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Progress of the war.

From New York and Baltimore papers, of the 17th, we make some extracts of interest:


Operations of Farragut — the Indianola recaptured.

It will be seen from the following that the Yankees report the Indianola recaptured. We believe the statement to be false, but admitting it to be true! what does Farragut propose to do with the boat, hemmed in as he is between Vicksburg and Port Hudson:

Cincinnati, March 26--A dispatch from Memphis into the following order:

Admiral Farragut's vessel discovered the Indianola at Hard Times Bend, and re-captured her without resistance. The rebels had been at work on her. She was nearly ready for service.

The Queen of the West is up the Black river, out of the reach of our vessels.

A mail from Farragut's fleet has reached Memphis.

The frigate Mississippi had been burned to the water's edge. Thirty of her officers and crew were captured.


From Tennessee — the fight at Brentwood

Franklin, Tenn, March 26
--A detachment from Gen. Van Dorn's army, under Gen. Farrest, numbering 2,000 men crossed the Big Harpeth, six miles below here, last night, and attacked Brentwood, nine miles in our rear, destroyed the railroad bridge, stockade telegraph wires, and Government stores, and captured two hundred and fifty prisoners. The enemy were pursued by six hundred cavalry. This command, under Gen. Smith, overtook the rebels at Perains's Church six miles west of Brentwood, where a fight took place. The enemy were reinforced by another detachment, which crossed eight miles above here, and Smith was obliged to retreat. All our wagons, guns, ammunition, and stores stolen from Brentwood were retaken.


The spring campaign — a gloomy Opening.

The New York World thinks the spring campaign seems to have fairly opened. The various Union armies and fleets are either in actual motion, or are just about to move. With fair weather two weeks cannot pass without a violent shock of arms in more than one field. It draws, however, a gloomy picture of the Federal prospects, so far as heard from:

‘ So far the usual bad luck seems to have attended the Union arms, not at one point only, but in every quarter. Admiral Farragut a fleet of wooden ships-of-war have been beaten off by the rebel batteries at Port Hudson; of this there can be no longer any doubt. At least one ship (the steam sloop-of-war Mississippi) was destroyed, and two, if not three, other vessels more or less damaged. One of our fleet passed the batteries but, as she was alone and unsupported, she no doubt by this time has fallen a prize to the rebel rams Webb and Queen of the West. It will be a rare piece of luck of the escapes. The endeavors of Admiral Farragut to get past the batteries would seem to indicate that he wished to attack Port Hudson from above while Gen. Banks, with the land force, invested it from below. But the plan, whatever it was, has for the time miscarried.

’ Nor is the news from Gen. Grant's department at all what the country has looked for. Yazoo City has not been taken, our fleet is not above Haine's Bluff, nor have there been any rebel gunboats and transports destroyed. On the contrary, both rebel and Union accounts agree that our force has met with a check on the Tallahatchie, and was beaten back by a fort on that river. This is very bad news, and explodes into thin sir all the reports of the evacuation of Vicksburg which have prevailed so universally for some time back. There is as little probability of the evacuation of that city as there is of Richmond the way matters stand at present.

The recent gobbling up of some two thousand of Gen. Rosecrans's command by Van-Dora is as yet unavenged. At last accounts a battle was imminent--one of the most do operate of the war — but from Gen. Rosecrans's known ability, and the faith of the men in him, we hope for the best.

From Gen. Hooker's army we hear that all is in readiness, for an advance, but which of course may not take place for a couple of weeks yet — all depending upon the weather. The recent cavalry fight in the direction of Culpeper was a gallant affair, but it obviously was not as complete a success as it was designed to be. There has been fighting on the Blackwater, but as nothing has come over the wires in reference to it we judge the news cannot be good.

It must also be admitted that the preliminary movements against Savannah and Charleston have been unfortunate. Cover it over as we may, the failure to take Fort McEllister is discouraging, and if the rebels have similar works in Charleston harbor, the iron-clads will have a very hard road to travel.

Altogether the retrospect is not pleasant, but we can only hope that matters may mend soon. It is incredible that we can be beaten everywhere in the final conflict.


How. John J. Crittenden on the war.

