The New York Herald Newspaper, January 29, 1865, Page 4

4 EW YORK HERALD. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. Orricn N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND XASSAU BTS. TERMS cash in advance, Money sent by mail will bo at the risk of the sender. None but bank bills current in Now York taken, THE DAILY HERALD, Fovr cents per copy. @ubscription price $14. THE WEEKLY HERALD, every Saturday, at Fivm conts per copy. Annual subscription price;— Annual Postage Ove cents per copy for three months, Any larger number addressed to names of subscribers @1 50 cach. An cxtra copy will be sent to every club often. Twenty copies, to ono address, ene year, $25, nd any largor number at same price, An extra copy will be sent to clubs of twenty. These rates make the ‘Wasaty Heratn the cheapest publication in the country, ' The Eororgan Enrriox, every Wednesday, at Six cents per copy, 6% per annum to any part of Great Britain, or @6 to any part of the Continent, both to include postage. ‘The Cativonma Eorriox, on tho 3d, 13th and 23d of och month ober erp gen ra J7 92 POEM Ao “toa limited ‘namber, will be Inserted fn tho Waxxtr Heraup, the European and California Editions, Volume XXX. — : AMUSEMENTS TO-MORROW EVENING. WINTER GARDEN, Broadway.—Hauuer. WALLACK'S THEATRE, Broadway.—Cuanuzs I1.— Uncis Jour. OLYMPIC THBATRE, Broadway.—Tux Stazets or New ‘OuK. NEW BOWERY TIEATKE, Bowery.—Mazerra—Don Casan pe Bagan—llonxst Joz. BOWERY THEATRE, Lowery.—Daum Trorr—Micnaxt Ru. NIRLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—Laxes or Kitcaaszr— ‘Vanuxe Countour. BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway.—Tas Live In- pian—Vaut Irv, BARNUM'S MUSEUM. Broadway.—Two Mawwora Far Woman—Living Skxustox—Dwaar—Learnep Seal—Tut Harus—Tux Union Puisonsn—Day and Evening. BRYANTS' MINSTRELS, Mechanica’ Hall, 472 Broxd- way.—Etaiuetan dunus, VANCes, BURLESQUES, &C.—BILLY Patrenson. WOOD'S MINSTREL HALL, 514 Brondway.—Srrexts or jew Youk—Tue Piax Biit—Va Uvsa!—Eriiorian Songs, ANCES, £0. SALLE DIABOLIQUE, 58 Broadway.—Rossat Hatien's MBBON'S 1N Mavic. DODWORTH HALL, 806 Broadway.—Mn. Georce Van- peENuorr's Keavinas. VAN AMBURGH & CO.'S MAMMOTH MENAGERIE, S% and $41 Broadway.—Open from 10 A. M. to 10 P. M. HIPPOTHEATRON, — Fourtecoth _ street —Eqursraran, Qrunasrio any Ackosatic E: ‘ 9 0 NTE ALNMENTS—HLALEQUIN AMERICAN THEATRE, Pawtommes, Buaiisa wiGnwie 4% Magic Taumrer. HOOLEY & CAMPRELL'S MINSTRELS, 199 and 201 Bowery.—sonos, Danous, Boucesques, &c.—iigu Davpr. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Bi — Open trom 10 A. BM, tll 1) P.M. Be eh aseiy New York, Sunday, January 29, 1865. THE SITUATION. Mr. Blair's Richmond mission appears to have re @ulted in no advanco whatever towards tho attainment Of peace. Joff, Davis still maintains as his basis for ne- getiation a recognition of the independence of his con- federacy, ard President Lincoln, though willing to receive commissioners from the rebels, can, of course, only treat with them on the ground of their submission © the national government. This is the understanding of the present position of the case which is en tortained in Washington; but in Richmond a different statement is made, The Enquirer of that city, of Thurs- day last, contained a furious article on the subject of Mr. Blair's mission, to which it asserted that he was em- powered by President Lincoln to guarantee the rebels Protection and oxtension of slavery, full compensation for all negroos that have escaped during the war, “anything and everything,” if they will only consent to return to the Union. “ But,” the article continues, “we are not Aghting for slavery. ‘We intend to be independent and free, or to bo extermi nated,” and very one who dares to talk of any other teri:s of peace is denounced as a traitor of the deepest dye. It is addod that Mr, Blair subsequently suggested that the United States might consent to a recognition of the confederacy provided tho latter would agr’e to unite fa a league for the enforcement of the Monroe doctrine throughout the American continent, The steamsh p Arago arrived hero yestorday from Sa. vannal, bringing us interesting despatches from our Correspondents in that city. General Sherman, in whose command is now embraced tho Department of the South, has issued an important order for the regulation of trade Im those portions of the States of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida within the Union tinea, All commerce with foreign is, of course, for tho presont interdicted. Trado stores, under mili tary protection, are to be opened at various places, to which the inbabitants can bring in their produce and receive in exchange such supplies of food and clothing ‘as they may need. All sales of cotton are to be made to tho United States Treasury agents. General Geary has been relieved from the military governorship of Savannah, aod has been succeeded by General Cuvier Grover, The City Council adopted resolutions complimentary to General Geary's administration. Tho steamships Danicl Webster, Robecca Clyde and Greyhound had sil arrived, with their supplies for the ufferors of Savannah contributed by the people of this city and Boston. The three vessels contained food and clothing to the value of about one hundred thou. @and dollars, The