=I be RtaiONtr. R. W. JONES , L Editors. JAS. 8. JENNINGS,) "One Country, One Constitution, One Destiny." 1211 Ar ' - ,1 --", f 7 at_ a IMiii WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18, 1365. MONEY ! MONEY ! ! The csrrent expenses of a newspaper pflee in these war times are enormous, And pan only be met by prompt pay- Anepts on ,the part of patrons. We are isqw paying over MIME TIMES as much ,Al* paper as we-did three years ago, and ,eerrespoeding advances have been made is the price of other printing materials. In addition to all this, the wages of labor Are higher than ever before since the ,establishment of the" paper, while the ,necessaries of life command equally ex - 11'P - spat rates. - Under these circum stawces, we must insist on our subscri dogs remembering us in a substantial Nay, by making prompt payments. Will every patron who knows himself ..ee be in arrears on our books innedi- .4,4,17,ca1l and settle his account ! It „wilt relieve us from embarrassment and give us some heart for our work, whicii it best, pays but a trifle and nothing Ake as well as any other business pur : Friends, losc no time in SMITING UP. ,I3sitler Dismissed the Service! Hum- bug at a Discount ! Butler has not been without usefulness to the administration in, advancing its political, fortunes, while he his not been unmindful of! own pecuniary interests. The President = is believed to have been faithful to Butler to the last, and it was right that he should, for no public man, of Butler's capacity, has been , more shamelessly subservient in his new •• party attachments than he. Before the war commenced he was among the most extreme of our Northern politicians in his fawning :subserviency to the South. Elected to the Charleston convention as a Douglas Dale ' gate, he disregarded his instructions and sup ported Breckenridge with all his power, as • he did in the canvass which preceded the • ?residential election of 1860. After Mr. 'Lincoln's accession to power, no one was * more ready to "Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee, That preferment might follow fall tung, ' than was Butler to the new administration., - whkh he previously so fiercely denounced. No one was more prompt to throw off the principles which he had professed through his previous life, and step in advance, even, of many of his new party associates, in the race of abolitionism. Ile became the espe cial pet of the most extreme of the Negro struck supporters of the administration. His smart practices, and a style of writing sharp letters, made him 3 huge favorite with the howling Dervishes of Abolition. He was speedily clothed with almost unlimited pow • er in the distant "province" (as the aboli tionists were wont to call its of Louisiana.— The rich city of New Orleans, conquered by the indomitable Farragut, was placed under his control, and he governed it as a needy T. . adventurer would, who was almost without responsibility for a time, to the home gov • ernment. But complaint soon began to reach the government, of his extortions, and after his plundering proponsities were beyond doubt to the government through the report - of Recenly Johnson, lie was re , celled; but to the surprise and indignation ofevery true friend of the government, he was shortly afterwards appointed to a res ponsible military command in the army of • the Potomac. From thence he got himself placed in command of the land force of the Wilmington expedition, upon which so much .. expense and preparation had been made.— _ .. He had scarcely reached the place of debar cation for his troops near Wilmington, when he exibited either his incompetency, or his . cowardice, and suddenly returned to the '• army of the Potomac, with the en . ecrations of the sturdy old Comodore Porter, and the Naval part of the expedition. how lie ever • came to be trusted with the command of so important an expedition will ever remain a prOblem. The lives of our soldiers should be held in higher esteem by the government, than to be entrusted to such incompetents.— It is believed that he is indebted to one of those spasmodic ebulitions of right, in which Secretary Stanton, occasionally indulges, for his dismissal from the army, and his return to the peaceful shades of Lowel. Rimor has it that Gen Grant cordially concurred in this banishment from the army of a Gene eral whose military taleuts ht held in very light esteem. Stime of the President's friends make this excuse for his appointment to the izead of the Wilmington expedition: that it - • , was confi dently expected that the Navy would be. amply able, of itself to capture Wiltaingtoccand that cutler_ was sent along with the expedition mainly to act as Mi11.40-4siry .40-4siry Goverwerof the eity, after its capture. .. 41 "111* Stud en fair orilittiet must be' painful to the pride of one of, .atrogant nature, and domineering dispOsitioq , hut,that it is for the advantage of the service, no one ""` .