The Sun (New York) Newspaper, December 28, 1864, Page 1

swprewearesEr st >| 5 e rt iq ! i { SS Se ee @ , va S & The Lates' By Telegraph to the N. ¥. San. LATE REBEL ACCOUNTS. Fort Fisher Attacked. A TERRIBLE BOMBARDMENT. Landing of Butler's Forces. rorr THE FOR’ roRMED,. Our Forces Said to be Repulsed. OUR ADVANTAGE OF POSITION ACKNOWLEDGED. § ‘The Fall of Savannah HOW HARDEE ESCAPED. Sherman at Work Again. ANOTHER EXPEDITION STARTED. Operations in Tennessee. Combinations Against Hood, His EFFORTS TO ESCAPE. &e., &e, ; &e. WILMINGTON, Land aod Naval Attack on Fort Fisher. (orrrotat | War Department, Washington, Dee, 2-10 P. M.—Major-General Diz, New York :—The Jowing extracts from Richmond ere of to«lay, e pal fol- Bave been forwarded to the Department by General Grant: Wilmington, N.C, Dee %,—The enemy's fleet, over fifty vessels, including two monitors, several armed vemels, and many heavily armed frigates and sloops of war, made a furious attack on Fort Fisher about ove o'clock yesterday, and kept up an average fire of thirty ahote per minute until night. Our loss !s twenty-three wounded, The ck was renewed at ten o'clock this morning, and has been very furious aud contin- Gous, No report of casualties to-day, Col, Larab, who is in command of the fort, replied to the ene- wy's fire slowly and deliberately, The enemy, under cover of the heavy fire, landed ebout three brigades two and a baif miles above Fort Fisher, They were immediately engaged by eemaller force, The enemy held the ground at night, Wilmington, N.C, Dee The enemy's in- fantry attacked Fort Fisher late last night. They were repulsed with considerable loss There wae heavy rain and wind through the night Prisoners report the Twenty-fourth Corps of the Yankee arwy present, under Butler. COMMENTS OF A RICHMOND PAPER From our Wilmington dispatches it will be seen tat the Yankeo fleet attacked Fort Pisher about conte o'clock P.M, on Saturday, end bombarded it Dfeavily until nightfall, renewing the bombard- iment at ten o'clock on Sunday moving, and con- tinuing it throughout the day ; that under cover of the fire ofthe fleet the enomy landed an infantry force above Fort Misher, which attacked thia fort en Bunday night and was repulsed. Fort Piaher is wtuated on a sand spiton the right bank of the Cape Fear river, at ite mouth twenty miles below Wilmington, The enemy, we prewume, reached their position above the fort, not oy passing up the rtver, where they would have been obliged to Caswell on the left bank, but by landing on the Deach east of the mouth of Cape Fear River. The enemy having effected a lodgment above the fort te aserious matter, 1s wil! cost double the force to dislodge Lim that would have prevented bis land- fug.'’ Nothing later than the above has been received et this department from W.lmington, Epwin M, Stanion, Secretary of War. A Great Shock Felt at Newbern Was it an Explosion at Wilmington ¢ Newbern, De>. Y4.—A great shock, like that of en earthquake, was distinctly felt here last night, about two o'clock, rocking the earth and rasthug *) windows in their places, supposed to be an ex- .ppoon of great magnitude on the coast below waufort as the sound came from that direction, “esibly a wagazine exploded in a fort at Wilming- op or Charleston, containing several bundred tone of powder, The gale, which bas prevailed for the last few days, subsided last night. The shipping which has been detained several days at Beaufort, will de able to depart to-day, Judge Advocate Stackpole bas arrived from Fort Monroe, for the purpose of investigating important troeps in this Department. GENERAL SHERMAN, Particalars of the Occupauoa of Savannah, Fortress Monroe, Dec, 26.--The steamer Cali- last evening, in fifty-eight hours from Fort Paleski, bringing important dispatches from Sherman, and glorious confirmatory intelligenes of the capture of Bavannab on the 21st inst. On the 20th, Sherman, having nearly completed the investment of the city, and auptured Fort Lee, end severa! other minor outworks in the imme- diate vicinity of the principal entrenchments sur- rounding the town, and planting bis siege bat- teries in such close proximity to the rebel lines as to command effectually every pcaition held by the roes under command of Geu, Hardee, sent e sum- yons, by flag of truce, to the effect that if the place ‘as not in « certain time surremdered, a bombard- me ane aamqull WOUK 8) ODE p COURLIERIO® run the gauntlet of the guns both of Fisher and of | Thomas represent bim frauds connected with the recruiting of colored | breastwo! fornia, Capt. Godfrey, arrived bere at ® lave hour { To this summons the wily rebel General sent t News back mrepty, that as bis communications were yet open, and hia men fully supplied with subsistence stores of every kind, be was ablo to withstand « a long siege, and was determined to bold the city to the very last moment, and defend the citizen | and property which had been placed under his | protection, until hi# forces were overpowered and | compelled to surrender. Every preparation had been made by Sherman to assault the rebel posi- tion the next day, but when the morning of the 2st inst. dawned it was ascertained that the ene my bad evacuated their entrenchments, Severel regiments of infantry were immediately aivanced, who took possewsion of them, and shortly after- wards Sherman entered the city at the head of bis dy guard, and received from the hands of a depu- tation of citizens the surrender of the place. Ii appears that Gon. Hardee, on the night of the 20h, seeing the impossibility of holding the city, and fearing that the only means of eacapo left open, across the Bavannad, was likely to be cut off at any moment, determined to avail himeelf of the route for hie retreat, His troops immediately set to work to partially destroy the Navy Yard and Govern- meut property, and at twilight, under the protec- tion of two jron-clad rama, succeeded in crossing the Savannah River, over the causeway, to the north @de, intending to pash forward to Charles- ten. Thirty-two thousand bales of cottan were stored in the city, which the rebels in their haste neglected to destroy. The two tron-clad rams were sunk, and all the Government property and stores which they could pot carry off with them they burned or threw into the river, Four sual! steamers, one @ gunboat, were captured, which, together with the cotton and « large ammount of rebel munitions of war, form « part ot the spot!s of Sherman's victo- rious army. (It was first indicated in Sherman's unpul lished dispatches that he could not juvest Savannah cora- pletely on the north and erat. This line was over twenty-five miles long, and if he had covered the bridge and causeway over which Hardee es- caped, on the northeast of the city, he would have bul to extend his line at least ten or fifteen miles further, the obstructions m the Savannah river prevented General Foster from getting up in ime with bia gunboats; the causeway over which Hardee escaped runs through ® morass towards Charleston. Ik enabled him to keep bis Georgia wilitie intact. It is thought that Hardee bas goue WEDNESDAY, 1 tw Auguste, the vuly important rewaininy railroad cent.e.) LATER Sherman Moving Again. Washington, Dee. ~A late Richmond paper contains the following information : An c@icial despatch from General Beauregard, dated Dec. 25th, and received yesterday states that Gen Hardee reports that a force of the enemy's in- fantey, artillery aud cavalry, bas moved from Sa- vannah toward Albamaba River. Gen, Hardee bas made a proper disposition to check the column. Ite object is probably to destroy the Bavannab, Albany and Gulf Railroad, its depots, &c GENERAL THOMAS, Advance of our Forces. Nashville, Dee ‘The our army was on Bunday night 21 miles south of Columbia, about Lalfway between that place and the Tonnes- see river, The ntoi the raing are nearly impassable Houd retreating before our wivancing troops, who have etragyled bebind their commands, who have deserted, are being brought in every day. Two bundred reached bere yesterday. Lis reported that Hood intends to reach the Tennessee river near the mouth of the Military authorities consider the situation very enoourag- ing. Railroad and telegraphic communication 18 open to Columbia, on the Lennessee and Alabama Roilros!, and the road will soon be in running or- der to Chattanooga, The river is ut stand, with 15 fect of water on the shoals, edvance of roads, on ac heavy is steadily Prisoners, or Elk river (OPFIOIAL.) War Department, Washington, Dec, 27, 10 vm, Major-General Diz» Despatches from General still in pursuit of Hood's broken and disorganized force. Headquarters, Pulaski, Tenn, Dee 1564, —Major-General H. W. Halleck, ( hief of Staff: I bave received the following despatch from Geue- ral Wilson : “Headquarters Cavalry Corps, beyond Pulaski, Dec. ,—There seems to be ule doubt that the rebels have gone ty Bainbridge, eight miles above Florence, fearing a flank moveroent from Bteven gon, Ala. Two corps, Stewart's and Lee's, went by ithis road——the Florence road —to Lexington. Cheatham went towards Lawrenucebury, striking