distribution of the articles wan being proceeded with in the public mar. ket building. Free tickets wero issued by the authorities to the needy, comprising all classes and both perce and colors, who thronged the market place, and wore bouantifully supplied. Late Richmond papers contain an official despatch @rom Goneral Hardce stating that General Shorman has yot made no movement up tho Savannah river, while qobol rumors aver that he is moving on Augusta, @a, boy way of Biakeaville. Genoral Hil has ordered tho ro- meval of the rebel powder works from Augusta, in ease Of a dosign of Sherman to capture the town being ds- Closed. By tho arrival hore yesterday of the steamships Even. {ng Star and Fung Shuey wo have despatches from our Now Orleans correspondents to tho Zia ins. General Gordon Granger was in that city, having temporarily Abandoned the further prosecution of bis expedition fn the direction of Mobile, in consequence of the bad state of tho roads His forces bad returned to Pasca- Goula, Maximitian’s commander at Matamoros had agreed to give Up to the rebel commander at Browns ville, Texas, the deserters from bis army and Union men who had taken refuge on Moxican soil, and some of them lad alroady been delivered. The rebel forces in Toxas are said to consist to a great extent of conscripted Vuionios, who eacape whenever they oom, They are nations NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 1865. constantly deserting and crossing the Rio Grande. One hundred ia a body deserted In one day and reached the Mexican side of the river. These mea, becoming alarmed at the prospect of thelr return to Toxas by the Mexican Emperor's offc:rs, are leaving Matamoros as rapidly as possible, Governor Hahn, of Louisiana, had issued a proclamation congratulating the people of M'ssourl and Tcnn-esee on the adoption of the ordinances abolishing slavery in those States, and sppointing the ‘24th inst. asa holiday in honor of these events, A Union gunboat lately made a reconaoissance up the Red river as far as the mouth of Black river, and dispersed a rebel camp, the only force of the enemy discovered. Some of the Richmond newspapers have stated that the rebel fleet on James river made another attempt to pass the Union batteries and obstructions after their failure of last Tuesday. But this is not so, It is contra- dicted by our own despatches and also by the Richmond Whig of Thursday evening, which stated that the vessels of the floct still remained at their frst position up the river. By the extracts from rebel journals which we publish this morning, it seoms that Jeff. Davis, in accordance with the designs of the rebel Congress, has appointed General Lee commander of all the rebel armies, and placod General Joe Johnston at the head of the Army of Northern Virginia, the position made vacant by the as sumption of his mew command by General 7 repertg.. fiom North Carolina state that a large Union raiding party is moving up the Chowan river in the direction of Weldon, and that the pirate Tal- lahasse was captured in New Inlet on tho 18th inst. by Admiral Porter's fleet, A Washington despatch re- {teratos the latter report; but there is no official confirma- tion of it. The Richmond Ezaminer says that all the blockade runners in Cape Fear river escaped to sea be- fore the fall of Fort Fisher. It is said by the rebels that General Thomas will attack or attempt to flank Hood within avery short time. A Charleston despatch of the 24th inst. says the Union pickets extend a short distancefe wt of Pocotaligo, on the Charleston and Savan- nah Railroad, and that the road bas been partially destroyed, the piers burned and the iron taken away. Another Yankeo raid on Florida salt works is reported. Jeff, Davis has issued a proclamation assigning the 10th of March as another fast day. It is said that Boauregard ig to take command in person of Hood's army. Three hundred Indians made their appearance at Valley station, Nebraska, yesterday morning, and ran off six hundred and Ofty cattle and burned one hundred tons of government hay. A party of twenty soldiers attacked the Indians and killed twelve of them. EUROPEAN NEWS. ‘The steamship Cuba, from Liverpool onthe 14th and Queenstown on the 15th inst., arrived at this port yester- day, bringing European news two days later than that farnished by the Hibernian, published in yesterday morn- ing’s Herato, The replies of the governments of Sweden and Hol- land to the manifesto of the rebel Congress, setting forth the designs of Jeff. Davia’ government, are published. Both decline to ewerve from the neutral position which they have hitherto maintained. The Paris correspondent of the London Post notices and discredits fresh rumors that Napoleon designs recog- n’zing the Southern confederacy. The writer also says that there is a great antipathy to England enter- tained by American statesmen, and that the British Minister to this country has consequently severe diMficul- ties to contend with at Washington. The blockade running steamer Lelia, from Liverpool for Wilmington, was wrecked on the 15th inst. off the bar of the Mersey, and became a total loss. A large num ber of persons on board of her were drowned. Wo have received the full text of tho bill providing for the abandonment of all claim to St, Domingo by Spain, which