Latest Northern news.
Northern advices of the 2d inst. are received.--The Baltimore
American, of Tuesday evening, speaking of the Message of
Lincoln, says:
‘
The President's Message, given in the present is a most unpretending document, both as to style and length, little more than glancing at most of there matters now of such vast importance to the nation.
One merit, it has pre-eminently — its evident earnestness and plainness in dealing with the various topics which it is made his duty to present for the consideration of Congress and the people.
On the whole, the message will be hailed, we think as eminently moderate in tone, perhaps to some extent receding in its views and so it must be anything out acceptable to the ultras who have to had so large a away in shaping the
National policy on this subject.
He is careful however, is remind us that his new plan for the settlement of this people matter ‘"is recommended as a exclusion of, but additional to all for restoring and preserving the
National authority throughout the
Union"’
Is conclusion, whoever may differ with the
Federal Executive in these conclusions will be ready to to him a spirit of patriotic conciliation, which viewed in its right aspect, may be producer of great good.
Whilst he plainly tells the for the
Union that he shall relax no efforts to compel obedience to the laws, he is willing to make one more attempt to settle matters on an admirable busts.
’
Proceedings in the Yankee Congress.
The Yankee Congress assembled at noon on Monday.
A quorum was present in both Houses, not at once proceeded to business.
Lincoln's message which we publish in another column, was reserved and read.
In the
House Mr. Conklin offered a resolution, which was adopted, directing the
Committee on Naval Affairs to inquire and report as to the best made of placing vessels-of war on
Lake Ontario,
which the exigency shall arise and of establishing communication from other waters to the
Lakes.
A resolution submitted by
Mr Vallandigham was adopted, directing an inquiry as to the alleged action of the
Postmaster General in deciding what newspapers may, and what shall not, be transmitted through the mails
Mr. Cox, of
Ohio, submitted a preamble and resolution reciting that illegal, rary arrests had been made by the agents of the
Government, and declaring that the
House condemns all such arrests.
The resolution was tabled by a vote of 40 to 80.
Mr. Richardson offered a similar resolution in relation to the arrest and confinement of citizens of
Illinois, which was also tabled.
Burnside recently made a trip to
Washington for the purpose of entering a personal complaint against the delay of the Quartermaster's Department in forwarding the pontoon train to the army.
He says: ‘"By this delay much valuable time has been lost, and the difficulty of crossing the
Rappahannock in the face of the enemy's preparations greatly segmented."’ It was rumored that
Meigs, the
Yankee Quartermaster General, had been reserved in consequence, but it is believed to be untrue.
The progress of hostilities.
The Yankee correspondents report that
General Lee is retreating on
Richmond.
They also say that the pretended fortification of the hills in the rear of
Fredericksburg in a mere feint.
The
Dutch General Sigel, in an official dispatch, from an account of a reconnaissance, by General through Aldie's and Snicker's Gaps, to ascertain
Jackson's movements.
He says
Stahl scoured the country nearly to
Winchester, and found that
Jackson had certainly gone South.
In the dispatch he says:
‘
It Snicker's Ferry
Gen Stahl fell upon a large force of rebel cavalry, routed them, captured number of horses and cattle, pursued them to
Berry broke up their camp, chased them to within four miles of
Winchester, captured all of their of forty privates of
White's battalion, and together cost them a loss of fifty in killed and Our side lost fifteen in all. It was defi contained by this reconnaissance that
Jackson and left the Shenandoah Valley, being only a brigade of troops at
Winchester.--on Saturday last
Jackson was at Culpeper Court moving by forced marches to join
Gen. Lee of
Fredericksburg.
’
The Court of Inquiry on Gen. McDowell--he Lays down the plan of investigation.
The Court of Inquiry asked by
Gen. McDowell assembled in
Washington on Wednesday last.
At the request of the
Court Gen. McD.
gave the following as the plan of investigation desired by him. He expresses his willingness that the court should investigate the ‘"
Bull Run"’ disaster if they think ary:
- First--An investigation of my correspondence with the enemy's commanders, or with any one within the enemy's lines.
The only correspondence that I am aware of was with the secession commander opposite Fredericksburg, which my chief of staff Col. Schriever, can produce, if it is wished I have asked an investigation on such points.
During my command of the Department at Northeastern Virginia there will be found some correspondence with the secession commander at Manassas, which was duly forwarded at the time to the headquarters of the army.
