The Daily Dispatch: January 20, 1863., [Electronic resource]

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Progress of the War.
an official criticism of Gov. Seymour's message.

The Washington Chronicle which is the official organ of Lincoln and his Cabinet, has a long criticism on the recent message of Gov. Seymour.--Taken as an official exposition of the position Gov. Seymour and the entire Opposition party hold towards the Administration, it is well worth reading, and we give it entire:

‘ At last we have the grand manifesto of the Opposition party; and while no one can longer doubt the entire and cordial sympathy of its leaders with the rebellion, we think many will be sadly disappointed at the lame and impotent arguments which support their open undisguised treason. In this message Gov. Seymour abuses and the Federal Government; that the cause of the rebellion was slavery, but the unconstitutional discrimination of the North to abolish it; makes loud and angry complaints of despotic usurpations of power by the Administration, and says the war have been averted but for the contemptuous policy pursued towards the border States. While he does not dare refuse his support and aid to the military policy of the Government he says that the rebellion is to be crushed by conciliation not by fighting. He takes direct issue with the Government on the subject of arbitrary arrests, and orders sheriffs and district attorneys to oppose them; he declares that the proclamation of emancipation is unconstitutional, and intended to prevent the restoration of the Union; and finally, he declares that the Central and Western States will restore to the slave States all their former rights, and bring them back to the Union.

’ In his tirade about arbitrary arrests, Gov. Seymour says:

‘ "I shall not inquire what rights State in rebellion have forfeited, but I deny that rebellion can destroy a single right of the citizens of a loyal State. I denounce the doctrine that civil war in the South takes away from the loyal North the benefits, of one principle of civil liberty. It is a high crime to abduct citizens of this State."

’ This cation of ideas is purely sophistical.--The question as to what rights the States in rebellion have forfeited has nothing to do with arbitrary arrests. The question is, what rights have citizens in rebellion forfeits? No one will deny the right of the Government to arrest rebels, when we are shooting them every day. Suppose one of these rebels happens to be a citizen of New York. Does that alter the case? But this declaration, is estated with that vicious idea which has always characterized the lower classes of Democratic politicians — that liberty and license are identical. The very condition of Government, the indispensable foundation of all society, is that every individual shall suffer some of his rights to be abridged and shall deny himself some of his natural desires, for the benefit of the community. This suborn nation of individual rights, when it is for the good of the whole, constitutes a democracy; when for the good of a part, an aristocracy; and the number of rights varies with the form of the Government and with the condition of the nation. In time of peace they are few; in time of war they are necessarily increased. It is not worth while to go over the arguments in favor of the right to suspend the habeas corpus act. It is sufficient to say that the privilege which in time of peace, is universally coalesced to every man of a trial by his peers, when he is arrested by the Executive, must, in time of war, when our whole land is filled with spies and traitors, he abridged. For the good of the whole, every man must take his chance of the unfortunate one in a hundred thousand whole by mistake arrested without cause. Governor all arbitrary Government , and is upon of government the Red Republicans of continental Europe and of Ireland have imported is to this country, and which, if carried out, would produce first anarchy and then despotism.

In this message we find the first official sanction of an idea which has been industriously encouraged for the last ten years by the South, and the advocates of Slaves in the North. It is the separation of the New England States from the Union, and a new Confederacy made up from the Southern, Central, and Western States, For a long time pro-slavery politicians and newspapers have our act that cunning could invent or , to prejudice the people of the West against the New England States. We need not recapitalize the slanders, the falsifies lens of history the low and contemplation epithets, with which the and newspapers of the pro-slavery party, both North and South, have secured and by which they have sought to build up and foment a bond hatred of New England.--These familiar as they are republic. New England is the luminous centre of that love of liberty which has the whole North and a to life that patriotic fervor which resisted the infamous attempt to convert the arrest and bear of all Governments into a slaveholding a . That these ignoble sentiments which have hitherto been ventilated only in her rooms and low party , should from the Executive of the great Empire State, whose people are by th and education, in very near sympathy with New England, is as humiliating as it is remarkable.

The national policy of Gov. Seymour, though it is not really a matter of the importance, is nevertheless a great . According to the received by telegraph yesterday, the declares the President's emancipation proclamation as impolitic, unjust, and unconstitutional, and calculates to many to the restoration of the Union, and that it will be misconstrued by the world as an abandonment of hope to restore it, a result to which New York, was unalterably opposed and which will be effectually resisted; and he concludes his message with a non sequitur worthy of the best days of Mrs. Camp.

