My plans and orders have been
promptly and faithfully executed, with
a single exception, and with a small loss
ou our part. B. F. KELLy,
Brigadier General.
,Two boys, recently committed to
the jail in Shelby, Ind,, had their throats
cut from ear to ear, by an insane man,
who was confined in the same apart
ment. A mob soon after took, poses
sion of the jail, dragged the insane man
out, and were about hanging, when
he was taken from them by more sensi
ble people. If any one ought to be hung
it *as the person or persons who con
fined the boys in a room with such a
maniac,
fi'Among the patients in, the luna
tic esylum at Milledgeville, Georgia, is
a celebrated African missionary and
writer, Dr. Brown. Since ho has been
aned he has written a spelling book
and gratruner, which have been publish
ed. and is now engaged on a work on
chemistry and philosophy.