bas been laid before the Spanish Cortes by the ministry. Tho number of French war vessels to be disarmed is now announced as thirty-three. The London Globe ad- vises the English people not to expect any reduction this year in the expenditures for the British army and navy. Th» Mosely cotton spinning firm of J. Scholeflold & Sons had failed for about one hundred and thirty thou- sand dollars, There were rumors of the failure of other large firms, ‘The Bank of England had reduced its rate of discount from six to Ove and ahalf per cent. Consols closed in London on the 14th inst. at from. cighty-nine and three- fourths to ninety for money. ‘The Liverpool cotton and breadstuffs markets were dull and inactive. Provisions wore Orm, and produce was quiet and steady. CONGEESS. In the Senate yesterday a bill was introduced increas- ing ths compensation of members of Congress from threo to Ove thousand dollars per annum. A resolution, pro- viding for the publication of the correspondence of Pres- ident Madison, was adopted ; also a resolution calling for information as to the number of troops furnished by each State on the different calls for troops. The remainder of the session was devoted to debate upon the resolution for the appointment of a commitice on tho corruptions of the government, and the proposition to retaliate upon tho rebels in kind for the barbaritica to Northorn prison- ers of war. Tho House of Representatives was engaged in discuss- ing the pzoposed ameudment to the constitution, pro: hibit ag siavery throughout the land. The question on th» adoption of the resolution will probably be taken on Tuoaday next. THE LEGISLATURE. In the State Scnate yostorday bills wore introduced for the correction of assessments and the equalizat on of taxes; also to incorporate the New York and Brooklyn Passen;or and Transit Company, when, quorum not be- ing present, tho Senate adjourned until Monday morning. ‘The Assombly was not in session, having adjourned over until Monday evoning at half-past sevon o'clock. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. ‘The frost king hold full sway again yesterday. Tho mercury got down very near zero carly in the morning, standing at six o'clock only five degrees above that shivery and shaky point. Five hours lator it rose to eightecn degrees, and varied betwoen that point aad two degrecs bigher until evening, when the tendency was again downward. We were informed last night by on» of the Hellgate pilots that the East river was entirely frosen over from Throgg’s Point to Riker's Island. The skating, of course, continued excellent on all (he ponds yesterday, and the lovers of curling enjoyed good sport ‘on the Fifty-niath street pond. Already this season there have been some thirty-two days of skating almost unia- terruptedly. In the United States District Court yesterday, before Judge Betts, libels were fied in the cases of the blockade funning steamers Charlotte and Stag, captured im Cape Fear river by Admiral Porter's fect, Tho Charlotte ar- tivod here on Friday, and the Stag yosterday. A largo supply of the new throe cent currency stamps have been received at the Sub-Treasury, in Wall street. ‘Thin new issue has already been dercribed io the Hanat, and the public are doubtless vory familiar with it by this time, as it has bees tiborally given out by the oilf rall- read couduoters, in change, during tho past week, om most of tie tines In this city. The Sub Treasurer will be prepared to sell packages of tt to morrow. ‘The Sonate committes having in charge the inveetign- ton of the administration of chy government, com- Unued the thkiag of testimony yesterday in regard to the affairs of the City Inspector's Department. Threo wit nesses were examined, including Mr. Richard A, Storra, Deputy Comptrotier of this city. The evidence was very interceting. The committee will resume their labors at balf-past ten o'clock to-morrow morning. ‘The steamship Commander, from Savannah, for New York, with a full cargo of General Sherman's captared Colton, was neon off Smith's island, on the Sth inst, with loss of rudder. Over Ofiy persons, against whom no charges could be found, have been releancd from the Old Capitol prison in Washington siace an investigation regard ng (hose con- fined thore has beer ordered by the House 0! Reprosenta- tives. ‘Thirty-six persons were killed and sixty-nine wounded by the explosion of a boiler on board the steamer Eclipse, at Johasoavile, Tennemee, om Friday morning. 4n inquest was held yesterday ever the body of Joba- 200 R Pollock, whe died from the effects of « pistol shot | The Greatmess Of This Country and the recetved om last Wednesday evening, in a house om the Prospects of @ Foreign War. corner of Church and Lispeaard streota, It hadbeea | The extraordinary military and naval opera- supported that Pollock was delibermiely shot by » man | tions of this war—the recent capture of Fort mamed Harry Yelverton; but the testimony taken by ‘8° | Fisher, Sherman's grand march and occupation Coroner scemed to Indicate that the sheoting was acci- if Gontal, it being alleged that the pistol exploded while of Savannah, the demolition of Fort Sumter, the Yelverton was trying to wrench It from the hands of Kate | taking of Fort Pulaski, passing and capturing Burke, alias Catharine