•e••-ior.--y••-•- whose opinion is worth a copper, will gain- Mr. Stenten could find no more ready mode of regaining the esteem of the country, which his many arbitrary acts have nearly lost him, than by weeding out from among our military commanders, along with B.atle r, such Generals as Bankx, Wallace, Schenck, and a host of others that could be named, whc have disgraced the country and frequently sacrificed the precious lives of our soldiers; and who have no other claims th the responsible offices they hold, than their skill in political intrigue and their proficien cy in the low acts of the scirvey politician. The Peace Rumors--The Mission of the Blairs to Richmond. There seems to be no doubt that, what was rumor a week or ten days 'tgo, as to the Blairs,—father and son,—going to Richmond, on a mission intended to open the way for negotiators for peace, is now redneed to a certainty. That they have gone to Bichmond—all the organs of public opinion, in New York and Washington both Democratic and Republican, agree—and most of them, express no doubt that their movement ,„--.. f a-n7ful f _connected with a for settling nur difficulties. Greeley who l• figured in the famous Niagara project of last fall, is warmly engaged in forwarding this movement. It is said that lion. G. W. Singleton, a distinguished Democrat et Illi nois, has lately asked and received permission to pass through the military lines to Rich mond, with the same object in view, as i s supposed. Rumor also has it, that within a tew days, Ex-Senator Rives of Va. Ex- Governor Orr, of South Carolina. and Vice , President Stephens, of Georgia, are on their way to Gen. Grant's camp, in connex ion with this desirable movement We trust these latter rumors may prove true, and that they may result in bringing the sensi ble men of both sections of our unhappy country together anal that through their means the vi ay may he opened to a return to our old recce, Unlon ancl prosperity ! We believe that - a settlement of our diffi culties is practicable, upon the basis of a restored Union, if the handling of this mat ter can only be got out of the hands of the political fanatics, who have controlle El both sections of the Union for the last four years. If Mr. Lincoln could consent to cut him self loose from his rampant abolition asso ciations now that his re-election is attain ed through their aid, and act for the People, all would be well. There is no mistaking the fact that the People long for the old Union, satisfied with the old Constitution as our•fathers made it. We think a proper regard for his own position in the future his tory of the country, should impel the Pres ident to desire to distinguish his adminis tration by a settlement of the terrible civil war which is now upon us: To "attempt," in the eloquent language of Mr. Cox, of Ohio, in Congress a few days ago, "to at tempt by Christian and rational methods to staunch the bleeding wounds of the body politic, to save the further shedding of blood, to stop the increase of taxation, the accumu lation of debt, the destruction of values, and the everlasting iteration of penal laws on our federal statute, and to stay, if possible, the maiming and killing of men, and the tears of widows and orphans, the desolation by fire and sword of our land, and to save the Union, before it is too late forever, while it may be worth the sacrifice made for its salvation." These efforts at negotiations for peace, however they may terminate, will serve, we think, to convince the masses of the people, both North and South, that nothing but the ambition and lust of power of their leaders, stand in the way of peace ; this fact, we think, will be of incalculable importance to the Union cause, in the South. Butler's Dutch Gap Canal. We find in our exchanges tbe following description of this famous project of Butler's which has occupied so large a portion of his time and that of his troops, since lie has been on the James River. This canal was in tended to cut off a large bend of some seven miles in the river, and thus shorten the distance, and tender easier the navigation to Richmond. The river after traversing this distance, returns to within two hundred yards of the staring point, and is separated by a neck of land. The canal was attemp ted to be cut across this neck of laud, and is about 560 feet in- length, 110 feet wide, and aboat 75 feet in depth. A bank or bulk head was only :WI to prevent the entry of the water:tit! Ilte work ris completed in the other parts. This bulk heal was blown oat, or attempted to be, a few flays ago by a charge of six togs of powder! When the rubbish is removed the practicability, or oth erwise, of Butler's engineering Will be tested. Our Present Peril. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." The moment of our surest seeming national triumph is precisely the mo ment which calls upon us for the calmest and wiriest watchfulness in out survey of the whole field of perils through which we are moving. Dangers which one, two, or three years ago we enormously exaggerated, we are perhaps quite as likely now fatally to underrate ; and if we do so underrate them, we shall certainly be without excuse. From all points of the great circle of our military operations against the rebellion ti dings of triumphant progresstow come up to us. It is unmistakably plain, not only that our armies are pressing the armies of the confederates hard along all their lines of defense, scattering them in Georgia, repell ing them in Tennessee, paralyzing them in Virginia, but also that our continuous vic tories in the field have begun to bear heavily upon the moral force of the rebellion. Such symptoms of incipient despair and disiute .gration crop out all over the South as war rant the belief that a very moderate meas ure of statesmanship in the administration of our national policy at Washington would .sonn result in the building up of a powerful party of concession and surrender in the heart of seceded states. The aspect of affairs, in short, is such IMIZ=IIIIIIIII that to Democrat can contemplae it with- out a feeling of thankfulness that, in the late c-itical season of electicn vouchsafed to this people, he should have given his voice and his vote to the representatives of a pol icy for which all things at the South now stand visibly provided and prepared—a poli cy the adoption of which at the polls in No vember, it is not too much to say, all men may now see must assuredly have restored peace and order to the distracted land, on: 1 der one united and constitutional govern ment, before the recurrence of another an niversary of the nation's birth. That policy I was not adopted by the people in November. It will not be inaugurated by tho govern ment of Mr. Lincoln. What is the alternative ? A most significant article in the London Times makes the alternative so plain, as it seems to us, that he is nn true friend to his country who winks it now out of sight. For now many months, while the strug fl - gling between the loyal and seceded states seemed to waver to and fro with doubtful fortune, and the scales of victory inclined decisively neither to the ono side nor to the other, we have heard but one persistent voice from the leading organs of European, voice eas'oPeie'stii;y 1 4 ..IlSliicv ; That the diplomatic echo of Carlyle's brier and brutal "Iliad." Europe and England have declar e l by it their determination to let the smok e ingtrauslantic chimney •'barn itself out." It is childish to quarrel with the brutality of this policy. To see the American Union condemned to a weary internecine conflict, by which, for long years to come, its ener gies might be absorbed, was manifestly the interest alike of Eigland. and of France.— Our importance to those nations as custom ers for their gods, and as growers of great staples consumed by thorny wr.s vastly inure serious four years ago than it t. to-day. But it did not then move them to exert at , v influence in favor of American mlity- the contrary, they went just as far as the moral sentiment of their people, firmly set against the Institatlon of slavery, would al low them to go, in recognition of the "Con federate States." To-day the balance of Eiroperat com merce, disturbe 1 for a time by the shock of our civil cmnmotions, has red, ',lusted it self to the new order of things. England and France, notwithstanding the withdra , A 1 of American cotton fr,nn their man ufactures and the diminution of their intercourse w ith America, are richer and more powerful in 1864 than they werr in 1860. Tho com merce of both countries has increased with extraordinary rapidity; new markets have opened to them ; new staples employ their capital and reward their enterprise. All the political reasons by 1\ hick far iighted England and French statesmen, all fine phrases apart, were intlaenced Mar years ago to look with resignation, if not with complacency, upon the spectacle of civil strife in America, rue tenfold stronger now than they then were. If they then look ed upon the disruption of the Union with in difference only, they have row very clear and peremptory motives for looking upon the reconstruction of the Union with concern and When, therefore, we find the London Times, which substantially utters the &cis ive voice of British (pinion, and habitually prefigures the course of British policy, advo cating to-day the "opening of negotiations in America," and saying th.it "since it must co:no to that at last, the sooner it does come the better it trill be for America and the world at large, - we should be simpletons to forget that the same Times two years ago frowned upon the propositions of France looking to precisely this end, and worse than simpletons to imagine that the leading British journal is talking at random, speak