hem individually and took their tone from the politicians of the past.
So — as it is a known fact that politicians are never satisfied — the Cabinet and Congress, as tried in the hotel alembic, were not found pure gold.
So the country grumbled.
The newspapers snarled, criticised and asserted, with some show of truth, that things were at a dead standstill, and that nothing practical had been accomplished.
Such was the aspect of affairs at Montgomery, when on the 10th of April, Governor Pickens, of South Carolina, telegraphed that the Government at Washington had notified him of its intention to supply Fort Sumter-Peaceably if we can; forcibly if we must.
Bulletins were posted before the Exchange, the newspaper office and the Government House; and for two days there was intense suspense as to what course the South would pursue.
Then the news flashed over the wires that, on the morning of the 12th of April, Beauregard had opened the ball in earnest, by commencing the bombar
lusions to the Deity, complimentary observations on Providence, with little prayers here and there interpolated.
In fine, a more curious olla of a speech we, who have read many speeches, do not remember.
So having finished — that is, having exhausted his invention — the Vice President went to bed to dream in a good, improving, orthodox way of Ananias and Sapphira.
Mercenaries of the North!--hirelings of New England, of New York, of Pennsylvania! Goths and Vandals though, according to Gov. Pickens, you be, pray, whatever may happen, try to tell the truth.
See what a mean figure V. P. Alexander cuts, standing in a tavern balcony, retailing silly gossip to his gaping dupes!
A lie is like a tumbler of soda-water.
It foams and frizzes, and is palatable at first, but in a moment is only fit to be thrown out at the window.
Thus far the Southern Confederacy has been mainly maintained by public fibs, by private fibs, by the fib telegraphic, the fib editorial, the fib diplomatic, the
e enemy in killed was much greater than our own, and probably also in wounded.
This is hardly credible; since the Rebels fought with every advantage of position and shelter, and were nowhere so driven as to lose heavily by a fire upon huddled, disorganized masses, when retreating in disorder.
Hill says that Gen. Rhodes, commanding one of his brigades, estimates his loss at 422 out of 1,200 taken into action.
Col. Gayle, 12th Alabama, was among his killed; and Col. O'Neal, 24th, and Lt.-Col. Pickens, 12th Alabama, were severely wounded.
Maj.-Gen. Franklin, with the 6th corps, composed of his own, Couch's, and Sykes's divisions, forming the left wing of McClellan's army, had advanced cautiously up the north bank of the Potomac, through Tenallytown, Darnestown, and Poolesville — his right passing through Rockville — until McClellan's discovery that Lee had divided his army in order to clutch Harper's Ferry induced a general quickening of movement on our side.
Still advancing, h
