11
4
gvnitliu - ?Nottonl.
*66116646y, Mufti' 16, 1864.
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Ali intelligent attorney Sends us aeon
munication on the question as to who
should stamp dßeds, &c., which we give
In another column. We fully concur with
the conclusion arrived at by the writer.
THE legislature will meet in joint con
vention at noon to-day, and elect Hon.
henry D. Moore State Treasurer. The
Democrats will support Wm. V. McGrath.
Eaq., the present incumbent.
• :HON: THADDEUS STEVENS is second to
none in the Nation in the consistent earn
estness and ability, with which he has re
,
fasted theaggressitins of Slavery; and since
it •has turned upon itself, with suicidal
hands, battledfor its extinction. Weave
on another page of to-day's paper his
• iceot speech on the reconstruction of the
government, and although some may differ
with the views he presents on some, ppints,
all will concede that the great question is
grasped by a bold and master mind, and a
aincerennd earnest heart.
Lr.l. every puiori man in Franklin
tormty give his individual attention to
the township Elections on Friday nnxt.
Relyt assured that the Democrats will be
organized-and at the polls in force ; , and
unless the Union men display a like in
terest in their 'cause; they will lose a
majority of the Election boards and local
offices again as they did last Spring. - It
,is of great importance that the local elec.
tions be carried, and the Union men have
bat to do _ their duty to succeed in a
majority_of the distlicts in this county.
LIEUT. GEN. GRANT left Washington ;
most unexpectedly on Friday evening last
for Chattanooga, and he is by this time at
the head of the •Army of the Cumberland.
He is' evidently no holiday or sunshine
soldier. He entered Washington on Tue s-
aay of last-week, spent the evening with
the President—being his first visit to the
• White House and his first introduction to
'the President and all the members of the
Cabinet, e.xcepting only Mr. Stanton, who
had been, with him at Chattanooga—went
to the• Army of the Potomac on Thursday,
ieturned on 'Friday, and left the same
evening, after another conferencee, with
the President and the War Lthoritis. for
the field in the South-west. Various politi
, ci •e t theatre managers, scores of Jenkin
see, and many others e . me to sudden grief
athiiaversion tobeinglionized, i tut Lieut.
Geri. Grant meaxts to dispose of the rehels
first, and may cultivate the honors after
wards. It is understood that a plan of
operations for the spring campaign has
been definitely decided, and it is said that
it embraces momentous operations for the
Army of the Potomac.
FIRST GIIN OF 1864 I
New Hampshire never was so deeper
pmd4:lly contested-by the Democracy as
' on, the dth inst. Last year they had de
, feated the election of Gov. Gillmore by
the popular vote, and, with thousands of
,new.vohniteers absent, they confidently
:-expected to make the Granite Stab's' de
-. e.larei against the Country's cause. But
the People have vindicated their devotion
to the army and our Nationality by an
'Astounding _popular Verdict. Gov. Gill--
more is choien Goveanor by some 6,000
- reterity;. the Senators elected are all
Union then, and the House has over £0
itkinOnojority--making a gain of over
10,000 on the popular vote and about 40 in
the fseslatare. Thus auspiciously opens
ilieeampaign, which will culminate in the
National discomfiture of the foes of the
Government in November, next.: Nobly
done, New Hampshire I
=O
n the same day the people of New
Yjnitvoted(in the adoption of an amend
, anent to their State Ccinstiintion allowing
soldiers to vote. it :was cared by a very
. /urge ma i jOrity, probably not lessthan
. .AXO.in a ,very light vote. Of course the
Five Points and other strongholds of Gov.
:,eytaltwar's "friends" voted against con
' ': ferring , therightof suffrage upon thebrave
v idieffinders of the Old Flag, but they could
, iciatfyhi; marl thatnnted fields will respond
.to take voice Of the/gal 'people of the Key
atOrie-sud :B!OPiiie",44ntea next fall. and
siitilttot wader tones in bpl4.lf or the
life of Enpublie:' • •
THE CLAIM BILL=- ME. ANUM.
The reference of the bill providing for
the settlement of military damages to the
committee on Federal Relations; was per
haps wise 'under the 'circumstances. It
had become so entangled in a wanton po 7
Utica! straggle that it could not have a
chance for its life Unless severed from the
cloud of partizan prejudice that enveloped
it. But the reasons assigned by Hon. P.
