The New York Herald Newspaper, February 17, 1862, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD.| JANKS GORDON BENNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. Drrice N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS. r ohne sent ty mail will beatthe Sa the mien, Bone “ut Mant ulls Current im New York Mey DAILY HERALD. (wo centsver covw. $7 per annem. RE WEEMLY HERALD, every Saturaay, at stz cons 1.0" $3 per anmume: the Buropean edition every W ; Pa percopys Ba per annum &) any part of Great Britain, £612 ton ‘of the Continent, bdth to postage: the | orm ain th at i) ond 2k af each month a3 per com, oF $2 10 per annum. Mk Pawn HERALD, on Wetnentayy at four cents Der Pes hte CORRESPONDENCE, containing important OL UM Nad from, any, quarter of the world: 4 used, will be ‘vie cane Jor," a OR FORRIGN CORRESPONDENTS ARE ART/ICULARLY REQUESTED TO SEAL 4LL Lerreas ann Pace Bows sexe O8 ‘VU NOTICE taken of anonymous correspondence. Wedono pcre communications | re rei CD URRTISEMEN TS reneisea every deny; advertisements ine ial te ke® D. Famicy Henarp, and in the ed iy, she Weewiy Hes cheapness and de Usfornia «2 Ruremean Editions. JOB PRINTING axacuted with neatness, wootee Volume XXVIII. AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—“ottaan Baws. .No, 47 WINTE: .RDEN, Broadway.—Sxxtous Fawity—Puma- Bant D> ere THEATRE, No. 844 Broadway.—"oap to Uae LAURA KEENB’S* THEATRE, Broadway.~Our Augni- bax Cousix NEW BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Ick Witca—Har- fr Man UaviL s Ducar BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Sticxwxr’s Nationa. Ormcos. ‘ BARNUM'S AMERICAN MUSEUM, Broadway.—Cow = Hirrorotamus, Wuaux, 4c, at all bours,— INA. on And + veuing. BRYANTS' MINSTRELS, Mechanica’ Hall, 472 Broad- Way. uw Roast bare. NIBLO’S SALOON, Broadway.—G ortscuate’s Concert: nc TIOOLEY'S MINSTRELS, Stuyvesant Institute, No. 659 road way.—ETuioriax Sones, Dances, &c. MELODEON CONCERT HALL, No. 539 Broadway.— nos, DaNeKS, BoREESQUES, &C.— HOLIDAY IN leita, OANTERBURY MUSIC HALL, 585 Broadway.—Songs, 5088, BURLESQURS, Maguim, THR MigHt Ow: GAIETIES CONCERT ROOM, 616 Brosdway.—Drawixa Roou Ewrkerainaents, BaLizts. Pantomiaxs, Farces, £6, AWERICAN MUSIC HALL, 414 Broadway.—Sonas, Ban- Less, Pantomies, &0.—PoRiR.s CRYSTAL PALACE CONCERT HALL, No. 45 Bowery.— Bonixsques, Sones, Daxcus, ae. DELVOUS. PARISIAN CABINET OF WONDE! road way.— Open daily trom 10.4. M. ull 9 P.M. Hy Soe Boncs. Daxcus, NOVELTY MUSIO HALL, 616 Broadway.—Burixsqurs ry 17, 1862. THE SITUATION. The news from Fort Doaclson is all important. | Th latest intelligence from the fort is up to five | ock on Saturday afternoon, and was brought | to Cairo by the Minnehaha. The fight had then | been going on for three days, with great vigor on both sides. On the first day (Thursday) the at- | tack was commenced by onr land forces, 40,000 | @trong, under Generals Grant, McCiernand and | Smith, when the rebels gave battle from their | fntrenchments outside the fort, and were driven | back, two of their batteries remaining in pos. | Bession of our troops. At this time only one | @unboat—the Carondelet—was engaged in the Bction, but that evening five oti:. gunboats and 8,009 men arrived at th: scene o warfare. On Priday afternoon Commolore Foot, with his whole j 2 of gunboats, attacked the fort, and had to | nda terrific fire from three batteries, one on > water line, one fifty feet higher, and another 'y feet above the latter. The shots from their terics proved terribly destructive, disabling, it | ft said, all the gunboats except one. Commo- dore Foote, in his officiel despatch, received by the Navy Department yo-terday, says that after fight of an hour and a qu: +r, wi hin lesa than a hundred yards of the | for:, his dagship, St. Louis, had her wheel carried away, and about the same time the tiller of the | Louisville was shot off. Both boats being thus | a severe fendered unmanageable, they floated down the tiver with the current. The two remaining boate were also severely injured. The St. Louis received fifty-nine shots, and the other boats fully hal that | aumber. Fifty-four of men were killed and | wounled in this action. Commodore Foote- who wag twice slightly wounded that | had not the two guaboate been bled | at this juncture the fort would have | , been reduced in fifteen minutes, as the rebel: | were running from their | atte: he!pless, the Commodore wit! tog», to Cairo, by the a: fepair damages, and bring the attack. On her way to Cairo the Minnehaha met ou: formidabie mortar boats at Paduca's, on the to Fort Donelson. Meantime the fight wos con tinued all day Saterday by the land forces. The right wing of the rebel fortificatious wee taken and the Union flag was planted on it. In the eon flict the contending forces fought breast to breas', nd Swarix’s battery was captured by the rebels, but was recaptared by the Ninoteenth Indiana fegiment. After a desperate contest the upper redoubt, which completely commands Fort Donel fon, was taken by our men on Saturday afternoon, and General Grant has telegraphed that the fort would certainly be in his possession yesterday (Sunday). As it is, the Stars and Stripes are flying from the commanding redoubt over the dofeu es of Fort