U. S. Senator Crittenden has made a speech in Philadelphia, replying to a serenade. It is a good example, perhaps, of what even the most tolerant of our enemies think. He said:

‘ I say to my brethren in Congress and out of it — to you, my fellow-citizens and my fellow citizens everywhere — that I do not fight because I hate the South. I love the South. [Applause.] I fight because it is my duty to maintain the Government [Cheers] I intend to do so. I honor the pride that I see everywhere exhibited in behalf of the country. At the same time while I shall do anything the Government may require, there have been acts which I do not like, and of which I may justly complain. In the prosecution of this war improper things I have been done I do not render a blind obedience. Truth is strong and must prevail, and it must make our cause triumphant. We do not make war for the more effusion of blood, or because we love it like a murderer. I do not wage it in haired; I wage it because it is a duty, and because I desire the preservation of the Government and the Union. [applause] The time will not permit, fellow citizens, nor will my condition allow me to say many words more upon this subject. --[Cries of "Go on!"] I do not believe the country will be cut down. I do not believe that this country, which rises like a mighty and majestic column among the nations of the past, is to be rudely thrown down and destroyed I believe we have a future, and that this war will give us future permanence and greatness, [loud applause, and three cheers for John J. Crittenden] and that no matter what trials may befall our country there is still a Divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we may. [Applause.] If we have now and then foolish rulers, we have a wise people; and the man who has not got understanding enough to know when his liberty is trampled upon is not fit to live under the blessings of a free Government. I believe in the people.

’ I believe their destiny is in the hands of God above, and that liberty shall be preserved. Our people will do it. Allow me to thank you for your kindness. I am a stranger here. [this of "We know you"] Let the Cabinet and the President do what they have determined, Judge them frankly and liberally, and never fall to protest against any violation of the Constitution. [Applause.] Nor let any member of the Government transgress. People are very easily habituated to encroachments upon their liberties. The syran song was fatal to the listeners. A people should not disregard the Constitution and allow it to be broken. They should advice the Government to change its course. It is no unkindness to make this request. Justice is sure to make us succeed. That which I want to see us leave to our children is a name that shall never die, and that they shall not be ashamed to own. No people should live long enough to make a boast of the great effusion of blood. A people who suffer themselves to be bared can never be excited.

We are not living for ourselves. If we were, we would have little to live for. We are living for a great and free country. We expect the light of freedom and self government to shine forever. We don't know what we are in the sight of the world. We live in a peculiar age. All is to be lost or won. We are fighting battles not of hate or vengeance, but upon the highest principles of honor; for a cause, not for blood, but for freedom and the institutions of civilization. [Applause] That is what we fight for, or the battle is not worth the sacrifice, what man would be content but with the whose country? with this "land of the brave and the home of the free?" the inheritance that our fathers gave us, and the Government that Washington builder? [Applause] Who would not strive to preserve the integrity of the country that must remain one, or be a source of sorrow and strife for ages to come? Let us unite like a band of brothers. We can succeed, and will succeed, [Great applause.] Let us say, like Hemn, that it is not in hate but for honor that the chiefs contend. We are going to be saved. History shall write the tale, and it is our duty so to act that the tale will be read without shame by our children. History will record our fate, whether our country shall sink down to oblivion, or whether we are brave and good enough to raise our name among the nations of the earth. [Applause] Gentlemen, thanking you for your kindness and the honor you do me, I take my leave, and bid you good night.--[Loud cheers for Mr Crittenden, during which the speaker retired]


The reverse to the negro expedition.

We have published an account of the utter defeat of the Yankee negro expedition against Jacksonville, Fla. We take the following from a Port Royal letter to the New York World:

‘ On Thursday night a steamer came in from Fernandina with reports indicating that the force of 1,000 negroes which descended the St. Mary's river on the 9th of March had met with a most severe reverse and probably had been captured.

It will be remembered that this force carried with it several thousand muskets for the avowed purpose of supplying with arms all the slaves whom they could incite to insurrection. If the report referred to prove true both the negroes and their commanders, Cols, Higgluron and Montgomery, and all the white officers, have probably been shot, in accordance with the announcement made by Jeff. Davis in his proclamation retaliatory of President Lincoln's emancipation proclamation.


The Confederates building rams and gunboats at Mobile.

One of the New York papers publishes the following on the authority of three Confederate deserters, who lately escaped from Mobile:

‘ These men report that the Confederates Force in Mobile aggregates but 7,000 men, under General Buckner; the naval force, under Admiral Buchanan, comprises three wooden steam gunboats of ten guns each, viz: The Gaines, Captain Thos. Hunter; the Morgan, Captain Blair; the Selma, Captain P. U. Murphy; the revenue cutter Alert, under a Lieutenant; the rain Baltic, Captain Johnson. Besides these vessels, the rebels are building, at Selma, a fifty gun frigate, iron-clad which they intend floating down the river on hog heads. There are now two rams ready at that point, and on the day the three men left a draft of twenty four sailors were sent up the river to take them down. Two more rams were nearly finished and expected down in a few weeks.

