The New York Herald Newspaper, December 12, 1862, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GURDON BENNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. SPPLOM N, Ww. conven or voures 4up NASSAU STS, ‘TERMS cash in teeny Money ont by mail will be at the risk of the sender. None but Bank bills current in Now York taken THE DAILY HERALD, Targs cents per copy. ‘THE WEEKLY HERALD, every Saturday, at Frvg cents Per copy, Apnual subscription price:s— Kive Copies ‘Too Copies... Any larger smnenvaliewanaie wate $2 50 cach. An oxtra copy will be sent to every club of ton. Twenty copies, to one address, one year, $85, and any larger number at same price. An extra copy wil! be Reut to clubs of twenty. These rates make the WERKLY HmKaLn the cheapest pul lication in the country. ‘The Burorean Evins, every Wednesday, at Five cents per copy; $4 per aunum to any part of Great Britain, oy $6 to any part of the Continent, both to include postage. The CxrworNia Epriox, on the Ist, 11th au 2ist of + Six cents per copy, or $3 per anuum. Apvarmismarsis, to a limited number, will be inserted earch month, in the Wreaiy Hekatp, and in the European and Cali- fornia’ Bditionss (BV OLUNTARY CORKESPONDENCE, “ub news, solicited from any quarter of the world; used, will be liberally paid for. RNSPONDENTB ARK PARTICULARLY REQUESTED TO SKAL ALC. LET- containing import if par OvRr Foxnen Cor- ‘TERS AND PACKAGRS SENT UB, Volume XXVII,,,. AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Irving Place.—Irattan Orera— Norwa—ERna>1—DiINokAn, NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—l'moKER oF Bogota. WALLACK'S THEATRE, Broadway—CxentRat Pars. WINTER GARDEN, Broadway.—Latrst rrom New Vora—PRINGE DOLUROSO—SUANDY MAGUIR: LAURA KEENB’S THEATRE. Broadway.Buonperta. NEW BOWERY a Bowery,—Drata Prink— Thanreguin Jack SterrauD—Clocamaxer's Hat. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Cartams K Axi os A rena. Fens 9% GERMAN OPERA HOUSE. eon a¥.—Cz4R AND CaR- Puntiie, BAKNUM'S AMERIC AN MUSE! Ar * Broadway.—Drirs- BACH § PREFOR 1G BRARS—ti i &C.. at all hours, Drama, Conttex Bown, atSand 7% oclors 2. ML BRYANTS' MINSTRELS’ Mechanics’ Hall. 472 Bi way. —BrBiorias SONGS. BURLESQUKs, Dances, &c. BING Time 1 LOCKADE. WOOD'S MINSTREL HALL, 514 Broadway.—Eray Gonas, Dances, eo Tar Racks. i ae PALACE OF MUSIC, Fourteenth street. —Camrmut's Busreris—Soxcs, Daxces axp BuRLESQUES. AMERICAN MUSIC HAL Urns, PANTOWMES, BURLESQUY HOOLEYY Boncs, Dan No, 444 Broadway. —Ba- OPERA HOUSE, Brookiyn—Eratorrax S BuRLESaCKS 4c New York, Friday, December 12, 1863 THE SITUATION. Gen. Burnside’s army has made a decisive and victorious movement. , The city of Fredericksburg is now occupied hy his forces after a terrible bom- berdment, which lasted nearly all day yestérday. and resulted in the partial destruction of the city by the heavy fire of our artillery. During Wedues- day night the pontoons were conveyed to the river preparatéry to the crossing of the troops yester- day morning. At five o'clock A. M., three bridges were laid down in front of the city, and when shout half completed, the rebels opened a murder, ‘pe tire upon our engineers from the houses in Be gity anc @f. Our heavy guns, one hundred and forty-three fo: continued to play upon it with tremendous force, crushing through the houses and setting them on fire dnrg the bonibardment in the business part of the The rehe! artillery from the hills kept up a steady fire, but did little damage, as they © adnot be used without risking the safety of men, who were holding the river front. Our troops were all in order, awaiting the moment when the bridges on the river bank, driving them mber, were then opened upon the city, and Between thirty and forty houses were burned eity their own shonid be completed to cross over and take the city, It soon became evident that the bridges could not be built except by a bold uch, Volunteers were called for to cross in small baats. The order was no sooner given than hundreds forward. About one Righth Connecticut were of brave fellows stepped the selected. They were sovu on their w lundred men of while the actiilery threw a perfect storm of iron Lail on the opposite bank. ‘Lhey reached the opposite shore, and with fixed bayonets, rushed upon the enemy, Kling several, and taking one hundred prisoners. At half-past four two bridges were finished oppo- site the city, when the troops immediately The soon driven from the city back to their line of works, and to cross over. enemy was Fredericksburg was in our possesion. Meantime General Franklin's division was cross- | ing the Rappahanuvek three miies below the city, , began | ance of an immense force in front, under Generals | good which it had been enabl Bragg, Cheatham, Forrest and Morgan—Johuson commanding the whole, General Mitchell is in command at Nashville, and it is being rapidly re- inforced by order of General Rosecrans. General Hovey came into collision with the enemy at three different points during the progress of his expedition, and in each instance drove them back. He has destroyed a portion of the Misais- sippi Central Railroad, and