the old Military road, eight miles below Luwreuce- burg. The people say the rebela are suflering imu.ensely, Buford's wound ts said to be quite severe, A Mr. Coates says the Colonel comraand- ing the pontoon transportation, told him be was cing to Bainbridge, aud lets here on Thursday morning. “Cheatbam's ammunition transportation of 15 or 20 wagous Was abandoned here, The wules were put on to help the poutoous aluuyg, Gen, Lee was severely wounded in the foot in the fight at Nash- ville, His corps is now commanded by Stevenson The rebels have lost eighteen generals killed, wounded and miafing, #@nce they started North They acknowledye 65 pieces of arti!lory lost. (Bigmed) Joorva H, W1180) Brevet Major Geners),"" A dispatch of 6 P. M., 2th inet, states that In the enemy's infantry, strongly posted in rail rks, and so close did he puah up, that in being compelled to fall back the loas of one gun was involved, ten minutes afterwagis, but the enemy hed ruo the gun off, The rebel force was eight brigades, of five or six hundred men each, Gen, Wood,com- mandiny the 4th Corps, is in support of Gen, Wil- son, and both will continue the pursuit zealously, I have heard from Steadman to«lay barked his troops from cara at Limestone Creek, seven miles from Decatur, aud was marching on that place at 7 A. M to-<tay Geo, H. Tuomas, Maj, Gen, Com'y, He diserm- The department has not received from Savannab any reports except the telegrams of Gen, Sherman and Gen. Foster already published, Epwix M. 8tastox, Becretary of War. Tar President has sigued the bill imposing « tax of two dollars per gallon on all diated opirie anuiacvured etlar Jan, Lat q ECE Southern News. Extracts from Late Southern Papers. Late files of Richmond papers contain interesting news of military operations. It appears that Gen- erel Grant bas organized numerous expeditions, chiefly of cavalry, which are operating in the vieinity of Gordonsville and the line of Southern railroads from Richmond. Gordousville has been seriously threatened by « detachment from Gen- eral Sheridan's army, which has #o far baffled several expeditions sent ont by General Lee to ettack ft, Ie fv stated that Gordonsville te now fn our possession. Upon this point the Rich- mond Waie of Beturday bas the following: The telegraph operator at Gordonaville reported this mor:ing that he was about to withdraw from that place, as our forces bad falen back and the Yankees were eivancing. The probabilities are that Gordonsville bas Leen ccoupied by the enemy, but we bave the satisfaction of knowing that be- fore they are many hours older they will wish they had remained at bome. GENERAL LER'S REVORT ON THE FU BROT. Haangcanteaa Aumy Noxramns Mier lad Dec %, 1864 Tion J. A Bannon: On the “Oth General Early reported one division of the enemy's cavalry, under General Custer, coming up the valley, and two divisions, under General Torbert, moving through Chester Gap, with four piece: illery aud thirty wagons On the 22d Rosee> attacked Custer's division, nine miles from Harrisonburg, and drove it back, capturir forty prisovers, This morning Torbert attacked Lomax pear Gordonsville, aud was repulsed and severely punished He is retinug, and Tomax preparing to follow. BR. E. Lea. (The force here alluded to as commanded by General Custer numbers probably ox thousand men, and on Wednesday last occupied Madison Court Hhouae, on their way © Gordonsville | The Richmond papers publish information from Bouthern Misstasippi to the effect that great alarm revailed in that section on account of the move- ment of the federal raiding party, under General Davidson, in the direction of Mobile, Quite # panic prevailed, A dispatch from General Beauregard states that on the 10th of December our forces, eight bun- dred strong, cecupia! the town of Pollard, at the junction of the Mubile and Great Northern and Ala- bame and Florida railroads, It is about sixty miles north of Mobile, and fe an important place, Rotors of the evacuation of Savannah prevatled fo Richmond on Saturday, but were not credited The Bextinetr, however, bad » significant state- went to the etfect that if the pews was true, it wae all for the best. The Richmond papers state that great perturba- tion eXista among the city neyroes on account of a report that all the male negroes are to be put into the army, and in consequence they are running off to the Yankees in scores, About fifty have levant- ed thie week, On Wednesday night, seven be longing to Valentine Heckler, of Union Hill, left, taking their clothes, trunks, end even their house