From Montgomery.
[special Correspondence of the Dispatch.]
Montgomert, Ala., April 17, 1861.
We are at last landed from the misty ocean of doubt and suspense, on which we have heretofore sailed, into the broad bloody sea of war and battle.
The coward, Lincoln, has been trembling in undetermined timidity upon the brink, until he has finally plunged headlong into the stream, exhibiting suddenly the false strength of a delirium and the eneravated languor of a consumption, by making a frightened call for 75,000 (recent rumors say 150,000) men.
The ‘"Spread Eagle"’ proclamation of the hon-hearted, chicken-hearted, tender- hearted Abraham to his ‘"dissatisfied countrymen,"’ whose ‘"memories, when touched by the better impulses of their nature, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, "’ came duly to Mont gomery, and afforded much amusement to the boys in the Government, who have been calculating the exact time when the ‘"obstacles that obstruct the execution of the laws"’ will be removed, and the ‘"persons composing the powerful combinations"’ will, according to his command, ‘"disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes."’
The Cabinet was in session for some time yesterday evening.
During the sitting the Proclamation of Lincoln calling out the militia to subjugate the South, was laid before them; whereupon it was determined to call for 32,000 additional troops to whip back the mercenary vagabonds — the famished stragglers and beggars that starving fanaticism will vomit forth for the desperate exploit.
Five thousand troops will be required of six of the Confederate States, and two thousand of gallant little Florida, which, with those already at command, will make a ‘"Waterloo army"’ of 75,000 brave and chivalrous men, with a second Napoleon to lead them to battle.
That the requisition resolved to be made for the 32,000 men will be responded to in an almost incredibly short space of time, no man, who has had an opportunity to witness the intense, but deep and serious determination of the people to be ‘"ever ready and faithful to the last,"’ can for even a moment doubt.
The people everywhere seem deeply moved, and are crying out with one voice: ‘"What infamy, what punishment do these abolition miscreants deserve, whose fanaticism and hatred drove us from the old Union, and will not now permit us to maintain a Government of our own without such a struggle as must shake almost the world?"’
To say that the people of the Confederate States will be able to pass through the fiery trial of war and bloodshed unscathed, would exhibit a woeful ignorance of the effects of domestic fury and fierce civil strife.
The rude breath of war will shake many of the golden apples from their richly-laden trees, and the lightning scar will remain upon their agricultural and commercial interests for years.
But if their enemies believe that they are not prepared to lay their very summer's dust with the blood of the mercenary brats that are to be sent to do the work of subjugation, or that they are unprepared to wage a terrible aggressive war upon the Northern abolitionists, they are as blind as moccasins and dumb as the dead ass to the dreadful notes of preparation that reverberate throughout the length and breadth of the new Confederacy.
To such an extent does the war feeling now rage in what was termed the co-operation district of Alabama, and which gave 2,000 majority against immediate secession, that the Lincoln appointee to a Federal judgeship, G. W. Lane, has been forced to resign the office, and now stands with musket and sabre gleaming, a volunteer private in the army of the Confederate States.
He is the last of the race of Submissionists in that district upon whom the inexorable logic of recent events has fallen like the warning to Lot, fleeing from Sodom; ‘ "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee; neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain."’
But not only is the war fever raging throughout the Confederate States, but even from the Border States offers of the services of troops are continually pouring in. The brave Gen. Pillow arrived here a day or two ago, and has tendered to President Davis a division of 5,000 men from Tennessee.
Vice President Stephens arrived in this city on Monday night, and it is authoritatively understood that he is to assume the administration of the Government, while President Davis, ready to die upon his country's war fields, is to go as Commander-in-Chief of the army of the South, and will make Richmond his headquarters in the event of the secession of Virginia.
‘"Nemo,"’ alias Matthews, the Warrington correspondent of the Pensacola Observer, was arrested by order of Gen. Bragg, and brought to Montgomery on Monday, charged with having communicated, whilst on duty, intelligence through one of his letters which gave the enemy notice of Gen. Bragg's preparation for an attack on Fort Pickens on last Friday night. He was released from custody, the Cabinet regarding his act as one of indiscretion.
Gen. Bragg has laid an embargo upon all the vessels in the Pensacola harbor.
There were about twenty at the time the embargo was laid.
The Government is in receipt of intelligence that Charleston, S. C., has taken upwards of two millions of the Confederate States loan, offered publicly to-day.
Thus the nobly-patriotic and successfully brave South Carolinians have not only incurred all the expenses of the bombardment of Sumter, amounting to nearly a million dollars, without drawing from the Treasury here a cent, but have advanced to the Government half of the whole amount of the loan required at the present time.