burned several of the bridges. Another chapter in the history of the rebel pirate ship Alabama has to be recorded to-day. According to the news brought by the schooner Alice, which arrived at this port yesterday from Point Petre, Gaudaloupe, the Alabama ran into port at Martinique, after robbing and destroying by fire the ships Levi Starbuck, of New Bedford, and the T. B, Wales, of Boston, The United States steamer San Jacinto, Commander Ronckendorff, being off the port went in pursuit, but, as far as known, without coming up to her. The statements which we publish to-day from the parties concerned, will ‘be read with great interest, as they furnish all the details of this last bold exploit of the pirate Semmes. The elections for members of Congress for the First and Second districts in Louisiana, held on the 3d inst., have resulted in the choice of two uncon- ditional Unich men, Bossrs, B. F. Flanders -and Michael Hahn. Mr. Jacob Barker, whom the New Orleans Delta calls “the negro worshipping and rebel candidate’ was defeated, at which the Delta rejoices. CONGRESS. In the Senate yesterday a resolution was adopted instructing the Committee on Finance to inquire into the expediency of allowing Surat cotton to be imported into the United States upon the payment of the same duties as for cotton imported from beyond the Cape of Good Hope. Notice was given of a bill to facilitate the medical examina- The bill relating to the confirmation by the Senate of volunteer appoint- ments in the navy was indefinitely postponed. The President sent ina Message recommending a vote of thanks to Lieutenant George W. Morris and Lieutenant John L. Worden, the Commandera respectively of the sloop-of-war Cumberland and iron baitery Monitor, for gallant conduct in the action with the rebel steamer Merrimac. The subject was referred to the Naval Committee. A communication was also received from the Presi- dent in answer to the resolution of the Senate calling for information and evidence refative to we Indian barbarities in the State of Minnesota. Ordered to be printed. The resolution relative to tle arbitrary arrests of certain citizens of Dela- ware was then taket up, and discussed till the idjournment. In the. House of Representatives, a bill "- adjust the appropriations for the civil service of the Navy Department was passed. ‘She bill makes no new appropriations. A resolution providing armed vessels to convoy ships laden with provisions for the starving of England was introduced, hut ob- jection was'made to its consideration. The Dill appropriating $9,500 indemnity for: damages re- ceived by the French ship Jules et Marie by col- lision with the United States steamer Sun Jacinto was passed. A message from the President, te- commending that John L. Worden rece the thanks of Congress by resolution for his gallant conduct on the Monitor in combat with the Merri- mac, such thanks being necessary under the law to advance him one grade in the naval list of officers of the navy, was referred to the Naval Committee. Mr. Roscoe Conkling asked leave to report a bill to establish a uniform system of bankruptcy, with an aniendment, in the nature of a substitute, and desired that a day should be assigned for its consideration. The Speaker said that the select eommittec on that subject had expired with the former session of Congress, and would have ta be revived. A resolution cafling for a statement of the number of men in the army, both regulars and volunteers, what regimenta have received pay since the 1st inst., what regiments remain unpaid, and how long they have been, without pay, also whether the money appropriated for the pay, clothing and subsistence of the troops has been spent for any other purpose, was adopted. Reso- lutions were offered declaring the President's emancipation not warranted by the constitution; that t) y of emancipation, as predicated in the proc on, is not calculated to hasten the restoration of peace, is not well chosen as a war measure, and is an assumption of power dangerous to the rights of citizens and the per- petuity of a free government. Ou motion of Mr. Lovejoy the resolutions were jstid on the table by a yole of ninety:feur against forty-five. The- Honse theu went into Committee of the Whole and discussed the President's plan of negro emancipa- ion. Both houses adjourned till Monday. MISCELLANEZEUUS NEWS. The mails of the Arabia reached this city from | Boston yesterday evening. Our European files are dated in London and Paris-to the 28th of No- veinbor. The full telegraphic despatch from Hali- ; ax, published in the Henaty last Wednesday morning, las anticipated tie news in all its main | points. “he Liverpool Journal of Commerce of the 20th ultimo says:—' We still continue to receive cotton at this port from the Southern States. The j Spanish bark Pradencia arrived last evening, tion of invalid soldiers. { over bridges which he had constracted, with bat little opposition. any attack from the enemy is now on the south | side of the Rappahannock. Fverything was quiet | last night, but aiuirs looked as if a battle to-day was inevitable. While