The New York Herald Newspaper, February 9, 1862, Page 4

4 = NEW YORK HERALD. 2AMBS GORDON BENNETT, EDIMOR AND PROPRIETOR @FFICR N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS, TERMS o advance Money sant ty matt wi beatthe wisi of the ‘madden, “Bone tut” Bank bikie curvend im Neve Fork thew ODE DAILY WERALD.(.00 contaper comp. QT per anninm. Wolaume XX¥VII Ne, 39 AMUSEMENTS TO-MORROW EVENING. recrpye OF MUSIC, Irving pisce.—Iratias Oreaa— NIBLO3 GARDEN, Broadway. —Hamunt, PR GARDEN, Broadway. —Seatous Faminy—Natan OBEN WALLAOCK'S THEATRE, No, eu Broadway.—Srexo tux ¥rovus | LAURA KRENE'S THEATRE, Broadway—Ove Aven: aw Cousty. NEW BOWERY THE. raeT GUaRD—WANawe J acu. | poWERE THEATRE, Bowary.-Snoxsar's Nanonat Gncvs. panauee AMERICAN MUBKUM, Brosdway.—Cow | ore-—-Livit@ Hirrorotamos, Waaix, &0., at al! hours,— IN DUNA, al oon aud eveni BRYANTS MINSTRELS, Meruanics’ Hal, 472 Broad. ‘Way. —Dowm iv OLe K-t-Ke, HOOLEY'S MINSTRELS, Stuyvesant Institute, No. 659 Broatway.—Ermorias Sonds, Daxces, ao. MELODEON CONCERT HALL, No, 589 Brondway.— Boncs, Davows, Buaiecaues, &¢.—Houpar w insuaye CANTERBURY MUSIC HALL, $85 Broadway.—Sones, Danoxs, Bueasques, &C.—Mazurn, tax Nigut Uw... GATETIES CONCERT ROOM, 616 Broadway.—Daawixe oom Eyreatainmens, Baciers, Paytommens, Faxces, ac. RICAN MUSIC HALL, 444 Broadway.—Sonas, Bau: “ANTOMIMES, &C.—PORIRaIT PAINTER. YSTAL PALACE co! RT HALL, No. 45 Boweiy.— e9QUKS, SONOS, Daxuss, &6.—Conpian’s Fronte. ~.ARISTAN CABINET OF WOND! ae Open dally from WA M.S Me ee Broadway. NOVELTY MUSIC HALL, 616 a Bonas, Davcns, £0. Broadway. —Borusseves 7 NSTITUT . Conroy's Exusantox oF Lag rd AND Mos SY THE ‘Nationa Basp or New York, Sunday, February 9, 1562. THE SITUATION. With the exception of a few reconnoitering ex- Cursions ia the vicinity of Pairfax Court House, ho ements have taken place in the Army of the Potomac. Affairs are progressing admirably in Tennessee fad Keatacky, Our victories in these States are Aikely to be followed up with the same activity on the part of our generals which achieved the suc- feases at Fort Henry and Mill Spring. { We iearn from Cincinnati that General Wilson's Qivisioa teft New Haven, Ky., on Thursday, and Bdvanced to Green river, above Munfordaville. The advance of General Thomas, after dispersing Rherebels at Mill Spring, had got as farsouth as Montivelio, but owing to the condition of the roads fouid proceed no farther for the present. ‘ Whe capture of the bridge on the Ohio and Memphia Railroad by our troops, after the surren- Ber of Fort Henry, isin the main corroborated by Bdeapatch received at headquarters from General a yesterday, stating that our troops had mediately proceeded up the river in the direc- ion of the bridge, sixteen miles distant from Wort Henry, and demolished all the batteries of th v's in their route. Recent intelligence from Cinc asc" “ates that the rebel infantry at Fort Heacy + sbandoned in their flight thousands of Bho! gus and all their camp equipage and clothing. Hn pursuing the flying rebels Major McCul- ough, of the cavalry, captured six guns, and Col. Bohn A. Logan got possession of eight guns and & three prisoners. Gen. Grant, who is ad- Wsacing on Fort Donelson, had arrived at Dover, a its immediate vicinity, yesterday. By the arrival of the steamer Eastern State at Fortress Monroe on Friday from Hatteras, we fhave later intelligence of the Burnside expedi- Rico. The fleet left their anchorage at the finiet on Wednesday morning—the gunboats Btartiug at sunrise and the ships and troops following soon after. Their destination w: believed to be Roanoke Island. The fect Is said to consist of eighty-four vessels. We give to-day some highly interesting accounts of the tate of affairs on board the fleet from our special torrespondent. ‘ A portion of General Butler's expedition, con Bisting of the ships Ocean Pearl, Idaho and North America, with troops and stores on board, sailed €rom Boston yesterday for Ship Island. Our aews from the Southern journals is interest- fing to-day. We have received the Norfolk Du, Book and the Richmond Zraminer of the sth inst. with other Southern papers. The Richmond Ey- miner has an editorial growl at the hesitancy of uropeaa Powers in not recognizing the rebel con- @ederacy. It says:—“It must be confessed that foreign governments have shown a tame spirit Gn their treatment of the American war. They have @ilowed themselves to be defied by the Yankee @verament with an insolence and arrogance whic: Could hardly have been expected in such haughty Bowers.” The writer then goes on to speak of the Ulegal federal blockade of the Southern ports Shos preventing the South from obtaining supplic~ pi arms, while the North is permitted to draw Sevmited quantities from Europe. He says: ee Us the same supply of these munitions with * enemy and we will engage in three months to este the whole aspect of the war; instead of Wpteading on the defensive we should carry the war to Africa.” , The same paper has a long article on the pro 4 direct tax of our government. It thinks in is measure the North is about to be put to the Bost. [t says:—“It is 2 tax which the, enemy can- prot pay. The people would not if they could Whe collection of it is a double impossibility.”’ The subject of enrolling free negroes into the Dilitary service of Virginia came up in the House Di Deiegates ig that State on the dthinst. Vi ious propositions were made as to the term o/ Wervice to be exacted and the manver in which the Daroiiment should be performed. In the course oi We debate on this subject, Mr. Rives said—‘ If it Were in bis power, he would convert them all (free Bogroes) into slaves to-morrow.” ‘There appears to be a division of opinion among Be rebels in regard to the responsibility of their Bereat at Mill Spring. General Crittenden, the Bier in that affair, is severely criticised by Qome of the rebel papers. The Nashville Pa triet “oays:—“he |= was not th Wut had been bonght by federal gold.” A corre. Pondeot of the Memphis Avalanche + Ylniead, yon gen goarcely pass along only = dr NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1862. crowds upon the stroets—for Nashvitle haa a] ‘The Vote om the Treasury Note Bill— | The Robe! Stronghold of Columbus, om | Van Wyok's Famous Speech Upom Gov- i Secessionism and Abolitionism Un- goodly attendance on her streets at preaant—vwith- pecs aay _ out hearing the commanding officer charactorixed | ‘Phe splendid majority of thirty-four votes, by a3 a ‘drunkard,’ ‘notorious sot,’ ‘sold our brave | which the Treasury Note bill paased the House soldiers for $49,000," ‘death is too good for him,’ | on Thursday last, is most gratifying to the conser- and more of a worse tenor.” vative sentiment of the country. We have not At the last accounts he was, with his demoralized | Coubted that the bill would pass; butso large & rebel soldiers, at Gainesboro’, Tenn., one hundred | DAVOrity ine very full House was unexpected , Bowery. Bagmacaxe— miles from the Late battle field of Mill Spring, aad twenty miles south of the Tennessee border. reaignation. are aot particular whether the applicants are “freemen or slaves." MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. The steamship Niagara, which left Liverpool on ton. The Niagara will bring bs days later then that received by tho Nova Seotign. ‘The steamers after the Niagara, to be looked for at New York, are the Teutonia, from Southampton on the 29th, and the Etna, from Queenston on the 30th ultimo. ‘The Senate of our State Legislature was not in a short session, during which favorable reports portions of the Battery for Staten Island ferry slips; Incorporating the New York Universalist Conven- tion and the Blind Mechanics’ Association, and for the extension of streets of this city to the bulk- head lines in the East and North rivers. The Com- mittee of Ways and Means reported the Annual Ap- propriation bill; also the bill to publish the official canyass in the State paper only. Notice was given of a bill for licensing ballast lighters in this port. resolution to grant the use of the Assembly cham- ber for a politico-religions discourse by a reverend geatleman. The resolution was defeated, and the House adjourned to Monday evening. Bennett, hence, arrived at Port Royal on the 27th ult. Captain Betsworth. of the schooner Addie E. Barnes, which arrived yesterday from St. Johns, Porto Rico, says that on the 2d instant, when in latitude 32 34, longitude 72 45, he heard heavy firing tothe westward. At the time there were a ship, a bark and a schooner in sight. Sup- them, when the schooner stood for him until he Yan her out of sight. Among our telegraphic intelligence from Wash- There can now be no question that the passage of this first moasure of the financial programme of the government will be followed by equally Major General Gideon J, Pillow has seein all decisive votes in favor of the Tax bill, the Bank samed his war ‘“‘Axings,” by withdrawing bis | Qurrency bill, the Loan bill, the Banking bill and other financial measures prepared or pro- The rebels are erecting more fortifications near | posed by the government. We hope that all of Norfolk. They advertise in the Norfolk Day Book them, and particularly the Tax bill, will be for ong haadred laborers to work thereoa, They | tought up for action immediately. In the vote upon the Treasury Note bill we discern a new division of parties, It has been explicitly stated, and was well understood by the members of Congress, that a vote against this financial measure was a vote against the the 25th, and Queenstown on the 26th of January, | government itself. It was clearly apparent to is now fully due at Halifax on her voyage to Bos- | the dullest comprehension that the war could European news tw | not go on without money. Congress had heen informed by Secretary Chase himself that the Tresgury was completely empty. There = Do other practicable way—there w' piher way proposed—by which a ee be so readily, so speedily aud so