From the North.
We continue our extracts from Northern papers of the 22d inst.:
The Kentucky Invasions.
The rebels seem determined to make
Kentucky suffer for her attempted position of neutrality.--On three occasions a considerable part of the
State has been overrun; first by
Buckner, then by
John Morgan, and lastly by
Bragg and
Kirby Smith, each time carrying off immense supplies.
A Louisville correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette sums up the result as follows:
‘
Armies that in all hardly numbered sixty-five thousand have held nearly, if not quite, double their number in check for a month; have thrown the whole
West into a spasm of alarm; have led Kentuckians to doubt the strength of the hold the
National Government has on them, and the people of the
Northern border to question their own safety from rebel invasion, and have made good their escape without punishment.
The results of this last invasion may be briefly summed up. The rebels got some recruits, but not near so many as they expected or as we have believed.
Probably three thousand men will more than cover the entire accession to their strength in this respect.
They secured immense quantities of supplies — pork, beef, corn, flour, and forage — nearly all of which they seem likely to get safely out of the
State.
They remounted their whole cavalry force, and stripped the
State of its most valuable stock.
They convinced too many Kentuckians that, if not safer to be rebel than loyal, it was at least far more prudent for them to zealously maintain the milk-and-water status — not very rebellious and not oppressively loyal; not bound to render either side much assistance, and not specially odious to either on account of zealous adherence to the other.
On the other hand, we haven't much of a showing.
We drove them out, but we went at it very clonally, and expended an enormous amount of strength in accomplishing it. We lost our
Alabama and
Mississippi line, and were rather unduly thankful that we came off so well as not to lose any more.
’
Description of Thoroughfare Gap.
A letter writer who accompanied
Gen. Stahl's command on the late reconnaissance to Thoroughfare Gap, says:
‘
There are not any gaps in the
Virginia mountains more wonderful than the Thoroughfare.
The immense
Bull Run Mountain seems cleft in twain as if by some mighty power.
The way is scarcely wide enough to admit of the passage of a wagon.
To an immense height, on each side, rise huge piles of limestone rocks, from whose crevices spring a thousand fountains, whose plashing upon the rocks beneath is echoed ten thousand times.--Huge trees form an immense canopy in the heights, rising one above the other.
The sun smiles but in few places in the dark passage.
The bottom of the gap is filled with rocks and mud, and it seems scarcely possible to a novice in mountain wonders that either horses or vehicles could pass the tortuous, rough, and dark labyrinth.
But it was done this morning.
The advances guard, led by Stable and
Wyndham, is followed with the rush of artillery and horsemen.
The occasional reflection from the bright brass twelve pounders, and the tremendous rumbling of the wheels, tell us that they are rapidly passing through the awful defile.
The clatter of thousands of hoofs and the clanking of the sabres echo with such force as to be painful to the ear. But onward press the gallant band; in a few moments the ‘"old flag"’ emerges into the glowing sunlight, followed by a host of brave fellows, the echoes of whose shouts burst forth with a stupendous roar from the depths of the gap. The passage is made rapidly, and every one breathes freer as he thinks the usually cowardly enemy have not this time made the gap a mighty tomb for many of them.
’
An Indignant article against England.
The New York
Herald, in an editorial commenting on the recent action of the Chamber of Commerce of that city, in relation to the building or Confederate ships in
England, says:
‘
A feeling of strong indignation was expressed at the conduct of the
British Government, which connives at the fitting up of those armed vessels in English ports.
Mr. Low made an interesting statement, showing how differently
John Bull acts when he is in trouble himself and when his neighbor is in trouble.
During the
Russian war a vessel had been fitted up here for the
Canton trade, and the
British Consul having heard of it, and suspecting the ship was intended for
Russia, remonstrated with the
American Government.
The consequence was that she was detained, though her owner was perfectly innocent of any intention of violating the neutrality laws.
Mr. Low thinks, and everybody thinks, it is not unreasonable that the
English Government should be required to follow the same course now as regards the
United States.
It has been asked to do so; but what course does it pursue?
It is stated that when Earl Russell was remonstrated with on the subject he admitted he was aware of the fitting up of those privateers in English waters, but said he could not interfere with private enterprise.
He asked why American cruisers did not capture them.
But when an American cruiser, the
Tuscarora, was sent to capture one of them, the ‘"290,"’ (now the
Alabama,) which was then, ready for sea, the
British Government refused her vocal, so that she was compelled to seek it in a Spanish port, and the rebel bird meantime had flown.
At the same yard at which that fast steamer was built, which has committed such ravages upon our commerce, there are four gunboats and a steam frigate in progress of construction, destined for buccaneering enterprises.
It is the yard of the eminent shipbuilder,
Laird, in the
Mersey, at
Birkenhead, opposite
Liverpool.
It is enclosed, and access denied to the public; but the
English Government is well aware of the destination of the vessels on the stocks.
They are all steamers of great speed, and armed with the heaviest and best guns.
It is true the guns are not put on board till after the vessel sails; but they are conveyed to her by British vessels from British ports.
