The New York Herald Newspaper, February 3, 1865, Page 4

‘ 4 NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, FUBRUARY 8, 1865. then of this oily, Cor am alleged conapldnay te ruin him. ——— z Canada, by way of Miagare Falls, to which place he was | nine persons, many of the principal business | that much may be saved by esubnh'ssion which | that he ts not qualified for the place, and | since the enemy has sent three of his most com- NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. ‘OFFICE N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU 8TS. TERMS cash in advance, Money sent by mail will be ‘at the risk of the sender, None but bank bills current in Now York taken. THE DAILY HERALD, Four cents percopy. Annual ‘subscription price $14. THE WEEKLY HERALD, every Saturday, at Five conte per copy. Annual subscription price;— Postage five cents per copy for three months, Any larger number addressed to names of subscribers $1 GO cach. An extra copy will be ‘sent to every club often. Twenty copies, to one address, ono year, $25, and any larger number at same price. An extra copy will be sent to clubs of twenty. These rates make the ‘Waxxty Huraup the cheapest publication in the country. NO NOTICE taken of anonymous correspondence. Wo do aot retura rejected communications. Volume XXX..... sogpecasensvecs . No. 33 AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Irving place.—Itauian Orcra— Dow Smnastian. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Dawx Trort—Micuagt Bana. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—Laxes or Kitanner— RTBU. Yangex Coonr: WAY THEATRE, Broadway.—Tux Live In- Dian—Paut Parr. WINTER GARDEN, Broadway.—Uamvet. WALLACK'S THEATRE, Broadway —Coarius me Sxconr—Uncux Joux. ~ aie ee THEATRE, Broadway.—Tux Streets or New NEW BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Stzxt Gars— Equustaray ENTEKTAinmxnts. BARNUM'S MUSEL Women—Livine Sxxnicr Bor—Tusz Union Prisoxei |. Broadway.—Two Mammorm Far —Dwanr—Lean: Day aud Eve ng. BRYANTS’ MINSTREL: way,—Ermioriay SoNGs, Parrerson. WOOD'S MINSTREL HAL Naw Youe—Tue Pray bic Mechanics’ Hall, 472 Broad- us, DURLRSQUKS, &0.—BiLLe 514 Broadway.—Streets ov WOPIAN » Dances, &C. SALLE DIABOLIQUE, 5 "sin Maaic. roadway.—Ropune Hetcn’s 0.8 MAMMOTH ME INAGERIE, VAN AMBUROH & 0 »—Open from 10 A. M. to I ‘and 641 Broadway HIPPOTHEATRON, Fourteenth _ strect.—Equrstaiax, Grane | any AckOnaTIC ENTERTAINMKNTS—HanLnQuin AMERICAN THEATRE, Pawtomimas, Buurxsqux: 444 Broadway, —Bauuxts, m MaGic Tayarrt. pal | & CAMPBELL’S MINSTRE LS, 199 and 201 —Sonas, Daxces, Bunursques, &0.—ltica Dappy. Bay. YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 B: nad Open from 10 A. M. till 10 1°. M. cones THE ‘SITUATION. An important and significant movement in the pending peace negotiations was made yesterday, Président Lin. coln'following Secretary Soward to Fortress Monroe, for the purpose of moeting the rebel commissioners, Messrs, Stephens, Hunter and Campboll. The President left Washington at eleven o'clock In the forenoon, and pro- ceeding to Annapolis, there took steamer for the fortress, where it was expected he would arrive at one o'clock ‘this morning. One explanation givon for this sudden and unexpected departure) is that Mr. Blair had= promised in Richmond that if commis- sioners were sent from. there they should have an inter- view with the President. But, as it was not deemed best to have these geatiemen come to Washington just nowy ‘the only way to fulfil th#’ promise was in Mr. Lincoln going to meet them. When Messrs, Stephens, Hunter and Campbell passed through General Grant's lines on last ‘Tuesday evening the national and rebel troops in the vicinity simultaneously Joimed in enthusiastic cheers; and then, again, while awaiting at General Grant's mili- tary railroad for the train to convey them to City Point, the rebel peace agonts were loudly cheered by the Union eoldiers. They spent Tuesday night at General Grant's headquarters, and on the next day left for Fortress Monroe, where no doubt ere this they have met the President of the United States. of Representatives on last Monday a resolution saying that the timo may not be far distant when, with the in- dependence of the “Confederate States’’ acknowledged, they will unite with the United States for the vindication of the Monroe doctrine, was introduced and unanimously roferred to the Foreign Affairs Committees. Tho constitutional amendment for the abolition and prohibition of slavery throughout the country has been recetved by the people with enthusiasm, and is being acted upon by the Logislatures of some of the States with Promptness. Already it has been fully ratified by the Legislatures of Hlinois, Michigan and Rhode Island, and by one house in that of Maryland, while in those of New York, Massachusetts and other States the ratification measures have been introduced. In a speech ewhioh Provident Lincoln made on Wednesday night, in response toa serenade in honor of the success of the ‘amendment in the House of Representatives, he said that, while some might entertain doubts about the legal va- Uaity of the abolition of slavery by his proclamations, Rone could cavil when it was decreed by the concurrence @f three-fourths of the States in the resolution adopted by Congress, In Massachusetts yesterday the people manifested their enthusiasm by the ringing of bells and faring of salutes throughout the State. In the West Vir- ginis House of Delegates on