Donelson. Our behaved with great gallantry. The Tlinois Kightoenth fand the fowa Seventh suffered terribly on both sides was heavy. Two colonels ov our side are reported killed, and two wounded. fhe force of the enemy is said to be thirty thousand, and vot fifteen thousand, as at first supposed The rebel fortifications being erected on high bluffs, the firing from the gunboats was less destruc- tive than at the capture of Fort Henry, but still the guns planted on low water level, six in num- ber, were either dismounted or silenced by the Slots from our boats. The first shot fired from the Louisville dismounted the splendid 128-pounder of the rebels We received no news ap to @ late hour this Moruing of the events which transpired at Fort Done\som yesteriay, so that our information only bri: «us down to the proceedings of Saturday a «9000. sospatehes received in Washington yesterday con oraing the affair have inspired the utmost conf ‘9200 a8 to the soo the mind of General McC ellan, Who wee 6) vay in Thus renleved with the Cones 1 General Grant, to up a jarger foree for troops The toss evprapwe com. | this port on Saturday, | Vigor. NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 186 rebels being reinforced at Fort Donelson were e- tertained, in time to save it, while the impossi- bility of the rebels receiving @ fresh supply of au m iuition was regarded as certain. General Mo- Clelan entertains no doubt of the ultimate cap- ture of the fort. We publish to-day, im connection with this news, a map of Fort Donelson, together with sketches of the commanding officers on our side, and an ac- count of the gunboats engaged. No further despatches have been received di_ rectly from Bowling Green, but it is believed at headquarters in Washington that the whole federal force in Kentucky is following close upon the rebels, who have retired from Bowling Green, and that the former will probably proceed without serious interruption to Nashville and Knoxville, | and thus out off the rebel force in Virginia from that in Tennessee, and have the latter between t vo fires without th» b -nefit of fortifications. Success follows success in Missouri. In our last news from that State we had te account of the flight of the rebel Geeral Price from Springfield, and the pursuit of his forces by the Union cavalry: Yesterday we received intelligence from General Halleck that the rear guard of Price's army was overtaken, and after a short resistance fled and dispersed, leaving in the hands of our troops more prisoners than they could well take care of, and deserting all their wagons and baggage on the road. The important communication from our correa- pondent in Paris, which we publish in the Heratp this morning, will prove to our readers that the millions of the French people are in favor of the sustention of the integrity of the Union of the United States, that this fact is fully known to Na- poleon and his friends, and that hence he has aban- doned the idea of any interference with our govern- | ment in its effor‘s to crush out the Southern rebel- lion—if he ever seriously entertained such a notion. This is indeed doubtful, as itis more than likely that he held it forth as a snare for his old acquaint- ance, Lord Palmerston, hoping that England would , When he move first towards a war with Americ wonld desert and leave her in the difficulty. | Slidell’s arrival in Paris is noticed at length. The rebel agent was at once and openly tabooed in diplomatic circles, the Count de Morny, Presi- dent of the Legislative Chambers and a Minister of State, having said at a sviree at the house of the English Ambassador, ‘‘Mr. Slidell is nothing to any one here.” Slidell and his family had made preparations for a stay of some four years in Paris; so that his mission may, after all, be only a simple cover for a voluntary exile from the land of treason. The Czar of Russia had, it is said, written to Napoleon expressing his good wishes towards the United States. On the whole, the Emperor of France seemed to be again mas- ter of the situation at home and abroad; for it is said that his programme for the future rule of Mexico disquiets the Cabinet of Great Britain almost as much as his extraordinary policy on the Northern American question. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. The steamship Teut« from Southampton on the morning of the Ist, arrived at this port last night, Her news has been anticipated by her own tele. graphic report from Cape Race, while the advices of the Asia, published yesterday morning in the Hgranp, are one day later. Mr. Wm. J. Reid, of the steamer Matanzas, ar. rived at this port yesterday afternoon, from Hilton tlead, reports that when that vessel left Port Roy- al, on Wednesday, the 12th instant, the yacht Henrietta, Lientenant Bennett commanding, was in the harbor, all well. The Henrietta had been to Heaufort, South Carclina, and returned with all on hoard in excellent health and spirits. The Legislature of Rhode Island have unani- mously voted to present General Burnsice with a Convention will re- assemble to-day in Memphis, Tenn. Among the lolegates from Vir we see the names of R. K. Meade, Win. L. Goggin, C . Faulkner, Andrew WW. H. St and Fayette MeMallen. West India mail steaine