"At this moment the fortunes of our country are influenced by the results of battles. Our armies in the field must be supported; all the constitutional demands of our General Government must be promptly to: under no circumstances can a division of the Union be conceded — We will put forth every exertion of power; we will use every policy of constitution; we will hold out every inducement to the people of the South to return to their allegiance, consistent with honor; we will guarantee them every right and every consideration demanded by the Constitution alone, and by that fraternal, regard which must prevail in a common country; but we can never voluntarily consent to the breaking up of the Union of these States of the destruction of the Constitution."

We give up in despair the attempt to make anything like sense or consistency out of this "policy," which it so vantilingly put forward as the creed of the Democratic party triumphant. But its is even more striking than its obscurity.--What power or what influence does Mr. Seymour expect to use to aid him in restoring the Union?--Upon what authority does he offer to the Southern States every Financement to return to their allegiance?" Certainly not that of the Northern people, for they are unalterably opposed to restoring to rebels the rights and the protection in regard to slavery they have voluntarily abandoned. Still more fathers into expect any help from the South, for they declare most positively that they will never return to the Union under any circumstances. Since his policy suits nobody, who does he expect to support it?. What does he expect to gain by announcing it?. We can see in all this the reflex of the hopes and opinions of those New York merchants who have, ever since the rebellion , the loss of their Southern trade as the direct, and in fact the only, calamity of the war, but of no other class or body of men. The only object we can perceive is a blind and desperate attempt to recover for the Democratic party the offices of the Federal Government and the enormous plunder which signalized the last two Democratic Administrations, and which the leaders have always considered their by a sort of divine right. We owe the rebels an apology. We have hitherto treated these New York politicians as allies of theirs in good faith and have supposed both were laboring to accomplish a common object — But we discover our mistake. No such comparatively dignified and elevated position can they claim. They are mere factions, demagogues, and selfish partisans, with no object or him beyond their own sordid ambition.

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Federal account of Morgan's last raid — the surrender of the 71st Indiana.

The disease now most afflicting to the Federals in Kentucky is the "Morgan raid," it having become, according to the Louisville Journal, "meritorious and destructive than even those who in ." That paper says:

‘ Our latest represents 14m at five o'clock, a last evening in of the at the that velocity. The Quartermaster of the Indiana infantry, which been detached to guard the and treaty work, to escape from his command yesterday morning, and actives here last evening, bringing intelligence that may be regarded as able.

The history of the fight at Elizabeth own on Saturday, and the surrender of the 71st Illinois infantry, Lieut. Col. Smith commanding, his pretty generally known. Lieutenant-Colonel smith's men occupied the , where the demand was by Morgan for the surrender, and refusing to down their arms the opened upon them with two twelve pounders in a short no artillery where with to , Lieutenant-Colonel Smith's men fled to the public occupying the court-house and adjoining . covered, they made a resistance, but were overpowered, surrendered, and . Lieutenant-Colonel Smith's command five hundred men. It is said the surrender was made by Lieutenant Solices, without the knowledge of the commanding officer, and that subsequently a Captain James fought the rebels from his position for three hours. In recognition of his gallant conduct John Morgan permitted Captain James to retain this side arms. The heavy cannonading heard in it is Vicinity on Saturday was at Elizabethtown.

The dearest object of Morgan's dash into Kentucky was, no doubt, the destruction of the immense trestle work in the vicinity of Murdrought's Hill, an improvement that it will require a great expenditure of time and money to replace. This object he has fully accomplished.

Morgan, with his forces, arrived at the hill at an early hour yesterday morning--one account says at five o'clock, and another at six o'clock. One company of Federal troops who were doing picket duty were captured, and the remainder of the forces made a rapid movement for her -works. At this juncture a flag of truce was sent in by the rebels, demanding an unconditional surrender. This demand was returned, and Morgan opened upon them with his cannon. A fight at long range, in which few if any casualties occurred, was kept up until five o'clock last evening, when the firing ceased the Federals surrendering to the superior rebel force. The surrender forced, the destruction of the trestlework was easily accomplished.

This important work, it seems, was guarded by the 71st Indiana regiment, numbering, in its present condition, about six hundred men. They were supplied with earthworks on the hill in the vicinity, and with kades at the foot of the hill. There were also two pieces of artillery there, of small calibre; but as they had no supplies of ammunition for them the guns were .

Of course, the town was more or less excited last night at the recital of the various rumors current. It was and that Morgan had appeared with his command at Rolling Fork Bridge at an early hour yesterday morning; that the Federal troops there had surrendered, and that the bridge over that stream had been destroyed; that the rebel advance had made their appearance at Shepherdsville, having given Lebanon Junction the go by; and that a fight was ment at the Salt river bridge. All these rumors were untrue.