Bust, in whose apartments the | Forts St Philip and Jackson at New Orleans, aot om ney ae sien sr srt io ee and Morgan and Gaines at Mobile, and the ‘Tombs to a action Grand Jury, ® brilliant storming of Fort McAllister on the es ay eae be et ea ee 0 bee, have been « preparation or rehearsal ‘A coroner's inquest was held yesterday tn the case of | for @ foreign war, and the present civil contest Mr. Samuel Dick, a retired merchant, seventy years of | is therefore of the greatest possible advantage to this country in its development as the lead- ing nation of the world. age, who committed suicide by hanging on Thursday evening last, in an upper story of his residence, in Taught by ® dear but valuable expe- rience, we are now equally strong for ‘Stanton street, No cause for the rash act is known. Mrs. Susan Plaster fell into the East river and was attack end defence. At the close of the war of 1812 our military estab- @rowned on Friday evening while endeavoring to get on board the schooner Kate Brigham, of which her husband lished a chain of formidable forts slong our Atlantic coast, from Maine to the Rio is captain. The warden of the Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum, while riding up the Bloomingdale road on Friday evening, was attacked, when near Ni -first street, two Se ey who robbed reapa ® valise p Have Grande. These forts were designed to protect articles of trifling seh ae tear ees ace as us from another foreign invasion; but before Two men, who gave mamee as John Moore the were required for that purpose the rebel- Williams Brooks wore fosterday, pee Tephs, Hon broke out, the rebels seized our Southern charged with being hotel thieves and breaking into the iu room of one of the guests at the Washington Hotcl, fortifications, and it became necessary for us to Broadway, on Friday night, and attempting to rob him. | recapture them. Thus, by a singular combi- A lot of burglar’s tools were found in thelr possession. | nation of circumstances, we have been com- pelled to teat the strength of our own works. The result of this test, briefly stated, is that our ‘present forte cin bé takes" “the” enemy can effect a landing with any considerable body of troops. We know this, because our own sol- ‘They are the same mon who were arrested about two ‘wooks since at the Dey Street House, but, who were sub- diers have retaken them all, with the exception of Fort Sumter, which we have reduced to a mass of ruins, and Fort Caswell, which is said to have been blown up by the rebels. It is, perhaps, hardly fair to estimate the bravery of English or French troops by that of our own armies; for Admiral Porter says that Fort Fisher is much stronger than the Malakoff, which the flower of the English and French A Gre occurred early yesterday evening in the restau- rant No. 106 Maiden lane, caused ‘by the explosion of a Kerosene lamp. Mr. Bendix, the proprietor of the place, was severely burned, and another man received less serious Injuries, The fire was extinguished before it had done much damage to the premises, ‘The stock market was firm yesterday. Governments were a shade stronger. Gold was active, but drooping, and, after opening at 220, closed at 2123¢. Commercial affairs were irregular on faturday, owing to the fluctuations im gold. Nearly everything was firmer, however, and some articles were higher. There ‘was some improvement tn domestic produce; but im- Ported goods were, as a general thing, quict. Cotton, petroleum, &c. were higher. On ‘Change the four market was 5c. a 100, higher, while wheat advanced 3c. a4c., with rather more doing. Corn was steady, while oats were quiet and without decided change. Pork was irregular and leas active, but steady. Lard was quiet, but firmer. Whiskey was quict, but frm. The Rebel Naval Raid on the James— Lee’s Last Attempt—His Failure. The recent rebel advance down the James river was a movement of a peculiar nature and It was one that in case of mishap could be made to seem a very small matter, and so save its projectors the ob- of not a little importance, loquy of failure; but it was a movement that in case of success had within it the possibility of a very great result. It was, as the Richmond papers tell us, planned by General Lee. It had therefore an association with army operations, and was to accomplish not so much a naval as a military purpose. It was, we have no doubt, the premier pas of a rebel advance, the tentative toward one more attempt to drive Grant from his position on the James, or at the least to inflict a severe blow upon his army. It may even be the very move with which we were some time ago told that General Lee was to astonish the world; but, however that may be, it was unquestionably a movement which Lee could have turned to great ‘advantage had it been crowned with success. Let us review the position in which it found us, and upon which it was premised. Grant's army is cut into two unequal parts by the James river. The advantage of holding both sides of the river as Grant does is great. It enables him to menace the enemy on either wing, and to gain the greatest advantage of superior num- bers, and it is this fuct and his position that is perhaps most dangerous to the enemy. On the other hand, to have the parts of an army separated by a river has always danger in