Frazer Smith, the chairman of the corn
trittee that now has the custody of the
bill,,for the ;reference, demands notice as
a matter of justice to the people of Frank
lin county. Our Harrisburg correspond
ent, who witnessed the struggle on the
bill, gives us an abstract of Mr. Smith's
remarks and the manifest and grievous
error into which he has been, we doubt
not, honestly and innocently led, calls for
explanation atour hands.
Mr. Smith demanded a reference of the
bill to the committee of which he is chair
man for several reasons: He alleges that
there Were persons on the floor of the
House, for the purpose of influencing leg
islation, who had no right to speak there;
that the claimants of the border might
flack to extort from the government by
presenting unjust bills, and, therefore,
the claims should first be adjudicated,
and hold the question of payment in ter
ror= overthe people to make them hon
est; ' and finally he, urged reference for
the purpose of amendment to defeatim
mmediate payment, because the rebels;
might destroy Philadelphia, and then the
State would be unable to fulfil its pledge
to remunerate its citizens for military'
damages. -
Mr,Smith's assaults upon the measure
were neither manly nor dignified, and his
reflections upon the people of the border
areuntrue in point of fact. It is probable'
that citizens of this county have been on
the floor of the House, as we have often
seen Mr. Smith's constituents, 'and it is
probable also that they felt an interest in
the bill in . question. • ' It is a coniinen
cause with the people of the border; and
enlists - the co-operation of all clasSes of
men, whether immediately interested in
it or not, and if they have sought to tper
suede legislators to do What in their.
judgment is right, his sensitive nature,
should have yielded a generous-construc
tion of their conduct.' r lt is a`.misfortune
that some of them have, not spoken with
Mr. Smith, for had he fallen in with them
and listened as an honest man should
i listen'te honest men, hewould haVe spar
ed himself a Most unkind 'and unjust re ;
flection upon a people who as a class are
his peers in all that pertains to integrity
and good citizenship. That he did him
selfhearken to the suggestions of men who
Ihad no right to speak in the House, and
that his unfortimate declarations and his
inconsistencies 'ire the results thereof,
we hazard little in assuming.. He it was
who, when, the . bill was first before the
legislature, carefully amended its phra
seology to swell the damagesto be paid
nearly a quarter of a million, by embrac
ing the Columbia Bridge and the Curn
berland Valley . and Franklin Railroads,
without even intimating the effect of his
amendments; and 'having championed
the side of claimants until he had fatally
loaded the bill, he then turned upon
his own work and stabbed it by unfair
.—inuendo and dishonorable suspicion S—
Did Mr. Smith amend the bill with a fair
or'an unfair purpose ? Did he do it in
accordance, with his own perceptions of
defects in the bill, or did some one not
entitled_ to the floor counsel lain to do so?
Whedhe,explains this point; he may re
call the ungenerous. fling he made in his
speech against such men as Col. Thomas
B. Kennedy and Col. D. 0. Gehr, upon
whom his virtous indignation happened
to fall,;--men who might be legislators
themselves' almost any time they would
accept the, position., It was most ungen
erous, too, for Mrsmith to make them
the special target for his outburst of vir
tue. They are both directork in the•
Cumberland Valley Railroad, whose in
terests Mr. Smith seemed especially to
have at heart, inasmuch as he insisted
upon so amending the bill as to cover
their losses; and it has been well said
that it is a foul bird that defiles its own
nest.
- The'amumption that our people might
extort from tire government and therefore
payment should be delayed to compel
them ° honesty, is an argument in no,
sense justified by the actions of the citi
zens of the border. Mr. Smith is report
ed in the Record as having said that the
claims presented were of an "immoder
ate and grasping character," butt 'he dis
claims the langdage, and we accept his
own admitted doctrine of compulsory
honesty about to be applied to the border
counties. Every commission—and there
have been five in all—authorized to as
sess 41amages or adjudipate claims, has
borne concurrent testimony to the integ
rity of our people, and the moderation,
with which they claimed for losses. Gen.
Stuart passed through the richest portion
or our county; and took the best horses'
in it; and the average ,amount_ claimed
for those horses.is under $l2O, ;whereas
very many of them were worth ft:om $2OO
to $3OO then and - would bring fifty per
4431)1. — m0re :now; 'and NVithr titich:reiord
testiisony, gupportd as it is b Y Pv 67 9 f 7
ficer met claimants, we siilimit that
t he . '.-frittuttituAtepogiturv,
it is not a fair: arguMent to defer payment
lest there might be extortion. Snell' an
imputation, flung upon a people j suffering
from spoliation by friend and foe, is not
generous—is not jest.