I know of no correspondence with any one within the enemy's lines unless it be with Mrs. Robert E Lee and Mrs. who wrote from Ravenswood on some personal matters in June and July, 1861, and whose letters with my replies, were forwarded at the time to the headquarters of the army, and are, I suppose now in the War Department.
- Second--An investigation of my conduct and the policy pursued by me toward the inhabitants of the country occupied by our troops, with reference to themselves or their property.
This matter has been severely commented upon throughout the country and in both houses of Congress, and may possibly have had much to do with the charge of treason.
As to my conduct toward the inhabitants, with reference to themselves, I wish to offer my orders concerning rape, robbery, and pillage, and their concerning the interference with the railroads and telegraphs, and the testimony of those officers mentioned in the margin.
As to my conduct towards the inhabitants with reference to their property, I wish to offer my general orders and instructions concerning commutations and the taking of supplies, and the forms of certificate to be given for supplies taken.
And as to the particular cases of a Mr. Hoffman, whose fences were ordered to be guarded, and that of the fences around the wheat- fields of Chatham or the Lacy House, which had been destroyed, and were ordered to be replaced I wish the testimony of those mentioned in the margin.
- Third--As to whether or not I have been faithful to those placed over me. For so much of service as was under General McClellan, and particularly with reference to the events which immediately preceded the embarkation of the bulk of his army for the Peninsula, and the plans, &c., so far as may be necessary, which led to that campaign, I wish the testimony of Major General McClellan; Governor Denison, of Ohio.
Brigadier-General Wadsworth, and Colonel Key, aide-de-camp.
For so much of my service as was under him I wish the testimony of Major General Pope and of Brigadier-General Roberts; General Welch, Commissary of Subsistence; Colonel Morgan, Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, Colonel Ruggles, Assistant Adjutant- General, and Colonel Schriver, &c., and, if the Court see fit to go back that far, that of Lieutenant-General Scott, by deposition; for I should dislike to trouble him with a disagreeable journey for so much of my service as was under him.
- Fourth--As to whether I have failed through any unworthy personal motive to go to the aid of or send reinforcements to any brother commanders, I wish inquiry made as to whether, whilst in command of the Department of the Rappahannock, I did or not, so far as my means and instructions permitted operate so as to aid or endeavor to aid Maj.-General McClellan in his campaign on the peninsula whether or not I was active, zealous and efficient in the discharge of the duties of my command in preparing it for this object; whether or not I refused, neglected or failed to go to him before Richmond when I had my forces at Fredericksburg, and if so, why; whether or not at the last moment I left Fredericksburg for the valley of the Shenandoah to avoid coming under General McClellan's command; whether or not, when the campaign was considered as ended, I endeavored to go to his aid before Richmond.
On the foregoing I have mostly to offer the official correspondence between myself and his Excellency the President, and the Honorable Secretary of War, Major-General McClellan and others, and the testimony of those mentioned in the margin.
I wish inquiry made as to whether, when ordered to co-operate with Major General Fremont for the relief of Major General Banks, I took active measures to do so.--On this I have to submit my official correspondence and the evidence of those mentioned in the margin I wish inquiry made as to whether, in the late Army of Virginia, I at any time neglected or failed to go to the aid of or send reinforcements to either Major General Banks or Major-General Sigel, commanding the Second Army Corps, when it was my duty to do so, and particularly with reference to General Banks at the battle of Cedar Mountain, and General Sigel at the battle of Groveton, or Manassas.
On this I have to submit official papers, and with the evidence of those mentioned in the margin.
- Fifth--Finally I ask an investigation into the charge very generally made against me, and which affects very seriously my character — to wit, that of drunkenness.
On this I wish the evidence of the following persons: Lieut-Gen. Scott, Major Gens Hunter, Wool, Pope, Sumner, Heintselman, Keyes, Franklin, Hooker, Schuyier, Hamilton, etc.
At far as possible I beg leave to suggest that it may be well to take up the subjects in chronological order.
It in the foregoing it shall appear that I have omitted anything, I trust to the indulgence of the
Court to permit me to add whatever may be wanting.
Very respectfully,
Irvin McDowell,
Major General
After the reading of this paper the
Court went into and so over two hours, when the doors were opened and the
Court was adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow.
A Yankee opinion of the Virginians.
The Washington
Republican praises the Virginians — even the
Virginia rebels!
Hear him:
‘
If there has been any decadence of the manly virtues in the Old Dominion, it is not because the present generation has proved itself either weak or cowardly or unequal to the greatest emergencies.