it, Grant provided against that danger with great care at the commence- ment. It will be remembered that when in the summer Admiral Lee could not give positive assurance that the enemy’s rams should not come down the river, General Grant sunk boats in the channel and obstructed the river in that way. Safety from such an advance was positively necessary. Without it his base, his line of communication and supply, would always have been at the enemy’s mercy, and he might have been forced to retreat at any hour. Moreover, the line of communication between the two parts of the army could have been severed and the parts overwhelmed in detail. Against these possibilities the obstructions and the naval force in the river were counted upon to insure us, But it happened that wo were at once deprived of both these reliances. Allour iron-clads except one, we believe, were absent, at Wilmington or Hampton Roads. As for tho obstructions, they appear to have fared badly in the freshet, and, at all events, the wator was so high that the enemy deemed it quite possible that bis ships could go over. Here, then, was his opportunity. He might at a blow destroy Grant’s base at City Point and break up his whole establishment there, though the harm done might be only tempo- rary, the amount of property destroyed would be great, and its moral effect would greatly revive the rebel soul But the least that could be expected of the advance would be to isolate the part of Grant's army on tho north of the James from support and reinforce- ment, and Lee then could hurl his whole force on it, destroy it, and recapture all the forts now held by our troops on that side, Could not Lee’s troops once more be estab- lished on the north side as far as Chapin’s or Deep Bottom, and, oo-operating with the rebel iron-clads, seriously embarrass the re-cstablish- ment of Grant’s base at City Point; and might this not even compel him to open another line. All this was possible; and this was the pro- gramme. For while the iron-clads came down, on Tuesday, one of them coming with perfect safely over tho obstructions, Lee's troops were under arma. Tis artillory opened all along the line on the Sonth side; but on the north side there was evon greater activity. Proparations for-active operations were begun there as carly as Sunday night; and o Richmond paper, ‘so quainted with that fot, but not with the object, construed those preparations as an apprehen- sion that we were to advance. It was even reported in Richmond, on Wodnesday, that this co-operative movoment of Lee's troops bad been mado, and that Battory Harrison had been retakon. But expectation ran abead of the troth, and in the failure and de struction of the iron-clads, we see one more victory for Grant, and one more disaster to the rebel cause. Had Lee suc- ceeded, ho would have sold Wilmington at a good price; but yet bis disaster does not have its fall effect aga'nst bis cause, because the Richmond people do not seem te undorstand at all what was expected of the attempt. Hence thoy do not know how great tho failure was. armies failed to storm; and yet we captured Fort Fisher with but a few men and compara- tive ease. But still we can congratulate our- selves that we have been the firat to discover the weak points of our coast defences, and that, with the knowledge thus gained, we shall be able to render those defences perfectly impreg- nable in case of a foreign war.* Within a year or two after the rebellion is subdued and the Union restored we shall have acordon of the most powerful fortresses ever built, All the faults of the present forts will be avoided. Our new defences will not be composed of masonry which crumbles away during a heavy bombardment. Earth and iron will be the materials, and the combinations will be those suggested by the experiences of this conflict. The new forts will be armed with the best and largest rifled cannon, like that which throws a one thousand pound ball. They will be so arranged as to be unassailable from front or rear. The places where our troops have landed, and where foreign troops might land, will be effectually guarded. With such defences at every harbor and every exposed point along the const it will be impossible for an enemy to do us any damage. Besides these forte we shall have iron-clads and floating bat- teries, themselves a perfect defence. These may be relied upon to sink the enemy’s trans- ports and drive off his armed vessels. Should be pass through this outer line—this chain of ocean forta—the harbor defences will have to be encountered. Should he succeed in landing, he will be received by an army of veterans, larger and braver than the world ever saw before. By our railroad system, as illustrated ons smaller scale by the railroad system of the rebels, we can transport as many of these soldiers as are needed to any part of the coast with extraordinary rapidity. The sea coast and the lake coast will be equally well defended, and the enemy will be at a disadvantage whether he makes Europe or Canada his base of opera- tions. In the event of such o war, however, Canada will be seized and garrisoned before the enemy can cross the ocean. Before a foreign army would be able to begin a cam- paign here it would have to mectand vanquish, first, our powerful ocean navy, reinforced by