The other objection urged by Mr. Stnith
—that Philadelphia might be destroyed
by the rebels, and therefore the State
should not'Compensate any until the full
extent of damages and the ability of the
Stale to pay all, have been ascertained, is a
legitimate one; and Mr. Smith as a legis
lator has a right to his judgment and
should be respected in acting in accord
ance with it.. We do not deem it a good
reason ; but if Mr. Smith does, we have
no right to complain. s' , If
,he owed $5OO
to various parties, and was worth $500,000,
he would hardly be excused ,by his cred-, ‘
itoi's from payment because lie might be.
plundered some time or make bad bar4 l
gains, and then Could not pay all.' The.
little mi4s who objected to ovens when
she saw the bright coals in front of one,
because she might live to' beg woman
-might get married; might become' a
mother, and the dear child might crawl
out to the oven and be burned to death,
belonged to the 'same school of philoso
pher's; but We believe that ovens have
not beefs dispensed. with because of the
perils they present in the path of the'in
fent generation. All such axgmhentsare
'delusive and illogical. If it is right that
the State, should protect her citizens in
theirproperty, then provision for payment
should be made. If it is voi right, then
why adjudicate claims . ? Five different
commissions have already adjudicated as
many different classes of claims, -at a vast
expense to, the people; and not one dollar
so adjucated has been paid. If this is to
be the action of the legislature; we entreat
them to stop this mockery of justice;
dismiss -the subject, and save our already
plundered people from additional losses
in the shape'of costs. We
, say • frankly,
and-we reflect the sentiment of our peo
ple 'generally, that if' the proposition to
adjudicate is not
,attended with some tan
- gible pledge of the faith of the State for
Payment, kip only adding injury to injury
to legislate• at all, and the legislature
should act squarely on the subject. If
Payment cannot be 'made now, Say, so; if
it is deemed best to wait for the close of
the war, let the faith of the State be
pledged to pay these claims, then; provi
ded if it is deemed best that such addi
tional losses are not sustained by the pee-;
i s le of the dommOnWealth as would:peril
the credit of the State to assume the
payment of theni: Do *hat is deemed
,right from an exacting sovereignty claim
ing tribute and promising protection to
an obedient arid faithful people; but
let the purpose lie clearly stated. Above
all', we protest against delusive adjudica
tion', and especially when it is done on
the ground that the people of the border
are wanting in loyalty, or nust be re'
strained from villiany by legislative co
-erciou.
THE RIEII3Io3rD RAID-REBEL
ATROCITIES.
The late raid made by Gen; Kilpatrick
and Col. Dahlgren to the very doors of
Richmond, has 'aroused the rebel jour
nals and authorities to the most, reckless
misrepresentations and roost fiendish atro
cities. Col. Dahlgr•n - commatieled one of
the two attacking columns, and was mis
led and isolated by 'a faithless guide. He
thus became an easy prey to the rebel
forces who largely outnumbered him and
knew the country perfectly. He was
killed, says the Riehmond,§entinel: in its
first notice of his death, wrtile "gallantly
leading his men," and adds that "he was
one of :the bravast, soits 'of America.% and.
his death will he regretted by a I with
ever knew him." But when the fall fruits
of the movement were realized, and the
'constant peril of the rebel capital appre
ciated, the rebel thirst for blood andven.
geance became ungovernable, andwe can
not doubt that the papers alleged to.have
been found on the person of Col. Paid
,gren were either wholly forged or sadly
marred by interpolations. The documents
claimed to have, been found on Hs per
son, embrace au order. purporting to have
been issued by him to his men, in which
he instructs his command turelatse the
prisOners and then exhorts them - to de
stroy and burn the,hateful citym,and not
to "allow the rebel leader Jeirptilis and
his traitorous crew toiescape." what
is published as his "special orders and
instructions" he, instructs his men that
the city "must be destroyed, and Jeff
Davis and his .cabinet killed," mud that
Prisoners must be ready With ‘oakum'
and turpentine for burning, which will
be sookPd and rolled in balls, ttr.d given
to the men to burn - when we getinto the
'city." With thesaexceptions, - tie orders
and instructions contain nothing in. Vi
olation of the rules of war; and that they
.have been interpolated by the rebels to:
afford a pretext for the most cruel and
revolting barbarities, we cannot. doubt.