safely raised as by session yesterday. The Assembly, however, held | this bill. It was expressly understood that after this bill relieved the pressing and imme- were made on the bills authorizing the lease of | diate necessities of the government the Tax bill should follow to provide ample security for the payment and means for the redemption of these Treasury notes. From these facts no deduction is more simple and logical than that a vote against this bill waa a vote to cripple the government, to destroy our army and navy, to ruin the country and to aid the rebels. The Treasury was empty, and without mongy the The bill to close Manhattan square was sent back | wheels of government must stop; the Trea- to the committee, for further consideration. A | gury waa empty, and without money the war somewhat livoly discussion was indulged in over @ | jacked its very sinews, and our armies were transformed into collections of thousands of dissatisfied, needy and mutinous government creditors; the Treasury was empty, and with- We leara by the sloop-of-war Savannah that the | out money all our government manufactories revenue cutter Henrietta, Lieutenant Commanding | must cease work, and thousands of laborers be left idle; the Treasury was empty, and without money the government was powerless, and must lie, bound hand and foot, and strangled into ayncope by its pretended friends, at the mercy of Jeff. Davis and his rebel horde; the Treasury was empty, and the passage of this bill waa the only feasible way to replenish it and avert posing one of thera might bea privateer, Captain | these disasters. The country knew all this, Betaworth hauled up on his course to get clear of | and there is not the slightest doubt that Con- gress appreciated it. On the affirmative side of this vote, therefore, we find the representa- tives of the conservative, loyal sentiment of the ington will be found the substance of an interest- country. But whom, thea, do we flad upon the ing letter, written by the Secretary of the Trea- sury to the Gemmittee on Ways and Means, via- dicating the course of the Treasury Department notes. Some of the Canada papers say that the Ameri- their acts, because of the long time that has inter- vened. The blocking up of the harbor of Savan- ooh, by the sinking of British vessels, which re- main there to this day, was right in 1779; but for the Americans to do the same thing with their other words, they intimate that we must not do as England has done, but we must do as England dic- tates. Thirty-seven of the Illinois regiments ave com- manded by democrats, and twenty-six by republi- cans. We have received later advices from Utah; but relative to the Printing and engraving of bank | moat cans, in carrying on the present war, must not fall | or two men, back upon English precedents as a justification for | New York, whom we are as surprised and sorry negative side? We find voting against the bill ao singular and dangerous coalition of avowed secessionists and avowei abolitionists. Sprinkled among them are one like Erastus Corning, of to see in such company as we are surprised and glad to see Thad. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, standing honestly by his country, and voting with the conservatives for the bill. Mr. Corn- own vessels, in 1861, is barbarously wrong. In | ing is only the representative of the defunct Albany Regency, and his business firm fur- nished the hardware bread and cheese which confiding Cummings sold to the government for army stores. He was a@ member, also, of the Peace Convention, and perhaps the scent of that ancient body clings to him still. But, the crowded state of our columns precludes our passing Corning by as doubtful, we find seces- publishing our special correspondence to-day. Meetings are still being held for the purpose of obtaining State rights in the place of those apper- taining to the position of a Territory, and Brigham Young is busily engaged in furthering that object. The boys of Hartford have a “high old time” at coasting, either on sleds or skates, on their park, the solid crust on the snow sustaining them on its surface. They start from the brow of the hill» near the college, and their terminus is near the jail—a rather unpleasant place to bring up at, but along slide. Large numbers of spectators daily witness this invigorating sport of “the lads. The coasting ground of New York city is at the Central Park, but does not terminate, like that of Hartford, at the jail. It is well patronized by the boys. Judge MeCunn yesterday denied the motion of Mr. Blankmun for a stay of proceedings in the case of Dr. Charles Cobel, indicted for producing an abortion, bat only convicted of a misdemeanor. At the request of counsel, sentence was postponed for afew days. Patrick Kane, resident of the Sixth ward, pleaded guilty to an assault and battery upon officer Rierdan on election day. The City Judge called for a certiticate of character, where- upon ex- Alderman Barry pronounced