these proceedings were goitig on at Fredericksburg, our gunboats were shelling the enemy fifteen miles down the river. We give to-day a map anda sketch of the vici- A force strony enough to yesiet nity of Fredericksburg, which will assist our ; readers in comprehending the nature of this im- portant mevoment in the advance of our army | towards Richmond, Further particulars reach as of the late hattle at Prairic Grove, near Fayetteville, Arkansas. General Curtis sends a more elaborate despatch— which we give eleewhere—than his previous one, Dy whieh it appears that our loss was one thon- gand, and that of the enemy fully double the number. General Blunt says that the rebels have probably crossed the Arkansas river. They left all their wounded on the field, uncared for. General Blunt occupies Cane Hill, while General Herron remains at Prairie Grove, to bury the dead. The artiery of the onemy suffered terribly during the fight. Two caissons of ammunition and a quantity of small arms fell into our hands. In the words of General Curtis, ‘it was a hard fought battle and a complete vietory.”’ ‘The news frow Nashville indieates an immediate fBttack by the rebels, uuder General Joe Johnston, fpon that city. Our pickets were driven in on Puesday morning. at every point, by the appear- with a cargo of 706 bales Mobile cotten, re-ship- ped at Havana, and consigned to Mesars. Leech, | Harrison dé Forwood. The 706 bales weigh 373,866 | poun's, and the value at the present market price will be apwards of £25,000." my Anemple and most interesting report, contain- “| ing the details of the great fight between Mace and King. for the championship of England, ap- pears in the Hexarn this morning. Captain Doughty, of the Avon, hence at Fal- month, England, reports:--October 29, latitude forty-four degrees forty minutes north, longitude served a vessel ruming before the wind; she made was a three-masted schooner, but apparently had been a bark. A quantity of men.were on board. We were asked ali about the war inthe States, and the opinion of the people thereon, On her ‘ stern was “Acado, Payal.” She bore away towards west southwest. The Wnited States steamer Vanderbilt sailed | yesterday at noon. We understand tiat she is hound to Gibraltar, via the Western Islands, with important deapatches. Capt. Winstow, Lieutenant Commanner Thornton and Lieutenant Wideman ook passage in her, to juin the Mediterrancan squadron, We trust she may fall in with the 200 this trip, and fuliil the expectations formed of her by the public. A meoting of the United States § mission, or Woman's Central Asse lief, was held last evening at the Academy 0. Music, the Mayor presiding. The audience con- sisted for the mort part of ladics interested in the | movement. ‘The Mayor, ina few remarks, intro- | ductd Rev. Dr. Bellows, who spoke for nearly two hours detailing the wants of the sick and wounded | soldiers, and advocating a more wide-spread prac- tical sympathy in their behalf. In order to show the imnortance of the Comminsion. and the erent | the speaker concluded by reading the following subscriptions which had been sent in to it’, “since ita orgauiza- tion: — Drs. Vinton and Hitcheook, having made short addresses in favor of donating money or useful articles to the Commission to enable them to carry out their object, the proceedifigs closed. Jack Frost having suddenly turned the key in the canal locks, and closed them up for the win- ter, the subject of the freight tariff has become interesting to the railroad managers. A largo number of them met in council at the St. Nicholas Hotel yesterday, when the concoction of a uni- form freight tariff was under consideration. At a regular meeting of the Board of Council- men last evening, a resolution was offered to establish a ferry at the foot of Seventeenth street, East. river, Referred. A resolution was adopted inquiring of the Comptroller what syatem is es- tablished in the Nineteenth ward for the distribu- tion of the Voluntecr Family Aid Fund, the Councilman from that ward very broadly insinuat- ing that in his opinion there was a screw loose somewhere in the present arrangements. The Board concurred with the Board of Aldermen in donating the sum of $50,000 to be applied towards the erection of a new Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum. The report relative to the purchase of the Fort Gansevoort property, as amended by the Board of Aldermen, was received and laid over. The Board adjourned until this afternoon at four o'clock. In the Court of General Sessions, before Re- corder Hoffman, yesterday, a nian named Thomas Sullivan was tried and convicted of grand larceny, on an indictment fouad in the Court of Oyer and Termiaer. The offence was committed on the 15th of November last, when the prisoner atole from his roommate, John McGuire, five $5 United States legal tender notes anda quantity of cloth- ing—in all valued at $67 50. The prisoner was sentenced to the State Priaon for two years. The body of an unknown man, supposed from his appearance and clothing to have been a sailor, and perhaps master of some vessel, was found on