Georgia journal and messenger. (Macon, Ga.) 1847-1869, January 28, 1863, Image 2

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yielded its aastut ; at least, no iustance is ■ known to me o( a refusal ; and the United States, while declining to assent to the pro position which prohibited privateering, de clared that the three remaining principles j were iu entire accordance with their own views of international law. No instance is known in history of the adoption of rules of public law under circum stances of like solemnity, with like unani ruity, and pledging the faith of nations with a sanctity so peculiar. * When, therefore, this Confederacy was formed, and when neutral powers, while de ferring action on its demand for admission into the family of nations, recognized it as a belligerent power, Great Britain and France made informal proposals about the same time that their own rights us neutrals should be • guarantied by our acceding, as heligerents, to the declarations of principles made by the Congress of Paris. The request was ad dressed to our sense of justice, aud there fore met immediate favorable respou«e in the resolutions of the Provisional Congress of the. 13th August, 1 SGI, by which all the principles announced by the Congress of Pans were adopted as the guide of our con duct during the war, with the sole exception of that relative to privateering. As the right to make use of privateers was one iu which neutral nations had, as to the present war, no interest; as it was a right which the United States had refused to abandon aud which they remained at liberty to em ploy against us; as it was a right which we were already in actual enjoyment, and which we could not be expected to renounce fla grante hello against an adversary possessing an overwhelming superiority of naval forces, it was reserved with entire confidence that neutral nations could not fail to perceive that just, reason existed for the reservation. Nor was this confidence misplaced, for the official documents published by the British Government, usually called “Blue Books,’’ contain the expression of the satisfaction of that government with the conduct of the of ficials who conducted successfully the deli cate business confided to tlicit charge. These solemn declarations of priuciplc, this implied agreement between the Confed eracy and the two powers just named, have bem suffered to remain inoperative against the menaces and outrages on neutral rights, committed by the United States, with in creasing and progressing arrogrance during tlie whole period of the war. Neutral Europe remained passive when the United States, Wuh a naval force insufficient to blockade effectively the coast of a single State, pro claimed a [taper blockade on thousands of miles of coast, extending from the capes of the Chesapeake to those of Florida, and eu circling the Gulf of Mexico from Key West to the mouth of the Rio Graudc. Compared with this monstrous pretention of the United States, the blockades known iu history, un der the name of the Bwrliu and Milan de crees, and the British orders iu Council iu the year 180 b and 1807, sink into insignifi cance ! Yet those blockaders were justified by the powers that declared them, on the sole ground that they were retaliatory ; —yet those blockades have since been condemned by the publicists of those very powers as vi olations of international law; yet. those block ades evoked angry remonstrances from neu tral powers amongst which the United States were the most conspicuous; yet those block ades became the chief cause of the war be tween Great Britiau and the United States iu 1812 ; yet those blockades were one of the principal motives that, led to the declara tion of the Congress of Paris in 1856, iu the fond hope of imposing an enduring cheek on the very abuse of maritime powers which is now renewed by the United States iu 1861 and 1862, under circumstances and with features of aggravated wrong without pre cedent. in history. The records of our State Department con tain the evince of the repeated aud formal remonstrances made by the Government to neutral powers against the recognition of this blockade. It has been shown by evi dence not capable of contradiction, and which has been furnished in part by the officials of neutral nations, that the few ports of this Confederacy, before which any naval forces all have been stationed, have been invest ed so inefficiently that hundreds of entries have been effected into them since the decla ration of the blockade ; that, enemies have themselves admitted in the efficiency of their blockade in the most formidable manner, by repeated official complaints of the sale, to us, of goods contrabanded of war, a sale which could not. possibly affect their interests if their pretended