iron-clads; second, a series of iron-clad floating batteries along the coast; third, a chain of im- pregnable earthworks, and, fourth, an army of veterans which would oppose its landing. As this would evidently be impossible for any foreign army, 80 an invasion of this country would be impossible. It follows, therefore, that our next foreign war will be fought, not upon American soil, but upon the Atlaatic and upon the other sido of the Atlantic, Tho chances of such a war would consequently be overwhelmingly in our favor. Our navy is already quite equal to the combined navies of England and Franee, and in five years more we shall be absolutely without a rival as a maritime Power, We know that we can capture any English er French forts, because we have already captured. forts just like them, and even better, along our own coast. In the event of a war, then, both London and Paris will be at our meroy. The generals and the soldiers who marched gaily through Georgia would think nothing of march- ing through France or across the little island called England. In his official report of the conduct of the iron-clads at Fort Fisher Admi- ral Porter says :—“ The Monadnock is capable of crossing the ocean alone, when her com- passes are once adjusted properly, and could destroy any vessel in the French or British navy, lay their towns under contribution, and return again, provided she could pick up coal, without fear of being followed. She could cer- tainly clear any barbor on our coast of blook- aders, in case we wore at war with a foreign Power.” Ifa single iron-clad could do all this, what exploit would bo impossible to fleet of such invinoiblest The wooden ships Of foreign navies would be crushed like ogg- shells by our rams and mammoth guns; while as for the irom-piated frigates recently built in Europe, thoy are not half s0 formidable as were hose rebel monsters, tho Merrimac, the Atisate amd the Tonnesses, all of which proved worth- Jess in comparison with our iron-lads and our bravo hearts of oak. Cloarly, therefore, we should find nothing to prevent our landing upon & forcign coast, and what force could withstand our veterans when once landed? Tho present war has been fought under tremendous difficul- ties of location, Napoleon’s crossing the Alps was child’s play compared to Sherman’s ad- vance over the mountain’s from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Napoleon had no foes to dispute his passage, xcept the cold and the snow, whilo our soldiers met and whipped the rebels above the clonds. Most of the battles of this war have occurred in swamps and forests, where French or English officers would have de clared it impracticable to manwuvre troops, end whore the armics had to out roads and tura great rivers inte new channe’s te got at cach other. And if we have done so well en- der such clroumstances, where is the foe that could stand against us in the open field? And where is the section of France er England which we could not overrun? Americans have been too often reproached with byperbole, and their talk about whipping the world has been too often ridiculed by for- eign philosophers ignorant of our real powers. But the present war has shown that what seemed hyperbole is sober truth, and that our boasts are rather under than above the facts. Here is @ country, not yet s century old, which has made miracles practical and achieved the im- possible. Our history reads like a romance, bat it fs plain bistory after all. Ten years ago the man who predicted that we could raise an army of a million of men would have been im- prisoned as a lunatic; but there is the army. Ten years ago no one dreamed of iron-clad bat- teries; but there isa fleetof them. Ten years ago the idea of s thousand pound cannon ball would have been. scoffed at; but we have used such balls in this'war. Everything’‘that our foreign critics have asserted to be beyond human power to accomplish we have performed. They said that we could not raise one grand army, and we have raised @ dozen. They said that we could not retake a single fort, and we have reduced them all. They said that Sherman could never cross the mountains or reach the coast, and he is in Savannah. They said that we could not blockade the Southern ports, and they are all sealed up. They said that we could not sustain a national debt, and we do sustain it. They said that we could not con- tinue the war, and we have continued it. They sald that we could not survive the loss of our commerce, and we have survived it, They said that cotton was king, and we have de- throned it. They said that we could not con- quer the South, and it is practically conquered to-day. Upon every prophecy, great or small, they have been beaten. And yet our power has not been half developed at the North. The country is o giant, but it is a young giant, capable of greater feats in tho future. We have within our borders everything necessary to make us successful in war and comfortable in peace. We are completely independent of the rest of earth. No other government ever instituted has shown itself so powerful as this republic. Look at the facts and the figures; regard the present, not the old fogy past; recognize what is accomplished, and then say what will be the future of a nation so glorious in its earliest infancy. We