’ The channel in Mobile bay is blocked up by sunken vessels, but there are no torpedoes sunk in it. The rebels possess, however, a peculiar invention in the shape of an 'infernal' arrangement, worked by clock work, which is set off against a vessel at a distance of a mile.

Fort Gaines, on Dauphin Island mounts twenty-two guns; Fort Morgan, on the main land, one hundred and twenty guns; Fort Grant, at Grant's Pass, on the northwest side of Dauphin Island, three guns; while at the mouth of Spanish river a heavy iron-clad battery, mounting 10 inch and 11 inch guns, and at Dog river a formidable sand battery commands the channel. On the east side of the Spanish river the ship Danube, mounting six guns and heavily iron clad, is anchored. She is officered from the army.

These is no scarcity of iron for mailing vessels, as the rebels are converting railroad iron, taken from the abandoned railroads, into iron for the vessels.

The stock of cotton in Mobile is quite large but there is but very little trade. Prices of provisions range quite high. Rice flour sells at $65 per bbl; shoes and boots at $25 to $50; capt $10; overcoats, of common quality, $150; pantaloons $75 to $80.


New York politics — another fusion party.

The New York correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger writes:

‘ It may be of some interest to the student of New York politics, at a distance, to know that a programme for the construction of a new Conservative (or fusion) party has been formally agreed to by a number of prominent Republicans on the one Band, and Democrats on the other. The object is to leave out in the cold all radical Republicans like Horace Greeley, and all radical peace men like Fernando and Benj. Wood. With a machine thus constituted, it is thought there will be no difficulty in hitching it on to the Administration, or hitching the Administration on to it, and thus systematically prepare the way for the next Presidential campaign. Prosper M. Wetmore, Chas. Gould, Mayor Opdylce, (Republicans,) with James T Bracy and John Van Buren, (Democrats,) are among the gentlemen most conspicuous in the movement. This organization bids fair to be productive of singular results, serious combination, etc., in opposition — to be developed in due time.

Who knows but that the radicals thus affronted will form a grand combination, too, for mutual protection, and that we may not live long enough to use the philosopher of the Tribune hand in glove with the politicians of the Copperhead persuasion? We are living in strange times and New York politics (ever an enigma to outsiders) bid fair to be now, more than over, of all strange things the strangest.


Massachusetts to be put on a war footing.

A bill has been introduced into the Massachusetts Legislature providing for putting the State upon a perfect war footing. By its provisions the able bodied male population of the State from eighteen to twenty four years of age, firemen and all, is constituted the active militia; and those from twenty four to forty five years are designated as the reserve. The former are to be organized in three companies, and are to drill or parade three days in each year one of there parades to be the usual May training, and shall do camp duty for three days, and drill by companies six hours in each month from May to November, and three hours in each month for the balance of the year.--Call for active service shall first apply to those from twenty to twenty-five years of age, next from twenty-five to thirty, and next from thirty to thirty-five. Exemptions are based on the French military system.


Preparing for the defence of their Seaboard cities.

The New York World has the following paragraph:

‘ The Government has contracted with the proprietor of Kasson's Dispatch, the headquarters of which are at Buffalo, to superintend the transfer of eight hundred largest size cannon from Pittsburg, when they are made, to New York, Boston, Portland, and other seaport towns. Some of them are 11 inch guns and others 15 inch. The latter gun weighs about twenty-four tons, and is fourteen feet long. Its breach is four feet in diameter, and the muzzle two feet. It throws a round solid ball weighing 460 pounds.


Gov. Seymour on the Hartford Convention.

Gov. Seymour, of New York, has written a letter to the Hartford (Ct) Times disavowing the war resolutions of the Convention recently held in that city. He says:

If it is necessary to be more explicit beg leave to state that knowing what the meeting would be beforehand, I could not have been induced to attend it or to take a part in its doing — and that, having glanced at the speeches and the proceedings generally of that meeting. I particularly desire to clear myself from any participation, directly or indirectly in what took place there. The meeting. If I have not misunderstood its general hearing, is one which ignores peaceful remedies of any sort, as a means of restoring the Union, and calls loudly for men and means to aid in the subjugation and consequent degradation and overthrow of the South. I follow, gentlemen, in no such crusade, neither will I contribute, in any way, to the accomplishment of any such bloody purposes. The monstrous fallacy of the present day, that the Union can be re-established by destroying any part of the south, is one which will burst with the shells that are thrown into its defenceless cities, and leave the condition of the country, after its treasures are exhausted and its brave men on both sides consigned to hospitals and graves, a spectacle for the reproach or commiseration of the civilized world.

Respectfully yours,
Thos. E. Seymour.

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