ing us dates from Kings- Jamaica, to the sailed. The news fro: ston resting, thouzh not importe + Legislature was stil! in session, but the final adjournment was ith of February, on whiei ry daily expected. Our special correspondent notes the arrival of a Southern vessel, the Zach Subel, Captain Sabol, from Sabine, Texas, with ninety-six of cottoa. little int and waa quite om $13 to $16 pe sost of production. The Thirty-third New York Volunteers, Colouel R. F. Taylor, have allotted to their families from their pay, for the months of Jonuary and February, the sum of nine thousand dollars. The Western Virginia State Legislature, at Wheeling, adjourned its session on the 13th inst. The Counecticut cavalry regiment now stationed at Meriden has orders to repair to Wheeling, Va. Ceorge W. Jones, of Iowa, who is now in Fort Lafayette, charged with treason, is father of Capt. GR. G. Jones, one of the rebels who were taken prisoners at the fall of Fort Henry. The Union Defence Committee held a meeting on Saturday, and unanimously edopted a serics of resolutions, which will he found elsewhere, enume- rating the victories achieved by our military and naval forces, and culogizing in glowing terms the heroism evinced by the leaders of the victorious ani invincible defenders of the Unicn. The report of the cial committee of the Poard of Aldermen on Mayor Opdyke's inaugural Message will be found in our advertising columns to-day. The suggestions of lis Honor relative to the election of Aldermen are elaborately discussed, and the committee «tate that the proposed innove tion would work great ry unless promptly de- nounced. They reluctantly condemn the proposed scheme as ‘subversive of the rights and threaten- ing to the liberties of the people of this city." Skating was renewed yesterday with all its usual A large number of persons visited the Central Park during the day; but, as skating is not allowed on Sunday evening the, ice was cleared by dark. ‘The bali is expected to be up again to-day, The ship &. W. Farley sailed from Boston yes- terday for Ship Islend, with six companies of the Bighth New Hampshire regiment. ton mm, aturday, bat exbi- bites sai cer more tebe than it did ihe previous day. The trantat. ©, however, were limited, as the larger clase of holders were unwilling to meet the views of purchas. ers. The sales were confined to 200 halen, including a portion sold late the previous afternoon, We quote mid- dling uplands at about 28¢., while smal) lots, probably in some cases pressed, wore sold aia figure or two less. Good middling was held at 29¢. The Liverpool Brokers’ Circular of the 3ist of January gives the stock of Ameri- can cotton at 216 800 bale the same time, and of Indiaat 283,021 st 183,470 Inst year; Kgyptian, 11,190, against 25,690 last year, African and West India, 690, agninet 1,520; Bragil and other South American ports adjacent to it, 32,500, against 7,840, Total, 646,440, against 650,820 baler Inst your, At sea, on the Siet v't., from Ame none; at the seme time last year, 260,000 bales Irom India, 108,000, againet s ingston took seccsh pilot boat. The ithy. Cotes was bringing 100 lbs.—-searcely paying the ret Ww Anipntion With Genera: Haiieok, Qo igare of » | 16,000 pelea lant gene, Te errive Ot tbe comparetive Cleator arrived at | 2. upply of cotton in Liverpool on the Silat of Janu- ary, compared with the same time last year, reduce the whole to pounds, by estimating the Ameri. can bales at 450 pounds each, and the India balos at an average of 300 Ibs. each. Another difference may be shown between the value of Ainerican and India cotton in Liverpool on the 3ist ult. and the same day last year, which will be acen by the following table of prices im Liverpool, January 31:— pte Amorican—Middling uj 5 Bie 1-164. 124, India—Surat middling 4564.0 5d, 6d. a 6X. The Brokers’ Circular reports that the shipments made to the United States during the month of January amounted to 26,058 bales, nearly all of which was Ameri- can grown, Taking all qualities at the cost of about 25c. per Ib., and estimating the bales at 450 ibs., would give $112 50 per bale, or for the whole amount $2,941,025— nearly three millions of dollars. Such an importation has probably in some degree contributed to the inflation of sterling exchange. The flour market yesterday was less active, while prices for most grades exhibited rather more firmness at the close. Wheat was held witha fuir dogree of firmness, while prices were without change of moment and somewhat irregular, espocially for inferior and common lots. Corn was dull and rather lowor, while sales were light, at 65c. for Western mixed, de- livered. Pork was in fair demand, while prices were un- changed. Sugars were steady, with sales of 883 hhds, ‘and 116 boxes. 2,000 bags Laguayra coffee were gold on private terms. Freights were steady and engagements moderate. 