hold furviture, It hag, anys the Waa, been from the beginnin, the opinion of erminent military men that it woul bave been wise to abandon such coast towns aa Savanneb, and even Kichmond, and retire to the interior. Sherm: who had got iuto the interior, tnakes aD excuse! ur Savannah. The Examinen has tho following editorial state- ment fn reference to the nysteries of secret session, which were so strongly denounced hy Mr. Poote ta his recent speech; “The secret seasion of Congress ia & source Of ae much sol cttude as the mystories of Bavanvah or the unknown campaign of Tennessee, Vague but unpleasant rumore are all of things therein done. It {# whispered that the writ of hal- eas corpus has been suspended without limitation and that calamities which have befallen the ooun- try on account of capricious abuse of tho executive power, have been excuses for an increase of that vory power. Increase of power todo whet? To lowe coore S\ates, vo throw away wore armies for he spleen or in the vain pur- gratification of persona sult of persoval applause Condition of Mobile, The Now Orleans Era learns from an old roal- deni of Mobile, whe lefs that city on the 6th inat., that the people are very gloomy and desperate, and two-thirds are longing for our forces to cap- ture the city. There was much disappointment felt because the fleet did not push on to the city immediately after the capture of the forts. There are about seven thousand Mocpe at Mobile, all militia except Baker's briyade of Alabamians,num- bering five or eix hundred men, and the Fifteenth Confederate cavairy, of Porrest'scommand, There sre but two iron-cladsand nietber of these of much use, owing to lack of propelling power, It is the firm telief of our informant,that the deiuces of the city can be takeu without wuch fighting by a land force, but he thinks gunbosts would experience great difficulty from topedors, Thoy can, bow- ever, get within sbell.ng distande of the city, Tho St. Albans Raiders. Three of Them Consigned to a United States Prison Concord, N.H,, Dec. 27.+Three of the St, Al- beus raiders made their escape by secreting then - selvey in the cars unt)! across the line. They then proceeded tw Lebanon, N. H, and enlisted, receiv. ing the bounty, and hoping to get back to Dixie at Uncle Sem's expense, They were, how de- tected, and are uow in the State Prison at Con- cord, Acovsiderable amount of wouey wes found in their possession Another Raider Arrested Toronto, Dec, 2ith.—Another vue of the Bt, Al- | eon, was appointed Bpeaker pro lem, and Mr | preasing the enewy Harrison's brigade came upon | | was adwinistered by J Tho position was, however, taken, | bans raiders was arrested Lere to«lay, The Mixsourl Legislature, Jefferson City, Mo, Dec, 21,—The two Houses of the Legislature met this morning, A quorum bemg present in each House, Mr, Payne, of Jack- Gant was eppointed Clerk pro tem, Sixty-five | Those presens yath of san K ng. Clerk | members answered to their names, presented their credentials, and the Fogg. of Mr, The Senale then orvanized by the chowe pro tem, Toe new!ly-<lected Benstors then pre- sented thelr credent ala and were duly qualified, The Senate the: urned til] o-morrow, Heavy Sterm on the (oast—Dauinge to shipping. Baltimore, Dee letter from Fortress | Monroe, dated the # thet « heavy | storm has been preve coast for the last few days, caus coasting schooners an! other ah nv, The schooner Bidney C. Tyler, Capt. Steelman, with coal, from Philadelphia to Port Royal, and schooner Mary Steadman, from New York, with ge, for Port Royal, put iu here for # harbor this morning, the former in @ badly leaking condi- tion, and the latter with all her sails, except the jib, blown away, The steamer D, H, Moant, which arrived here to- day from Newbern, reports having passed a wupk- en schooner, apparenly new, bearing South by | East frow Hatteras Light, on the 26tb inst, Both | masts wore standing, he was judved Wo be about } 800 tone Duriieie able damage w | MBER 28, [864. | quired nuaber {# obtained, whieh would leave per S etna ee Highlands, Dec, 1.— Whe three-masted schoon- er Kate Bingham, of New York, Capt. Plater, from New Orloana, with # cargo of Gour to Thomas Dun- bam, 1# ashore on Wardell beach, about one mile south of the Highlands, She had five feet of water in her at nine o'clock, Roaton, Dec, 27.