it good. He was fined ten dollars, and, not having so mach “change” about him, the ex-Alderman kindly step- ped forward, and fearlessiy met the demands of the law. Thomas White, a genteel looking young man, who was indicted for the murder of homes J. Coglan, a waiter at the St. Nicholas Hotel, and who pleaded guilty last month to manslaughter in the third degree, was brought ap for sentence. It sionism and abolitionism cheek by jowl in this negative vote on the bill. May, of Maryland— a secessionist by his antecedents, his declara- tions and his policy—votes “ nay,” with Owen Lovejoy, of Iinois, an abolitionist of the biackest dye. Of course Vallandigham votes negatively, for his vote is as sure to go against the government and in favor of the rebels as the sun is to rise. With Vallandig- ham votes Richardsou, of Illinois. Morrill, of Vermont, goes with Thomas, of Mary- land; Potter, of Wisconsin, strikes hands with Mallory, of Kentucky; and so on, through the whole list, open secessionists and violent abolitionists ran in couples and work in teams against the govern- ment and the country, and in favor of the Southern confederacy. But from whom else could we expect such treasonable votes than from such advocates of treason in its two deadliest forms? This, then, is the resalt of those secret abolition and secret secession caucuses of which we bave before informed our readers. This, then, is the unmasking of that battery against the Union which has been so long preparing. It ix well we know our friends now and our foes. It is well that we can estimate precisely the strength and the weakness of the treasona” ble opposition in Congress. Under other cir- cumstances it would hardly be a fit subject for will be remembered that Coglan was a volunteer in the Sixty-ninth regiment, and that while White was intoxicated he gave him a fata! stab with a knite. The City Judge addressed ® few appropre- ate observations to the prisoner, remarking that he had deprived the community of # good citizen and had committed a great crime. Is was not, how ever, he thought, so much the result of depravity as of excitement produced by liquor. The eat penalty the law allowed was given, which j a onment in the State prison for four years. Accounts from the peach growing districts of New Jersey represent the prospect for a good crop next season as unusually flattering. Captain Hyde, of the United States revenue cut- ter Tiger, to whom the press of this city are indebt- ed for many favors, has been ordered to Boston for duty. The report of the New Jersey Pilot Commission: | ers shows that during the month of January the New Jersey pilots brought sixty-eight vessels into the port of New York, and took sixty-three out. Fifty-four vessels were boarded out of sight of land congratulation that the conservatives are the most powerful, and that the vote upon this bill shows that the government can carry all its financial measures; for Heaven knows that, i crisis like this, there should be no opposition at all, but that all shoold work harmoniously together for the salvation of the Union, But we wade in deep waters during these perilous times, and even so mournful « triamph is a thousand times better thana defeat. The large majority for the bill, therefore, will encourage the administvation, the army, the navy and the country, aud in two months time we shall have such @ crushing grip upon this rebellion that no European interference or schemes of Northern rebels can save it from annihila- | tion, Till then let us rejoice that the | diabolical minority of Congress, like the fanati- | cal elements they represent, are so weak, though so desperate; and let the people mark with their deepest contempt and loathing, at bome ‘The sales of conton yesterday embrace closing with firmness for middling uplands per lo. Nearly all the purchases were made by spin ners, The boldere of breadstuts generally demanded prices above the views of purchasers for export, sad hence trangactions were moderate, and in most cases vie Common grater of Siete snd Western flow were rathor ener, WOR good to choise rand Were firm and in good request. Weer was arm enpecially fer good to prime qualities, while iaferior heavy and irregular. Sales of oti Corn mom purchasers tero mixed, in store and delivered, aud + Jersey and Southern uew yellow 4 active. The nales embraced wow wines at BI $19 124 0 $12 26 for old, with » lot foliverable in all April at $15 26, and cow prim a $0 60. Whiskey wa ' b anion of 4008 kat of new meen waa at market was inactive end in some instances rather | eosirr, Later news by the Cousrd stesmer, over dye at Halifar, was Also owaited with anxiety or abroad, in private or political life, the em- bryo Congressional traitors who voted in favor y and disanion, and A Proust is His Own Countay.