blockade was sufficient “ re ally to prevent access to our coast ;” that they have gone farther and have alleged Their inability to render their paper block ade effective as the excuse for the odious barbarity of destroying the entrance to one of our harbors by sinking vessels loaded with stone in the channel; that our commerce with foreign nations has been intercepted, not by the effective investment of our ports, nor by the seizure of ship? in the high seas of neutral vessels by the cruisers of our ene mies whenever supposed to be bound to any p-dut on our extensive coast, without enqui ry whether a single blockading vessels was to b *ouud at such point; that blockading vessels Lave left the ports at which they Were stationed for distant expeditions, have been absent for many days and have returned, without notice either of the cessation or re newal ot the biockade; in a word, that every prescription of maritime law, and every right o lnentral nations to trade with a belligerent under the sanction of principals heretofore uc'versaily respected, have been systemati cally and persistently violated by the United Sta‘*-*s. Neutral Europe has received our strauecs and has submitted iu almost unbroken silence to all wrongs that the 1 lited iStatcs have chosen to inflict on its commerce. The Cabinet of Great Britain, however, has not coutiued itself to such im plied acqueiecence iu the breaches of inter national law as results from simple inaction, but has, iu a published despatch of the Sec retary of State for Foreign Affairs, assumed to make a |ch inge iu tho principle enuneia-j ted by the Congress of Pari-, to which the faith of the British Government was considered to be pledged ; a ehauge too im portant and too prejudicial to the interests of the Confederacy to be overlooked, and against which I have directed solemn pro tests to be made, after a vain attempt to ob tain satisfactory explanations from the Brit ish G uvernuicut. In a published despatch j from her Majesty’s Foreign Otfice, to Minis ter at Washington, under date of the 11th J February, 1862, occurs the following pas-! sage: “ Her Majesty’s Government, however, are of opinion that assuming that the block ade was duly notified and also that a num ber of ships is stationed and remains at the entrance of a port sufficient really to prevent access to it, or to create an evident danger of entering it or leaving it } and that these ships do not voluntarily permit ingress or egress, the fact that various ships may have successfully escaped through it (as particular instance here referred to) will not of itself prevent the blockade from being an effectu al one by international law. The words which 1 have italicised are an addition made by the British Government of its own authority to a principle the exact terms of which were settled with deliberation by the common consent of civilized nations, and by implied Convention with this Gov ernment, as already explained, and effect is clearly to re-open to the prejudice of the Confederacy one of the very disputed ques tions on the law of blockade which the Con gress of Paris professed to settle. The im portance of this change is readily illustrated by taking one of our ports as an example. There is “evident danger” in entering the port a Wilmington from the presence of a blockading force, and by this test the block ade is effective. “ Access is not really pre vented” by the blockading fleet to the same port, for steamers are continually arriving and departing, so that tried by this test the blockade is ineffective and invalid The justice of our complaint on this point is so manifest as to leave little room for doubt ! that further reflection will induce the Brit Government to give us such assurances as will efface the painful iinpressiou that. w T ouid result from its language, if left unexplained. From the foregoing remarks you will per ceive that during nearly two years of strug gle iu which every energy of our country has been evoked tor maiutaiug its very exis tence, the neutral nations impartial has becu practically most favorable to our enemies aud most detrimental to us. The exercise of the ntutral right of refus ing entry into their ports to prizes taken by both belligerants, was eminently hurtful to the Confederacy. It was sternly asserted and maintained. The exercise of the neutral rights of com merce with a bclligerant whose ports arc not blockaded by fleet" sufficient really to pre* veut access to them, would have been emi nently hurtful to the United States. It wa* compi ai san tly abandoned, The duty of neutral Statfg to receive with cordiality aud recognize with respect any new confederation that independent States may think proper to form was too clear to admit of denial, but its postponement was eminently