Pleading for Kb Old Maatcn. The adherents'of the old Locofoeo De mocracy, now called Copperheads, who for many years followed with spaniel-like do cility the lead of the ruling class of the Houth, now rebels, are bitterly opposed to the oath of allegiance prescribed in the Presidents Proclamation of Amnesty.— See what the Pittsburgh Post says on the subject: " With here and there an individual ex ception, the men who would take the oath and be allowed to vote would be the weak est and least energetic portion of the pop ulation. The portion of the Southern people who have the most character, and are the best Jit to govern, and look after the interests of the State or the Union, are precisely those who would be excluded by the test oath." If the editor's object had been to ex press his sympathy tor traitors and armed rebels; if he had sat down to write out a full confession of all that we ever charged upon his party of base subserviency to the men whom it invested with the power to tear t*e Union to pieces ; if he had set about to make an expose of that cring ing sycophancy which inflated those arro gant wretches with a pride and ambition so boundless that they went mad. he could not have succeeded better than he has done in the above paragraph- See how contemptuously he talks of the loyal men of the South—the men who own few or no slaves, but who earn their bread by honest industry, by the labor of their own hands! He oalls them " the weakest and least enegetic portion of the population and then see what he says of the slave holding, ruling class, that class who re gard labor as dishonorable, and who call the working men of the North " mud sills." Yet this man cabs himself a. dem ocrat ! But to say that the non-slaveholders of the South—such, for example as the no ble loyalists of East Tennessee, who htjve suffered and dared more for the Union than any oJ,her community in the country —a ciass of whom Gov. Johnson, of that State, and Parson Browulow, are repre sentative men—arc '• the weakest and least energetic portion of the population" is simply a lie. That they have long been wronged and abused, and deprived of their just rights, and privileges, and weight in social and political life, is very true, but they arc, nevertheless, a brave, hardy, and energetic class; and now they are begin ning to assert their just power ; and when they do become the ruling class, as they soon will, good-bye to slavery, treason and copperhead democracy. Thiß the Post knows, and hence its rage. Does the Post wish to take back the rebels into the Unicn with all their enmi ty to our Union, Constitution and Plag, without even an oath of fidelity 1 We freely admit that they would make very good members of its party, and we doubt not that but the poor copperheads would be overjoyed to have their old masters back again ; but would they make good or safe citizens ? Think of Jeff. Davis or Toombs returning, just as (Lev are to the Senate ; and think of the life that such Southern men as have stood true to the flag of their country through all this terrible rebellion would have under the restored rule of secessionists and rebels. But will the Punt tell us why any man in the South except a few officers of high grade, need be " excluded by the test oath 1" Is there anything in that oath of which any honest man need be either atraid or ashamed '< If so. what is it?— If any man who takes it has at any time favored the rebellion in any way, it is a confession that he was wrong in so doing, and it is a promise that he will do wrong in that way no more. Perhaps the Pout regards such conditions as too humiliating to its haughty old masters. Well, well, if that be so, let them stay out. The country can do very well without them, even if the copperhead democracy cannot. We know very veil that that party will die unless those choice old democrats, who are now at the head of the rebel govern ment and its armies, can be got back again, with their old principles and their " niggers." We know that it is impossi ble tor the " Democracy" to survive the death of Slavery; and it is equally impos sible for those men who " are the best fit ted to govern," to do so after they shall have been deprived of the only thing that ever gave them any importance. The country, it is true, nan and will be gov erned very well after slavery and aristoc racy shall have ceased to exist; but alas for copperheadism in those days ! This is what troubles the Post — Pittsburgh' Ga zette. REBEL INVASION OF THE NORTH.