—The schooner Ocean Rell, of Jonesboro, Me, from Newburvh for Portsmouth, N. IL, wb tiuber, wentassore last night on Plumb Island, near Newburyport, Bhe vessel ie a total loss. Crew saved. The cargo may be saved. General Intelligence. (By Met to the New York Sun.) Tamer are some plain Dhnote farmers who owe more jand than goes to make up some German Principalitios Ir in etated that the meason; sent from Mos- treal to Richmond to verify the ceummissons pro- — by the @t. Albans was captured at Alexan- ria, Tar applications for commismons hrthe Army Corps now organizing to Le commanded by Gen. Hancock, are very numerous. The enlistments of voterans have been numerous and eatiafectory. A rarm jain cireniation ta Montreal, calling for ® mass meeting of the citizens to express cota of the community concerning the discharge of the Bt. Albans raiders, It has already received a larce number of signatures, Bixce Mr, Lincoln's inauguration {n 1861, there Lave been five changes in his Catdnet; Mr, Stan- ton for Mr. Cameron, Mr. Usher for Mr, Smith, Mr Fessenden for Mr ase, Mr, Dennison for Mr Biair, and Mr Specd for Mr. Rates. Tre recent cold “cycle” waa very severe tn the Northwest, At St. Paul the mercury ranged from 26 degroes below zero to 10 above for four days; and at Madison, Wisconsin, it reached 20 to % de- grees below, scoording to the locality. Ong of the greatest men the work! ever prodme- od, Bir Isaac Newton, was born on Christrias day, If 4, consequently the Chnatmas just passed was the two huadred and twenty-second anniversary of bis birth. We have in reality entered upon the fifth year of the rebellion, a# it waaon the night of the 20th of December, 1560, that the Convention of South Caro- Hine signed and sealed the parchment upon which it had been ins ribet that the connection of that Stato with the Union hed been ** dissolved ."' Tus Fenian Panic continues in Canada, many towns being tu constant alarm, while rumors of essuesinations, conspiracies, etc, are mfe, Churches ere used for drill-roome and In some places the In- habitants are gathered for safety under es single roof, strongly guarded, A Mamnen of Gon, Meade's staff recently aaw a ragged boy with an uncommon larwe wuffler about his neck, He aske! what wae the matter with him, and be replied that be had got the ttch. The poe iAvoueneee’ and found important despatches te Gen. Lee, Govennou Sarmove bas jasued jon in roference to the new draft, urging tumediate ac- tion an the various Congressional Districta to secure a correct eorollwent, The Governor suy- esta that men should be exployed for the purpose, who should be paid for every case where a wrong ia detected, Tuk Lockport Res announces the dest) of an eccentric individual named Wm, Ooliey, in the Lower Village. Heo lived alone, kept a and willed lis ercner » Valued at @15,' relatives !p England, lie kept his je in an old’ boiler buried in the cellar, Among the deposits fu this private vault were fifty thousand three cent pieces. How many willions of coin are thus boarded tu various parts of the country. to lila Aw Irish family {0 Colehenter, Conn., were much disturbed the other day by seotng their hua- hand and father euter the house, as they had a few daya before paid #160 for the transportation home of Dia body from she army, aod had buried hit with many teare, It tovk some time for the hve Irisbinan ty convince Dia fainily that he wae note vhost, and then they exhumed ‘the dead hody and sent it back to the arty, fearing it might be the body of a revel soldier Gangnat Kivraruion is not doml, rebel reports to the contrary notwithstanding, [lle family at Woat PAnt haw just recetved from him some rebul trophies, accompanied by the following letter, dated at the headquartera of Slertan'y cavalry command, 2'4¢ miles from Bevanuah, December 19; “Tarn well and aafe; have ad many hard bettles, but was victorfousin all, We will soon take Sa- vanneah. Will write you a long letter to-morrow. Bend word to Jerse Address your letters, Kil- yatrick's cavalry, Bherman's army, Bavannah. illie is well, Goodby, dear mother, Kua." Gen, Patwen's expedition, which left Plymouth, N. C, on the Oth, has returned in safety after o successful reid into the interior, Bevoral sharp akirtolshes were had with tho enemy at Bprin Hii!) and other potnta, in which our forces eapt five reve) commissioned officers, including one Colone! Hinton, Sixty-cigbth North Caroline rogi- ment, and thirty non<comrtagdoned officers and privates, A fleet of gunboats which sccompan ted the expedition on setting out, was unable to oo- operate or advance beyond Jumestown, owing to the number of torpedoes sunken tn the river by the enemy, A ean of guerrillas recently made thetr appear ance at the Holling Fork Bridge, near New avon, Ky. They