1862. Pound. More Successes—Expected Fall of Fort Donelson—Defeat of the Rebels in Mis. souri. The glorious news will be found in another column that the flag of the Union, baptized in blood, now waves over the strongest redoubt commanding Fort Donelson, on the Cumber- land, as it waved a few days since over Fort Henry, on the Tennessee, and that General Grant reports its certain capture. The way to Nashville will be opened, and a speedy end will be made of the rebellion in Tennessee. In Mis- souri it has received its final blow. In its igno- minious flight General Price’s rear guard was captured, and our troops have more prisoners than they know what to do with. Thus the work goes bravely on. What ought to be the policy of the govern_ ment under these circumstances? The admira- ble proclamation of the President, announcing an amnesty to all political prisoners, ought to be followed up by declaring an amnesty to all now in open hostility to the government, upon laying down their arms and submitting to the authority of the laws of the Union, to exe- cute which is the sole and single purpose of the war. Such a proclamation would operate as @ talisman upon what remains of the insurrection, and dissolve it like the snow of winter before the genial rays of a vernal sun. There is no vindictive purpose to gratify on the part of the Presi- dent, and there ought not to be on the pari og thoze in authority under him. Certainly there is not on the part of the officers of the army or the citizen soldieva who enlisted for the war. For what war? The war to restore the Union and the constitution, and not a war for vengeance, nor a war for any utopian ideas of philanthropy for negroes at the expense of white men. The Presideat’s proclamation of pardon to political offenders cannot fail to produce a powerful effect upon the misguided dupes of the insurgent chiefs. Its wisdom is obvious to all men not blinded by fanaticism and blood- thirsty revenge. Another proclamation, ofer- ing pardon to the rebels in arms, upon their submission, would crown this policy, and afford the most practical refutation of the enormous lying of the leaders in the rebellion and of the misrepresentations of the British press. It may disappoint the rabid abolitionists in and ; but, standing on such a broad out of Congres | ! i | their enmity and their friendship both alike. The plaudits of a nation redeemed will com | pensate for the Satanic hate of a disunion fac- tion, who are the primal source of all our na- | tional troubles. The conservative course oi Mr. Lincoln will endear his name to generations yet unborn. What do the fanatics propose to do when the To rule the Southern States as to Did eect war is over? conquered provinces or territories, and emancipate the whole negro popula ion? they the ever serjonsly consider of the South the blacks outnumber the while, Now, if they are emanci tled to be members of Congress and Governors of States. Ina brief time, therefore, we might reasonably expect to sce some hundred negrocs in the House of Representatives, if uot even in What sort of Indic figure would such a piebald Congress present Sucha the Senate Chamber. to the eyes of wondering nutions? langhing stock, indeed, has Jamaica already be. come. Nor would the absurdity stop short here. As the negroes in a Southern climate incrense more rapidly than white men, it would not be long till they would have a preponderance in numbers, and then perhaps the idea would oceur to Sambo that he ought to have the en- to get rid of the whites, after the fashion of & Domingo, so earnestly recommended by the abolition tribe. In the North the negroes can be politically free with impunity to the white race, thongh social freedom is further from their reach than it is at the South. But in the cotton States the case is entirely differents and enlightened humanity revolts at (he thought of emancipation. As Jefferson truly said, it is impossible that the two races can exist together free at the South. But the impractical visionaries think little of the consequences of their theories. The President, however, is a man of strong common sense as well as of a genial nature, and they cannot make bim the instrument of their silly and destructive de signs. This rapid succession of deci tories will enable him to hold out the olive branch with grace, and to guarantee to the citizens of every Southern State the same rights of property and all the blessings which they enjoyed under the cqustituion befyre the war. ve vic. platiorm, the President can afford to despise | of their insane proposition? In many disivicis , ated they will be eati- | | tire South to himself, and that it would be well Tux Presipeve’s Orver o¥ THaNKS TO THE Arwy anp Navy.-In returning public thanks to the generals and soldiers of the army and the officers and men of the navy who participated in the recent splendid victories at Roanoke Island and on the Tennessee river, the Presi- dent has evinced a. true appreciation of the value at which @ due recognition of services nobly rendered is held alike by thesoldier and the sailor who do battle for their country at the riak of life. There is nothing more sweet nor more stimu- lating to men who dare all hazards for a good cause than to have their brave deeds honorably recorded upon the tablets of their country’s history. In adopting this course the President and the Secretaries of the Army and Navy, who jointly signed the order, have done much to add vigor Moran ayp Reticiovs Leontatioy at Ate Baxy.