—A Washington dispatch says:—Gen. Hal leck. in conversation with prominent pub lic men. has expresseJ his belief that the Kst grand and desperate effort will be made in tin. ensuing spring by the rebels to trauxfer the real fighting to Northern Boil. They cannot subsist their armies in their ovn desolated region, from all the most fruitful parts of which slaves have been withdrawn into the interior Cotton States. Ir is difficult t > determine wheth er their new campaign will be due north Into Pennsylvania again, or aoross Ken tncky into Ohio, using Longstreet's pres ent position as a base of operations. All the secret advices received at the War Department show that a Peter-the-Her mit crusade against the North is now be ing preached throughout the Confederacy, and that they a.e conscripting into the ranks with ruthless violence everything human that is able to bear arms. WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.—The follow ing dispatch was received this morning at headquarters of the army : Headqnarterg Military Division of Mis sissippi, Nashville. Jan. 29.—0n the morning of the 25th inst, the enemy Bix hundred strong, attacked our garrison of about one hijudred, at Athena. After two hours' fighting the enwu was repulsed fcnd driven back. OUT Tb«« is 20, but that of the enemy is much greater. On the 27th, Col. Miiler had a severe fight on this side of Florence, repulsing the enemy. Our loss in this affair was fifteen killed ond twenty-five wounded. JOHN A. RAWLINS, Brig. Gen. and Chief of Staff. Mr* The knitting-mills at Seneca Falls, New York, now turn out Uxt thousand pain of army hose a day. Rebel Plans and Projects. A letter from a Washington correspond ent of the Yew York Tribune, who claims to speak on good information regarding rebel designs, has the following: . "It has been decided that Longstreet shall be recalled from East Tennessee,and placed at the head of a new army which is to have its basis at Suffolk, and operate on the south side of James River, in ex pectation of an attack on that side by the Union forces. Kirby Smith, well acquainted with the ground now occupied by Longstreet and with the people of Tennessee—which de partment he commanded when Tennessee was under rebel rule—has been appointed in his place. This choice of the Rebel Government has been determined, it is said, by the popularity which Kirby Smith enjoys in all parts of Tennessee where the rebels contemplate, as I have told you, a great movement for next Spring. It is al so surmised that their army now located at Uodgcrsville, having been advised that a strong body of Kentucky troops were ad vancing to reinforce Knoxville, has been or dered to move southward in the direction of Nashville, as a preliminary step to its junction with Polk'sforces. As this move ment uncovers the Tennessee and Virgin ia Railroad, Early has been advised to keep close watch in that direction, by de fending the approaches of the Shenandoah Valley. The advance of therebelarmy in West and South Tennessee, although an article of faithamong most of the Richmond pol iticians, is not, I apprehend, so certain as people affect to believe. I am, on the contrary, assured that Longstreet or his successors have no idea of so soon giving up the safe position he occupies for one not presenting the same advantages. It may be even doubted whether he will feel strong enough to venture upon an isolated expedition either in Tennessee or Kentuc ky. where he has a thousand chances to one to be surrounded and captured. It is for more probable that his army, now located in Rodgersville, is there for the purpose of threatening the flanks of Gen. Grant, of interrupting his communications, and of cutting off his supplies, and for that alone, until he feels strong