Col. Dahlgren was, as the Richmond Sen
tinel truly Said, , "one of the bravest of
America's sons." He, has servsd since
-the commencement of the . war'ritli the
greajest gallaatrY and displayed lie high
est qualities of a Soldier; and its utterly
inconsistent With his , characterthat
should invite Ilia men. to indiserm , te
pillage,,arsonarid murder. ' '
The treatment' of Colonel Dzhlgren's
ttli 16 4
-body by the 'rebels was' most 'inhuman.
Barbarians; to whonatbe rules of civilized
warfare are unknown, could not have Sur
passed ,the horrible brutality displayed by
the rebels: He was killed in action-41e
roieally leading his 166, and, the fate of
his remains is thus given by the. Rich
mond: Examiner of tbeJath inst. It -
says.
, •
Dahlgren's bddy was boxed up at Walker
ton oh Sunday and brought to Richmond, with
the obi ectrwe understand, of its positive iden
tification. It would seem something Of the
curse he came to bestow upory. others lighted
upon his own carcass, when it - fell riddled by
avenging Southern' bullets.. Stripped, robbed
of every valuable, the fingers cut off for the
sake,of the diamond Hugs- that encircled them,
when the body was found by those sent to take
charge of it, it was lying in a field stark naked,
with the exception of the stockings. Some
hu
mane person had lifted the corpse fronfthepike
and thrown it over into the field, to sore it from
the hogs.
"Y-sterday afternoon the body was,removed
from the car that brouoirt it to the York River
Railroad depot and given to tho spot o earth
selected to receive it. Where the spot is no one
'but those concerned in its' burial know or care to
tell. It was a dog's burial, Without coffin, wind
ing Shed or service. Friends awl relatives at
'the North need inquire no-further; this is all they
will know—he is buried a burial that befitted the
mission upon which he ame. He has 'swept
through the city of Richmond' on a pine bier,
and 'written his name' on the scroll'of infamy,
instead of on the hearts of his - countrymen,'
never to be erased. He asked the blessing'of
Almighty G.od ' on hismission of rapine, murder
and blood, and the Almighty cursed him instead."
Such is: the rebel account' of their.own
worae than barbarous treatment of a gal
lant foe; and the • Richmond papers are
clainorOns for the blood of nll his . captur
ed men. The Whig demands that they.
shall die---:-"not by court-martial. :not as
prisoners ; but as 'tastes itninani neris;
by , general order from the President,
commander-in-chief," and calls upon
Davis to "have the nerve to-do what lies
palpably before him." It: declares that,
the -Union armies hencefoith " - can only
be met by . war tinder the black flag. If
the President cannot recognize this fact,
the army.can recogniie.);one other . 1 " The
same paper, in another article declare s,
that Uol.' Dahliren's men shouldnot
treated as prisoners-of war, but "that this
day's sun should not go down, before
every scoundrel taken is blown to atoms
froth, the cannon's mouthl" • The sun did.
however gn down without the being
gratified in its bloody wish, The Enquir
er says—, 4l turn the war into a war of
termination," and onthis pleasing thenie
to rebels it thus discusses:
• i
Our government owes, it to its own army
and to its own people, if .it cannot at the mo
nient retaliate such atrocities in kind, at least to
bring to condigu punishment the robbers who,
in the guito of soldiers and under pretence of
war, have been caught lurking about Richmond
with their oakum balls and turpentine, and
their written programme for murdering the
chief magistrate and - setting fire to all the houses •
till the city is burnt in a hundred - places at once,
and then inviting eight thousand blood-thirsty,
lustful ruffians to gut the blazing lunusions, rape
their mistresses, and knock the masters in the
head in the dreadful confusion. ~13nt if -wth
hang these wretches then the enemy will select
an equal number for the gallows? Not while
we hold sixteen thousaturlostages. But if we
shrink from that there is another alternative;
and the only one left us—hanging and massacre
all on one side.. We can cheese between the
two ;. other choice there is none."
Whatever mad- be the'yenviction in the
North as to' the results:of:Gen. Kilpat
rick's movement, the rebels appreciate it
as a most disastrous one to them. The
Rchmond Il7tig, speaking of the rebel
losses says: •
"Throw out of the account the valuable lives .