pressed in ® number of citizens, and made then chop and burn down oue span of the trite, They then robbed the citizens and let them yo, takiuy #65 and a» fine gold watel: from young man, The vgnstruckon locomotive was close by, and they made the engineer fl! her up aud atart her off up the road at full speed and jump off, To engineer did as directed, but be turned « full stream of water into te boller trough both pumpe before he jumped off. The locomotive run about tour tiles and stopped, the water having filled her up. LOCAL NEWS. NEW YORK AND THE VICDUTY. OPERATIONS OF TUE VOLUNTEER COMMIT- Tee—Tusx Paoourse cy Keonurtine—Tas Pros- reot—CORMRUTION OF THE ENROLLMENT, Since tho fapuc of the Pres den's proclamation calling for ‘three bundred thousaud more," the business of the Bupervisors’ Volunteer Comruittee bas beon more than usually scwve, The call has had the etfoot of sturoulating enlistments and the number now received daily by Mr, Biunt is considerably larger than was the case \efore the call was made, The daily average, however, is far below the num- ber necessary to fill the quote within the specified fity days and unless @ great improvement ia made, the 18th of February will find New York with a considerable defiat. At the present rate of recruitin,, but little more than one-third of the rev haps five or six thousand to be drafted should the conscription take place on the day now designated, Substitutes offer themse!vea freely for enlistment— much wore freely than principals; and # much larger number could be procured if the principals would make the necessary deposits, The favorable light in which the city is generally regarded with relation to the draft ts one of the worst features that the Committee have to contend with. The | pr! lic seem to be imbued with the belief that there is not the alightest probability of » draft in Now York, hence the general apathy upon the subject, snd the comparatively meagre demand for subst tule Ff the auhlic lalkemed the’ sony mae eaglie ” ——————————S—S=—=_—= UN. PRICE ONE CENT IN GOLD TWO CENTS IN CURRENCY, 8 danger of conscription, there would be » graud rush for gabstitutes, aod the daily average of enlistments would reach 150 or 900 » dey, as it must do if the quote is raised voluntarily. The revision of the enrollment te going on steadily, but as it prowrosses the ratio of reduction seems to diminish. When the correction had been made in the firet three or four wards, the Com- mittee estimated that the reduction would be from ope hundred and forty thousand w eighty thous and-—nearly one-half, Now, however, the Indice Uons are that the rafio of reduction will not be more then one-fourth of the old enrollment. It ie difficult to socount for this difference, unless » case which came to the knowledge of our reporter fur- niches the solution, The Committeo's officer called at @ louse on the Wost side of town, en- rolled one of the male inmates of suitable age, and tnquired if there were not other adult males in the family. He was answered that an old man, nearly seventy yoars of age, was a momber of tho family, but of course bis maine had not been given. The officer, on learning the facta, stated that be =owould enroll him any how, whieh he = accordingly did, — giving his ago at forty four, regardless of wirat hed been told him. The enrollment of the old gentleman was a Matter of no personal connequence to himself or sis Cacrtily, but if such things are done tn one in- @ance, why notinmany? And if tho quote of the city depends upan the correctness of the re- ports mado by these officers, what may be expected from such work ? Whother sub cases are froquent or not, we have not the means of determining, but it would not be strange ff, ous of the large number of mon tn the services of the Volunteer Committee, there should be some who are not doing their work honertly, The Committee are desirous, and are tring every effort to make the enrollurent thorough sod truthful, and whenever cases of rew{ssness on the part of agents are detected, they should be Promptly reported. Every citizen is \nterested in this subject, for if the enrollment is excessive, the quote besed thereupon, will necessarily be corres- pondingly excemive, Ixnocents’ Day.