the 4th inst. on the cast side of Horton's Point, L. I., near the lighthouse, lying face downward in the sand. His face and hands were almost desti- tute of flesh, so that it was impossible to idontify his’ features. The remains were interred at Southold on the 5th inst. ‘The stock market was inactive, and prices wore rathor | lower yesterday, Gold declined % per cent, closing at about 1323;. Exchange closed at 1455; a 146 Money was in rather better demand at 6 a 7 per cent Tho cotton market was steady yesterday, but sales wore Hight. The sales of flour reached 21,000 bbis.; wheat, 100,000 bushels, and corn 280,000 bushels, at generally full prices for prime parcels. There was a mo- dorate business transacted in sugars, hops and tallow, as also in whiskey, hides and leather, without apy vory remarkable chanxes in prices. Coffee, rice and tea were quict, a8 Wore likewise naval stores, oils, Osh, candles, whaleboue and tobacco. The movements in provisions wore fair, and the price of mead pork closed as high as $14. There wore very light freight engagements report. ed. Particulars of the awards of government contracts for pork, rice and coffee are given in our regular city trade report. ‘ The Opening ort the ‘Winter | Campaign— The Capture of Fredericksburg. The stirring news which we publish to-day froin the Rappahannock shows that the winter campaign has fairly opened. The Union army has crossed the river in the face of the fog. The devoted city of Fredericksburg, bombarded by our guns, and partially destroyed, is already occupied by our troops, Franklin’s corps has landed on the south side of the river, and the greatest battle of the war is now begun, if the rebels will await the shock. They are said to be in great force around the city. Fifteen miles below they are also in force, and are being shelled by the gunboats: A crossing will probably be offected there, and perhaps also above Fredericksburg. Meantime we hope there wi'l be a bright lookout for Jackson, who may turn up where he is least expected. If the entire Union army suc- ceeds in crossing the river without great loss, and if the enemy will fight there with all his force, it will perhaps prove the decisive battle of the war, casting into the shade the battles of Shiloh, Rull run and perhaps Antietam. Jf it should be won by Burnside the fate of Richmond would be sealed. On the other hand, if it ‘should be won by Lee, Waslington would be in imminent danger: But we have every confidence in the skill of the Union General, taught, as bo has been, in the school of McClellan. But we hope that his plans will not be interfered with in the critical moment, as were those of his predecessor in the former campaign. If he wins a decisive battle on the banks of the Rappahannock, it will be his good fortune to have given the blow which virtually terminates the war. If the rebels do not fight in force on the Rappabannock, nor on the other streams further south which obstruct the march of the Union army to Richmond, they will have to fight on the James, or sur- reader their capital without a struggle. “On to Richmond!” is now a cry with. same mean- ing in it. If they will not fight on the James they must fight on the Roanoke, gnd if they will not wait to give Lattie anywhere they will be driven into the Gulf. Their retreat to Mexico by way of Texas is now cut off. There was a time when that escape was open to them, but tie opportunity has now passed away, and no. thing remains for them but submission to the | authority of the Union, or, like Pharaoh and his | host, to find a watery grave. How much bet- ter to have proposed, an armistice and a con- vention to settle the terms of reunion than to | be brought to so miserable an end. sixty-five deyress ten minutes west, at 10 A. M.,ob- | towards us, showing a Portuguese flag: her rig | Simultaneously with the movement of Burn- side, we learn that the expedition of Banks has sailed south of the Capes, and it is expected to reach its destination in a few days. These movements are on the north and southeast of the theatre of wat. The movements in the West and Southwest are equally important. The news we have recently published of the success of the army of Curtis in Arkansas, and of the brilliant operations of the army of Grant, which bas penetrated to Granada, in the heart of Mississippi, shows that the com- binations are on a very extensive scale, and that several blows will be struck together or in rapid succession. The combinations will not be complete till McClernand, in a few days, starts with his great expedition down the Mis- sissippi, which cannot fail to result in the cap- ture of Vicksburg, the severance of the com- | munication of the rebels with the west bank of the river, and the opening of the navigation to the city of New’ Orleans, while the fleet of Farragut will continue to take care of it thence to its mouths. Meantime the army of Rosecrans is advancing against Bragg and Joo Johnston in Tennessee, and our latest intelll- re from Nashville informa we that @ creat battle is now ponding in the vicinity of that city. The result of a decisive