beneficial to the United States and detrimental to the Confederacy. It was postponed. In this view of our relations with the cen tral nations of Europe, it has been my pur pose to poiyt out distinctly’ that this Govern ment has no complaint to make that those nations declared their neutrality. It. neither c-xpect nor desire more. The corn plaint is, that the neutrality has been rather nomimal than real, aud that neutral rights have beeu alternately asserted and waived iu such manner as to bear with great severi ty on us, and to confer signal advantages on our enemy. [concluded next week.] The Reason why the Federal Loss at Fredericksburg was so Great. —The following extracts, taken from a letter writ ten by a young officer in a North Carolina Regiment will explain in a great measure, the reason why the Federal loss at Frede ricksburg was to great: “On the hills on the south ridge was post ed our artillery, and immediately at the bot tom our men in trenches: consequently, the enemy advancing would be exposed to the fire of the artillery and our musketry- For tunately, just in front of our line of trench es, there was a small undulation in the ground, and the enemy advancing would not oe seen till they had marched over the un dulation, consequently there was no danger es the men firing too soon. The Yankees would march in a perfect line till our first, fire, whea owing to our nearness, our tire would be so dreadful that they could not stand it. Fif teen times did the Yankees charge in front of our dreadful tire, where part of our brigade was posted, and every time they would bt forced back with terrible slaughter. As soon as the lankees made their appearance our men would tire from the rear rank, and when they about faced to fly, give them the front, aud at only sixty yards. You must know the tire must uavcbccu dreadful, and the mortality tremeudous, aud then, after being repulsed by the musketry, the artillery would rake them with grape and canister.” Death or Judge W. W If out. —This dis tinguished jurist and respected citizen of Augusta, died iu this city, at 3 o,clo«*. k’ terday afternoon. lie was a native of Virginia, in which State he was bora on the 4th of July, 1788, consequently, he was in the 75th year of his age. lie served as a Lieutenant in the war of 181'*.' and 1814, having entered the army then, we believe,cotempoiaueously with Gen. Twiggs, who died here a few month* ag<v He ha; tilled many office* of honor and responsibility, with credit to himself and hen* elit to his country. He has been a member of the Georgia Legislature, Mayor of the city of Augusta,, and Judge of the'.Superior Courts of the Middle Circuit of this State for about nineteen years, and held that at the time of his death. He leaves a lar~e circle of relatives aud friends to mourn his loss. Wo have thus briefly grouped together for the present these few facts connected with bis long eventful aud useful life. Bome other peu, more capable of doing justice to his merits, as a soldier, a citizen, aud a ju rist, must prepare a proper tribute to the memory of the di.itiguished deceased.—Aug. Const., 15th. The Horror* of a Northern I*ri*ou , Described by a Yankee Pai>ei:— The Stttteriiig* of Political Pris oner*. . The Columbus (Ohio) Crisis, Gov. Me-' dary’s organ, which is a “ conservative” pa per, gives a description of the sufferings of those of its own party, as well as Southern-1 ers who are*yrested by Lincoln’s minions as political prisoners. It says : \Ye speak wholly of thepi*htical prison of the State, as we know nothing whatever of what occurs in the prisons where “ rebels I taken in arms” are kept —that is, the priso j ner9 of war. It must not be forgotten that there have been from six to seven hundred political prisoners at Camp Chase at a rime, and al though several hundred have lately been discharged without trial, there are yet. there some four hundred. One or two hundred of these have arrived there within a few days past from Kentucky and Western \ irginia. These men are taken from their homes, some from their beds at night, some from their homes in day time, and a great many of them are picked up iu then fields at work, aud never suffered to see their families before being spirited off to Ohio and incarcerated in the celebrated Bastile, which will soon become as famous as Olrnutz itself. Our Ohioans are put inro the same prison with these men from other Stat-s, and from them we have learned some facts which the people of Ohio ought to know. Many of these men have beeu kept in this prison for over one year, a great many for five, six, seven, and eight months, without eveu see- I ing outside, or being allowed to commuui cate personally with any one, not even wife, child, father, mother, or stranger. They are furnished nothing but a single blanket even these cold nights, unles- they are able to purchase additional comforts with money they may be able to command.