Monday last the bill to abolish slavery im that State was ordored to its third reading. The steamship Rebeoca Clyde, one of the vessels which carried the oontributions of our citizens to the sufferers of favannah, returned to this port yesterday, laden with a argo of the cotton captured by General Sherman. She brought as passengers from Savannah several prominont New York merchants. Our despatches by this arrival give a most thrilling account of the disastrous fires in the city of Savannah on the 27th and 28th ult., by which over one hundred buildings were destroyed, about twenty persons killed and a numbor wounded. Among the houses consumed was one in which a number of shells were stored, the explosion of which kept up a bombardment for about two hours, causing the wildest alarm. It is not yot fully sacertained whetbor the fires were the result of accident or rebel design, though the general belief was that they were caused by the latter. ‘Tho latest accounts from General Sherman's army rep Fosont that {ta different columns are gradually but steadi- ly and rostatlonsly working thelr way across the State of flouth Carolina in the direction of Charleston, from which hy thoy are not now very distant. The rebels wore offering resistance at ovory available point, from eseh successive one of which they wore being forced to fall back, and ft is not thought that they will make any dopided stand tl) Sherman's drniy Is within « fow miléd of Chariéslon, fie Unfon troops have found large oupplies of forage and subsistence on their march. A Detrott letter states that the alleged Lake Erie Piao Burlay will shortly serve in that city from In the rebel House Dp Swai—Gianz | to be taken from Toronto in charge of « military guard a3 soon as the necessary papers for his extradition could be made out. Accounts from the Cape Fear river say that on Sunday last the gunboats of Admiral Porter's fleet were pushing up that stream towards some of the upper rebel works, which it was supposed they would attack. Rebel accounts from the State of Mississipp! say there ts great activity in the movements of the national troops in that region, ‘Transports loaded with them are said to be moving up and down the Mississippi river. The greater portion of General Thomas’ army, it is stated, has marched westward from Columbia and Clinton, on the Tennessee river, though a portion of it, including Goneral A J. Smith’s corps, is reported to be still in the vicinity of Rastport, Miss., and Huntsville, Ala, There is said to be no change in affairs around Mobile. The rebels claim that the pirate Tallahassee escaped from New Inlet and went to sea just after the capture of Fort Fisher. A late fire at Summit, Missiasippl, destroyed twenty-three houses, six hundred bales of cotton and large supplies of rebel commissary and other stores. EUROPEAN NEWS. ‘The steamship Africa, from Queenstown on the 224 ult, with two days ister news, arrived at Halifax yester- day. Little of political importance iad transpired since the previous departure, ‘The rumors that British troops wero about to be sent to Canada aro authoritatively contradicted by the Lon- don Globe. Captain Corbett, of the Anglo-rebol pirate Sea King allas Shenandoah, had been a socond time arfested and admitted to bail on the charge of violating the British Fore gn Enlistment act, The captain of the Peruvian frigate Union had also been a second time arrested, charged with the samo of- fence, and dismissed. The announcement 1s repeated that Prince Napoleon has been appointed to succeed as regent by the French Emperor in the event of his death, A motion had been made in the Spanish Cortes, on the part of the opposition members, in favor of retaining possession of St. Domingo. By the sidking of the steamship Colombian, off Brest on the 17th of Janvary, thirty of her crew and one pas- senger were drowned, Consols closed in London on tho 21st of January at from eighty-nino and five-cights to cighty nine and three-fourths for money. In Liverpool cotton was firmer but unchanged. Breadstuffs wer» inactive, and provis iong firm and buoyant. CONGRESS. In the Senato yestorday, a resolution waa offered, but objected to, calling on the Secretary of War for the record of the court martial in the case of Col, North, who was acquitted of the charge of fraud in the matter of sol- diers’ votes. A bill establishing a Territorial govern. ment over what {s called the Indian Country was intro- duced and laid over, The Sonate refused to take up the resolution offered the day previous by Mr. Sumner, calling on the President for information rela- tive to Mr. Blair's poace mission to Rich- mond, and resumed the consideration of the pro- position to exclude the votes of insurrectionary States from the next electoral colleg*. A motion to indefinitely postpone the subject was defeated by a voto of twolvo to sixteen, and the Senate adjourned in rather bad temper. In the House of Representatives a bill giving a gratuity of three hundred dollars to the five surviving heroes of the Revolutionary War was passed. A bill dividing tho gold and silver producing lands of the country into forty acre lots, and providing for the coinage of the product of suid lands, was referred to the Committee on Public Lands,. A bill providing for the payment of the pay and bounty of deceased soldiers, was referred to the Committco on Militia, A report in favor of establishing at Washington a department for freedmen and abandoned rebel