—We see by the Toronto Leader that there is some idea of giving Ball Run Russell a public dinner ia that elty. We are glad of it. Ti will fulsify the dugrateful proverb that “no man i# 4 pro. phot in his own couatr * We learn fuether that the London Times man is not going back to Bng- | His chapter of predictions on the war is yplete, and he returns to Washington to This will be gratifying news to Dis vaticinations have they have took + | land thew resume mic papers. bean the only stock ip had to upoti | campaigning sod the "I itta "ONG the rade live Greeley the Mississippi River. Wo present our readers to-day, from several intelligent sources, a very important map of the rebel stronghold at Columbus, Kentucky, to- gether with an interesting statement concerning that locality and the rebel! army there from Mr. Leonard Denty, late @ drill sergeant in that camp by compulsion, but now in this city, after a lucisy eacape from a rebel guardhouse and & military execution. From our map, and from the testimony of Mr. Dentz, it will be seen that the rebela have been working like beavers since their firat oc- cupation of Columbus last summer to make it @ regular Sebastopol. On the commanding bluffs whick form the left bank of the river above and below the town for five or six miles they have erected a succession of heavy batte- ries to sweop tho river and the opposite flat shore; they have stretched across tho stream several strong and massive obains, supporting owmerous submarine batteries or torpedoes to blow up our gunboats; and they have below these chains several .guaboats and the famous turtle or steam ram of the re- doubtable Captain Holling, So much for the river and the river front. oo a the shor son B the robel oanip of forty, or sixty thousand mon, aupported on its right by the wing of a rivor battery, aod by a line of rife pits, on elevated ground, of néarly two miles long. In his rear General Polk haa pro- vided against a surprise by the constructton of several poworful earthworks, and on bis left flank be has three or four redoubts and bat teries of a still more formidable character, and a line of rifle pita to protect the railroad which here comes in from Bowling Green. Alto- gether, it is probable that, in this extensive and elaborate system of deferices, Columbus is sur- pounded by over one hundred pieces of artil- lery, mostly of heavy calibre, many rifled, and with three one hundred and twenty pounders ia the moat commanding position. The nature of the ground covered by these works is another element of strength, They occupy a sort of terrace, elevated from twelve to seventy-five feet above the surrounding dat and swampy country, We may thus form an approximate idea of the natural and artificial strength of Columbus, and of the importance which the rebels attach to its continued occupa- tion by their troops to the end of the war, if possible. We think, however, that, with all these vast and formidable and defensive prepa- rations, they have only been shutting them- selves upina trap. Their army of forty or fifty thousand men, or more, is fed from day to day by the supplies which it receives from be- low by way of the river, and from the interior of Tennessee and Keutucky by the Bowling Green Railroad. That road having been seized by our troops at the crossing of the Tennessee river, the rebel camp at Columbus is even now reduced to the river channel for the means of subsistence. We are satisfied, too, from the manner in which our gunboats stood up te their work in short range of the guns of Fort Henry, that those boats can snap the chains of the Missis- sippi, and rua the gauntlet of the batteries at Columbus, and take a position below which will effectually blockade the river. This done, three or four days will bring Columbus to a capitulation; for we do not suppose that, push- ed to the uttermost, the rebel army there can longer subsist upon its provisions on = The place is doomed, and with its fall the whole line of the Mississippi river will be opened to our gunboats; for upon this plea the journals of New Orleans are urging rein- forcements to Columbus and additional bat- teries for its defence, forgetting that it can be cut off below and in the river from its supplies, and can thus be quickly starved into aubmis- sion. Tre Corporavion and THe Newsparxes.—{n reply to a resolution of inquiry, the Comptrol- ler informed the Common Council, on Thurs- day evening, that during the year 1861 the city had expended the sum of $70,350 for Cor- poration advertising, and gave the following as the principal items of this nice little expendi- ture:—- Daily News... Expreas..... ° : Commercial Advertiaer., Transcript... Toint Where the remainder of the seventy thou- sand dollars has gone it is impossible to say; bot we can form some ides of how it is wasted by an analysis of the items with which we are favored. The Daily News was a paper of little circulation and avowed secession sentiments, and died long before the close of the year 1861; yet we find it drawing some thousands of the public money. The Express named above is the mora- ing Express, which never bad any circulation to speak of, and has long