— | Many are poor men and unable to purchase. ! They were not permitted to briug along a chance of clothing. Mauy had on when seized nothing but summer clothing, and that has become filthy, w'orn out, aud scarce ly hangs upon their backs. They have no j bedding aud are therefore, compelled to sleep ion the bare boards. They have not wood enough furnished them to keep tires up all night aud hence the suffering is intensified by the cold weather. If they attempt after uight to walk out in the yard to take the chills off the dreary night, they are instantly ; threatened to be shot by the guards, as or dered by those iu command. Dr Allen, of Columbia county, Ohio, said be laid of a bare board until his hips were black and blue. The wood furnished them is four feet long, and they arc compelled, each mess to chop it up for themselves, and the provisions being furnished raw, they have to cook for themselves. Recollect al ways, these are political prisoners, against j whom no one appears as accuser, aud no tri al is permitted. The prison has become filthy—awfully so —aud the rats arc iu droves. If the pris prisoner? attempt to kill one of these rats | they are forbidden, and thn ateued with bc -1 ing shot instautly. Recollect always, as wo have said above, these are political prisoners, against whom scone malicious negro worship per has created ft suspicion of disloyalty, but whose name is kept a secret, and hence there can be no trial. The prison is perfectly alive with lice, aud no chance is given to escape the living ver min. A dead mau (one of the prisoner) { was the other day carried out to the dead 1 yard, laid there over night, and when visited iu the morning by other prisoners, who heard there was a dead man there, they found the hair oil his head stiff with lice and nits, the lice creeping into his eyes iu great numbers, and a* he lay with his mouth open, the lice were thick crawling in and out of his open mouth. Not long since two of the prisoners got into a scuffle in trying their strength, and finally into a fight, as was supposed, and several other persons runned in to part them, when the guards from the lookout above fired on them, killing an old man by the name of Jones; from Western Virginia, aud , a ball grazing the skull of another, he fell, and it was su[ posed at first he was killed al so, another of the balls passed through a board at the head of a sick man in the hos pital, and only escaped him by a few inches. The two men in the scuffle were not hurt. We might go further, but God knows this is enough for once. It is enough to make one’s blood run cold to think of it. Now, if any one doubts this —if the author ities at camp or at the State House doubts —if the Legislature, when it meets, will raise a committe, we promise to name the witnesses who, if sent for will, under oath, prove all this, and as much more, some of which is too indecent to print in. a newspa per for the public eye. Horrible Yankee Outrages.— A lat* number of the Baltimore Republican con tains articles from various Northwestern pa pers aud their correspondents, giving ac counts of atrocities perpetrated by the Yan kee armies in Missouri aud other Southern States, which surpass anything that we have yet seen or heard ofiu this unparalleled war. Their own letter writers give these statement*, and one of themju view of the fiendish acts us his owu ojuutryuicn, exclaims “If I were a Southerner, I would never lay down mv arms while there was a Yankee in the land.” The outrages that call forth this exclama tion; and wbi''h are testified to by rarioui correspondents arc not only tbc wautou des truction of private property, the burning of houses, the plundering of women aud chil dreD «f their clothing, but the violation of women by officers and common soldiers ot the brutal hordes who are now overrunning the South; With the exception of the hor rid licentiousness of the Seboys, iu the Indi. an rebellion, the modern world has not, wit nessed such crime* as are perpetrated on the South by the Yankee soldiery, according to confession of their own newspapers and let ter writers. The Biitiih punished the Seboya bj blowing them to pieces from the mouths of cannon, and the world did not consider its retribution too severe. Surely, a just God cannot prosper a cause which is supported by such crimes. —Richmond Dispatch, The Yankee Ariuy in AoriU Caro lina. [From the Wilmington Journal of Monday.] There are any number of reports afloat with reference to the numerical force ot the enemy in the Eastern part of the State. Hu mor and the “reliable gentleman ” put the force at and around Beaufort Harbor, and letween that "place and