property was presented, and its’ consideration postponed for one week. The Illinois and Michigan Ship Canal bill was discussed and passed by a vote of soventy- seven to sixty-eight. The Deficiency Appropriation bill was then taken up, and the House agreed to adhere to their appropriation of thirty-six thousand dollars for the payment of increased salaries to its employéa, which the Senate persistently objected to. The Senate bill allowing colored persons to carry the mails was passod, and the House adjourned. THE LEGISLATURE. In the State Senate yesterday the bills to prevent the defacement of natural scenery, and to facilitate the acquisition of lands for the extension of the Croton Wator Works were reported favorably. Bills were intro- duced for the relief of the Central Park and North and East River Ratlroad CAmpany; amending the charter of the East New York and Jamaica Railroad Company ; and incorporating the Christ's Infant Asylum of Now York, Bills incotporating the Union League Club and the Olympic Club of Now York, were adopted. In the Assembly the Speaker presented the annnal re- port of the State Prison Association. A communication was received from the Governor enclosing a despatch re- ceived by him from Senators Bell and Andrews, of the Legislative committee appoiated to proceed to Washing- ton to confer with the federal authorities in relation to the pond ng draft, announcing a furthor consideration of the order of January 24, and that, in the meantime, a de- duction of twenty-five per cent from the quotas of each district tn the State bad been ordered. The bill to provide additional means for the relief of our sick and wounded sol- diers was taken up and ordered toa third reading, when by unanimous consent the bill was read and adopted. The bill providing for the erection of a public market in the city of New York was also ordered to a third reading, MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. A despatch received from Washington yesterday stated that President Lincoln bad promised the committee who went to that city from Albany, on behalf of Governor Fouton, to allow, until a fuller investigation can be had, # reduction of the quota of thie State under his last eal for troops to the figures at which it stood previous to the addition of about sixteen thousand, made by the drder of the 24th of January from the Provost Marshal General's office, If this allowance is made it will decrease by twen- ty-five per cent the number of men to be furnished by the entire State, and the decrease will be distributed pro rata among the various Congressional districts. It will di- minish the quota of this city over five thousand, leaving it to stand at about sixteen thousand men. Thore would seem to be some uncertainty about this statement, how- ever, from the fact that a telogram was received last night from our Supervisor's committee, now in Washing- ton, which did not claim that anything definite had been agrood upon, but only that they were sanguine of success in their efforts to have our quota reduced. One of our own correspondents states that the Secretary of War promised them that it should be if they could show it to be excessive, The Chamber of Commerce met yesterday and adopted resolutions recommending taxation on all sales of mer- chandise; the construction of ashtp canal from Lakes Eric and Ontario to the West, and the establishment of a line of steamers from San Francisco to Japan. The re- port of the Select Committee on the proposed repeal of tho Reciprocity treaty with Canada was presented and approved. The Committee on Arbitration reported in favor of the new Bankruptcy bill now before Congress, A letter from Commander Collinr, of the United States steamer Wachusett, thanking the Chamber for their resolutions approving his conduct in capturing the rebel pirate Florida in the harbor of Bahia, was read. ‘The Board of Aldermen wore unable to muster a quo- rum yesterday, Consequently no pablic business was ‘twansncted. The Boardgef Councilmen held a session yesterday afternoon, during which they adopted the ordinance to prohibit the erection of recruiting booths or tents in the city, and to prevent enlistments here for other States; concurred in the resolution appointing a messenger to the Prosident of tho Board of Aldermen, at a calary of twelve hundred and fifty dollars per annum, and adopted a resolution donating two thousand dollars each to the Five Pointe Miseion and the Five Points House of Indus. try. They adjourned till two o'clock on next Monday afternoon. Lather ©. Tibbetts, who was convicted # short time ago of an assaalt on the janitor of the Produce Exchange, and whose name has frequently appeared in tho nows- papers for some time past in connection with that affair, yesterday commenced an action in the Supreme Court, before Judge Ingraham, ot chambers, agatuat some Ofty- His complaint, whioh is rather digjotmted and unintelli- gible, fills thirty-two closely printed pages, and his dam- ages are laid at the trifling sum of Afty-nine million dollars, which, being equally divided among the defen- dants, will leave only @ million dollars to be paid by each of them—in case Mr. Tibbets gains his suit, In the United States Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Shipman presiding, Palmer Louis was found guilty on an indictment charging bim with having im his possession counterfeit money with intent to pass the same. At the time of his arrest Louis was