victory of the Union armies there would be to cut the rebel, confederacy in two, separating the northern half from the south, just as the expedition of McClernand will separate Arkansas, Texas and ®0 |’ Western Louisiana from the States east of the Missiasippt. The map of the Southern States will show the reader that the combined effect of these various movements will be to force the rebel armies back to the Gulf, and to hem in the rebellion within 3 narrow territory, no part of which will not be accessible by water. On one side are the Atlantic and the Gulf, with the various inlets and navigable ri- vera which open into the interior; on the other side the Ohio and the Mississippi, with their various tributaries, including the Cum- berland, the Tennessee and the Yazoo. Thus surrounded and driven into a confined space by the gunboats and the armies which accompany them, and deprived of all aid in arms, ammuni- tion, salt, medicines and clothing from Europe by an impregnable blockade, the rebels will be compelled to lay down their arms and suc for peace. Théy will be surrounded by a military cordon from which they cannot extricate them- selves, Tbe inevitable anaconda, whose: ap- proach, so often announced, seemed as doubtful as the coming of the wolf in the fable, is now, like the wolf, really-at hand when least expect. ed. He is contracting his coils around his vic- tim, who will soon writhe, like miserable Lao_ coon, in the embrace of the serpent: Meantime we await with mingled hope and anxiety the result of the collision on the Rappahannock; for on that greatly depends the success or fail- ure of the winter campaign and the brief or long duration of the war. Tax Lare Barre or Fayerrevitte, AR- KANss3.—In the important essentials of good generalship; good marching, unflinching cour- age and mafnificent fighting on the part of the Union forces, very few battles of the war will compare with the late sanguinary contest near Fayetteville, Arkansas, as the leading facts in the case will show. For four days, by forced marches, Genera! Herron, with five thousand men, had been oroving for @ junction with General Biunt’s column of eight’ thousand. While yet the two columns were separated by a day’s ordinary march from each other, the rebel General Hindman, with twenty-four thousand men, cuts in be- tween them and pounces upon the five thousand men under General Herron. Hereto- fore, where there had been anything approach- ing this disparity of forces in favor of the rebels, we have generally had a federal capitu- lation, and with a very weak excuse in the way of resistance—Harper’s Ferry, for instance, and Munfordsvitle, Kentucky. But General Her- ron is a fighting soldier, and his troops arg: of the same.mettle. He withstood the overwhelm- ing forces of the rebels for several hours, against a moat desperate struggle on their part to finish him before his expected assistance could come up. But he was successful in holding his ground until the arrival of General Blunt, and the opening of his guns upon the enemy’s rear, which spoiled the calculations of Hindman, and resulted in his ignominious retreat under cover of the night; which closed upon the bat- tle. “Honor to whom honor is due;’’ and it is due to Generals Blunt and Herron and their heroic troops, for their bravely eamed victory of Fayetteville. Mannaniy Warp axp Hits Svccvsson—We publish in another column this morning a letter from our Shanghae correspondent, detail- ing thé circumstances of the death of Mandarin Ward, and announcing that he is to be sueceed. ed in command by another American, named Forrester. Mandarin Ward landed in China two or three years ago, with only six dollars in his pocket, and with the unofficial rank of, the second officer of a merchant vessel. He was never connected with Walker's filipusters. but was in the French army and in the Crimea, At the time of his death he was a high manda- rin of two buttons and Commander-in-(‘hief of the Chinese forces, and he leaves a fortune of three or fonr bundred thousand dollars, with the British and American Ministers as his execu- tors. Ward had in him the elements of a great man. He died as a soldier loves to. die— watching the retreat of the defeated enemy: Colovel Forrester, who succeeds Ward in com- mand, is alsoa New Yorker, we believe; and we trust that he may have the skill and ability to follow up Ward's suecesses, and complete the establishment of aYankee dynasty in Chiug. Cxvses or Tm Pat Re OF THE Errorrs To Take Ricnwonp.—It will be recollected that in a speech made by the Hon. J. 3. Haskin at Tarrytown, on the 30th of October last, he as- serted that McClellan’s failure to take Rich mond was caused by McDowell's not reinforcing him. This statement is fully borne out by. the evidence of General McCletlan before the Mc- Dowell Court of Inquiry on Wednesday last. The latter says emphatically:—“I bave no doubt— for it bas ever been my opinion ~ that the Army ‘of the Potomac would have taken Richmond had not the corps of General McDowell been separated from it. It is also my opinion that had the command of General McDowell joined the Army of the Potomac in the month of May by way of Hanover Court House, from Frede. ricksburg, we would have had Richmond in a week after the junction.” McDowell, with the best feelings and disposition towards McClellan, ig now proved to have been the innocent Mar- plot of all his plans. It has been as unfortu- nate for the country as for himself that he should have been made the scapegoat of such enormous military blunders. Cunistmas FOR THK " Bonwens.