Newbern and at Xewbern and in its vicinity at one hundred aud fifty thousand, ali told. Now, this is I evidently an exaggeration, and is only sig* , niaoant in so far as it plainly indicates that 1 the enemy’s force has recently received large j accession. At the latest accounts probably ; fifty, and certainly sixty thousand would | cover the whole Abolition force at the points ! named. But this ii only what was there at the | last advices. What will soon be there ia another thing. The enemy’s forces was not only swelled, but constantly and rapidly swelling, by accessions of troops from other quarters, indicating a determination, on the part of the invaders, to make North Carolina a principal seat of war, if not the pncipal seat of war, and main base of operation j against Richmond, the capture of which city | within the next four months, is left to be ; essential to the Lincoln administration at home, us well as to the Yankee government !abroad. Burnside had rather a good time in North Carolina. lie made reputation at a cheap rate. With a thoroughly appointed and large army he overwhelmed our .small force at Newbern and our still smaller force at [Roanoke Island, and gained very decided ad vantages for the Federal cause. Perhaps he thinks he can renew his carter of victory simply by returning to the scene of his for i mer easily achieved triumphs; at any rate ' the opinion gains ground in the public mind as well as iu military circles, that Burnside i9 quietly moving his army of the Potomac to North Carolina, leaving on ly a sufficient force to guard Washington. The Abolition army already in North Caro lina is far beyond that which Foster, either by reputation or position iu the army, is entitled to command, but until the transfer is made no officer of higher rank will appear on the scene in order to keep up the impres sion that the army injNorfch Carolina is a mere subordinate affair at the utmost a mere di visional command. Foster is now apparent ly the mere clerk for Burnside or Burnside’s successor. The troops are consigned to Fos ter for the use of somebody else. These we say, are the opinions afloat and to which circumstances give a strong sanc tion. \\ bother they are correct in all re spects, we cannot say. We think they are ; not far wide of the mark, but we have the | strongest assurances that our own military authorities are fully alive to the exigencies of the occasion, and that if the enmy steals a march upon General Lee he will be smart er than he ever was before, or than we ex pect him to be at this time. Asa part of the plan of operations, espe ■ eially if the main war is to be transferred to Eastern North Carolina, the capture of Wil i mingtou is, for many reasons, desired by the enemy, aud recent developments give confirmation to the report that the Monitor and Passaic were destined for this port. But fur the interposition of providence we | might ere this have had them knocking at 1 our doors. At the latest dates there were in the har ! bor of Beaufort, N. C. some 50 transports 'and *2l armed vessels. Considering the im inense supplies and material of war and fa jci 1 ities for transportation requied by any con siderable body of troops, we are not sur prised at the number of transports, but, are unable to account for the war vessels other wise than by supposing them destined to take part in some combined naval and mili ! tary attack upon some point not South of Charleston. That such attack has not al | ready been made is, in all probability, due to | the loss of the iron-clads _________ Tbe Recent Scout of Stuait’s Cavalry. The last scout of General Stuart, although little ! has been 3aid about it except in the Northern pa pers, was very fruitful in its results, He sueceded i in capturing or destroying & iarge amount of prop erty, stores, Ac., and ia giving the Yankees a ' “big scare.” The whole force between Manass&i | and Washington was vailed under arms, and sev eral thousand men were sent out to catch hirn.— The object of Stuart’s expedition was to gain in formation of the position and movements of the enemy, and by going with his usual daring and ! audacity within then lines and around their army, , he was eminently successful, and the results <nr@ i considered very important. The only thing re ; gretted is the loss of Capt. John W. Bullock, of | the 6th cavalry, one of the best and bravest offi. j cers in the service. lie was wounded at Dumfrea, while in command of the sharpshooters and gal i lantly charging a regiment of Yankee infantry.