No people, with so few numbers, ever put into the field and kept there so long troops more numerous, brave, or more efficient, or produced
Generals of more merit, in all the kinds and grades of military talent.
It is not a worn out and effete race which has produced
Lee Johnston Jackson,
Ashby, and
Stuart.
It is not a worn-out and effete race which for eighteen months has defended its capital against the approach of an enemy close upon their borders, and outnumbering them thirty to one.
It is not a worn out and effete race which has preserved substantial popular unity under all the strain and pressure and sacrifices of this unprecedented war. ‘"Let history"’ as was said of another race, ‘"which records their unhappy fate as a people, do justice to their rude virtues as men"’
They are fighting madly in a bad cause, but they are fighting bravely.
They have few cowards and no traitors.
The hardships of war are endured without a murmur by all classes, and the dangers of war without flinching, by the newest conscripts, while their gentry, the offshoot of their peculiar social system, have thrown themselves into the camp and field with all the dash and high spirit of the
European noblesse of the middle ages, risking, without apparent concern, upon a desperate adventure, all that men value, and after a generation of peace and repose and security, which had not emasculated them, presenting to their enemies a trained and intrepid front, as of men born and bred to war.
’
These are extraordinary statements, coming as they do from an ultra Republican paper.
The Newspaper revolution.
The New York correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press says:
‘
In previous letters I have spoken of the effect of the rise in paper upon the press of this city, and noticed the interest of the
Herald to be the last paper to raise its price, whatever it might lose by the delay.
The object of the
Herald in this was to try its rivals so severely that it might dictate terms to them.
There was a meeting of the ‘"associated Press"’ yesterday, when the
Herald dictated the price of five cents to its contemporaries, as the future figure for them, and they dared not refuse to honor the mandate.
Possibly, four cents may be yet agreed upon.
To give the city papers all possible chance to sustain themselves under the one hundred per cent increase in price, it has been decided, I learn, that all papers published out of the city shall be summarily deprived of the
Associated Press telegraphic news, with a view to giving the four cent dailies a monopoly of the war news.
’
It will be seen by the following paragraph from the Boston
Herald, of Wednesday, that the publishers of that city have been forced, in consequence of the advance in paper, to increase the price of their respective sheets:
‘
The publishers of the
Boston newspapers have been compelled in consequence of the very great increase in the price of white paper, to advance the price of their respective sheets to news agents and dealers, and, consequently, to the public.--This increase includes the
Herald, Journal Traveller, and
Transcript. The
Post, Advertiser and
Courier, will, we are informed, continue to sell at three cents per copy, as heretofore, but will reduce their dimensions.
’
Miscellaneous.
The steamer
George Peabody went ashore at
Hatteras on the 19th, and lies in a dangerous position.
The funeral of
Mrs. Hardenburgh, (late
Miss Oriana Marshall) the well known actress, took place in
Boston on Sunday, and was largely attended.
Father Hersey, one of the oldest ministers of the Methodist Church in the
United States died at Penningtonville
Pa., on the 25th ult. He was formerly city missionary in
Baltimore.
M'me
Marietta Grisi, mother of M'mes Carlotta and
Ernasta Grisi, has just died, at a very advanced age, at the
Villa Grisi, near
Geneva.
James H. Birch, the defeated candidate for Congress from the 6th district of Missouri, announces that he will contest the election of his opponent.
Birch is an Anti Emancipationist.
The
Nationalites, of
Turin, announces the arrival in that city of
M. M. Klapi,
Kossuth, and
Teleki, who, it adds, are preparing to start for
Greece with a large number of Hungarians.
Gen. Scott's letter to
Lincoln, about ‘"wayward sisters, depart in peace,"’ has produced a sensation in
England.
Some of the papers call
Gen. S. the Wellington of the
United States.
Madame Geffard, wife of the
President of the
Republic of Hayti, who is now in
Paris, has presented, the Society of the Prince Imperial (a charitable association) with a donation of one thousand franc.
The
Enchantress, with Mr and
Miss Richings in the leading characters, is nightly drawing immense audiences to
Ford's Theatre, in
Washington.
The drafted men encamped at
Harrisburg, Pa., will, it is said, move for the field of active operations in a few days.
The journeymen bakers and stone-cutters of
Boston have demanded an advance of wages — the former of 25 and the latter of 20 per cent.
Ward, the
American Mandarin and General, was killed at Rungpoo,
China, in a fight, with the rebels.