A train arrived at this city at half-past 7 o'clock last evening from Lebanon Junction, General Gilbert, who is in command of the forces on the Nashville read returning to the city by that conveyance. A train was at Shepherdsville at 12 o'clock last night, under orders to await instructions from the military authorities here. At 12 o'clock last night telegraphic communication along the line of the road untended only so far as Shepherdsville, the operators at Lebanon Junction and Bardstown Junction having deserted their posts.

We are not of those who believe that Morgan will make an advance to the Ohio river. His object in entering the State was to cat off railroad communication between this city and Nashville, in order to deprive the army of the Cumberland of its regular supplied. This object, so far as the injury to the road was desired, has been accomplished, and Morgan sends forward will attempt his escape, if the report that Kirby Smith is in his rear with a powerful army should not prove true.

But Morgan will fail in his design of embarrassing the army of Gen. Rosecrans in the matter of receiving subsistence. We are aware that there are supplies at Nashville sufficient to meet the necessities of the army for a month to come, and we have no doubt but that the present depth of the Cumberland river will warrant its navigation by steamers even to a point above the Shoals.

’ The Confederate account of the results of the raid we take from the Winchester (Tenn.) Bulletin. It says:

‘ The number of prisoners captured at Bardstown, Folin, Bacon Creek and other places, amounted to 2,000. At Springfield Gen. Morgan was surrounded by 26,000 of the enemy, and for a while it seemed his situation was desperate, but he escaped with his entire command.

In moving from Springfield to Campbellsville, Gen. Hellesy, commanding the Federal forces, and harassing Morgan's rear, was killed in a hand-to-hand encounter by Lieut. Easton. The fight occurred in a creek, and the body of Gen. Hollesy was dragged from the water and carried to an adjacent house. Two members of this staff also came up with three of Gen. Morgan's men--Capt. Tribble, Lieut. Easton, and a private, Hollesy was attended by two of his staff--Captain Edwards and his orderly. A fight at once ensued, in which General Hollesy was killed by Lieut. Baston. Captain Edwards and Hollesy's orderly were captured by Captain Tribule. The fight was a hand-to-hand affair, and the combatants were in the creek at the time.

The destruction of the railroad is complete from Green river to Shepherdsville, a distance of seventy-five miles, Shepherdsville is eighteen miles from Louisville.

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Military correspondence — the Yankees Complain of negroes being taken from their masters — Reply of Gen. French.

The correspondence given below has just been concluded between Gen. French, C. S. A., and Gen. Foster, U. S. A., it having been opened at the instance of Ed. Stanley, the traitor now pretending to be "Military Governor" If North Carolina--The most superlatively impudent thing of the war is his complaint that the Confederate troops have taken faithful negroes from a kind master" in the Yankee lines. The letters are interesting:

From Gen. Fester to Gen. French.

Major General S. G. French, Commanding Department North Carolina, Petersburg, Va:

General: I have the honor in enclose copy of a letter addressed to me by his Excellency Edward Stanley, Military Governor of North Carolina--The letter explains itself; and I have merely to request an answer from you whether the acid complained of by the Governor have your sanction, and whether, as he desires to know, the negroes mentioned will be returned to their matter.

I also beg leave to inclose a slip from the Releigh Standard in relation to the prisoners recently paroled and released by me at Kinston and other place between here and Goldsboro', and request to know whether these men are compelled to perform the duties therein stated, contrary to their parole of honor.

Some time during the latter part of November Surgeon Hunt, Post Surgeon at Washington, North Carolina, while taking a ride outside of our was fired upon by parties in ambush and killed.--Immediately his person was rifled, and among other things a watch was taken from him, which his relatives are very anxious to obtain possession of. If it is within your power will you please have this watch returned.

From Edward Stanley.
[Copy.]

General — I have been informed that a portion of the forces of the enemies of the United States recently invaded the county of Washington, and among other depredations committed upon innocent citizens, they seized and carried away, against their consent, and against the consent of their owner, a large number of slaves. From the home of Mr. M. Bowen they took away several of his negroes, who had been faithful to him, and whom he protected and humanely supported. This outrage has not the defence attempted for the African slave trade — that it brought uncivilized beings under the influence of Christianity and civilization.

This robbery takes civilized beings from their families and homes, it deprives a kind master of his property, and punishes slaves for their fidelity to him.

I cannot believe the good people of North Carolina will justify such conduct.