since deceased. ‘The | Commercial Advertiser and Bening Post ave | journals of very small cireulation, and are seldom read except by their own contri. butors. Of the Transcript we never heard until this report of the Comptroller, and upon diligent inquiry we find it to be a paper which is given away, ead it has, therefore, really and legally no circulation whatever. Yet upon such papers as these, which alto- gether, at their best times, did not circnlate- more than. ten thousand copies, nearly fifty thousand dollars were thrown away, aad twenty thousand more are devoted to thesuste- nance of a parcel of weeklies, of doubtful mo- rality and of hardly any cireulation. Now, for less than half the money, the Heratn would have given the Corporation advertisements the wide publicity of its daily issue of one hundred thousand copies, and thus saved to the city an immense amount of money and trouble, and given the advertisements a real instead of a pre. tended publication. But the fact is that the Common Councilmen do not wish the public to see what they are about, and we conld not do them a worse service than to publish—as we aball some day—a batch of their advertisements in the Haran, where they will be knows and read of all men. Therefore the Corporation printing is concealed in these petty papers, the city is swindled, and a few hangers on at the City Hall pocket seventy thousaod dollars of the public funds. Bat because Common Couneilmen “love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil,” is that aoy reason why the public | should endure this uneorupulous fraud? We think not; and if we are not very greatly mis- taken, developements soon to be made will yur opinion, and rid the city for of imn pas oullays for ernment Frauds. The anticipated speech of Representative Van Wyck, Chairman of the Congressional Select Committee on Government Contracts, was delivered in the House on Friday last, and is published in full in our news columns this morning. Our readers will find it @ condensed, unanswerable, ascath ing exposure of some of the rocent famous frauds upon the government ; and whether as a terse statement of undeniable facts, or an elo- qnont summary of the resulta and conclusions of the investigations of the Select Committee on Contracts, it will attract attention and repay perusal In this speech Mr, Van Wyck follows up the astounding developementa of the committee's report; and in truth there fs no department of the government which needs closer or more immediate attention, just at present, than that of army and navy contracts. Every day brings ita now fraud and its new, unpunished criminal. ‘Mr. Van Wyok rehearses instances of eorruption, which, although -scarcely a month old, seem trite and twice told, so greatly are they over- shadowed by more recent discoveries of mors Searing peindlings. He tele bot Ft the very outset of this war, while the Seventh regiment was marching on to Washington, the contract frauds began by a swindle of $32,000 in the purchase of two thousand head of cattle in Pennsylvania, He narrates, with minute de- tails, the career of Confiding Cummings, of the World, and the facts of his purchases of army ale and porter, army hard bread and cheese, army straw hats and linen pantaloons, and army herrings and country butter. He repeats the sad story of the charter of the Cataline, and shows how Cummings managed to purchase her private cargo with the government funds. The Pennsylvania horses, spaviaed, knock-kneed, heavey, glandered, wind-galled aad afflicted with every disease to which horseflesh is beir, are next trotted out, and the manner of their purchase and the style in which the govern- ment, in one case alone, was robbed of $50,000, are exposed. The system of contract broker- age is then shown up, and $90,000 of govern- mient money is traced to the pockets of a rela- tive of Secretary Welles, through agencies for ship purchases and tea table sales of condemned whalers. Secretary Welles’ defence of his contracts and contractors is then splendidly riddled; and, with a few trenchant references to Hall’s repur- chased carbines, the McKinstry frauds and army transportation swindles, Mr. Van Wyck concludes his expose, having traced t'e ramifi- cations of official corruption from Cabinet officers to amateur volunteer purchasers of ships, muskets and army stores. This record is a most sad and gloomy one; but, though it reveals much, it suggests more. The frauds exposed «ink into insignificance alongside of the frauds: hinted at but stifl con- cealed. What are the Cataline and the whaling ship swindles when contrasted with that enor- mous crime which perilled the lives of thou- sands of brave soli’érs and risked the success of a costly expedition by supplying vessels unfit, misrepresented, useless and dangerous? Unserviceable horses may be fraudulently sold to the government; but the country loses only the money paid for the diseased animals, and our unmounted cavalry troopers may do service