enough to inarch upon Knoxville, and take that city. Until this is done the Rebel army in East Tennessee is simply to remain on the de fensive. All its efforts at present are to prevent Knoxville from being reinforced and supplied. The attack upon our train at Charleston, in which he was repulsed, that of Martin at Talbot's Stat on, and that of Vance at Mossy Creek, in which the latter was made a prisoner, are all un mistakable indications of one and the same design, the capture of Knoxville. It would not, then, be astonishing to see the rebel army in East Tennessee march before long, wi h the additional re-enforce ments it has recently received, upon the latter city, and attempt to carry itby storm. Indeed the critical position in which Long street is now placed forbids him to stay long in a passive attitude. As the Rich mond pitpatf h of tJieliGtij in#t rsays. ev ery day spent in inaction, to his weak ness, and increases his danger. Placed as ii6 is between two Union armies, one of which, that g£?herimrat Cumberland (lap, is only waiting forreinforcemcn!" to march upon him. Longstrect has no other alter native than to push forward upon Kuox ville or to fall back upon the Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, which has just been putin running order by the repairing of the Wasauga Bridge, on the Wasauga River. But as a retreat at the present mo ment would materially disturb his plan of operation, if not destroy his prestige, the probability is that he will attempt a for ward movement before he is compelled to fall back by the advance of the Union for ces.—Pittsburgh Gazette. THE TAX ON SPIRITS.—The investi gations of the Committee of Ways and Means on the taxation of spirits has de ve oped much interesting information. The annual consumption of spirits, as shown by the New York trade, is about 100,(TOO.000 of gallons. By the census of 1850, 86,781,557 gallons were pro duced in the lw," said lie. "in just the tlap 1 tot fo) them." To which L out. Gen. I'etuber- I ton. who was sitting on !i >rsoba< k beside liini, rep ied. ''.Mr. I .'avis, you aie Com inander-m-l hief. an I you are lie e. "U think the enemy aie in a trap, an t can be captured by vigorous assault. I iiu ve been blamed for not having ordered a general attack on the enemy when they were draw ing around their lines of circumvallation at Vicksburg. Do you now order an at tack upon thoso trooj s down there bo low us, and I will set you my life that notone (I—d d—m man of the attacking column w 1 overcome back a-- o-s ihatva-loy, ex cept as a prisohcr." When I lav is was passing through North Carolina, he only stopped at Wilmington to consult with Gen. Whiting. While there he was pressed by a numerous dele gation of Confederate office-holders to stop tn Raleigh for consultation with Governor Vance. This he angrily declined. It ap peals that the health of .Mr, Davis is rap idly breaking down under his nouralgy attacks, in so much that lie can no longer" use his only good eye by candle light.— lie continues his old habitafter dinner of stretching himself on the carpet before the fire in a room otherwise unlightened, and it is fast becoming dangerous for any one to approach him. Always of a violent and fretful temper, he is becoming greatly aggravated by his misfortunes, and Jim describes him on one occasion as flinging about the chairs and furniture when so disturbed. About four weeks ago a pistol exploded in his room when he was loading it, and the whole fam ily rushed up. Yeeling confident that, as they had long decided, he had committed suicide. Jim says that Mrs. Davis, in conversa tion with fonialo friends, frequently talks of the Confederacy as hopeless, andisloud in regrets for the lost pleasures of Wash ington. There is no forage except in the Missis sippi Department, and the allowance for Mr. Davis' two horses is two quartsof corn each per day.on which, says Jim. they are growing thin. Not long ago Mr. Da vis received a present of twenty turkeys, the food for which now comes from the corn rations of tho quadrupeds, making theiu still thinner. A turkey, says Jim, lasts the family three days—roasted or boil ed the first day. cold the next, and hashed the third. Mr. Davis receives no company—hxs no i wine in his cellar, but has several kogs of brandy sent from blockade runners at Wil- ! mington. Jim says that Mr. Davis told him that the Yankees had killed all the people whom they found on his Mississippi plantation, and that they were all found lying pigglety piggelty in a hole, their legs and anus cut off, and in some cases, their heads bloody and beaten, protudins from the ground. Jim says he believe! . h story, until one of h ; s fellow c crv iiiv. wii could read, t .!