ing out of the abundance of its tenderness for the "confederates," for whom it cares be more than it cares for ourselves, or do ing, anything., in short, but precisely the thing which it is cluing—forecasting, name ly, the imminence ot a joint and deiiberato interference of the two great western powers of Europe in the "American question,"— That interference will be veiled, of tour-e, in the most politic forms. It will assume the color of a profound consideration for the welfare ot the whole American people. But its object will be, and its effect, unless it is wisely and ably met, will be, to redress the balance between the sinking rebellion and the triumphant national arms ; to pro long the conflict and to prevent alike the conquest and the conciliation of the South. Were another national administration than that of Mr. Lincoln charged with the duty of the meeting and conquering this new danger, the long-expected coming of which we hold to be now close at hand, the na tion, forewarned, might, we well believe, hold itself - fully forearmed also against it. But if the temper of the past is to sway the present and future of our policy toward the broken-and reeling rebellion, it is our hon est conviction that the cause of the Ameri can people is fast drifting to-day into perils more serious than any win cu it has yet en countered.— World. The citizens of Alleppo tp., Greene co., Pa., convened pursuant to public notice at Murray's School House, to choose a com mittee to appear before the Board of Enroll ment, at Waynesburg, Jan. 12th, 1865. The meeting organized by calling Adam Wise to the chair, Perry Moore, Sbcretary.— On motion the chair appointed the follow ing men as a committee. J. A. McVay, Monroe White and J. T. Elbiu, which watt unanimously agreed to. The meeting then adjourned. PERRY MOORE, Sec. The committee appointed to ascertain the, number of men in the service reported, one hundred and twenty-two. The plan is now generally adopted, in Grant's army, when burying the dead, to place in the grave With the body a sealed bottle, containing paper on which is written the name and other pa► ticulars respecting this deceased. For the Messenger January 9th, 1865 A Good Plan. MEI t} ~N~~ ~ --- ACCOUNT OF GRIERSON'S RAID. Strength of the Expedition. Sr. Louts, Jan. 10.—The Vicksburg erald of the sth has a full account of Grierson's recent raid in "Mississippi. The expedition left Memphis on the 21st alt. almost three thoustand strong, con sisting of the Second New Jersey, Fourth Missouri, Seventh Indiana Cav alry, First Massachusetts Mounted Ri fles, Third and Fourth lowa, Tenth Alisssuri, Second Wisconsin, Fourth and Eleventh Illinois, and the Third U. S. Colored Regiment. At Egypt, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad a considera ble force of the enemy was encountered, when a sharp fight ensued, in which quite a number of the enemy were kill ed and wounded and five hundred pris oners taken. The rebel Brigadier Gen t eral IlAcomb, commanding, is among the killed. From Egypt the command I struck westward, crossing the Mlssis sippi Railroad below Grenada, detroy ing thirty miles of the road, several lo comotives, fifty cars and several exten sive c' oth and shoe factories at Banks '', ,• •,u pr o: , d: • c horses and mules, ana a nunitiel n a u. L ew trabands. Among a number of prisoners re cently captured are one Colonel, one Lieutenant Colonel, twenty-five line officers, and a number of our men who to escape the horrible treatment of our prisoners at Andersonville, had joined the rebel army. On the night of Dec. 2Gth Ensign Blume's steamer Virginia cut out from Galveston the schooner Dollie, from Nassau, with 121) bales of cotton. The schooner, when captured, was within 500 yards of the rebel guard ship close in the shore and protected by shore bat teries. She also passed directly under the guns of tw!) forts on ker way out. Fo: t Smith. Arkansas. advices of the 27th ult. confirm the reported evacua tion of that post and Van Buren, and the probable participations of their gar risons in some movement south, leaving that part of the country, and it was feared that Fort Smith and Van Buren would be destroyed. Lieut. \VilcDx, of the Chickasaw bat talion, had an Interview with General Thayer, on the 26th, under-flag of truce. It is reported that the object of the visit was to negotiate the terms of surrender of his battalion to the Onion forces. The rerun:l,A of Price's army is at Boggy Depot, on the Red river. De serters are very numerous, and the whole country is tilled with stragglers. FROM CAIRO AND BELOW. Burning or the Gunboat Rather Fighting In tht. , , Vicinity of Mo- bile. CMIZO, January 10.