—A patriotic lady—-Mrs. Secretary Smith—has issued a cir- cular to the ladies of Washington, inviting them to send cooked provisions to the Patent Office in time to furnish a Christmas dinner to the troops in garrison there, This is an example that we hope to see generally followed. If we can raise large sums for the relief of the starv- ing operatives of Lancashire, we can surely contribute something to the festive enjoyment of those who are debarred from passing Christ- mas in théfr own homes by their devotion to the cause of the Union. Gunowser on Senaron Wane.—In his very curious and popular diary, the Count Gurowski thus exposes Senator Wade’s patriotism:-— “am told that the patriotic and brave Senator Wade, disgusted with the slowness and inanity of the administration, exclaimed, ‘I do not wonder that people desert to Jeff, Davis, as he shows brains; I may desert myself.’” There is no occasion for Senator Wade to desert; for he is helping Jeff. Davis very well at prenand- like all the other radicala. Exrecrep Barrty vor Nasuvi.i.x—Accord. ing to a despatch from Nashville, dated on the 10th inst., the rebels in that vicin- ity, under Generals Joé Johnston, Bragg, Cheatham,» Forrest and Morgan, appeared in front of the Union forces on ‘the day named “in great force,” driving in our piok- ets at evory point. A battle was momen- tarily expected at Hartsville, a short dis- tance from Nashville, and upon the Sght will probably depend the preservation: or loss of the city. The rebels seem to have been quietly concentrating their forces around it for some time, and from their numerous generals on the ground, with Joe Johnston, perhaps the very ablest officer in the rebel service, it is evident that General Rosecrans has a powerful army advancing upon him, and has no child’s play upon bis hands. Nashville, being his great depot of army supplies of all kinds, woul® be an immense prize to the rebels if they could contrive to possess it. To say nothing of the other military consequences which would pro- bably follow its capture, they would thus se- cure sufficient provisions to subsist perhaps an army of fifty thousand men for a month or two; and.these provisions are doubtless the imme- diate object of their advance upon the city. From the very fact, however, that tie Union forces were preparing to give battle to the enemy in the open country outside of Nashville, we may assume that General Rosecrans has a body of troops equal to the occasion. Other- wise they would have been brought in under cover of the city fortifications. McCvxr.4n’s ‘ABNEGATION.—The course pur- sued by General McClellan, in the evidence given by him before the McDowell Court of In- quiry, on Wednesday last, cannot but add to the esteem and admiration in which his charac- ter is held by the world. With every tempta- tion to explain those pointa of his conduct whilst in command of the Army of the Poto- mac which have furnished grounds for the ma- lignant attacks made upon him by the radicals, he objected to questions that would have fur- nished him with an opportunity of defending himself, on the ground that they were irrelevant to the objects of the inquiry. That he did so simply because they would have the effect of implicating parties in regard to whose share in the failure of the campaign he has all along maintained a generous silence, no one can doubt who reads his evidence. One of the radical organs insinuates that his reserve on this occa- sion was caused by personal motives. It knows the character of the man too well to fear that he can be diverted from the course that he has laid down for himself by such imputattons, He bides his time for the full justification of his conduct before the world. Not a day passes in the progress of the campaign that does not ‘ering with it fresh evidence of the wisdom of his plans and of the folly and criminality of those who conspired to defeat them. Tar New Srate or Westerns Vincints,—Both branches of Congress having passed the bill for the admission of the new State of Western Vie- ginia into the Union, it only needs the signature of the President to become a law, and, as no doubt has been expressed of his approval of the measure, we may consider it accomplished. he new State thus organized comprehends some forty-five counties of the trans-Alleghany region of Virginia, which, rebelling agaiost the rebellious State authorities at Rich- mond, and adhering to the cause of the Union from the very beginning, proceeded at once to organize a separate State organization under Governor Pierpoint at Wheeling. This movement has finally resulted as described, in the admission of Western Virginia as a new