searched, when a package of five hundred bogus Ofty cent stamps was found upon him, together with a large quantity of counterfeit State bills. George Clarke, an accomplice of the prisoner, pleaded guilty to the same indictment, when both prisoners were remanded till Saturday next for sentence. In the United States Commissioner's office yesterday the case of Bernard McVeay, charged with stealing copper from the Brooklya Navy Yard, was brought up. The evidence went to show that the accused made a doclara- tion of guilt under the persuasion of a loaded platol pre- sented at his head by the watchman who took him in charge. The accused was thereupon set at liberty. In the Court of General Séasions yesterday Mr. Sedg- wick, counsel for Barney Friery, indicted for the murder of Harry Lazarus, made another application for a post- Ponement of the trial, in order to procure the attendance of » witness named Hayes, now in Cincinnati. The Court denied the motion, but allowed @ commission to issue to take the testimony of the witness. A motion was made to discharge the bail in the case of a porter in the Bancroft House, indicted for stealing some jewelry from Mrs. Adams, alias Millspaugh. The District Attor- ney was convinced he could not convict him, and the application was granted. Over three million two hundred and fourteon thousand dollars of United States Internal revenue tax were re- ceived by the several collectors in nhs olty during the month of January ultimo, An alleged bounty jumper, named James Devlin, alias Patrick Diamond, alias Frank Tully, will be executed for the crime of desertion this afternoon at Fort Columbus, on Governor's Island. An inquest was held yesterday over the body of a sailor named John Bond, thirty years of age, who com- mitted suicide by jumping from a fourth story window of the Sailors’ Home, in Cherry street, while laboring under temporary aberration of mind. A coroner's inquest was held yesterday in the case of Mr. Horace Cushing, who was killed on the 25th ult. by jumping from an upper story window of his residence, No, 18 West Thirty-third strect, Georgo White, a convict, thirty-five years of age, com- mitted suicide yesterday by hanging, on board the Black well’s Island steamboat, while.it was lying at the foot of Twenty sixth street, East river, A man named Fitzpatrick, a member of the T F. Meagher Club, was yesterday, while at work on Third avenue, run over by a car and instantly killed, Our Havana correspondence states that Mr. Zulueta, one of the Cuban militonaires, has been sentenced to be banished from that island on charge of being implicated in the slave trade with Colonel Arguelles, who, it will be remembered, was cxtradited from this country a short time ago, on the demand of the Cuban authorities, The United States mail steamship North Star, com- manded by Captain Slocum, will sail precisely at noon to-day for San Francisoo, connecting at Panama with the stoamship Golden City. The Kings county Board of Supervisors last evening adopted a resolution authorizing the receipt of proposals for an additional loan of Ove hundred thousand dollars to pay bounties to votunteers, at seven per cent interest, the principal to be redeemable in the year 1875, Isaac Stamfils, of Morristown, Now Jersey, was yester- day charged before Judge Pope, of Hoboken, by a man namod Woln, keeper of a Hoboken lager bier saloon, with assaulting the wife of the latter and attempting to commit an outrage on her. Stamfits says the charge is entirely groundless, and is made witb the design of ex- torting monoy. He was admitted to bail to appear for a further examination, The following bids for contracts for army clothing wero offered at the Supplics Department, Cincinnati, on Wed- nesday Iast:-—491,000 overcoats at an average of $13 04 each, 7,000 blankets at an average of $6 35 each, and 2,446,000 pairs of socks at an average of forty-five cents por pair, A fire in the tobacco warehouse of Vanetta, Friedmann & Co., in Chicago, on Wednesfay night, caused loss on stock and building to the amount of two hundred and forty thousand dollars, one hundred and sixty thousand dollars worth of which was insured. Tho stock market was dull and drooping yesterday. Gold was barely stoady, and, after opening at 205%, closed in the afternoon at 204%. At the evening board It closell at 20434. There was almost no business done yesterday in most }. of the articles which go to make up a daily market, and business was almost at a stand. Cotton wan quiet and fully 2c, lower, Petroleum was dull, and entirely nomi- nal. On ’Change tho four market was qui but prices were without material change. Wheat quiet, but steady in price. Corn and oate were dull, and wholly nominal. Pork opened firm and active, but closed dull and heavy, Beef was steady, while lard was dull and heavy. Freights wero dull, but rates firm, Whiskey was less active and scarcely #0 frm. The Richmond Peace Commissioners— President Limeoln Gone to Meet Them. The signs and sounds of peace multiply on every breeze from the South. Yesterday we had the intelligence that Mr. Seward, shutting up hia desk in the State Department, and put- ting on his travelling hat, overcoat and muffler, had departed, by the way of Annapolis, to meet the three distinguished peace commissioners from Rebeldom awaiting him at Fortress Monroe, Next, we received the information that, follow- ing close upon the heels of the Premier, the President himself, in a special train, had