To the barbarous and willful burning of the town of Plymouth by the enemy, your attention has already been called, and of that nothing more need be said. As the voice of civil authority outside of our lines has no longer any potency, I solicit your intervention with these commanding the forces for the so called Confederate States, that we may ascertain by what rules this war is to be conducted, and whether these negroes to whom I have referred are to be delivered up to those to whom their service may be one.

Gen. French's Reply.

Major Gen. J. G. Foster, U. S. A., Commanding 18th Army Corps, Newbern, N. C.:

General: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 31st ultimo, and a copy of a letter addressed to you by Edw'd Stanley, who signs himself Military Governor of North Carolina.

In relation to prisoners of war who have been paroled, I can say, never to my knowledge have they been of their employed in the performance Government. As my Government faithfully respected the parole of prisoners, I am the more astonished the should have brought a merely hearsay rumor that came to the care of the editor of the Releigh Standard to my notice, when an order was issued from the War Department of the United States, requiring, and remember, paroled prisoners to instruct recruits, fortresses in the rear of the army, and guard prisoners.

While our press, as the extract you send me shows, would such of a parole of honor, I have seen yours issuing with the demand that the prisoners that we had captured and paroled should be sent to to repel the Indians there at war with your people.

You asked me to answer "whether the acts complained of by Governor Stanley have my sanction, and whether, as he desires to know the mentioned will be returned to their master." His adagation in that "our forces recently invaded the county of Washington and, among other depredations committed upon innocent citizens, they seized and carried away, against the consent of the owner, a large number of slaves," That "from the house of Mr. H; Bowen we took away several of his negroes, who had been faithful to him, and whom he protected and humanely supported; " that "this outrage has not the defence attempted for the African slave trade; " that "it has brought uncivilized beings under the influence of and civilization;" that "this robbery takes civilized beings from their families and homes; it deprives a kind master of his property and punishes slaves for their fidelity to him" It is trade that our forces did invade the county of Washington, and the officer in command did report to me that he brought but with him some negroes.

Mr. Stanley is a representative of the U. S. Government, and I take it for granted speaks by authority, and if it be the determination of your Government to deliver up to their owners the hundred thousand slaves you have stolen from "kind and humane masters," I am sure my Government will immediately cause this one little act of "robbery" to be discountenanced, and the negroes to be restored, and thus return to their "kind masters their property;" and to this end I will transmit to the proper authorities your communication and Mr. Stanley's letter.

As it is an acknowledged principle among Christian nations to respect private property in lands, I am sure my Government will hall this as an evidence that hereafter yours will cease to deprive peaceful citizens of their private property.

I deplore, as much as Mr. Stanley does, this taking of civilized beings from their families and homes, and depriving owners of their property, and I would it were the only robbery or the kind that has occurred, but so many have been committed by the forces of the United States that it is now regarded as a legitimate and proper, "fit and necessary war measure, " by your Government.

Mr. Stanley says, the "voice of civil authority outside your lines has no longer any potency."--You may test assured I will do all in my power to have "those negroes delivered up to these to whom their services may be due," and will in every way discountenance and forbid negro stealing, and this I am sure the "good people of North Carolina" will justify me.

I do not think the town of Plymouth was barbarously and willfully burned, but, as reported to me, a house was fired in which your tro made a stand, and from which they fired on, our . Such things will happen in war, and often for no excuse except the spirit of destruction, as seen on the banks of the Mississippi, Potomac Roanoke, Rappahannock and James rivers, where cities, towns, and private residences, as a rule, have been burned or battered down by your land and naval forces.

I regret very much that in this street fight a woman was killed. It was first brought to my knowledge by a letter which was received from you, and it should be regretted that accidents of the same kind occurred from the batteries of Gen. Burnside when they opened on the city of Fredericksburg.

Surgeon Hunt was riding with a party of soldiers when he was killed, and in the official report to me he was called and believed to be a lieutenant in charge of a scouting party.

I will at once, General, write to the Captain of the company to which the attacking force belonged, and do all in my power to find the watch, and, if successful, will send it to you, that you may place it in the hands of his relations.

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A Mode of settling the Greek question — Ape Lincoln Recommended for kind.

The New York World cuts the knot which keeps the Greek throne vacant in the following editorial:

‘ While we have a rioter who does not know what to do with his resim, Europe has a realm which is at a loss for a ruler. The refusal of the great powers to assent to the election to the throne of the English prince, Alfred, thrown both Greene and the great powers into a predicament from which we can happily relieve them. American intervention in the affairs of Europe can hardly be now regarded as impertinent and if he can succeed in settling the Greek question we may recover a respectability and, an influence abroad which a whole diplomatic corps of editors, with all their efforts, have signally failed to secure for us.