on foot; but if unseaworthy ships are loaded with soldiers, the nation loses lives more precious than gold, and has its best enterprises blasted and ruined. Confiding Cummings makes silly bargains for army ale #ad porter, and fritters money needlesaly away; but what is his blame compared with that of those contractors who supply water casks flavored with oil, camphene and kerosene, subjecting our brave troops to the perils of thirst or the pangs of nauseous and unrefreshing draughts in the midst of « terri- bie storm, when drinking water was almost as vi- tally necessary as air? Wholesale robbery is bad enough in itself; but when it accomplishes its criminality through the means of wholesale murder there is no word in any language stroug enough to stigmatize its infamy as it deserves. Rebels and traitors who meet our soldiers face 10 face in the open field, and stand the chances of shot and bayonet, or even bushwhacking vil- lains, who from some secret covert asseusi- nate the defenders of the Union, are brave, re- spectable and worthy of high estimation when compared with these patriots who poison the water of our expeditions, and send troopsoff to sea in crazy ships, usefal only as coffins for the brave fellows embarked upon them. Therefore, we say that the frauds expos. ed ave trivial im comparison to those yet undisclosed, and we should think that the swindles upon our government, from the beginning of the war up to: this date, have amounted to the enormous sum. of fifty millions of dollars. We nist expect to be lectured upon this subject not only by the rebel journals, but by the press of aristocratic Europe: and certainly our friends and enemies could: have no better text for their assaults upon “Lincoln’s government” and democratic institations. [t may be some consolation, to our readers to know, however, that rebels and Kuropeans, who fling stones at us, themselves live in houses of the very thinnest glass. Al- ready the rebel journals ave grumbling at the vaat frauds conneeted with their civil and mili- tery administrations. In England, France, Russia, Austria and all other Earopean king- doms, governmental swindling is carried to a much greater excess than it has ever been, or will ever be, in this country. The only differ- ence is that ia Europe these matters are hushed up as long as.possible, and when exposed are followed by the condign punishment of the swindlers. In this oowntry, on the con. trary. we reveal all our corruption, but seldom punish its authors. Immediately after ‘the clove of the Crimean war immense army frauds were discovered in Russia, and the offenders ure now expiating their crimes amid the oternal snoves of frigid Siberia. (n England and France, whenever a rathole of this sort is discovered, an official plants bismself before it and screens it from public observation until the clamor about it has subsided, or the vermin is killed. Here every one cries “Rat! rat!” alt hands join to unearth the guawer ut the ‘Treasury, and, having discovered him, all allow him to escape. Upon the whole we prefer the honest bur and | ery of our own country to the reticence of Eure peans. But would it not be well for us to adopt the European ideas in regard to the punishment of government swindlers? There ia not the slightest question but that if some of the frauds Wyck exposes had occurred in Europe y parties would long since have been Why should Indeed, if (he rumors afloat land incarcerated which we are not yot at liberty to publish—ia regard to swindles connected with our naval expeditions, should prove true, we have strong hopes that, before long, the matters will be ia- vestigated, and the perpetrators will be dis covered, brought to trial and deservedly con demnod on charges of swindling and emboanle ment. Tw Conveperare Correncr.—We have co ceived @ couple of specimens of the browse paper shinplasters now ourrent in the so-called Southern confederacy, and we give fac similes of them for the benefit of our readers:— A 4 ramon. 6105 Oot, 100, 1964. |, RCV ANIL WOKE $ TEN CENTS, e 4 7 fa ee ‘on Deposite at the POR SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY. . Gaonow M. Baw, Cashior. 00 AY PO OROO OE DODANE ODODE N POOP RO LIIPLOORIGLELEREDDIE LEONE IEGEDE 1. a Nowors, Va., £5} January L, 196% ht s ak THE FAMILY GROCERY sTORe, 1 wil Base on posoaed ia, paren. Tt ie in pygh trash a4 this that she pals change of the confederacy is made, No that we have constant reports of refusals to co" enlist in the rebel army; for the soldiers are paid in such money as these shinplasters, and are in oo hurry to do double sorvice for such pay. With these specimens before us, we can better appreciate the patriotism of that rebel regiment of Mississippians who, it is said, tore up the notes handed to thom, declaring that they did not fight for money; for such money they doubtless meant; and tearing it up wae about the best thing they could do with it. The opponents of our issue of Treasury notes contend that they will degrade our currency to the same level as that of the South. On the contrary, when the Tax bill is passed, and the government is thus enabled to pay promptly in specio the in- terest on ite bonds, our national notes will have a firm specie basis, andbe more reliable than those of any of our banks. Thus far there has been no noticeable deficiency of specie at the North; and, if there should be any, Post Office stamps Would be a far better substitute for small change than these shinplasters. Jerry. Davis ayp His Frag ov Tauca.