— j While his friends were bearing him from the field he was again bit in two places and mortally woun ded. After scattering the enemy at Dumfries, Gener al Stuart went to the Occoquan ; but word having been sent out of his approach, he found al! the fords guarded. He determined, however, to cross at Selectmen’s Ford, in the face of the enemy. The advance was led by Col. T. L. Rosser, of the 6ih cavalry, who dashed into the stream followed by Col. Drake, of the Ist, and some fifteen or twen ty men. The enemy had dismounted and were drawn up in line of battle. Col. Rosser placing himself at the head of the lew men near him, led the charge up in the face of a heavy fire, by file over a narrow aud rocky ford. The Yankees broke and were pursued, several being captured. Gen. Stuart regards this as the most gallant thing done by the cavalry siuce the war commenced.— Colouel R. afterwards charged into their camp aud captured niue auler wagons loaded with the i best of liquors, boots, luxuries of various kinds, ' and burned their tents aud army stores. Crucial Stuart then went towards Aldie, accom plishing uiauy of his characteristic feats, which have always been so galling to the enemy. He is the evil genius of ail the Abolition Generali, aud, next to Jacksou, the greatest bug bear. At; Al die, Col. Rosser was sent ou a scout into the*val ley of Virginia, to ascertain the state of things there. Taking with him oolv fifteen men, he sue cceded iu going round the most of Milroi’s armv, aud passed nearly nineteen miles iu front of Gen’ end Jones. Although the country was full of baud.- trying to capture him, Col. R.“ eluded them all and alter remaiuiug iusida the iueinv’a lines as long as he pleased, and started to return. At the Shenandoah he encountered the pickets of the enemy posted to catch him, but by a peculiar siralageui he captured them ali, passed by their army at night, aud returned safely to camp,‘bring in<; with him all thelankee sentinels on the route. This is a true statement of the affair, omitting some interesting incidents iu the telegt&oh line already published. It completely shows up the falsity of the Yankee accounts, and places our gallant fellows right on the record before the world.— Rich, Whig Jan. 10, VI AGON ,GEO KG I A: Wednesday, January 28, 18t>3, PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE. We regret that we Lave only room for about one half of the Message at this time, without depriving our readers of the usual variety of news item? If is an able docu menr, and every word has s telling pin pose. It is sufficient to say that it is approved by ali and is highly creditable to our worthy Executive as an able and comprehensive State paper. It should be read by all GENERAL ORDKf3 NO. 7 In our columns to-d«y T contain;. 5 information of great importance to all those iiabie to Conscription. PEACE PROSPECTS- We have never entertained any very sanguine hopes of an early termination of the present war, nor could we cow, but for the disafiectioos and dissensions fast growing up and multiplying among our enemies at the North and West They *t-ein to he in utter despondency of * successful termi nation of the war in their favor, and that theie is no longer a hope that the Fouth can be subjugated. They are financially beggared and ruined, and to carry on the war further, they have not the means or the men willing to sacrifice Themselves in so desperate a cause. They have begun to count their graves, as well as the costs. On this basis aione, we think we may look foi the dying out of the war ou their part at no very distant day. Perhaps we are mistaken. PLANT CORN. The CbarlesUW Courier says “The planters of Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the Carolina*, hold the fate of the country in their hauds. To them much is given, and of them much will be required. They must furnish moat of the supplies not only for the armies in the field, but for the people of all the Confederate Stales. Great is the responsibili ty resting upon the planters of these States. We have Cotton enough on hand for ail purposes.— Every acre of open ground should be put in grain of some kind.” We say, let them plant abundance of corn. What would our army, and our people have done in some sections but for the patriotic sacrifice of the cot ton crop by our planters—particularly in South western Georgia, where immense crops of corn were made on millions of acres, which never be fore produced an ear? Most of them have thrown it early into market at reasonable prices. But there are some who are holding on for an advance of prices, and have “none to sell.” Also some, not a few, peaked nosed and snub-nosed specula tors sliding about picking up every bushel that can be had, for future extortion. But we think they will be disappointed—at least 60 far as this portion of the State is concerned. Firk in Columbus.