—The steamer Magenta, from New Orleans, brings the announcement of the arrival of the steamship Morning Star. with Guneral T. W. Sherman and staff. The gunboat Rattler drifted a-iltore, in the late storm, between Vicksburg and Natchez. She was tired by a gang of gurrillas and burned to tho waters' EMI A letter from Mobile, to a eitiz..na in New Orleans says: Fighting was going on in that vicinity on the 31st ult. The Rebels were burning cotton a short distance from Natchez on the 29th ult. The New Orleans cotton market is completely unsettled by the news from N. Y. Middling offered at $1 12 Sugar quiet at 21i for fully fair. Mo lasses $1 20. The rebels are sail to have burned the Court House during their occupation of Owensboro, Kentucky, Ovrland ➢Hail Robbed by In- Ji-LEsnunG, Colorado, Jan. 9.--On Saturday morning a party of sixty In dians attacked the Overland Mail express coach, three miles east of here, and rob bed the mail express. They attacked a mule train close by, killing one man and wounding another. Tile troops at the military post here, numbering from fifty to eighty men, having started to the relief of the _settlers in the vicinity and drove the Indians to the bluffs, a mile back, where the Indians were rein forced to the number of one thousand five hundred, and in turn drove the troops back to tke post. The Indians then entered the stage station in large numbers and alter destroying all the furniture and breaking all the windows in the buildings, set them on fire. They destroyed large amounts of telegraph Material. A well directed fire of mus ketry, from the troops, at the post, soon drove them from the station. In arn - ning fight, in the retreat of our troops, thirty-five Indians were killed, inclu ding the principal chief: Nineteen sol -thers and citizens were killed A gen eral massacre and destruction of the whites was only prevented by the per severance and bravery of our troops, and an efficient artillery fire. The Indians retired in a southerly direction. This is, by far, the most determined incursion made by the Indians. Tun DaArr.—The New York papers of yesterday state that an important order has been issued by Provost Mar shal General Fry, announcing that un der the recent call fiw 300,000 fflocps, issued on the 19th of last month, the number specified must actually be placed in the field, No credits are therefore allowed fur any recruits under this call who were in the United States service at the time above mentioned lk; a thorough revision of the quotas of the various districts must now take place. BRIDGE OVER TILE 011I0.—It is stated that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company will commence the building of their bridge across the Ohio river at Beilair early in the spring. It is esti mated that it will require twenty-five hundred men for three years and a half to complete the job. The bridge, it is stated, will pass over the town, and land on the hill in the rear of the city. The streets are to be arched with heavy cut masonary. FROM SAVANNAH.: Perfect Order Maintained in the City. WAsnisGTON, Jan. 12.—The Rich mond Wing of the 10th has the fol lowing items from Savannah: The Au gustaChroiriele and Sentinel, of the 14th inst., publishes a number of news items. derived from a gentleman who left Savannah on the Ist inst. The most perfect order is maintained in the city. No soldier is allowed to interfere with the citizens in any particular. A cit izen was arrested by a drunken soldier a few days since. The citizen knocked the soldier down. The officer of the guard, as soon as ho arrived, said noth ing to the citizen, but had the soldier taken to the barracks, gagged and sound ly whipped him for Lis misbehavior. A drunken soldier, who undertook to create a disturbance recently, and who refused to allow himself to be arrested, was shot - down at once by the guard. One or two of the Insurance Cone panics of Savannah are considering the project of establishing a-National Bank for the issue of greenbacks. The Cus tom House and Post Office are bting cleaned and repaired, preparatory to the commencement of business again. Sol „,iors are not allowed, under any circum stances NV flat-v.. f.” • resi dences. The ne2;roes, in most cases, are order ly and. quiet, remainia4 with their own ers, and performing their customary duties. One store, with goods from the North, has already been opened. Nothing but . greenbacks were in circulation. The churches on Sundays are well filled with ladies. On week days, how ever, but few of them are seen on the streets. A majority of the population have remained in the city. The fami lies of most of the men who have left still remain A majority of the citizens have pro visions enough to last for some time to come, but there is a scarcity of wood, and General Sherman has announced that he will soon remedy this last diffi culty by g , .tting wood by the Gulf Railroad and hauling it to the citizens. No pass is allowed to any person t ) go towards the city. All females caught going towards the city are thoroughly searched. Eleven hundred loaves of good baker's bread, which had been collected for the soldier s