•: h »nit w, t.t . c them. 'lben Jim determine !to euv-,-. When he did leave he was hiatien n a hole in the eaiih at CharlesCity for ihreo days before he was found by his wile, the last female slave owned by Mr. Davis iu the Presidential Mansion. Jim wore au overcoat, aud iu it the autograph name of | Mr. Pavis. and the date 18fJ0. "Ho# do \ u Wp v Mir eo i* «■> -"O " «ve iske I h'tit. tie ..istv 'Oil, y. Ma -i | Davis gave ittj me a yea.-ago, audi knew ; 1 might never get another, so I took eare of it." He had on his feet new but very coarse brogans of untanncd leather, which ' Massa Davis got from the quartermaster, and he told me to take care of them for they cost him 550." j The utmost distress preva'ls in Ricli ! 111 aid for fool, there nit being more than ' two or three beevcsJjiHe I in the city pei I day for private eon Wnption. Ire h leof was about SI a pound when he left. For : a str'ng of three perch, we : .ching less than tLpound etch., he paid 813. O , sier wore 8 ?5 11 quart, as they coal 1 only be ol tail I ed in the night on account of the Yankee i occupation of the lames Uiver w.th giui | boats.— l'itt-lmrg/i (la ette. I i -* JfKW S ItV TKIJXItU'II. • Special l>Hp.Ucb to the i'itl-iburgh Gnscttw. Washington, Jjiu. "JO, BOUNTIES AND CLAIMS. The lly c Military Committee to-day, agreed upon the followmg as the proper disposition of a great number of claims j for bounties re>erred to them : WHEREAS, Doubts have arisen as to the intent and meaning of the 3d section of the act approved July 17, 1802, enti tled an act to amend the act calling for the militia to execute the laws of the Union, to suppress insurrection, and to re pel invasion, approved February 28, 1796, an act amendatory thereof, and for other purposes. That said act shall be so con strued as to entitle men who are called out under the provisions of said section, whether enrolled as militia, or volunteers, to a bounty of twenty-five dollars, as pro vided in the aforesaid section, and tlie proper accounting officers of the (Jovcrn luent are hereby authorized and directed to pay the said bounty to all who have not yet received the same; the said bounty shall be paid out of any money appropri ated for the paymeut of bounties to vol unteers. ARKANSAS STATE GOVERNMENT. The following is the President'# order for the reorganization of Arkansas gov ernment : RXfCOTITK M INStO*. "1 W.umixnTON, .tan. an, IMI.J To Maj.-Qen. Steel: Sundry citizens of the State of Arkansas, petition me that an election may be held in that State, at which to elect a Governor—that it be j assumed at that election and thenceforward that the Constitution and the laws of the State as before the rebellion are in full force, except that the Constitu tion is so mod tied -.s to declare that there shnil be lie tlier slavery nor involuntary servitude, except in the punishment of crimes, whereof, the party sh ill have been : dulv convicted'. That the (Jeueral As sembly may make suuli provisions for the freed people a.' shall recognize and declare their permanent freedom, and provide for their educi.ti,n. jnd which in >y yet be construed arrangement, su : tab!e to their present c< nnition >n a la boring, landless and homeless class. That said election shall be held on the 28th day of .March, 1864, at all the usual places of the Sta 0 for tilt euch v >tcr< .I*l 111 v at ten iIW 'hi pti po.-o. \i. iii: •• -or 1 ' ten ng.it etch pliee.it e tr c i.fe 111 j 'ho mini ng of sa d day 111 r, •li .