•of (IF citizen soldiers lost by the late raid
throw out, tao, the negroes, holies, mules, and'
cattle stolen, the . mills and iron works burnt . ,
the bridges destroyed, the railroads torn up, thB"
alarm of the women and children in the coun
try and city—cast all these aside, and look at
the matter from 'another 'Mint of view.
"For three or four days all the departments
and all the. workshops have _been closed. We
may he sure' that. the clerks, . and employees,
fagged out by Marelies,exposure, and privation;
will be in no condition to work to-day. This
day of rest comes in good time for them. 'On
Monday next, them the public hilliness will be
resumed—unless; indeed, some mischievous
takes it into his head to give.; the people
of Richmond another shaking up. yearly a
week will thus have been lost, and lost at a time
when every moment is of priceless value. ..41'hir
ty days grace in which to fund six hundred mill
ions of dolleirs, and the treasury closed during
•
seven of thoie days !"
The same paper insists that Richmond
must be protected. It admits that they
"are short jot* men and horses," but adds
•
that if they are too weak to keep:at least
one full brigade of cavalry there, they
" are too weak to .live and ought to go
under." It, saYs that with such a force
there they. would be saved "from con
stant bell-ringing distractions and need
less interruptions of the public business."
The Sentinel charges the :success 'of the
hid upon the rebel authorities, and says
that "if the President and Cabinet latve
run a serious risk of being hanged at their
oivn doors, do: we mot owe it chiefly to the
milk and water spirit in which the war has
hitherto been conducted ?"
—Such are some Of the fears, falsehoods
and atrocities developed by the Richmond
raid, and they but prove that despairing
treason is about to defy every dictate of
humanity in its great death struggle to
overthrow the Republic. , _ •
• .
Gov. 11AnN Nyaslnaugurated in Louisi
ana on the 4th inst. In his inaugural he
regards Slaverk as the cause bf the present
unholy attempt to break up the govern-
Ment, and demands its universal and im
mediafe extinction as a public andpriyate
blessing. He says:
"From every light before me, I am constrain
ed to believe that the canse of rebellion is imex
tremes and itzeems to me 'not ,ettravagantsto
look upon this year as the final ono of the most
stinaeless,.cuuseleaa.andanost murderous ,rebel
lion that ever occurred in a civilized nation."
El
TnlN9PriiiVE BEST 'To, BE
,DONE 4.
To attain political power. does - not
always evince the highest type of politiCal
wisdom i but to - wield it prudently sathat
j.
it may he perpetuated, i the true test of
wise counsels . and dis' eet actions. It
is common , when a pe - tical party has
emerged from a despe ' to struggle with
victory on its side l for al and embittered
Prejudices rather than sdom to govern
the actions of many who have been called - ,,
to power ;1 and great - issues are conse
quently measured by the animosities.
which linger after the battle, is won.
The ' Union men of Pennsylvania:won a
decisiie victory last fall—carrying Gov
ernor and both branchesof the legislatUre.
Confronted as they were by every foe of
the government—everY open or cowardly
traitor North and South, and threatened
with anarchy because of the manifest co
operation, of the rebel anthorities iu Rich-,
mond with the disorganizing Senators, it is
but-natural that they slfould be tempted to
the exercise of arbitrary power• But it
is never .ivise, and its fruits ever turn, to.
1 ashes in the hands of its anthers: ,
Two, piopositions have been urged upon
the present legislature which are Rarely
political, and demanded by no. public
necessity nor by any Principle of justice.
A bill has been read in place to detach
Juniata from the judicial district of Judge
Graham, and conneet•it with the district
of Judge Woods, and it.is urged solely
on the ground that Judge Grahath is a
Democrat, and holding extreme views,
it may be, relative to the issues now agi
tating the. people.. It is demanded there
fore in recognition of the doctrine that
might makes right; and a precedent is
proposed which would unsettle our whole
judicial structure ate make the Bench but
the toy of - We do not hi any
degree Sympathize with Judge Graham's
political views: He delivered a charge;
to the wand jury when:the war comment.-
ed, whieli Would have passed as a tolera
ble stump 'speeekof the Woodward stripe,
and like a dozen other Judges he proba
bly haS yet to learn that the world is
older. than it was fifty= years ago and that
it has cultivated progress. Butte cutoff
a fraction of his district where a majority
. of the people voted. for him, and _would
do so again to-day, simply because both
parties , can't gain suits_ in his court, or
because he differs with nearly if not quite
half the people of :the county in politics;
would be a' most dangerous if not. a fatal
precedCnt. ,With such an exampleset by
the Union legislature, what' disorganize-.