of Sherman's army, but for which authorized agents did not call, were on Thursday, turned over to tile Poor Association of Sayan mill by the committee acting on behalf of the soldiers' dinner, and were distrib ted to the poor of the city. It was truly a kind ani providential gift, fin• the city is entirely Out of breadstittls of every kind, and tin' a few days past have been unab'e to issue a pomul of meal or flour to the hundreds who were sorely in need of it. . HIGHLY INTERESTING, The Nett' York Press on Peace 1'.17311 t) I'S NEW YORE, Jail. 12 It is announced that Gyn. McClellan leaves for his European tour on the first of Febru ary. He has declined the offer of a private vessel, tendere, 1 by his friends. lie leaves in the steamer China, and will be gone for two veers. Nearly all the papers to-day contain edito rials on the peace rumors. The World says Mr. Lincoln Las no au thority under the Constitution, to offer am nesty by the abolition of slavery, and Jeff. Davis could not, under the Confederate Constitution, accept such an offer. Indi vidual States alone Lave jurisdiction in the matter. The Times does not look for any good re sult from the movement, and thinks the whisperings of peace only indicate a brief The Pose thinks the Rebel Commissioners are on their way to Washington, as reported, and says they will accomplish nothing. It thinks such a movement would lie nothing less than a studied insult to the Rnited ates Government. If the Government should receive them it would equplly insult the authorities of the border States. The Post Calms to have information that Governor Brown, of Georgia, is favorably die posed, and would probably, receive the agents from the 'United States. The Hea rid thinks the conduct of Missouri, in passing the emancipation act, will soon be imitated by Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Delaware. The World says the passage of the ordi nance was a wise step, resulting ti.oni a clear sighted perception of a tendency of events, and thinks if the war were to end to-morow, and the States to retain jurisdiction over the subject, all would follow the example of Mis souri and Maryland. The Tribune is briefly exultant., but makes no comment The Post points on t the advantages posses sed by laborers and manufacturers under the new system. The Richmond Diva te7/ says the new poli cy of Gen. Sherman is all mildness and con ciliation, in order to justify harsh "measures hereafter. It thinks some design is concealed in the apparent mildness. It says Sherman formerly declared that the rebels had no rights whatever, and refers to his response to the ap peal of the people of Vicksburg, and to his orders at Atlanta, and thinks his present con duct is designed to deceive the people of Geor gia. It abuses the Mayor of ,Savanah and the people who attended the meeting when the resolutions were passed. The Georgians are praised as highly patriotic and the utmost confidence is expressed that none of them, except the Mayor and seventeen citizens of Savannah, would prove disloyal to the South. A Mobile dispatch of the 7th, says: The Fort Gaines prisoners have been exchanged and are now in Mobile. The Richmond Whip learns from the Lynch burg Republican that a large number of hands have been employed on the Tennessee Rail road, to repair the damages caused by Stone man's raid. The work will be pushed for ward with energy, and it is hoped the repairs will be completed within six weeks or two months. F. P. BLAIR GONE TO RICHMOND Jeff Dolls supposed to be More Liberal, Sz.ci, NEW Yornt, January 11 The World's special Washington of the 11th asserts that Francis P. Blair has gone to the rebel capital with tall knowledge and consent of President Lincoln, and is clothed with all the au thority requisite for opening negotia tions with Jeff Davis, with 3 View to restore peace his instructions as to terms to be offered are embraced with in these three propositions, each of which are final: First, Amnesty to all; Second, The Constitution as it is and the Union as it was; Third, the total abolition of slavery within a reasonable length of time; and another special, of the same date, to the Wer/(1. gives the following rumors, that advices direct from Richmond represent that deff Da vis is at this time strongly inclined to peace measures and wdling to accept much more liberal terms than first sups posed lie cvoudd. This demand is most auspicious for the result of the Blair mission. Mr Lincoln, on the other Land, is disposed to be as lenient as posible, but insists that whatever terms are agreed upon privately, the first ac tion on the part of the South must be to lay down their arms and acknowledge ~,, ,, m acv of the Union. It is re ported that Blair is autnorized to tender to Alexander IL Stephens free conduct to Washington to consult with the au thorities there upon the terms of peace. The report is current to-night that Ex-Governor