assert, without fear of reasonable contradiction, that no one can set bounds to the greatness of the United States; and that, in the event of a foreign war, we shall not only defeat the Euro- pean Power with which we are engaged, but we shall actually dictate a peace in the capital of the enemy and annex its territory to this government, if it be worth annexing. ‘The Demoralization of the South. From whatever point of view we regard the rebellion, it presents an aspect of complete demoralization. Our victories throughout the last year have shown with most convincing dis- tinctness that longer resistance in the rebellious States is merely hopeless, purposeless slaugh- ter; but the South has not the moral dignity or greatness to look the fact fairly in the face and lay down its arms. All mngnanimity, dignity, elevation, all morals, is utterly gone out of the sails of the Southern leaders and people. Dis- cord and dissension, factious, mean, miserable quarrels, are now the only signs of political life the rebellion gives; and the Southern armies are broken into cowardly congregations of ruthless wretches, lost to all hope of success, to all discipline and to all else save a whole- some fear of “the Yankees.” One fact in the history of the rebellion has mainly caused this It isall a direct result of tho absolute collapse of the rebel finances. The present condition of the South is but one more illustration of the sevore truth that the power to carry on war is merely the power to pay, and that war and money are, for belligerents, synonymous terms. Through the collapse of the Davis finances the whole life of the people subject to the sway of Davis has lost its aim. The fact or tho idea of money is a necessary part of modern socioty. Money is the universal motive. It is the roason why the farmor plants and the scholar studies; why the negro owner upholds slavory, and why the Congressman blusters balderdash. It is more than all, perhaps, the reason why the soldier fights. Patriotism! Of course. “The soldier,” said a French general, “will fight without bread; but the horses have no patriot- iom—they want oats.” Now after four yoars of war like ours, soldiers like those who mako ep the Southorn armies become brutes, the morest animals: they must have oats—food, @lethes and money. Now the fact of money has no present existence in the Southern States. Nething whatever “will pay,” and society is de- moralized as well asthe army. The difficulty of the want of money is perhaps greater with the soldiors than with others, and it is not im- probable that this difficulty influences the movoment in favor of nogro soldiers. The ab- sence of pay will not affect soldiers who have always boon slaves. All the present evils of the South are due to the collapse of its finances; but to what is that collapse due? The rebel finances were entirely based upon cotton. The very value of this cotton to the rebellion was contingent upon ‘the ability to land it ins foreign port. There- fore our blockade interfered materially with that value. In no point has our superiority to the Southern States in energy and spirit been so clear as in that of our supremacy on the seas. At the commencement we had somo ships and the nucleus for a navy, but we had nothing that we would now call ® navy. All of the immense power that we now have afloat has been built since tho war began. And what has the South done in the samo direction within that period? It plated the Merrimac, built tho Arkansas, tho Missigsippi,. the Tennosce, the Albemarle, and a dozen other of the same ex- periments, all of which were failures in them- selves or wore rendered worthless by the fail- ure to use them at the proper time. It has also put afloat five or six privateors, which pursued & consistently plundering oarcor for a timo, but had no offect upon tho war. And that is all. Though tho two sections of tho country had almost an even start in this respect, we alone have built up @ navy. Had the South also built a navy we could never, despite the grand achievements of our armies, havo pu’ the robel- lion down. We could never have kept ap the blockade we have, and the South would to-day have been in « very diffrent condition from that in whigh wo Gad it, Lt would have kept absolutely certain. The navy is now, a8 over, the powerful support of the constitution and but on all products, and on the general welfare and prosperity of the country. Within the bee ders of the Northern States we have had a com dition of peace, stimulated by the spirit and the necessities of war. Our Onances; thefefore, have never been exposed to such an accident as that which has mainly broken dowa the finances of the rebellion; nor can finances based as ours are ever be so exposed. Therefore our posl- tions are not parallel; But tho instructive example of a comfhunity crushed by financial ruin is none the less clear. To keep this nation in the same powerful condition it is now in, let the administration .keep.up.