left Washington for the same destination and the same purpose. These movements have greatly strengthened the prevailing impression that there is “seme- thing in the .wind” between Washing on and Richmond—something which may ripen into a treaty of peace. Webave received some inklings of the peace programme which wo are assured will be discussed, includ- ing the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, very liberal amnesty, and the reunion of the North and South upon the grand idea of the Monroe doctrine; but we may dispense with conjectures in view of the substantial facts which, within a day or two, may be expected from Fortress Monroe upon the ques tion of peace. President Lincoln has no power, if he had the inclination, to treat for peace upon the tasis of separation; but his discretion is almost unlimited, in the matterof concession to the rebels and the rebellious States, in con- sideration of their submission to the Union. Poace or no peace, we anticipate some good results from this trip of his to Old Point, or City Point, as the case may be, and that our poor, naked, sick and famishing soldiers in rebel prisons will at least be provided for. But when a peace commission from Rich- mond, composed of such prominent and influen- tial men inclined to peace as Alexander H. Stephens, R. M. T. Hunter and John A. Camp- bell, seek a conference with our federal autho- rities, surely Jeff. Davis himself must be near the point of submission. We guess that he and his sorely perplexed confederates are casting about for fome diplomatic half-way house of rest, from which they may break their fall in de- soonding to this programme of submission. ,, We cannot doubt that Davis and his associate rebel rulers, civil and military, begin distinctly to realize the hopélessnesa of further resistance against the steadily tightening and resistless military combinations of General Grant; that the soldiers and the people of the Soath, thas far devoted to the cause of a Southern confederacy, now exhausted and despondent, are anxious will be lost from farther resistanoy; that, in short, as the continuance of the war will only magnify the losses of the rebellious States in the slaughter of their able-bodied men, and still widen over the South the area of devastation, ruin and confusion, and all to no purpose, the time has come for serlous negotiations for peace upon the best terms that can be obtained. It is probable, too, that Davis may have seized upon the idea that, with the army of Gen. Lee still intact behind him, some valuable con- cessions in behalf of peace may be secured, and some points of honor gained, which will be utterly lost in first hazarding everything in a struggle on the part of Lee against the en- veloping armies of General Grant. From euch a struggle it is plain that destruction or dis- solution will be the fate of Lee’s army, and then the only alternative to Davis will be an ignominious flight, leaving to Lee all the honors of the office of peacemaker. Why, then, while Davis may yet command the moral support of Lee’s army, why should he not use it in behalf of peacet The answer to this question is doubtless involved in the peace commission of Stephens, Hunter and Campbell, True, the Richmond journals stilt ory for war and inde- pendence; but it is in a subdued tone of voice, which is very suggestive, It is true that the Solons of the rebel Congress are legislating for the arming of their negroes; but in their de- bates upon the aubjeot'they betray the fact that their apprehensions are greater than their hopes. Even In their oft-repeated ultimatum of late of independence or subjugation they unwitingly confess that they have no longer the power to check the advancing armios of the Union, What e!:e, thon, cap these people do than sub- mit to the Union? The thing is inevitable, and the sooner the better. All hope of foreign in- tervention they have themselves dismissed. They complain that they have been betrayed by England ond France, and that the South, in returning to the Union, will at least find some measure of satisfaction in turning against them in the enforcoment of the Monroe doctrine. To this we answer, even so let it be, and all the people will say Amen. But King Cotton has also beuayed his deluded subjects, and has lost his Southern crown, by dabbling in this rebel- lion. King Slavery, too, has been fearfully beaten and badgered about, and kicked and cuffed on every side, until finally Congress has interposed and banished him. As they now stand, if the people of the rebellious States do- sire to save anything from the wreck and ruin of the war; if they wish to save themselves, their sons In the field, their cotton in store, their plantations and stock, and their negroes under any sort of discipline, they will make peace now. They will submit to “manifest dea- tiny” without further challenging the strong hand of subjugation. They will return to the Union at once, so that without loss of time they may proceed to reorganize their social system and their laboring race, 80 as to conform to the new order of things before them. Taking all these things into the estimate, we cannot doubt that peace is near at band. It is possible that President Lincoln and Mr. Seward may open the door ina manner acceptable to the fastidious Southern independence croakers at Richmond. Otberwise, Grant, Sherman, Thoma: and Sheridan, will bring such arguments to bear as will speedily make a peace commis- sioner