Rives, of Virginia, and Ex-Governor Orr, of South Carolina, are on the way to Washington, as rep resentatives of the so-called Southern Confederacy, to confer with the Fede ral authorities upon terms of Peace and re-union WAsuiscaos, Jan. 12 The stories industriously set afloat within the past three or fliur days, that an additional tax of fifty cents or of a dollar would be put on whiskey, are in ventions of the speculators, fostered and encouraged, perhaps, by speculative Congressmen. The Ways and Means committee regarded the late action on whiskey, fixing the tax at two dollars. as a finality, and although efforts to the contrary may be made, the House will confirm their judgement. The builders of the double ender iron clads are beseiging Congress for relief. There are already petitions from five of them before the House Naval Commit tee, and more arc expected. General Hoffman, Commissary Gm end of prisoners, returned from General Thomas' army to-day. He states that the number of rebel prisoners captured in the several engagements near will aniolint to over ten thousand Ile estim•ltes Hood's total loss at over twenty-three thousand nien. Large numbers of the captives have expressed a desire to take the oath of allegiance. Mr. Powell, of _Kentucky, introduced a bill in the Senate to-day authorizing the Louisville and Nashville. and the Jeffersonville and Indianapolis Railroad Companies, both of which are stockhol ders in the Louisville Bridge Companv, to construct a railroad bridge over the Ohio at tile head of the tails. Said bridge to be not less than fifty-six feet above low water mark, and to be pro vided with three draws, sufficient to pass the largest boats navigating the Ohio. The bill also authorizes the erection of bridges over the Indiana and the middle chutes, and one over the canal, all to be recognized as post routes. FunTnEss MoNnon, Jan. 5 The steamer California arrived here this afternoon from Hilton Heao, South Carolina, with Colonel Ewing on board, bearer of im portant dispatches from General Sherman. General Sherman's army, since the capture of Savannah, had been quietly resting upon their laurels, and no aggressive movement bad as yet been undertaken. General Kil tatrick, with his cavalry, was constantly on the scout, keeping a wakeful eye over Har dee's forces. The army was rapidly recov ering from the effects of its long and fatig- Mug march through Georgia, and was being reorganized and re equipped, prenaratory, it is said, to the commencement of a cam paign which would be as memorable as the last great exploit. Miscellaneous News The following interesting miscellaneous items are taken from the files of the Rich mond papers of January 4. In speaking of the Yankee expansion the Enquirer has an editorial in which the following occurs : Napoleon might be startled with another phenomenon upon peace between the North and the South. Tt might not be impossible that a portion of the troops now engaged in deadly conflict might unite under the same banner and march upon the invasion of Mex ico. We forbear to extend this suggestion, but it is borne out by the history of almost all nations who have fought with each other. The people continue hostile ; soldiers will fraternize in a common enterprise. Governor Vance, of North Carolina, con cluded his inaugural address on Thursday as tonows : There is one great danger against, which I earnestly pray our people to be warned— disunion, distraction, division of sentiment and aim leading to civil feuds, domestic vi olence and political death. If crushed by overwhelming numbers on the field of bat tle, we are guiltless of unavoidable result ; but we can surely avoid, if we will, internal violence and E elf-destruction. There is no greater enemy of his race than he who would foment our passions to this 'end. Let all of our movements, whether of peace or war be in solid column standing in line of battle facing one way and together. Then victory is not only doubly assured, but thrice glorious, and defeat will be robbed of half its calamities. CHICAGO, Jan. 13. will see that nothing can come from these. The bill against the Chicago and North improper as:. - aults upon. the feeling? and western Railway Company, to test the legal- rights of others. Rest entire& dila men ity of the rates of consolidation of the Ga- ,fo tind b •in usy this work of discord me nn - . I lena and Chicago Union Company, was filed worthy of your confidence ataldetOttl Teo; in the United States court to-day, and the process is in the bands of the United States stroagest reprobation." marshal. i Hurrah for Jackson Narrow Esoape of Wilnititgton—What would have Happened had Fort Fisher Fallen. (Wilmington Correv9rlent of the Richmond Despatch, Jan. 4 j The enemy at one time were between Wilmington and Fort Fisher, and had cut off communication by land and wa ter. If he had not been dislodged soon, Fort Fisher trona hare fallen as _Fort Morgan did, and w;th its fall, the port of Wilmmg. ton would hare been sealed. Once firmly established on the narrow point of sand upon the outer end of which Fort Fish er stands, the closing of the river above would have only been a matter of time, and then away would go Fort Caswell, and all the works which defended the harbor. There has been a gross neglect of duty between here and Richmond. There is nothing, in the way of news now. Affairs have assumed their won ted aspect at this seaport. Removal of Major Gen. Butler. NEw Your:, Jan. 10.