—How is the pious, moral and religious Legislature getting on? Why does it keep toiling along like an overladen donkey, in- stead of dashing ahead like a Broadway railroad car in the good time coming? Is it because the lobby is disorganized? Why not reconstruct it, then? Speaker Raymond has a plan fora new lobby, and his committee has been sitting upon it until it must be as dead as the subject of @ coroner's inquest, or as spoiled.as an egg nested too long. Why is not the Honorable Speaker's plan dragged away from the commit- tee, galvanized into life by a strong resolution, and unanimously adopted? A lobby is needed to attend to the Concert Saloon bill. Is it pos. sible that there is any truth in the rumors that the honorable legislators intend becoming the and courage to our troops in both services, and we may expect to reap the benefit of it in many a hard fought field, if, indeed, there remain many more to be contested before the rebellion is squelched. And well may the President return the thanks of the nation to the gallant fellows who have achieved so much in the two late vic+ tories; for they have proved themselves equal— both officers and men—to the oldest veterans of any country. Look, for example, at the dashing bayouet charge of the Hawkins Zouaves on the battery at Roanoke Island; the cool daring of the naval officers on board the gunboats, when the magazines took fire, in going below, without assistance, and extinguishing the conflagration, while instant death stared them in the face. Such deeds as these show the met- tle our soldiers and sailors are made of; and there have been many such brave deeds done in the recent battles both on the coast and in the West. And again observe the feat of Na- peleonic energy accomplished by the troops of General Lander in Western Virginia, as stated in his despatch of Friday, where two columns of two thonsand men each marched thirty-two miles, and another column foriy-ihree miles, between four o’clock on Thurday and cight o'clock on Friday evening, a period of only twenty-eight hours, during which they had to stop by the way and throw a bridge across the river Cacapon, at a deserted mountain road. in order to pursue their march. Txamples | these will convince the world that this couniry ean bring men into the field in time of need who are equal to every eme! Ay Investigation Comwrtiex Hewsveaxe TrseLy.—Hickman’s Kitchen Investigating Com- mittee seems determined to throw dust in its own eyes in one way or another. It arrested the Chevalier Wikoff because it found in the Heratp something about the President's Mes- sage dated the day before the Message was de- livered. Chevalier Wikoff at first refused to tell where he had obtained his information about the Message, but finally announced (hat it came irom Watts, the White House gardener. Watis testified that he saw and read the Message in the President’s library, remembered its con tents and repeated them to the Chevalier. But here the committee comes to the end of its rope: for what has all this to do with the Herat? All that the Heras.p published of the Message, upon the morning of its delivery, was « shrewd guess at one or two of its most important points. We published this just as the London Tines gives a synopsis of the Queen’s speech in the issue of the morning that ber Majesty ad- dresses i’arliament. ga‘hered from t In London this synopsis is ecurreat talk ut the clubs, where the speech is of course discussed and iis tone anticipated. Our information was proba, bly of this very chavacter, and it was telegraph. ed to us, not by the Chevalier Wikoit—who had no connection whatever with ihe Heraip— but is not at present, the manoging chief of our corps of Washington correspowlenis. Tie committee, therefore, has dixcovered only a mare's nest in eliciting the source of Chevalic Wikoff’s information; for the Chevalier did not telecraph us avything npon the st of the ) we. What. ihea, has tie commiitee to du with him or his gardening friends? What the Hur 1 about the Prast- dent's Message harmed no one: bul can tie » Tribene’s surveptitions pub- Lo publi sume be said of ( } lication of General Thomas’ report, which em- | boltened the rebels and killed ¢ | *, ov of (he publication of the de! of our ditions by other of our abolition contempo- Let the committee leave the White en for a while, and direct its atten- Coa to prematine ex; y movements. It may have better hick, perhaps. wes of milita Frac.—The rebels, ina to have, to a ce Tue New Rie ing th exte opt- r new flo sonnel te emblem. For instance, on the bine “union” in the corner the new flag has four stars, meaning we know not what. Had the number been three it would be comprehensible, inasmmel as (here are only just that number of left now over whose soil the good ve and Stripes’— is not float- rebel stat okt flag ing ; eu the rebel government first adopted a flag the colors and general style of the banner weve made to assimilate to those of the United States, the stars being preserved, and the “bare? being substiluted for the “ stripes.” The stars, however, at that time numbered seven, to represent the number of rebellious States. In the new design the bars have van- ished, and a plain field of blved red supplies their place, typical of the bloody and uanatu- ral rebellion in which the South is engaged Kut we would suggest, just to make the emblem ropriate, that the number of stara in the | corner be reduced to three, represeating Ala- ' bama, Texas and Arkansas, the only rebel States | where the glorious flag of the Union is not now fluttering in the breeze. ay Tur Evrxcr ov Our Vicroxies ws Borore.