— A fire broke out in the Post Office buildiug, about midnight on the 19th instant, during a heavy rain. The buildiug was consumed but all the valuable contents of the Post Office were saved. The second story was oc cupied as a Boarding house, where nearly every thing was destroyed. The office of the Columbus Enquirer was in an adjoining building, and was so much damaged and deranged as to cause a tempo rary suspension of the paper. RICH WOND CORKESPOIN DUNCE OF iUK JOCR S' aL AND .MKSSESOER. Richmond, Ya., Jan. 22, 18ti2. The city is again rife with rumors about French intervention. It is even said that our indepen dence has been recognized and that France has an Embassador here now-. I think it may be asserted aa a fact that if France has not already intervened with a view of stopping hostilities and securing our independence, the day is nor distant when she will do so. The most impoitant matter now before Congress ii a bill reported by the Military Committee, mate rially changing the exemption act. It providt 8 for the conscription of all white male residents of the Confederacy between the ages of 18 and 45 except the Executive, Judicial and Legislative offi cers of the Confederate Government and each of the State Governments, and also, except such per sons as the Secretary of War with the approval of the President, mav, from considerations of public policy designate. There is strong oppositioa to the bill. It may, however, pass with some modi fications The Hon. Mr. Gartrell, of Georgia, moved to amend the bill by exempting those who had already employed substitutes. Congress, it is thought, will be in session till summer. The question of the currency is the most difficult and by far the most important that will engage its attention. Various means have been suggested to cur tail the circulation of Treasury Notes and to place our currency on a solid basis. The one which I think is most likely to meet the approval of Congress, and it is, I think the wisest, is this: Compel every passer who holds above a certain amount of notes to convert them into funds, and every person to receive them in pay ment or debts. Let this be done and let each State assume its just and proportionate part of the war debt, then the most dangerous disease of which we are afflicted will have been—if not en tirely—in a great measure healed. she Northern democracy are calling loudly for peace and a reconstruction of the Union, with such guaranties as the South may ask. It was on this platform that Col. Richardson was a few days ago elected to the U. S. Senate from Illinois.— They should not deceive themselves. Whilst we desire peace, we will have no reconstruction. The inau who could for a moment entertain such a proposition would justly be held as infamous. Out desolated fiolds, our insulted and outraged women and children, and the graves of 100,000 of our brethren, all forbid it. I'ROM THE 59th GEORGIA VOLUNTEERS. (.’amp skxr Drkwky’s Bluff, i January 17th, |1863. ’ \ Ens. Kissinger:— Since the 13th of last month, tue anniversary of onr glorious victory at Frede ricksburg, our regiment has been march ing and countermarching in the vicinity of Richmoud, and the sound of our reveille and tattoo has been ech oed at various points along the bluffs of the James. Gen. Daniel's Brigade which was stationed here, being ordered to North Carolina, half of onr regi ment which was out on duty at Richmond, reached his recently vacated quarters on last Friday and now for the first time in a month we are all to. gether. The houses built by the North Carolian Troops, which we now occupy, are neat aud com fortable producing a pleasant winter coutrast iu sight, taste, touch and to tiie virgin woods and bleak hills of the country and the confiued, filthy barracks of the city—the abodes of small pox and vermin and the dispensors of hard beds and short rations. We begin once more, to breathe the air of purity and catc{* the odor of cultivation and although w« miss the songs and rollicking around .h, A, rewarded tor these epi, od ,, I® increased facilities for k U r ~’ “ '*-■ , clean and consequent .1 [ timate relation existing beu e( .- . 1 body, we firmly believe tb I steal,iieor do any other mean if"’’ ■ the emptiness of his stomach a - his shirt. The absence of p!" * .9 j the presence of a bad Com* J?* ' I l *ons ol mean whisky an <] i[. soupj will demoralize the bested I n.ost of the trespassed on } •>; ■ patches complained of so much ■ i tr aeed to incompetent f nr * '** ' I * want of clean linen. 0«r k^****'" j to imagine that a soldier and a wSr' ; stimulated lor blood b? fi Ui , r l " aj ! Congress, now in session, wii‘f" o ,. ' • error aud study and apply n; .' a .“” wiser object. We hope too it "v : soldier is cot a wolf to lire on bio !eon to live on air, and that t: - and extra glory is a pour duranee ot summer’s heat a;,.