The Greek question is a simple one. The Greeks want a king, but, like the old who bothered Lysander and Sparts, the great powers interfere and insist upon the choice of a sort of royal Tools, who shall line of no consequence" and give no umbrage to the officious officials who so kindly cared for the descendants of Doncallon.

It is in our power to put an end to this diplomatic dilemma at once by an act of magnanimous self-sacrifice. To "give to Greece our thinking bladey" would hardly, while Summas keeps the see; but we could a better than this. We can secure to a , whose Homes is simplicity and would recall to her the earliest history, when her kings were the , and her princesses the most of weather . We propose that Mr. leave to resign the Presidency and vacant throne of Athens. The arrangement to satisfy all the parties .

The great Powers cannot object ; for as Mr. Lincoln has proved himself in the dangers to nobody but Mr. , he would give them trouble than any stray German they can possibly pick up. "The of Tuckey, neatest neighbor, would be greatly reassured by it; for Mr. Lincoln has already shown by the creating which his organs expending to Young and Utah, that he has prejudices against at the institutions," at least of the . To the Greeks themselves his unfailing would warmly him, the characteristic traits of that people have greatly changed since the days when St. Paul rebuked them for their trick of "standing about ," and immortalized their passion for Colonel Mule has noticed the odd resemblance between the style of jokes most popular with the and that of those Western stories in which Mr. Lincoln particularly . The Kentucky of the which are planted over night to be as crowbars the next morning, is an exact re-production of an old Ionian gag, and we have no doubt that the peculiar incidents of which Mr. Lincoln is invariably reminded by anything particularly horrible which happens to the country would sound infinitely better in Hellenic than they do in English.

The friends and associates in power of Mr. Lincoln would rejoice in the transfer, and these of them whose hope of supplanting him makes them particularly devoted to his person and his policy, would no doubt insist upon accompanying him to his new field of operations.

Vice President Hamlin, who now sees no way of getting into the President's shoes save through the slow and tedious process of a revolution, hampered as revolutions always must be in this country by embarrassing restraints of law and obstinate popular prejudices in favor of the dogmas of the past, would rejoice to find himself in a land over which the spirit of oriental ruthlessness and energy has moved so long that the work of four years and indefinite -boxes in America may perhaps be done there in a single night with a stout piece of whig-cord. For it will never be said of Mr. Lincoln, at says of , that he surrounded himself with unnecessary constitutional restraints.

Sumner, Werdell, Phillips, Chandler, Wade, Howe, the whose love of the Greeks is only equalled by his hatred of his own people, and the philanthropist who holds that all Americans who are neither black nor blind deserve to be exterminated would doubtless go with their chiefs, each man bearing, after the classic fashion his bowie-knife is a myrtle hough. Welles, we fear, cannot be spaced, from the efficient protection of our commerce; and the brilliant character of their successes in the West and in Virginia will probably compel us to detain Stanton and Hallock till their services can be adequately rewarded.

Lycurgules and Solons we have none to give.--But such as we have we freely offer to the mother of republics. Hat take Mr. Lincoln, and learn under his to war how the Phrygian cap may be made no like a crown as to deceive the keenest eye. We will pay King Abraham's expenses out, and send with him that fine body guard of his, which used only be dismounted and trained, say under the orders of Satrap Butler, add the pomp of Persia and the state of Rome to the grace of Greece, and surround the successor of Othe with such a show of as Tarquin might have envied and such a silence of submission as Sapor never enjoyed.

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Another turn on the Screw--New England will have to go out.

Vallandigham, in a speech, in the Horse of Representatives, on Wednesday last said:

‘ "I would not deny or disparage the virtues of the old Paritaus, of England or America.--But I do believe that in the very nature of things, no community could exist long in peace, and no government long along, or become where that of these States until it shall have been again to and more and conservative elements and above all, until its , had been utterly . Sir. the of the Union of this confident domestic.

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"It was abolition, the purpose to to interfere and in slavery, which has caused disunion and war. Slavery is only the , but abolition the cause, of the civil war."

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Rebel audacity

The Washington "Chronicle" an example of rebel audacity that Lieut. Garnett a relative of M. R. H. Garnett, formerly member of the U. S. Congress from this State, and a Confederate of war, went to the U. S. House of Representatives a few days ago and sent in his card to a member of Congress from the Northwest, "Lieut. Garnett G. D. A. "