Coal is brought to her in the same way, and under this transparent gause veil the
English Government permits war to be fitted out in British ports against the
United States--a friendly power.
These vessels are paid for by cotton which has run the blockade, or which it is expected will run it hereafter.
One thing is certain: money seems to be abundant in connexion with the buccaneers.
Crews are induced to man them by the promise of receiving for their share of the prize money the value of all the ships and cargoes captured and destroyed, an account being kept by the officers against the Confederate Government.
By this arrangement they get enterprising seamen, who frequently volunteer from the captured vessels.
As they burn the prizes where they take them, they can keep constantly in the track of our commercial marine, and will do an enormous business as long as they are let alone.
They require but little coal, as they carry full suits of sails and only get up steam when in pursuit of a fast vessel, or whenever they may be compelled to fly from danger themselves.
Nor is it the damage they do directly which is their greatest injury to our shipping interests, but the high insurance they cause for all American vessels and their cargoes voyaging between this country and
Europe, to say nothing of the danger of passenger vessels taking fire by accident, and the persons on board being left to their fate, owing to the terror inspired by the doom of ships lured to their destruction by the burning wreaks of the victims of these pirates.
Now, the question is, what is to be done in the premises?
As to appealing to British honor, that is moonshine.
Let the
Vanderbilt, the
Connecticut, and the fastest vessels we have, be heavily armed and sent in pursuit, to run them down and sink or capture them if they wait to give battle.
At the same time let the cotton ports be more vigilantly guarded; for from them comes the commodity whose sale pays for the privateers.
Let this course be adopted, and very soon the
Atlantic Ocean will be cleared of those destructive pests of American commerce.
’
Sympathy for Secession in Baltimore.
A correspondent of the New York
Tribune, writing from
Baltimore on the 20th inst., says:
‘
There has been somewhat of a lively time at
Fort McHenry.
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last, a number of prisoners had arrived from the hospitals at
Frederick and elsewhere.
The charming rebel ladies of
Baltimore sympathized with their friends in distress.
They furnished them with good things to eat and drink, with blankets, and other comforting necessaries.--This was all well enough.
Everything that went into
Fort McHenry went under passes from
Gen. Wool, and of course it seemed all right.
But on Thursday and Friday other things began to appear — canteens, haversacks, C. S. A. officers' uniforms — all under permission of
Gen. Wool.
Then the men rebelled.
There were some veterans of the
Peninsula there — men who had fought and bled for the Stars and Stripes--and they revolted against such traitorous aid and comfort to the enemy.
They attacked certain carriages on Friday evening, owned by Saltire ladies, and filled with these contraband goods.
They destroyed the goods, and damaged and turned back the carriages.
In consequence of these proceedings
Gen. Morris, commanding at
Fort McHenry, has issued an order forbidding any carriage to come within the fort, and ordering a strict inspection of all articles brought by any parties to the rebel prisoners.
The most energetic destroyers of contraband goods on Friday were men who had been prisoners at
Richmond, and who realized the difference between the treatment of prisoners of war here and there.
’
The friends of
Gen. Kearny have published a second letter of their dead friend, indulging in very disparaging comments upon
Gen. McClellan.
It is as follows:
Headq'rs 2d Division, 2d Corps,
I present my cousin,
Mr. L. Watts Depeyster, whom you have al-
ready met. Please to put him in the way of obtaining a commission in the regulars, especially in the cavalry.
He behaved well at
Williamsburg.
McClellan has painfully disappointed even those who expected very little from him; even me, who have sifted him from the first.
His talents for mathematics do not some to apply in any one respect.--Every calculation of his is a stupid, sleepy failure, or most artless, yet dangerous risk.
Still, I never expected to find him introducing a want of fair play to those who carry out his fighting,
while he stays in the rear.
Rev. Mr. Bosserman, formerly pastor of the Universalist Church in
Richmond, but a native of
Pennsylvania, who was recently permitted to leave here for the
North, delivered a lecture in
Dr. Chapin's Church, in New York, on the 20th.
The following sketch of it appears in the
Tribune:
Although a portion of his recital was on the prison life he led in a ‘"filthy negro jail"’ into which he was thrust at
Richmond, for his loyalty to the
Union, yet he managed to infuse into it the humor and cheerfulness of a large-natured man; and in that, as well as the rest of his lecture, he interested and instructed his audience.
His instances of the brutality and cruelty exhibited by the traitors would be deemed incredible, except that we knew what effect slavery has upon the morals and manners of a people.
A sentinel, he said, deliberately fired into the prison without provocation the ball going through the cheek of one of the prisoners and lodging in the beams of the room.
Nothing was done with the sentinel.
Kindred acts of ferocity were recited, ending in the death of prisoners — showing that the war has developed traits of Southern character worthy of the Stout tribes.
Mr. Bosserman said the worst rebels South were ‘"clergymen and women."’ He is of opinion that the only means of permanently conquering rebellion is emancipation.
He will doubtless lecture elsewhere, and we ask for him the favorable attention of loyal auditors.