of cy y remnant of the Southern oon- federacy. The Quota of the State Reduced by the President—The Blundors of Gencral Fry Corrected. The committee, consisting of Senators An- drews and Bell, from this State, had an inter- view with the President yesterday, and suo- ceeded in convincing him that the calculations of our quota of drafted men, announced by Pro- vost Marshal General Fry, were grossly inoor- rect. The President, therefore, upon examin- ing into the matter has decided to reduce the number allotted by General Fry on the last call twenty-five per cent on the State quota. This will reduce the quota of this city by some five or six thousand, leaving the number to be supplied by the metropolis about fifteen thousand. o The whole of the loyal States are thrown into confusion, discontent and disgust by the extra- ordinary action of Provost ‘Marshal General Fry. It is impossible for the most clear-headed arithmetician to make anything out of Fry's calculationg upon quotas. Such an inextricable labyrinth of figures was never conceived before in a matterso really simple of adjustment. Fry’s orders of one day have been so often an- nulled thenext that we never know for a week together how we stand with regard to our quota of the draft. His last monstrous demand for twenty-one thousand men from this city was the greatest outrage he has yet committed; but happily, the amende has, toa certain extent, been made by executive interference. That it should become necessary for the Pre- sident to correct the errors of an official, en- trusted with so important a duty as the Provost Marshal General, is sufficient argument of the unfitness of Gen. Fry for his position. Since the department of the Provost Marshal was created Gen. Fry has been the incumbent, and wo can safely say, that in the whole course of his career he has never furnished any evidence of his fitness for the office. On the contrary, his conduct has been the means of obstructing the #ealous work of our local boards and commit- tees, putting us to enormous and worthless ex- pense, wasting tho time of our citizens in visit- ing Washington and Albany as delegations in search of light by which to read and under- stand his muddled orders, and subjecting us to the constant apprehension of an oppressive con- soription. Under the Inte call for three hundred thousand men we were first assured that this city was free, or nearly free, from the draft. So in the State of Rhode Island, the Provost Marshal Gen- eraldeclared that there was an excess of some seven thousand men. After all our arrangements were made to perform our duty upon these representations, everything is turned upside down by a new order, based upon some inex- plicable hocus poous, declaring that the quote of this city is twenty-one thousand, to be drafted in two weeks from this time. An addi- tional quota of fifteen hundred men is also de- manded from Rhode Island, against which the Governor very properly protesta. It seems that while the Preafdent’s call is only for three hundred thousand men, Gon. Fry fixes our quotes on » basis of eight hundred thoagand. ‘We do not know upon what grounés’Mr. Fry was brought from Mlinols to be. tnéstalled as PréVost Marshol General; but the/ manner in which he bas blundered and oo/afused every- for pesoo even at the; price of submissiony,| thing ti gonnection with hi offloe shows of the North bave been always willing and prompt to do their duty since the war began in every way required of them. They have fur- nished men and money without stint, and they have s right to demand fair play; but this they have not had from the Provost Marshal Gene- ral. All the efforts of our Supervisors and other bodies to fulfil their obligations to the government have been frustrated by the blun- dering of this Incompetent official. Nothing but embarrassment, confusion and distraction has met them tn carrying out their operations. Therefore we eonclude that Gen. Fry is the wrong man in the wrong place, and we trast that the President will see the wisdom and the justice of eetting him right. The Question of Peace—The Main Ob- stacle to Agreement Now Out of the Way. The topic of paramount interest to the peo- ple just at present is the endeavor to negotiate @ peace. Both sides have given some evidence of a disposition to close the struggle in that way. On our eide, the country has indignantly refused to listen to the professional “peace men”’—thoge friends of the enemy who tried to make peace by weakening the force of our blows. But there ismo doubt that real and sincere peace movements would be regarded with favor by tho people, and that our real at- tempts to negotiate peace have been insensibly stimulated, not by any consideration of failure in our power to make war, but by a national magnanimity consistent with the greatness of our cause and with the greatness of soul and thought that has grown up in our earnest ef- forts for the success of that cause. It is difi- cult to believe that the rebel attempts to negotiate peace have any other origin than the consciousness of the rebel leaders that their:cause is lost, and that while con- tinued war will inevitably sweep down all their hopes and ideas in genora! ruin, peace may save a little. But efforts stimulated in that way may be as earnest as those that have a better origin. And the enemy bas done all in his power to make them carnest and real by composing his peace delegation now within our lines of three