—The 'fernier's 'Washington special says: Major Gen. Butler has been removed by the Presi dent from the position of commander of the Army of the James and the Depart ment of Virginia and North Carolina, and ordered to report at Lowell, Mass. The official document in the case di-, reeled him to turn over his command to the person named by Lieut. General GvfnA as his temporary successor.— General Ord, late!y in charge of the corps, has succeeded temporarily to thu important position. Proposed Recognition of the South by England. [From the Liverpool Courier, Dec. 30.]. lc the Federals are driven from Georgia and Tennessee —of which there is considera ble likelihood, from present appearances— the public will not be surprised to hear that the cabinet have determined to recognize the indepemlence of the South. At any rate, we have reason to believe, that the schieet will he earnestly discussed. between Lord Lyons and Lord Palmerston, and as both have southern tendencies, the upshot will most p:•obably be the recognition of the confedcracy in the coarse of the ease.- ing - spring. Rebel Blockade-Ruiners. lIALIEux, N. S., January 13 The blockade-runner Chameleon ' late the Tallahassee, is under arrest at Ber muda. The blockade-runner Colonel Lamb is at Nassau, undergoing repairs. The following bl , cl;ade-runners . aro at Bermuda : the Owl, Stag, Charlotte, Maria Campbell, Whisper, Susan, Berne and Dieppe. Of seventy-one blockade-runners vis iting Bermuda during the past year forty-three have been lost., Attack on Beverly, West Virginia— Retreat of the Rebels. AV 11F:EIANo, West Va., Jan. 13 We learn that the garrison at Bever ly, West Virginia, were attacked on the morning. of tlie 11th instant, by a force of the enemy under General lesser.— The town and a large portion of the fiirce defending it were captured. The numbers of the enemy are not stated. A later dispatch confirms the above ; but states that the enemy has again retreat ed whence tiny came. Hood Fortifying at Corinth. The remnant of Hood's army is reported to he fortifying Corinth, with a view of going into winter quarters at that place. Thai are a'e , ) said to be repairing the Mobile and Ohio I tailroad Sound Moral, Religious, and Political Doctrine. The subjoined is from the Pittsburgh Presbyterian Banner: "And in regard to us, as citizen of a free State, and of the United States, there is a vAkt ditferenee between Temperance and Auti-slavery. Temperance, or the means of intemperance, is within the sphere of our sociai power. The people of Pennsylvania, fn• instance, have the matter wholly within their own hands, to the extent of the State boundaries. They can choose legislators, send up petitions, enact laws, enforce laws. So they have treated slavery to their utter extermination. And so, if they pleased, they might treat intemperance. And so to treat one and the othetc - wa,s, and would be, Christian and Constitutional. "But neither Christianity nor the Con stitution gives us the right thus to treat either intemperance or slavery in other States. We have nothing to 'do with their legislators, laws or institutions. Neither has Congress any right in the premises.— We may elect our Congressmen, but we can not instruct them, beyond their power to act; nor ought we to send up petitions ask ing them to do what they have no authority to do." 8&.-The following is from the farewell Address of Andrew Jackson 'But each State has the unquestionable right to regulate its own internal concerns according to its own pleasure; and while it does not interfere with the rights of the peo ple of other States, or the rights of the Union, every State must be the sole judge of that measure proper to secure the safety of its citizens and promote their happiness; 131 0, all efforts on the part of the people e . 4 .4. t o erc States to cast odium upon their ' inst a iatio4B,. and all measures calculate'? to .14%6 their, rights of property, or ',,nt in *mill their peace and, internal, tranctuilit,y, am. in, direct, opposition to tho spirit ha,vshich. the Union, was formed and mash endanger its Wet'', Motives of philaatbrcpy may be Resigned for this unwarrantable interference, and wesk men may persuade themselves for a moment that they am inboring in the cause et hu manity sad asserting the rights of the human, race,. but every one, upon sober reflectiont CO