Truly does their conduct illustrate the practice as well as theory of State-rights.
Stephen Arnold Douglas, it is privately rumored, will be in Montgomery in a very short time.
The rumor is reliable. J. R. P.
Montgomery, Ala., April 18, 1861.
The glad intelligence that Virginia had abandoned the ‘"old wreck"’ and fitted on her weapons to fight the black foe of Northern Abolitionism, was received here with the most unutterable joy. The city for hours past has been a scene of the wildest enthusiasm, indulged in by Cabinet officers and other high officials, the old and young, of all sexes and conditions.
The Secretary of War, immediately upon receiving the dispatch, directed a salute of ten guns to be fired in honor of the noble old State, whose glorious action has given the interest delight and animation to all — imparting the utmost vigor to the operations of the Government — strengthening the weak, and establishing the hopes of the new Republic upon a foundation of rock, against which the waves of Abolitionism shall dash in vain.
The unfortunate history of the past two months was forgotten, and in the general joy and devotion she
‘"Seemed an angel come afresh from Heaven,’
‘Her pinions shedding fragrance as she flew."’
Simultaneously with the blow struck by Virginia, which will cause great drops of cold sweat to stand on the crazy forehead, and the shaking knees of Lincoln to knock together, another red bolt from the sultry war cloud, whose iron hail swept down Sumter, was suddenly hurled at the enemy, which will dry up the channels of Northern commerce and make the abolition heart sick with visions of pecuniary ruin and distress.
Ships, commissioned to make reprisals, in recompense and retaliation for the injuries preparing to be perpetrated against this Government, will soon be ploughing the sea, in search of their rich prey; the President of the Confederate States having issued a proclamation this morning inviting all those who desire by service in private armed vessels on the high seas, to aid this Government in resenting the wanton aggressions of the North, to make applications for commission or letters of marque and reprisal, to be issued under the seal of this Government.
Of course this system of indemnification for wrongs of the past and wicked invasion now threatened by those whose enmity is more implacable because unprovoked, will be met with the wounded howl of the whole pack of Abolition curs and whelps who grinned with such villainous delight, at the rapine and murder committed on the soil of Virginia; but whose virtuous souls will receive a mighty shock at the resort of this Government to a retaliatory measure, recognized by the practice of enlightened nations and especially insisted upon by the cast-off mistress now perishing from the diseases they have given her.
This decisive and formidable action on the part of President Davis against the piratical invasion to subjugate the South, will be applauded to the echo throughout the Confederate States, and will prove no Placebo nor bread pill to Surgeon Davis' invalids, but like the fatal strychnia will throw the whole Abolition crew into tetanic convulsions.
I wrote you yesterday that half of the $5,000,000 loan offered yesterday had been taken by Charleston, and I have to-day to communicate the pleasing fact that, so great has been the demand that the President has been forced to offer the whole $15,000,000 at once.
The capitalists of New Orleans asked for at least as much as five or six millions themselves, while many of the other cities, and almost the whole country, have been denied a dollar.
The people have a confidence in the stability of our vigorous Republic that war nor invasion can never shake.
Judge Clitherall, the able Register of the Treasury, has just sent to Lincoln the following incident in connection with that portion of the loan offered in this city, and which hundreds know to be strictly true.
Albert, an intelligent slave, the property of Gen. S. G. Hardaway, accosted Mr. Knox, Chairman of the Board of Loan Commissioners, when the following conversation ensued;
‘"Good morning, Mr. Knox, Have you come Southern Confederacy Bonds for sale?"’
‘"Why, Albert?"’
‘"Well, Mr. Knox, I have about three hundred dollars which I have saved out of my earnings in odd times, and I want to put it in these bonds, if you will let me."’
Mr. Knox told him he could not do it without his master's consent, whereupon Albert went out, found his master, obtained his consent, and the supscription books show three hundred dollars of coupon bonds, subscribed for and paid by S. G. Hardaway, trustee for his slave Albert, and with the money of Albert — an autograph copy of which I will send, if desired, gratis, to the ‘"Kangaroo"’ of the White House, or the hoary-beaded old sinner, Greeley, subject, of course, to their comments.
Another slave, upon being told of Albert's subscription, drew out one hundred dollars which he had on deposit, and subscribed for conpon bonds to that amount.
A messenger has just come from the State-House with the information that one hundred additional guns are to be fired on the Capitol grounds in honor of Virginia's secession.
I am invited to be present, and must be off.
J. R. P.