'tion might not be expected when the wave
of political poWer returns to the Demo
cratic Side r
In-1838, when the writer hereof was in
the Honse, the.. Democrats had two-thirds
of its members. Judge Wilmot was pre
eminently What is.popularly called a po
litical Judge. He adjourned his courts
for political meetings and made stump'
speeches in' the evening after dispensing
justice during the day... ..He was arraigned
by the Democratic leaders , of Bradford
county' with an 'earnestness and unanim
ity that it was supposed sa _Democratic
legislatUre could not fail to respect —%
They came down and crowded the legis
.lative halls and demanded the partition
of his district; but when the test came,
every leading Democrat of the House
maintained the sanctity of the judiciary
agairait the. interests of_their
cal friends,'and the measure was defeated
by a two-thirds vote. And when the
struggle was over, the dispassionate men
of all parties rejoiced that a precedent
had been made which would, it *as hoped
.and believed, for all time protect our
dieiary from political assaults; We en
treat the Union legislature not:to lay vio
lent-hands upon that wise precedent,
madeut the cost of partizanship. To do
so would be but tin' invitation to every
disappointed litigant of local political eon
sequence,- ,to arraign the Judges of the
kat° before the majority in the:legisla
ture, and peril at once the, sanctity, the
-safety; the. integrity of 'our judicial:tai
bunals.
Another proposition urged. in some
quarters is the abolition of the Land De
partment. Wlmteve.r othetplausible rea
sons may-be given therefor, the real one
is that there is a Democratic incumbent
hi' the Surveyor General's office. We
'muck regretted to see him - ge in there;
but the people elected him and we defer
to their verdict. End Gen. Barr's com
petitor/been chosen, would the abolition
Of the Land Depnrtment have been enter
tainedby the present- legislature? We
incline to thiok not; and it is not wise
to legislate aside a popular" election be-
cause it didn't go as we wanted it. If the
Land Department is not necessary, let it
be abolished.to take.. effect at the close of
the term of the present incumbent, and,
thenneither party can play at, "heads
win and •tailEi you lose Y."
—The U lli nion party is now in power in
ever department of our State and Nation ;
and its precedents will be potential in the
future policy oftheirgovernmentswheth-.
er its power is perpetuated or not. If it,
does wrong, it will invite it upon itself
with usury when the ever changing polit
ical currents have gone against us; but
if. it holds the laws, the 'verdicts of the
peoplC, and the judiciarly sacred, no ad.;
verse party can survive that- would make
all things sabOttrniiite to the dictates of
maddened. pFtiaiiiship.
IMPORT ST DISCLONCRE.
Tlie Washingtint Chioizielei of ihor9tis
) - -
inst. has the following iluportant 4etter
'•WiS11111oTo.v, 31arch 8,1864
In thl;fety, Yoik.` 'benne of Mouday,the 7th
inst., there appeared the following article e-,
ISTE4VIRIr lIETWERS (45NS. LRE .04) 3ecLELLAn
ta A ry w of ri vy tti a n r
e a rr gru t t l i!d ell e> t • l u as lrl tlly s s a er fe t r k iii ° e. t , lh rni eS ein ce b re e - r\
of the Maryland, LeKiolature, and a cousin of the \
rebel Gen. Lee, stating that during the battle of
Antietam Gen. Lee had his headquarters ut his
house; that .an the night after the battle he seat
messenger into outlines to Gen. Welellan. request
ing an interview at his heniquatteraz that General
Clellon, accompanich by some of his sta. rode
that night through the rebel lines, and had a tone
internee , with Gen. Lee, who, among
other things.
informed M'Cietian that his army was crossing thet
I Potomac. The writer has been subpoenaed before
the Committee on the Conductof the war. •
to correct many errors therein. 1. I
I am not a cousin of Gen. ItobertE.Lee. 2. No
inierview could haie taken plabe between the
parties during the battle of Antietam at my •
house, as I live about ten miles from that place.