■ ejudg I • •andele ks ol' clc tiun, to lia u|<> e li t ail jici'm 11 <| .a. fio.l t>y . id c usi j uti nan I laws, an . tak 11 h • oath pre ! e:i e I tithe I'rc-i leiu's pioi .itn iiion ol' • ct.cmbcr Blh, 18U;{, either before or a', the election, anu uone eve, may Le vo ters. That each .-:ct of judge md cleiks may make returns directly to you on or before the day next. That iti all other respects said election inly be con ducte 1 according to said modified consti tution and laws, and that on the receipt of sa d ietun, when 5,1 (1 votes shall have been east, you can rcce've such votes and ascer a n who shall thereby appear 10 have been elected. That on the day of next, all per- n< so appearing to have been elected, who shntl appear be fore you at Little Rock, and take the oath to be by you severally administered, to slipjiort the Constitution of the United I States, and the modified Constitution of j the State of Arkansas, and be declared j by you qualified and empowered, to imme ; diately enter upon the duties of the offi | ces to which they shall have been respec j tively elected. I You will please order an election to take place on the 28th of March, 18(14, and returns to be made in fifteen days there ! after. A. LINCOLN. • GEN. ROBECRANS ASSIGNED TO DUTY. War Department, Adjutant General's | O/fi'-e, Wathington, Jan. 28,1801. — Gen eral Orr/rr No. 28.—8y direction of the I President of the United States, Maj.-Gcn. : W. S. Hoseerans of the United Slates Yolunteers. is appointed to the command of the Pepartmcnt of Missouri. Mujor i General J. M. Schofield on being relieved i from his command by Maj.-Gon. Itose j crans, will report for duty to Maj.-Gcn. | Grant at Chattanooga, Tetm. j DESERTIONS FROM THE REBEL ARMT. J Deserters from the rebels still continue Ito arrive at all points of our lines. They express great dissatisfaction with the state j of a Hairs in the rebel army, and are both willing to take the oath and enter the scr i vice of the United States. REVERLLY JOHNSON ON SLAVERY. Reverdy Johnson remarked in Conven tion to-day that the abolition of slavery was foreordained- Some men supposed j they vere d-vng all the w irk to ge' rid of it, while rftilly it w:u the waik of God. ! lie was rejoiced to see this day. GEN. GAUFIELU'S SPEECH. ! The members of Congress have I scribed for an edition of twenty-five thous j and copies of Gen. Garfield's speech— considerably the largest number yet or dered, of any speech this session. FROM LITTLE ROCK, ARK. Private intelligence from perfectly re- I'uVo ,i • 0 ( State. A DRAFT FOR IIW,OOO M! N ORDCRED. \. AV..I .. ,i.u, -'ihe : .e, - den has issued the or. Executive Mansion, \YatAiatg!on, Feb ruary. l«f, 18(54.—1t is ordered that a draft for 500,000 men. to 9erve for three years or during the war. be made on the I'lth day of March next. for the military serv tool the Uu'ted S a es, crelitinj and ueductmg therefrom so many as may have been enlisted or drafted into the service prior to the Ist day of March, audi not heretofore credited. Signed, ABRAHAM LINCOLN. WASHINGTON,' Jan. !io.—The follow ing dispatch lias been received at the Headquaiters of the army :• ]L■ailynartrrs ty' th Military Dili ion <>J tilt -'/■/». An -hit ll>. / hn,, . A)— Major :'uu. i.!•'•...< e . luieguiphs from K ll ixv.l e. J enri. an er dare ol -Jan. _'Sth. !> m., a tuiliuvs: I hive the honor to e;oit that he cvl _v ;tu e (Jen Stu La ne i 1 Ice de vie- ry over lilt; enemy jres'er lay near Fa'r (Jar dens, ten 111 >!o*- east ol Zieversvilie. (Jen M'Cook's division dn ve he cm'my back two miles, after a S'libbom fight, lasting from day-light to four o'clock, |>. 111.. tit which time the division charged with the salne and with a yell, routed the enemy from (he field, and captured two steel ri fled gum. and over two hundred prison ers. 'fhe enemy's loss was considerable, them be tig kille 1 and wound ed. We charged Gainard and Wolford's divisions, and came up after a forced march in time to be pushed in pursuit.