-the finances, Se long as they are founded on a good system and properly directed this country could carry en war indefinitely. England, not nearly so rich as we are in natural wealth, waged war for twenty years and then returned to specie pay- ments, Direct the activity and energy of this great people in the war channel and we can do infinitely more. We would develop the science of war for the first time, and all other nations, France, England and Austria, would be pig: mies to us in it, Nor would war really be a drain upon this nation. Only one point would be necessary for all, and that is that the national finances should be kept straight. Indian Attack on Valley Station, Ne- braska. Omana, Jan, 28, 1865. Three hundred Indians attackedV alley Station, four hundred and Ofty miles west of bere, this morning, and run off six hundred and Ofty bead of cattle and burned one hundred tons of government hay. ‘A three hours’ engagement then took place between the Indians and twenty soldiers, Twelve lodians were killed. No soldiers were killed. Religious In' SERVICES TO-DAY. ‘The twonty-first anniversary of the fabbath Scheel Missionary Society of tho Central Presbyteriaa chereh, Broome street, between Elm and Marton, will be held this evening, at half-past seven o'clock. Addresses wil bo delivered by the Rev. B. W. Chidlaw, the Rev. Thomas D. Anderson, D. D., and others. There will aleo bo singing by the children. % The Rey. George F. Seymour will preach the fifth of tho course of sermons on the Holy Scriptures, (his evening, fn the Church of the Transfguratiou, Twenty- ninth street, between Fifth and Madison avenues. an. Joct—“Tho History of the English Translation." The Rev, G. T. Flanders will preach in the Secesd Voiversalist. church, corner of Sccond avenue end Eleventh street, to-day, atthe usual hours. ‘AtSt. Aun’s Free church, Eighteenth street, near FURR avenue, the Rev. E. Benjamin will preach at a quarter tocight A M., the rector at half-past ten A. M. aad at three P. M.—the latter service for deaf mutes—and the Rev. Dr. Kerfoot, President of Trinity College, at helf- past seven P. M. by ‘A public meeting in behalf of the American Sunday Schoo! Union will be held in Lee avenue Sabbath Scheel Hall, Brooklyn, this ovening, at half-past seven o'clock, ‘Addresses will be delivered by Stophen Paxton, Eaq., the voteran Sabbath school missionary, of Illinois, and A. A. Smith, Eeq., of Brooklyn. A collection will be takea ap Friends of the cause are invited to attend. Samuel B, Bell will preach (D. V.) this day, in the Fifueth street Presbyterian ohureh, betwoen Broadway and Eighth avenue, at half-pastten 4. M. and haif-pest seven P. M. Professor Mattison will preach ia bis church, in Perty- first street, near Sixth avenue, at half-past ten A. M. ead at half-past seven P, M. Evening subject—‘The Final Judgment."" ‘Tho Rev. 8. A. Corey will preach in the Murray HM Baptist church, corner of Thirty-seventh street and Lea- ington avenue, at half-past ten A. M. and balf-past seven PM ‘Tho Rev, Thomas Armitage, D. D., will preach in the Madison avenue Baptist church, corner of Thirty-Gret street, this afternoon, at three o'clock, the third ia course of sermons on the distinguished women of the Bible. rubject—“Ruth.”” The second of the course of lectures on the prophet Daniel, by John Williams, will be given in Univermty Buildings, Washington square, this evening, at half-past seven o'clock. Subject—“Nebuchadnecuar’s Vision of tho Image.” i of the W. J. Boone, D. D., late Mseionary Bishop to China, will be preached by Birhop Stevens, in Calvury church, cee ner of Fourth avenuo and Twenty-first street, this evea- ing. Service to commence at half-past seven o'clock. Attne English Lutheran church of St. Jame, Féf- teenth eae between Socond and Third avenues, the Rev. A. C. Wedekind, of Lanvaster, Pennsylvania, val preach at half-past ten A. Bl. and balf-past soven wth Presbyterian chore! will deliver @ discourse on “The Dutics and Rucourage- meni of fh School Teachers.” Services will Coat tonoe at half-past seven o'clock P, M, ' Tho Rev. Chauncey Giles will commence a series of foot'r s on ‘The reoond Comi Lord, \y oven> i eat ‘29, 1965. first lecture will be ‘fe ty of ths Lord's Sccond Ly BH lees which preo:de it—Tho want of faith—The Ci the sun and moon—The falling of the stars—The pestilence and earthquakes." fr . Dr. rector of St. Yechurch, wil prench ib veda a tne Unitarian urch, Fortletis street, betwoen Fifth and Sixth at halt: seven o'clock. Morning and afternoon in the Institute, Fifth avenue, between frst ene Pca aren neni ta ae oe J Dyer ia vee afternoen. mah ovee podomrye past ton A. M. and even 'P M. Preaching mordag a8 ‘evening wy ALN. Gilbert, of Morrisania, N. ¥. At the Bleecker strect Universalist shar ome of Rose wail pio sak Bers loge at bal -second uw Rev. Ste ing and the Rev. At the Church of the Holy A) commer of Niat® avoaue and Twenty-cighth sirest, will be hold half-past seven P. M. ORLESRATION OF WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY Amel? ANNUAL OONFERENORS one: Pau tuential stuart aan rena ‘over the an conferences of the = rnonny every Sato aed fer tr ‘ne Catny Sic in foret ‘ands, io Tudia and faber a. ‘are nino: Mag ‘joa oeneer ef Thomson. The work has bes distributed a tlio Bishop Clarke will ~~ at Maine, Mey incinnatl, Bishop Baker at Pa; Maino, Jamestown, N. Y., ; North Ohio, Milwaukee and Wisconnn—0. i ft Missourt and Arkansas, Kaneaa, Worst D Lah ie Alvan entra se nois—7, Bishop Morris at K My, chy Nowark, N. J.; Germany and > Iinols4, blshop Ames twa, Ohio; T ry 5 ; jew York, Bichi; 4.4 Now Hampaltr, mat 8 fone, i