State into the Union. The act is open to the question of unconstitutionality; but it is probable that by the end of the war the people concerned will be immovable, and that their State will stand. tion of three hundred and fifty thousand souls, of which the African slave element is very small, and will soon disappear under the State's constitutional arrange:sent of gradual emanci- pation. The wisdom of the policy of breaking up Virginia or any other of the rebellious States, under the war power and a3 a war mea- sure, may well be doubted; but, as in Virginia the thing is fixed, we can‘only hope that it will not resuit in auy further troublesome compli- cations -of the rebellion, and that there will be no more experiments of a kind on the part of Congress. Tuk Paver Makers’ Cownination,—We have before us the constitution of the association of paper makers to which we referred.in our arti- cle yesterday, and of which H. V. Butler, of this city, is president: Among the naines of the officers is that of Mr. M. L. Seymour; aud in reference to the publication of his name Mr, Seymour has addressed to us the following note :-- No, § Svever Srnurr, Dec. 11, 1862. To run Eprror oy ree New Youk Henarp — In your article of to-day upon ‘* Paper Makers’ Asso- ’’ you tention me aa being one of those at its 1am not and have never been either an officer or ember of te ‘\Assuciation.” Reapectfully, M. L. S#YMOUR. Tt seems, then, that those patriotic paper monopolists, of the pious school, have not ouly attempted to raise the price of paper to an extravagant rate, but have also descended to the mean subterfuge of using the names of gentlemen who have no conaection with this speculating association, and who openly disclaim any counivance with the objects of the combination. We have no doubt that other geatlemep have been served in the same way as Mr. Seymour, and we ad- vise them to follow Mr. Seymour’s example’ and rid themselves of the ‘bad company in which they have been unconsciously pfhoed. If every journalahas to manufacture its own paper, no newspaper proprietor will ever deal with one ¥ these speculators again. News rnom Our Sourmmrn Suacoast Ex. Pepitions—We learn that the Mendi, from New Orleans, passed on the 5th instant, near Cape Hatteras, eight United States stean- ers with their heads due south, and that the bark Colcord, from Cardenas, passed, off the North Carolina coast, December 4, the steamer Che Kiang, with troops on board, bound south, This steamer belongs to the Banks expedition, and her presence far ‘below the Capes of the Chesapeake settles the question that this ex- pedition is destined to operate in some other quarter, and nearer Texas, than the James river. The other eight. steamers referred tp belong, if we are not mistaken, to Emory’s ex- pedition, which probably has no conneption with that of General Banks. From several points, therefore, in due course of time, we may expect to hear of hot work and some im- portant reantta along the Southern const. It embraces a hardy mountain popula-. A ca Barr vor Mexican Reorurra.— When the French firat entered Mexico they ex- pected that its people would flock in crowds te their standard. Instead of that they find them everywhere taking up arms against them. and are promised tough work of it before they cam enter the capital. Failing to enlist adheronts by appeals to party jealousies and animoalties, they are now appealing to the hungry stomachs of those whom the war has affected. Plentiful rations and pay are promised to all who will join the army in its advance upon the city of Mexico; but we hardly think that these induce- ments will add much either to its prestige or strength. The Mexicans of all ranks and parties have a well founded distrust of their would-be protectors, and what may be gained in this way will hardly be worth the paying for. THE PIRATE ALABAMA. Two More Ships Robbed and Destroyed. SEMMES -PUTS INTO MARTINIQUE: The Federal Steamer San Ja- cinto Off That Port. ESCAPE OF THE * OLD epee om yusan AT SEA. Statement of Mr, - Potter, of the sci nesacstunl ALABAMA: Marrative of Dar. ‘Adkins, of the pith Posters The San Jacinto in Pursuit at. the Pirate, &e., &o., &o. The schooner Alice . Captain Goodale, from Point Petre, Guadaloupe, arrived at this port yesterday morning. ‘The Alice has on board the chief officer and crew of the ship Levi Starbuck, of New Bedford, Captain Mellen, trom New Bedford, five days oul, vound for the Vacific, captured November 2, in iatitude 35 30, longitude 66, by the rebel steamer Alabama. Took all the clothing, nau tical inatruments and set her on fire. November 8, in latitude 28 30, longitude 68,she alse, captured ship T. B. Wales, of Bosten, Lincoin, from Cal- cutsa for Boston, 147 days out, with full cargo of saltpetre sud guany cloth, Took from her the captain and crow, an set her on fire. The Alabama then procesded to Martinique, arriving there November 17, at eight A. M., landing the captains and crews of both ships. The United States ship San Jacinto arrived tie same af- ternoon, and, finding the Alabama in port, immediately got under weigh and