3. The interview took plate three or four days
afterwards, and was rathef at the suggestion of
mutual friend than • courted by either party.
I..At the time of the meeting Gen. M'Clellan
was alone, inerGen. Leo came through the liner
of the United . States Army under my escort, I
having received_ aside= pledge of personal
safety from • Gen. M.'Clellan for us both. - 5
The communication was not made by myself. -
The interview lasted some three hours, during
a short part of which time I was pitesent.
F.
-The author of the above card is Mr., F.
:Waldron, a citizen of Maryland, and wo.
believe formerly a member of the legisla
ture. He is endOrsed as -
. a respectable
gentleman by Gen: Milroy, and tlieposi
tiveness "and minuteness of detail with
which he makes the discloSure, can leave '-
little room to doubt its correctness. He
has alreadygiven a full account of the
affair to the Secretary of "War, according
to-the Washington corretoridentS, fiem
which weipferthat the government had
no knoivledge of the interviev4between
the two Generals until the newspapers
noticed it recently.
—Gen. M'Clellan had a right to confer
with Gen. Leo, either in person or-by flag ,
of truce, if he deemed it the interest 'of
his aniseand of his army to do so; bur,
if so, his government must have Been ad
vised of it; of the pnrpose in view, and
of all that transpired at the conference.
If, however, as the letter of F. W.:inti
mates; Gen. Lee was brought through
his lines in disguise, to his head-quarters,
and .the fact and purposes and results- -
were not at the time communicated to the
gOveriament by Gen. M ' Clellan . then was
his conduct treasonable in the broadest
sense, and the government would be
shamefully remiss - did it not hold bird, 'to
the strictest accountability.
We do not hastily accept the conclus
ion that, Gen. McClellan secretly conferred
with Gen. Lee without advising hiti.gev
ernment.- His report is silent on the
subject, and all his despatches which
have been given to the public ,make nn
allusion to such- an interview. But-the
time has come now when the facts Must
be fully known; and the- goiernment
owes it to - Gen. McClellan to inform
Nation what the nature, purpose, and
results of that interview were if it has any
information on the subject ; and if it has
not, then it is due to a country struggling
against murderous treason for existence,
to require Gen. M'Clellan to clear bh
skirts of the crime of secret conference
with the - enemy. The public-will await
with no Ordinw degree. of anxiety the
solution of this startling developement.
110 N. JOHN P. PENNY.
Hon. John P. Penny resigned his posi
tion as Speaker of the . Senate on Wednes
day last, and was immediately re-elected
by a strict . party vote—Penny and Clymer
each voting for the other. : Few men have
ever been called to preside over a legisla
tive body under circumstances so pain fully
embarrassing as those under which Mr- •
Penny ,has been Speaker for more than
two monthS past; and the uniform digni
ty, courtesy and high measure 'of parlia
mentiry ability lie has displayed, 'stamp
him as one of the first num of the State
in all the elements of statesmanship.
With a minority devoted: to d'istraction,
disorganization and revolution; defying
the,constitutimi;.the laws and allparlia
mentary rules ; at times declaring by their .
acts in language more 'eonclusiy6,than' t
words could convey;their recogniktna of
the legal organization, and again iniofent-j
ly confronting themselvei, thOSeliate;ail
the interests of their constituents and the
honor of the State, they ran riot in their
persistent efforts to hurl the ginenunent
into chaos.: To - withstand them unnatural
elements surging with Mingled subtlety
and violence against his ailmi "stnatiOn't of
the'
_chair, - Mr." Penny ,proved himself,
fullyequal; and his blameless character,
high4onedlegislative iaiver, andiznpar
tial diseharge of his duties as Speaker.
under all circumstances, made the wildest
°ollie revolutionists respect .hint'even in
the vest. reckle,ss of theiri movements.
Mr. Penny ceald well 'afford to resign. •
He had vindicated the right—had made
the minority, in an hundred ways, adMit
their wrong. He, had obligated himself •
to diiehave, the duties of, the chair . with
'fidelity and-to- sup Port ihe•constitution
and-the Uwe. ; :bat he:had not "emitufcte4l
to furnish the minority with Pairintlsm
and brains and that they were:w4thlg
in the_latter and rejected the forme .. *was
flotilla fault.- , Under thi .tenea: of a
*ant 'Of organization fhb ereenahted
ite
to cheer the traitors in tho 1 nd by solid