— ‘The tremendous force recently brought to bear upon the rebellion, and the rapidity with which but by Mr, Tanscombe, who was at that time. | pretty waiter girl lobby themselves ? This Concert Saloon bill ought to be hurried through by all manner of means, and the sooner the beiter, perhaps. After it has passed we want bills for the abolition of all hotels where girl waiters are employed, and expect to see all our theatres and opera houses closed because pretty girld frequent them. After that, there are a great many houses of very bad repute in New York, which the honorable members know—iuch better than we do—are disgraces to the elty, and should be shut up. Drinking houses are abominations, and should be abol” ished by the Legislature. Gambling houses need legislative attention, and among them we include the shops of Wall street brokers, the gift enterprise office of the Tribune, and the Letting stall of the Times. Last, but not least, there are the abolition conventicles, which sl 1 be immediately put down; for, above all views that of abolition is the worst, and no promiscuous assemblages of the sexes are half so reprehensi- ble as ihose gatherings of long-haired, long- bearded abolition fanatics, which have already brought the country to so dreadful x s, and are plotting and scheming now to mxke bad worse. Pray let the Legislature attend to these little matters immediately. If the Legislature can stretch its power far enough to close the concert saloons and deprive the pretty waiter girls of employment, it can surely find means to destroy all other places of amusement, from the theatres to the churches, Ever since Beecher became popular and made himse!f plenty of imitators, churches bave been s great places of amusement as any playhouse on record; sermons have been transformed into funny lectures, and psalms into comic songs. Do not churches, and the pretty girls who sing in the choirs, need a legislative purgative alao, then? And, while our Albany reform. ers heve their bauds in, we insist upon deciding, by a special act. which is irue Ter Pagans, Protestants Papists have been disputes qkout 3. Mahometans, Israelites the and religion for centu and Greeks are at loggerheads with each other and all other sects. Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Congregationalists, Dute: and a dozen other churches are each sure that they have the true religion among the Protestants; while all other sects have also their splits and schisms, and Swedenborgians, Unitarians, Trinitarians and Spiritualists hang about the crowd of their*confliciing brethren, the only geauine pathway to Elysium. Besides these, there are numerous people who hold that every onc—good, bad or indifferent—will be that there is no God, or Heaven, or anything of the kind. Since the Legislature bas gone into the religious business, let it pass an act deciding whether there is any such thing as a true reli- gion, and which church is the genuine one. Nay, our pious Albany brethren might even | go farther, and make us all saints by act of the : Legisiature. This would be a speedy way of converting the uation, would efectually do away with all missionary, tract and other reli- gious societies, and be the severest blow to the Devil that the old fellow has ever received since Cromwell's time. Let them do this, and they | moy black mail all the pretiy waiter girls they please, and we shall say nothing about it, Turn Saranic ING 4 Pres Like a 3 prey, and in futi the abolitionists in Ce gaps in New York, ar sid hunt CLeMene oF ABOLITION ASSAIL, Taxoven His Fawn. ack of wolves balked of their y. the Satanic element of vss, and ils newspaper turning upon the Pre- ith cha:acteristic ferocity. Falling to m down for his public acts, they invade red privacy of his howe, and pry into the mily. Unable to wound him in any other way, th wtely seek to infuse ations by the most sexndelous insinuatios yards are wilt ling to wound, but th aid to strike an open blow. The unserupnlous and unprine!- pled villains meanly stab in the dark. And | what is {4 that whets their rag It is the glori- ous victories wou by tie policy of McClellan, susisined by the President. They fear the restoration of the Union with the peculiar ine stitution of the South retained, and everything a. as it was two years ago. In preference would gladly see the South sepa- rated forever from the North, and both South and North ruined by never ending border wars, When Edmund Burke heard of the inde- cent manner in which the unfortunate Preach Queen, Marie Antoineite, had been treated by ruf- fians drunk with blood, and nouc to protect her womanhood, he exclaimed, “The age of chivalry is gone.” Aud well may it be now said of the present age that il is lost to every sentiment of honor if none are found to reseat and punish the dastardly and infamous conduct which has recently developed itself in connection with the proceedings of investigating committees in Congress, So base and so mean a cons | has uever