proceeded outside the harbor te await the departure of the Alabama, © « On the 18th, ut ten P.M., the Alabama got, under weigh and escaped—the San Jacinto lying off the harbor the 22d. ‘Tho captains of both vessels would take passage for Holifax ‘The crews came hero in the Alice, sent by the Ampricam Consul. Since the receipt of the above we have obtained addi tional and full particulars ooncerning the Alabama. From the captain of the Alice wo learn that on the eve of bis departure there was a rumor that Semmes, fima- ing that the San Jacinto Lad gone out seaward in pur- suit of him, had run into a sheltering harbor in the islaut of St. Thomas, where he would wait till they haa lost the scont; but, fortunately, the San Jacinto arrived at St. Thomas about the time the pirate put into the little 80 that, if caution and speed are taken, the Alabama, may yet be overtaken by the vessel who so easily let her slip. For the credit of the ship and for the good of the coun- try, it 1s to be hoped such will be the ease, ‘The iollowing narratives will be found full of intedet, and, although they do not contain much news about the vessel, the former statements are fully corroborated im reference to the dissatisfaction of the crew and the lack of discipline. ADDITIONAL PARTIOULARS. ‘The schooner Alice, Captain Goodale, from Point Potter Guadaloupo, arrived yesterday morning, having on board forty one passeugers, composed of the oflicers and crews of the ships T. B, Wales, of Boston,and the Levi Starbuck, of New Bedford. The captain of the Alice reports, whom coming out of Point Petre,on the 23d of November, be was spoken by the United States steamer San Jaciato, Commander William Rouckendorff, who reported that om the morning of November 17 the Alabama put into Mar. tinique to Jand her prisoners, and on the afternoon of the same day the San Jacinto arrived off the port, and finding tho pirate in there, she stcod off to await his movements, but that after watching bim fora day tho pirate made gord bis escape on the 18th, under cover of a dark night: ‘The San vacinto did not Ioave her station until the 234. ‘The Alice then procceded to St. Thomas, where the prison- ers had gone, and the American Consul at that piace chartered her to bring home the men, Captain Goodale, of the Alice, says the day he left there was @ well authenticated report brought to town by the brother of pilot who took the Alabama into a small bay on the other side of the iskund, that the San Jacinto, then lying at St. Thomas coaling, was getting under weigh te go in pursuit of the pirate. Tt isa matter of surprise to the prisoners that the San Jacinto should have failed to capture the piratical vessel, and they aro of tho opinion that she should have been destroyed, even while in port. ‘The crews of the two ships brought home by tho Alice lost all they had, except a small package of clothing. The ships were plufdered of everything that was of value to the pirate. STATEMENT OF MR. J. POTTRR, SECOND MATE OF TER SHIP LEVE STARBUCK. ‘We salied from New Bedford on tho 29th of October, Dound on a whaling voynge to the Pacific Ocean. On the evening of the Ist of November we saw what we suppored to be two vessels in the horizon. It was caim at the time, and romained so all night. On the morning of the id, at day dawn, wo saw the same sail; but as she was much nearer we immediately recognized her as the, Alabama, or ‘‘290.” At this time it was porfectly calm, and she Iny with her jibs hauled dows. We were in latitude 36 30 north and longitude 66. As goon a8 wo wore certain it was the Alabama— and we were from the description published in the Hraatn—wo immediately began to pack up our things ready for transferring ourselves on board of the steamer, At about nine o'clock they boarded us and took us on ‘board, and from that time until dark they kept five boats at work transferring provisions and such articles as they necded to the Alabama. Having finished the work of robbory, they set the vessa! on fire, ‘They took from us all the nautical instruments, consist- ing of five quadrants, chronometer, &sc. ‘We were placed in irons, and treated very fairly, con- sidering they wore pirates. In fact, we could not oom. plain of their conduct towards us while on board of the Alabama. Captain Mellon had two'hundred and twenty dollara in gold, Semmes took two hundred doliara, allowing Captain Mcllen to retain twenty dollars, ‘We were confined eighteen days on the berth deck, around the boilers and in the coal bunkers, ‘The discipline of the vessel iswory slack for an armed ‘vossel, and a large portion of the crew are very much dissatisfied with their mode of: life. They say they shipped for three months; but aa yet they do not seo where their pay is coming from. In fact, they do nos Doliove they will ever get a cont for their services. “Old Beeswax,’’ aa the sailors call Semmes, still sporte hia gay mustache, and vows vengeance npon cverything that flies the Stars and Stripes; but he undonbtediy fears ono of Our cruisers. ” STATEMENT OF MB, ADKINS, OF THR Snir 1, WALES. ‘Tha. R, Wales was gut one hendren ani forty-seven ,