men of dis- tinguished ability, who accurately represent the more important elements of the rebel power, and by sending them in the only way in which they could be received by our authorities. If the leaders on both sides will act in a fair spirit, the negotiation of a good and honorable peace is now quite within the range of possi- bility. The difficulties that hitherto stood in the way of the negotiation of peace arose from three great obstaclos—obstacles that seomed to render it impossible to settle the terms of peace, and dangerous to try it. These were slavery, confiscation and the question of amnesty. How would it be about slavery? Would the government insist upon the forfeit- ure of all property? Would ut insist upon the punishment of all who had borne arms against itt These were questions so vitally important to the controlling political power on our side, and of such very direct interest to every man on the other side, that it did not seem possible they could be settled eatisfactorily by negotiation. Indeed, aside from the evident difficulty that negotiators would have to agree in their views upon these points—the points were so exosedingly vital that there were no public men whom the re- spective sides would trust to settle them. There were no men in whom they had sufficient confi- dence. They were questions of such general scope that every one had to be in at the nego- tion; and thus the respective embassies were 80 large that their debates were battles. Slavery was the greatest difficulty—a Triton to which the others were hardly more than minnows. Insuperable heights of objection arose whenever North and South touched that topic in argument. It was to the South a “corner stone,” a base without which there could be no superstructure. It was the “uni- versal postulate” of Southern reason. On the other hand, the Nerth justly considered that it could not make peace and leave that institu- tion alone. Northern men saw that to make a peace and leave slavery alive was to threw away all the grand struggles of this war, and utterly waste all the blood and money that had been spent in it, The danger of peace negotia- tion was that the politicians would get their heads together, and agree on less in this re- spect than the war would give us if prosecuted only a little longer. But now all this grand trouble is out of the way. Slavery is an issue absolutely taken out of the contest. Congress has sent it to the States which will settle it in the natural way. Tho absence of the Southern representatives and Senators made this result possible, but that absence was their own fault; and the result is a fact that we oannot go be- hind. There are enough States on our side the line to abolish slavery and they will do it. The difficulties that remain, then, are those of confiscation and amnesty. It is doubtful how far Congress has the power to go in these matters. The constitution declares that Congress shall not pass any bill of attainder or ex post faclo law, and its confiscation law is in its operation both. Such matters must be left to the opera- tion of our laws as they wore when the war broke out, and if we cannot confiscate under those laws we cannot at all. But, not to press the question of the power of Congress, to insist upon an extreme policy on such points is to pursue a policy of vengeance. History shows such a policy to be unwise, and we ought to suppose that our leaders will not let political passion, more partisan fury, weigh in the balance against the pacification of the country. Confiscation is not the vital point that slavery was, and we can well afford to give way on it where we could not have given way on the other, Congress has put the matter of ammnes- ties in the hands of the President. He is nota man to strike where he ean just as well spare. If he can make « wiser use of that power by the extension of amnesties to all, it is within his discretion, and he certainly will not let any policy of vengeance stand in the way. In short, since slavery, the grand question of ques- tions, is definitely settled our way, it would not be a very bitter thing to the people if we should relinquish entirely the other two points, since they, after all, ara Yess than that one, eminent men to try, 824 make it, it is to be hoped they will be met in a fair and proper spirit, Koolestastical Missio, "4 t0 EKurope~Theis Real Purposes ©24 Effects, The Tribune a few da%8 *g0 published q prominent double-leaded ed: ‘torial article, undes. .the caption of “The Recoga ition Intrigue,” in "which the writer stated that ba? had “at length obtained « clue to the Europeam complot where- from the slaveholding rebels @te comforting themselves with hopes of poworfa' and speedy aid for their sinking cause.” Now, when's newspaper publishes % double leaded article in its principal editoriad column, it is generally supposed that something p ositive and emphatic is meant. But, on reading the article in the Tribune, we find nothing to wour mand even ordinary attention. We are thore’ told that at eA early aarange of 8 the FB egy | Dr. Lynch, the to the governing Powers of the Old World, but with instructions to make Rome hte focus of his operations. Granting that the Bishop really went on the mission assigned him, by the Zribune, there is nothing remarkable im it. It is well known that our own government, early in the struggle for its supremacy, also sent 8 distinguished ambassador to Europe—the late Most Reverend and lamented