heretofore been brought to Vght in this country; and if the public detestation does not frown it down it will only he becanse the age haa degenerated from the high toned morals of other days. xT hy poison into | such heavy blows are given to it, cannot (wil | | N#W Meoranes’ Exctasex axn Neve chy ti noe a athtiline @ibcb fo Sirens, « Th derstood that @ movenent i© on foot by respunetble pare fo proanee a starting sLrope. he ties for the establishment in thie city of agencies of steam onthe railroad and in the ship, with the lightning’s wing flashing over the telegraph wire—these agencies of modern civilization—will evidently make a short and terrible war of what in another age would have lasted for mony years. The governments of the great Powers and their newspaper organs will soon find out how much they have been deceived about the strength of the rebellion and the weakness of the Union. They will dis- cover another thing, and that is that a republic with from six to seven hundred thousand vic- torious soldiers in arms will be & rather dan- gerous customer to meddle with Hence they will probabiy agree to et 1! 3)a9. a Morchanta’ Exchange aud Nows Room, in an eligible Joo lity, for the vetter accommodation of weveantile community, om the same plan as that of the weil known Poston Exchang Reading Room. The prosen! Merchants’ Itxchange but ing will be taken possexsion of by the United States government on the ist of May, thus rendering the new movement very necessary for the accommo- dation of the commercial public. It is nnder- stood that the parties interested are. now nego- tiating for a conmodious building for the purpose indi- @ated, which will amply moet tho requirements of our merchants and do credit to the commercial metropolis of America, Salling of the Nova Scot! wD, Feb. 10, 1862, ‘The Nove Scotian sailed ior Liverpoe! at ten o'clock Sat- urday ovenieg. and each also claims to have exclusive charge of | saved, and numerous other people who declare } IMPORTANT FROM MISSOURI. ANOTHER GLORIOUS UNION VICTORY. The Rear Guard of Price’s Rebel Army Dispersed. Large Quantity of Baggage and Wagons Captured, Kes ke. Ke, Sr. Louss, Feb. 16, 1868. General Halleck has received dospatches from Generat Curtis stating that General Price’s rear guard was over taken in the pursuit from Springfield, and after a brier resistance the rebels fled, leaving the road strewn with baggage and wagons. Gonoral Curtis reports having taken more prisoners than he knows what to do with, “ “Tt never rains but it pourst’” Srrivarmcp, Fob. 14, 1868. A special despatch to the St. Louis Democrat says:— Our army, under the command of Goneral Curtis, marched from Lebanon on the 11th instant, and formed in three divisions; the right under Colonel Jefferson @- Dayis; the teft under General Carr, and the centro undeg Genera! Sige!. Six miles from Springfield, on the 12th, a skirmish took place between our advance and a party of the rebels, ia which nine of the latter were killed. One of our moa was glightly wounded. At sunset on the same day 300 of the enemy attacked our pickets, but were driven back with a loss of thirty: This wos regarded as the commencement of the battle: and 200 cavalry and infantry, with a battery, were seat forward. The battery was placed on an eminence com- manding the supposed approach of the rebels, and three shells were thrown, to which no response was made when our force retired, leaving a strong picket guard. During the night a continuous firing was kopt up between the pickets. About three o’clock on the morning of the 13th our army advanced in line of battle, and at daybresk the third division, headed by the Fourth Iowa, entered and took peaceful possession of the town. Price had left at two o’clock the same morning, leaving over six hundred of his sick behind. Large quantities of forage wagons were also left. He had twetve thousand eflective troops and fifty pieces of artillery. Yesterday evening a battalion of our cavalry captured one hungved wagons of his train, and last night firing by pickets was heard in the direction of the retreating foe. This morning at six o’clock our who'e force was following the enemy. It ts reported that Price is merely falling back to meet MeIntosh, who was coming up with reinforcements, and cn his joining him he would return and give us battle The probabilities are, however, that he is in full retreat, Pevple in and around Springfield express unbounded satisfaction at the arrival of our troops, and general re. Joicing is manifested throughout the Southwest at there treat of the rebels. This expedition will doubtless ond. the campaiga in Miszouri. Sr. Lovan, Feb. 16, 1868. ‘The following circular bas been issued from head. quarters :— Ail persons who are known to have been ia arma against the United States, or to have actually aided the rebellion by word or deed, are to be arrested. Thi se who are accused of acts in violation of the laws of war, a8 the destruc ion of railroads and bridges, and ivate aeorreg firing into trajos, assessinati &e., will not be on apy terms; will be held for trial before military eommissioners. No- toriously bad and dangerous men, though no snes act of disloyaity can be proven against them, will be kept in custoy, and their cases