—Thie festival, which is slo styled Holy knnoceute’ Day, and Childermas Day or Childermas, hae been observed from a very early period in the history of the Christian Chureh. It commemorates the barbarous massacre by King Herod of all the children who were ia Bethlehem af ‘two years old and under." The history of this event will be found recorded in the gowpel by Bt. Mathew —chap. 1, 16-19 v. At the Reformation, this anniversary was reta:ued in the English ritual, and consequently, divine service will be held in allthe Protestant Episcopal churches to-day, and High Mass wil) be calolrated tn the Ca- tholie ctrurchea, In the later {tis @ double of the second clams, and the vestments worn are purple In former times thie was counted @ most unlucky day, and no one would beyin any work, or enter uponany undertaking on this day. To make any proposal to that superstitious monarch Louis XI on this dey used to exasperate hin very much, and be woul! on no eccount perform any business on Innocenta* day. This superstition was probe bly derived from the bomor attached to Herod'amct of atrocity, Un the coronation of Edward IV of England, that solemmty was to take place on Sun- day, butes thas was Childermas day, It wae post- poned til] Monty, and to the present day in Corn- wall and vtherfparts of the country, housewives re- frein from all work ou this day. Ih ancient thrues it was e custom to spank all the younger branches of afamily on thts day, thus to « certain exteus re-enacting the “Massacre of the Innocents /* Weypect, PuLuirrs on Reconsriucrion, ~An audience of abvut es thousand persons assom- bled lest evening at the Cooper Institute to hear Wendell Phillippe speak on the abovesubject. Upon being tntroduced the lecturer was received with eppleuse, abd after announcing his subject anid that during the next x or eight montha he deem - ait te be the most momertous question which Avvericans cowld diseum, In doing so be had no distrust in the governimemt. Four yeare age he di- vided the North into three classes, « defested mb nority ready for any thing that would embarrene the government, the wing of the Republican party under Mr, Seward, ready for any sacrifice which would save the nation, and the other wing of the game, tho honess and capable men, wha in- tendel to keep in office the Pomisce made during the canvases and @ the head of ' these the chief masaistrate of the nation Abraham Lanceln, (Applause.) Now, be would divide thern iu the sawe way, But the only dis- trust he bad wasthe unperious wieh of the ‘eo dent to force upon us the sham Ssste of Loulsuns Our former nationality waa bat a seve oligarchy, and now mther Joff vie must reign at Waal ington with 40 States devoted Slavery, or Li coln rnust rule with the same number of States d voted to harmony aud jistice, (Applause.) The nation, to be strong, prosperous and jast, should be dotuinated and insmred by one !dea, and showd weloome into ite boaom all races which have taken refuge on the continent A Voice—May I oak the gentleman ote quem tion? Mr, P-Certainly, air, The Votee—Are you in favor, air, feirly and squarely, of amalgamating the white and the bhuok races? (EHi\nees ) Mr, P.—Ob, don't hiss him, Thave come here if anewor al! qusshiCD ‘Applause ) The Speaker then proceeded to say that two thousand yours ago the exon race were too ugly, Cleero anid, Ad ia made slaves of, Now, with their blood incurporat- ed with each other, ruled that worki which despised then He looke! upon the Latia and the negro ag the rews elements to buikl up @ nel (Applause) and centuries hence the newro woul inarch in one proceasion,co-equal in the Benate, the field,and at the ballot box,(App.) and he neld in the utmost conternpt the white man and the democrat, who gave the negro permuasion to take up the mus- ket, and when be ew tdown refused him the ballot-box, (Immense spp.) The speaker held thas ® reconwtructed state which put the word * white in before “ citiaom' was not safe for either white or black. In this connection be instanced Louts. jana, which aecord!ng to General Banks was @ state of white men with emancipated slaves as laborers. ‘There waa vo such state at the mouth of the Guia, Gwuneral Kanks allowed the negro po mark of cai. ~ tenship whatever, Tho negro bad no rights; he could pot fx his wages, make fis eon - teects, loave # place where he labored or oppesl tw acourt of fusticen, The Govermmens did al) this, and if the tdack did not do his work prop- erly ho was whipped. There was therefore no freedom, and oven General Banks said that resent wale of affairs was to prepare nexroes jom. He proceeded to condemn the various precedents behind which Genere! Bsoks bid him. self, He said me system wes Boi new, for Tous. saint L’Ouverture had tried 14, You and it was the only biot on the character of greas %, Uomingo chief, for is rutued the talead jp Contioned om ths lad waa