—tt ie stated that the flag of truce from Jeff. Davia the other day covered a notice and a warning to the government at Washington that if Gen. Halleck should proceed to the execation of any of the convicted rebel bridgeburners of Mis- sourt, as he has promised, Jeff. Davis will reta- liate by the hanging of Col. Corcoran and some others of our brave soldiers now held by the rebels as prisoners of war. One would suppose from this thet the rebel leaders regard the kill- ing bridgeburners ag an outrageous act of bar- barity; but their own acts are against them. Ie East Tennessee they have applied the penalty of death by hanging to perhaps not tess than # score of Union men, charged with or suspected of the crime of bridgebarning, and some of these victims they have hung up in chains, after the barbarous English fashiom of two hundred years ago. Gen. Halleck, on the other hand, has given a fair trial to the rebet bridgeburn- ersof Missouri in his hands, according to the rules, articles and laws of war, and, as these men have been found guilty, they are to be shot. The: insolence, therefore, of Jeff. Davis, with his threats of retaliation:against regular prison- ers of war, for the legal military panishmeat of spies‘and incendiaries, is without # shadow of justification. President Lincoln would have the same excuse for the hanging of some-of the North-Carotina rebel soldiers: hetd as prisonere of war in' Fort Warren, in retaliation for the summary and barbarous execution of Vaion men in East’ Tennessee, accused of bridgebura- ing in order to break off the railroad communi- cations of the-rebel armies in that quarter. This threat of Jeff: Davis, however, is in keeping with the savage instructions of Cobb and Toombs to the women and children of Georgia, to burn their own houses over their heads, and their goods and’ means of subsistence, and‘re- treat into the swamps to perish, in order that our advancing armies may be “ invited intova desert more terrible than Sahara.” When a gang of rebellious conspirators are driven to such extremities i¢ becomes evident to all the world that their reign of presumption; folly and ferocity is drawing to an ignominious end. Tae Frexca Privors.—The recent visit. ot the Comte de Paris‘and the Duc de Chartres-to Niagara has given rise to the idea that they are about to quit this country. The fact of their going there at this season of the year; in- stead of in summer, suggested the notion that the visit was one: that could not be delayed- This impression is a:mistaken one. The Princes went to Niagara simply because they waated to see the Falls under the imposing aspect of winter. They have no present idea of quitting the country. Their position inthe Army of the Potomac is one so gratifying to. their feetings that they do not intend to abandon it until the war comes to a close. They are beloved by both their superiors and subordinates for their strict attention to their duties, their. kind and courteous demeanor and their gallantry of bearing. Nomen in the army ave more anxious to see active service or to flesh their swords iu the cause of the Union. The Duc de Chartres distinguished: himself during the [talian war by his personal bravery and. modest, unaasum- ing demeanor. Since the two brothers have been serving with the Army of the Potomac the same qualities have invariably distinguished their conduct. We are greatly mistaken if the sympathy of these young Priaces with the cause of freedom, both here and abroad, does not one day restore them to. the position “or- feited by the weakness of their grandfather Tue Conpition ov THE Srrmmrs.—We are sorry tosee that the warning of the Mayor, to the effeot that it the contractor failed in kesping the streets clean, aceording to the terms of his con. tract, the amount whieh would be otherwise due to him would not ‘be paid, has produced no effect. The accumalations of ice aud suow and slush in the public thoroughfares ave fearful, and the attempts made at cleaning are moro mockeries. We suggest that if Mr. Hackley ia not alge to act in accordance with his promises some new contract with some new party should bo made immediately. Our streets in their pre sent state are @ disgrace to the vity, and it is Jifgh time that the Corporation should waive all ceremony, and come to the point at once aa re gards the Hackley contract. In any other coun | try such neglect of # specified st not be tolerated tion would ‘ot a Wom vere lp ne