Archbishop. Hughes—not for “the of sexroh- ing for sympathisers and allies,” bat to enlighten the European governments con- cerning the nature of the rebellion and the grand purposes for which the nation was con- tending. We all know what was the result of the Archbishop’s mission. He was every- where received with courtesy and attention, both as being @ high ecclesiastical dignitary and the special representative of the United States government, Ho had audiences with all the leading statesmen of Europe, to whom he doubtless gave much valuable information concerning our resources, power and de- termination to put down the rebellion. Nothing practical followed on the Archbishop’s visit to the other side of the Atlantic. A great deal of sympathy—real and unreal—was ex- pressed with the country, and there the matter ended. Of the mission of Bishop Lynch—if he really had a direct mission from the rebel Preal- dent—the same must be said. Whatever efforts he may have made to obtain tho aid of the European Powers in favor of the confederacy, it is plain that they have all been futile and abortive. It is very reason- able to suppose that, being in Europe and a friend of the Southern cause, the Bishop would use all his influence to impress the governing classes favorably as. to the chances of success attending the rebellion. But this is not probe- bly the true reason that took Bishop Lynch to Europe. After the complete blockade of . Charleston, his ministerial occupation was gone for the time being. In the severe bombard- ment which that city suffered from the federal ° forces the Bishop’s church, with its schools an@ his flock were dispersed, and he suddenly found himself at liberty to go where he pleased. He decided on going to Europe, no doubt to confer with the head of the Church on matters purely ecclesiastical. But as @ missionary of the Cross, whose purpose is peace, he was bat too glad tebear any mission that would tend to stop the fratricidal strife so fiercely raging bere. That he did so we have no doubt, and it is no wonder that, as a coum teous gentleman himself, he was courteously © received everywhere. When at the Pontifical Court of Rome he handed the letter of Messrs. Slidell, Mason and Dudley Mann to the Holy Father. This document, with some others re- lating to the same subject, including the Pope’s reply, will be found in another part of to-day’s paper, republished from the Hrratp of Decem ber last. This, it seems to us, is the whole sum and substance of Bishop Lynch’s “operations” in Europe. No negotiations have brought about intervention or anything like it, The Pope’s reply, as well as those of the other Powers, put a finishing blow to the rebel hopes in Europe, and beyond the mere cant expression of sympathy with this or that side, they will not attempt any direct interference with our affairs, This reply indicated the uttes failure of the reported intrigues. This is the whole story in a nutshell. Italian Opera—Opening Nights. A very large, fashionable and really brilliant audience attended the reopening of the Academy Inst night, theroby testifying to the eagerness with which the lovers of Italian opera welcome that favorite and now indis- ponsable luxury. The house was filled in every part; beauty of face and form and elegance of com tume were conspicuous to an extont perhaps even greater than usual. A considerable intermingling of military and naval uniforms, with the more sober dreas of the civilian, imparted a peculiar and most agreeable variety to the ensemble of the house. Among thom were observable the handsome uniforms of several ofieers of the Fronch navy. We have rarely seen the Academy Present so clogant a picture as it did last night Dow Sebastian was given with all its original attractions, The artists wore in good voice, and were very onthusiastically received, Massimilian! never sang the part of the King 0 well, Zacchi was, as heretofore, exceedingly Gne as Zaida, improving, if possible, on her previous rendition of that part. The encotes of all the leading points of the opera wore frequent, and the artists repeatedly received: the compliment of @ cell before the curtain To-night Fra Diavolo will be given, and on Saturday 11 Folate a® a matines. ———— Mrevo’s Ganoew.—Mr. and Mra. Barney Williams taker thelr farewell benefit this evening, appearing in two popular plays—The Lakes of Killarney and An Hour iy Seville, To-morrow night is the last of their secceastiak engagement here. poodle WOU Se eS Te ee Board ef Couno! To ‘The Board mot at two o'clock P. M: on Thersday, the President, James Hayes, Eeq., in the chair ‘The ordinance probibiting the erection of tents oF 1 sep ached eigenen earryedondesle ceria thom enlisted i@ other States, was called up, Mr. Haoaertr was in favor of having the opinion « A tea Dorperelain Cented 08 (Rie culjanh Batten Any at ap was taken by the isl a : al i oa ed ted Cate rae sr sventderstion edie mation cal diay ore Hacoaery drt been Aa eg nance at this time would ee ee for the county of New York Lt tho leash. re ordinance as al iy Hy Me, Law said were “ i ier anew buns dreds of men Tod ih adpuon ¥ Toe e faty pee a atop to. “a i the nega 6 Pest deities, sate Sire ne fre Points yon ans sciae Sptg t indeny, 2000 eas edoRromay next, At two vith * Paper Mili Burne/,, Las, My‘an,, Fob. %, 1966, A very large paper mill, belong ag to Eiisur Aeithy An agreoment, thon, is certainly possible. and | was burned at four o'clock this 7 teenoom,