* privilege and consolation of til, grave (thanks to the tender uisrc'J ' I chanties of city authorities r ‘) v. a ! rades in arms whose dust is too of. ■ ' . harlot8 > garroters, murderers and bW | terialists say it is a matter of no tr • 1 W j or m what company vre are > j instincts of that something within u 3 * [that we are heirs of immortality, acd |re relations of God ; rebel again?t - 1 bestial sentiments are disproved j : .... ’ j yard where the hand of affection has • J evergreen or flower. The splendid m*- j ol Egypt and Assyria covered with t!. ■ t. i thousand years, as well as the comptrv. ones of England, Fi ance or wherever j * civilized man has pressed demon*n , - . | ■ bodies are not like the beasts that pei. Jean say whether “Victory” or “Westn j bey” held the firmest grasp upon > - Admiral Nelson when with England’? flag he boro down ou the combined Spain and France and shattered the supremacy forever ? “Let vie die ami , j among >ng kindred' is the language a! - ture and Nature’s God. It is the | and hope of expiring humanity and ready response in the mercy arid wisdor ! Eternal. Let me, as a soldier, bo r.-JS jamoug the “unknown and uurti" j stranger’s corpse be ever taken from a city hospital to receive the r»u ot among a people whose hearts have „ J ened and whose sensibilities } • by daily scenes of misery. We do iy. 5 9 understood that the Virginians a.c a « sympathising, but ou the contrary, > preciated their nobility until we w wrongs and sufferings. We only mea much familiarity with blood is cal ’ ite„ j a heart overflowing with the milk of! , uess, into a heart of stone. Risen.! cipal that but butchers by proses-non n: * n as Jurors by the Laws of England, the , B sor’e excuse and the tyrant’s plea account for the seeming indifferenct ar: '» I to the wants of the wounded, the d-. g ■ soldiers, which is daily exhibited in R j Speaking of grave yards reminds 1! Sunday week we attended Divine ben; Johns (Episcopal) church which is sum,', j the oldest cemetery in Richmond. Th* a H this depository of the dead is five or mx a, , beneath its soil covered with oak, s>c-i •» j§ sugar-berry trees repose the slccpi g of two or three centuries. Many of the ton f | are of great antiquity but so sunk in t * I and obscured and obliterated by age, I impossible to tell who “lies It -. H search among the tangled gras* and m . . I era, we found several brown stones tha 1 . k fl a hundred years ago. The Church is ne the lonic, Doric, Gothic or C >ri:it• im urchitecturcj but a sort of Composite—i of an Indian Council House (the site oft is said to occupy) and a Dutch barn, ha • that the wall around it (twenty fee', high; • from view as you pass in front on Rr\>. We were more than compensated for t r . pointment in antiquities in theswee: sit. choir and the 3plendid sermom deliverer Rector, the Rev. Mr. Norwood, A few Sundays ago we attended eerv • Monumental (also Episcopal) Church, the site of the Richmond Theatre burn'. * years ago and where several bundr -d riv ed in the flames caused bv the doors - ' Jr 'm the inside. Iu the panic, the doors be - the crowd pressing on, prevented - bility of egress. An old negro man st. r the stage of life and i.s seeu daily on the: J Richmond who was instrumental in **'• • valuable lives on that tnemotiible real trag- Congress aud the Legislature of Up ■ now in session. In one particular at ‘ Members resemble the Son of Man—' not where to lay their heads. Hod. Mr t- Ala. Speaker pro Icm. of the House has.: a bill to increase th# pay of the non co; officers and privates of our Army. A r passed both Houses at the last session t/_. either by delay or the veto of the PreiiJ<? : ■ I hope the soldier will mark each Member o who causes the bill of Mr. Curry to nu e; like defeat. The Pesident’s Message is t! perceive) a magnificent State piper. * : and dignified in language, truthfulJn trs and unanswerable in its “inexorable toe events. On yesterday the officers of tie tJt meeting and on the basis of a certin Surgeons of Georgia Hospitals, Te ; ’ | the Secretary of War to remove u- to * account ot the mortality which ha» the regiment since our arrival in \ irgi- j| that arrival, we have lost from death can?- nesa, about one huudred men —an each company. Col. Brown who is no* daut of this Post, we believe will uo * power to relieve the wants and increase • g forts of his command. We sincerely with the absent bereaved. We hope tb-. v tract some coasolatiou from the fact t: “ l 1 aud grieved perished in a cause sane-5 ■ I eternal principles of truth, honor, pa * ° - I and justice. They have peeked, ne. ■- ■ in the blazt of battle with the light c ; I tory on their brows, but auiid 3 c>t ’“ fe among the “unknown and unrecorded that crowd our hospitals. On yesterday. Major Drewrv w. o -j mand of the fortifications at the Blu.T - with the Monitor, Galena, Aristook, R ----- Royal and other gunbcaU ths