— Although their horses were jaded, (Jen. Sturgcs hoped to be able to make the rout complete. Signed, JOHN A. RAWLINS, Prig ficnerul and Chief of Staff. NKW YORK, Jan. 28. —The federal steam corvette Kersage is cruising in the llrest TJouds. The corvette Flor ida is still in that port. The Hartford (Conn.) Timet: says that it is understood among military men in that city, that another call for troops will be made about the first of February for 400,000 men for three years, # and 400,000 for nine months. This information is said to come from sources entitled to credit. WASHINGTON, Jan. 27. —Tho Erm'mj Republican Ims tlie following: It is now certain that a serious e-mii/e occurred in tho roftel cam]>. near Stevensburg, on Satuar day last. Heavy muskefty and artillery firing was heard in so much that n mes sage was sent to the cavalry pickets from the headquarters to ascertain what was go ing on. Deserters who come instate that a regiment had attempted to desert, and a serious affair occurred. There wus souio firing on Friday, and the insurrection in the camp came to u crisis on Saturday. The cause of Jeff. Uavis is getting more and more shakv. OKN..KIW.VSII>K TO I.OCATK AT IIAH | RISHURO. —Gen. Hurnsidc's Aid-de-Camp ; arrivod at Harrisbr.rg on Saturday, and is now arranging (fflairs preparatory to the arrival of the oencra4 r who is about lo es | tablish his headquarters in Harris burg, I where he will receive recruits to the num ' ber of f>'t,oUo for the Ninth Army corps. WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 2'J.—HOUSE. —Mr. Stevens, of PounsylvntUi', from the Committee of Ways and Means, reported the judicial executive and legislative ap ! propriation bill. Mr '""a •*" n .if Tov.a. introduced the tt • iii , tiie Se'i i ? .c cmcur.ng, ' Conge hu- c1 wih ilii profound .wt IJ h.! .i.orin.itioti if the j .*r : ! .sc en eria ned l>y rt'rta n European pow I eis to fubvert the no gl»oring republic i i ; Mexico, and to inriose upon the people of I that repu" li un J . hei fluene ail n n ace of beiiiguro i arms, a monarchic system of fovc:i.u:ent, ] Tactically un known to the people of North America, and alien to their principle, customs and usages ; and be it further Ri'-olccit, That Congress regards this . proposition w ; lh the deepest regie;, and expresses its covx-ton t li tt such an enter prise wil 1 be universally regarded in Amer ica as a menace to the dignity and pernia , nonce-of popular governments, and that I it will only result in adding a new life to | the causes which have retarded the pros perity of that republic, and will provoke complications continually perilous to the j tranquillity of this continent. The death of Mr? Noel!, of Missouri, I being announced,\he Ilowe adjourned. NASHVILLE, Jan. 27.—Information \ from Gen. Dodge at Pulaski, Tenn., uu j der date of 26th, says that the enemy crossed the Tennessee river last night, at tacked Athens this morning and were de feated. Ihey are now trying to get back. The troops at Athens had mostly gone to Florence to attack Johnson's force cross ! ing there, and Col. Harrison with six hun dred rebels, and two pieces ; took advantage of their absencewere badly defeated. Still I M!lT —Advices say that Dodge badly whipped Johnson at Florence. In all probability the raid is at an end. GINCINNATTI, Jan. :i'>.—The Cummer-. cinf» special, five miles north of Tunnel : Hill, Georgia, on the 2!tth, says : Gen. Palmer, with Davis' division, moved here yesterday on a reconnoissance 1 The 2Nth Kentucky and 4th Michigan, drove in the rebels' advance pickets, and ! captured a company of rebel cavalry.— _ The rebels retreated from Tunnel Hill du ring the night. They lost 32 killed and wounded. Our loss is two wounded.— The object of the reconnoissance was ef fected. « Claiborne's division is above Tunnel Hill, on the Dalton road. The balance of the rebels have disappeared. They have j probably gone to Mobile or East Tennes ; see. LOUISVILLE, Jan. 30. —The Journal has further advices about the Scottsville affair: Capt. Gilium, of the ISth Kentucky, was commanding at Scottsville with 150 men. Hamilton, with 300 rebels, attack ed him. and a desperate fight, Gilium - - ■ c ■ id.- j t vitirt Ho i!, <•'«• r.'Vtu . ''''l tha public roles . his i u 1 ■ SoiiiO ot our uie ej) .ills u.-ve ki-t re ceived further information that 11 amil ; ton's men robbe-J several stores.