referred to the commandi . Prisoners not included in either of the above s"pon sibscribing to the usual oath, sufflcivat bond, with good security for their | yoodconduet. ‘The amount of bond sI | de than $1,000, and in some cases shouid be much | targer, varying acc riding to wealth, influence ohd pre- | Viows couduct of the ‘ty. The security should in pre- ference be a secessionist. Persons now engaged ing for tho rebel army, and also those for the rebe! service, will be arrested as prisoners of war. In addition to property belonging to such persons, and whi be used for military purpeses, such as horses, harness, wagons, bees cattle, forage, &c., will be and turned over to the Provost Marshal, to be di a ¢ wading to orders of the Commanding General rtment. These is who have been in t! vice, voluntarily come forward and take cribe to the oath of ance and parole, and aro operty not of military ken trom them, will be returnod. By ordor of MAJ. GEN. HALLECK. N.H. MeLaan, Asst. Adj. Gen, Generni Halleck has also issued a Genoral Order, the principal point of which follows @ request of the Acting Governor of Missouri :— It is hereby ordered that at all future elections in this State, whether State, municipal, county or town olee- tions, every voter will be required to take the oath of al- logianee required by the State Convention of Octcber 18, 1961. Officers of polls wily see to the execution of this order. If they receive votes of persons not taking the oath they will be arrested, tried for military offence, and the election declared null and void. Geuerals B. Hamilton and Stee'e left this evening fot Cuuaberland river, One or more rogimeats of troops leave heve daily for the same destination. OUR NAVAL AND MILITARY VICTORIES. i fy H mull ul g, é ¥ g ate i Patriotic Kesolutions of the Union De fence Commitice. At a meeting of the Union Defence Committee, held og saturday, Me. Draper, Vice Chairman, presiding, the fol jowing preamble and resolutions we:e uninimously adopt. ed:— ‘The Union Defence Committee, acting for their fellow citizens of New York in the expression of love of country ond devotion to its institutions, and regarding it alike as a privilege and a duty to follow with their hopes anc words of encouragement the progress of the loyal forces naval end military, now engaged in the duty of suppres? ing rebellion and upholding the fisg of the Union, do here by resolve— Vird—That the cheering accounts of the success of out galiont officers, soldiers and seamen in the brilliant opera tious uf the war call for the earnest thanks and cordial burdeust they have borne, the dangers they have encountered, the’ blova they have shed, the skill and bra hove shown in every contiict upon land or sea, and for the enduring lustre which their of heroism and their forbearance in the hour of victory have shed upon the American name aud character. second—That the navy hes signalized its skill, brave ry and patriotism in the ‘The conquest of the ‘The successiul bombardment of Fort Henry. ‘The capture ot Roanoke Island. ‘And that the names of Stringham, Duy ont, Foote and Goldsborough confer distinction on the roils of the Amert cau Navy. tard That the army has won enduring renown ia the fol'owing conflicts, ly — iy: ‘The battle of Philippa, in Virginia. ‘The battles ot Booneville and Brier Forks, in Migsourl. ‘The defence of Lexington, in Missouri, ge of Zaguny!, at Sprivgtield, jure of au lnsurgent force by Pope. ory of Draneaviile. Marshall by Gardeld. (otal rout of ‘at Reauoke and the capture of the rebel army. Pourh—That the gallant conduct and noble devotion to country evinced in these and other confilcts, refiect the highese hogor on the commanding officers and on the foreon ged. F/h—ihat the citizens of New York have reason to foe) ind hap)y in -eflecting on the heroism shown ‘8 they have assisted (0 place in the Gold, and thet they will hold in grateful revoliection the ser- vices of Hawking and Ferrero and the gallant regiments Jed by them in the permis Roanoke. ‘Sith—That in placing thie recerd on ‘heir minutos the Union Defence Committee desire | 5! 6 with Rhode Jeiand in the glory and honor which a... ¢ + the nome of Burnside, illustrated equally in the (5. over ditt. | culties and jn the conquest of arms, Y ‘SeventhThat acknowledgments an] congra: tationa to who have been spa: © witvess the triumph of national arms must not be unaccompanied by a grate. {if ettoute to the memory of the fallen in batdo. The ‘of Lyonand Haker is imperishable. Upon the samo fags illustrated by their names will appear those of the gallant Russell avd the chivalrous De Montell. Livos given to their conatry on the fleld of battle, in the cause of liberty, do mot pass away, but are troasured as the richest possessions of a free people. Biyhin-—That this committee recognise in tho recent exhibitions of loyal feeling in the Southwortorn States andon the Sout! the stiongest erklence which can be given of the decli fortunes of the re- beliion, and as furnishing in c¢ ion with recent suo, eoccen of the army and pavy the surest indications of, < spec’ y triomph of the cause of the constitution aud the Tawn, ‘ Dire —That coples of these procer ass im frhmar(: te) to the departmonta of war ant Yoo vary, and put