AMERICA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 38, 28 December 1861, Page 5

AMERICA.

English readers of American newspapers naturally ask, what has become of all the " eminent statesmen" who have been the representative men of the great republic for the last dozen years —the presidents, secretaries, and ministers whom Europe has been called on to reverence ? Some have faded into obscurity, some are objects of contempt, some are in open revolt against the Government which they have served, some are prisoners in Eort Lafayette. With the exception of Mr. Seward, who is well known in England, especially from his stump speeches on the Canadian frontier, prophesying the speedy annexation of Canada, there is not a single man in the Federal States now exercising political influence, either in or out of office, with whose name people in England are familiar. Even General Scott, who three months ago was spoken of as the equal of Napoleon or Wellington, and immeasurably superior to any other general in the world, leaving the Clydes, Peliissiers, M'Mahons, and Cialdinis of the' Old World far behind, has experienced the proverbial ingratitude of republics, and has now become a nonenity. " Old Lufs and and Feathers is played out "is the cry. " the young Alexander who will lead our%osts to victory," is turned back to the command of a division, and M'Clellan is the hero of the hour. The New York correspondent of the ' Morning Post,' in referring to this hero-worship of General M-Clellan—" that young Napoleon"—says:—

" The sensation reporters!;send the most thrilling! tales of M'Clellan's visits in the Haroim Alrasehild style to the various camps. A certain regiment is reputed to have a quartermaster whose principal object is to feather his own nest. A mild-looking individual in mufti enters the camp, and goes from tent to tent conversing with, the men. After a time he goes to the quartermaster and charges him with cheating-. "Who the —— are you?" "I am George^M'Lellan !" Quartermaster throws himself at the caliph's feet and begs for mercy. " Clear out within an hour!" Scene closes with the quartermaster being ridden on a rail out of the camp by the starving and indignant warriors, and the apotheosis of George M'CieiJan in the|true style of an Adelphi drama. The narrative omits to state whether the quartermaster, on dismounting from his rail, was allowed to bolt without giving any account, but likely he was, and made a good thing of it. This is one specimen of numerous stories by which the sensation-mong-ers are doing- their best to create a fictitious reputation for the new general of the army of the Potomac, which in reality only casts ridicule on him. General M'Clellan may not be a great general, a " second Napoleon," but one thing is certain, that he is a determined, honest, and energetic man. He distinctly refuses to be serenaded, or to make stump speeches, or to act as shuttlecock between General Scott and Secretary Cameron, or to do anything but use his best endeavours to turn the motley crowd of armed men that line the banks of the Potomac into reliable soldiers. He knows the task that lies before him, and that Johnston and his old friend Beauregard are no contemptible foes ; and he puts his hand to the plough knowing' well that, in ease of failure, those who are "not his parasites will become his critics."

A good deal of interest has been excited of late by a very eloquent speech wiiieii the Hon. Charles Sumner delivered at the Republicans'-.'Statel--Con-vention, held at Worcester, Massachusetts, on the Ist of October. The speech remarkable as the attempt of a distinguished statesman to give to the war the same character which Fremont endeavoured to give to it by operations in the field. Mr. Sumner pronounces for the abolition of slavery, and advocates the introduction of this element into the struggle. " Look at the war as you will," he says, " and you will always see slavery." After adducing from ancient history examples of the success of emancipation in achieving great military results, he urged that a simple declaration that all slaves coming within the lines of the American troops should be free, would be in strict conformity with the constitution and with precedents. Again, he urged .that the Executive possessed the power to abolish slavery under martial law, and quoted the opinion of John Quincey Adams to this effect. Mr. Simmer's speech was loudly applauded, but ths plaudits bestowed upon it did not draw the vote after them. A series of resolutions, embodying the propositions of the speech were put to the vote, and negatived by the same audience which, we are told, received Mr. Sumner's sentiments with " the most enthusiastic demonstrations of applause."

Case of Crim. Con. with a Slave.—TkeiVew;' Zealander of the 23rd ultimo publishes the following, on tlie authority of a resident in the Waikato district:—The other day a slave of Ngatiapakura was caught with the wife of a chief oi'Ngatimaniapoto ; the incensed husband loaded his gnn, put it to the head of the offender, who was so awed at the enormity of the wrong which he had committed towards a"snperior, that he did not presume to flinch or change his posture, although he momentarily expected to have his brains blown out ; the trigger was pulled, but the man was unhurt, a person who stood by having jerked up.the gun at the critical moment, Oil perceiving himself baffled, he flew to his tomahawk, and sprang forward to deal a fhf-vl h!ov.-, but wa?« forcih 1}- withhold hv Irs frier dp and, after much struggling and persuation. was induced to spare life and seek for payment instead. He then seized hold of the unfortunate wight, and throwing him on the ground, called for ropes to be brought to bind his pig, and the hapless wretch was left bound hands and feet to a tree, while the chief mounted his horse, and galloping into the settlement, visited two chiefs who were joint owners of the man and demanded utu. Each expressed inability to satisfy the claim, but made an offer of the slave as payment, which was accepted. So the man is now transferred from one tribe to the other. In this case the lady did not get off scot free, as is too often the case, but she was tied up in a nude state, and greatly to her astonishment and indignation, ' received a sound and wholesome flogging on the spot.

An unlucky private in one of the New York regiments was wounded in the fight, and his father arrived at the hospital just as the surgeon was removing the ball from the back of the shoulder. The boy lay with his back downward on the pallet ' Ah, my poor son,' said the father mournfully, ' I'm very sorry for you. It's a bad place to be hit in—thus in the back.' The sufferer turned o ver bared his breast, and pointing to the opening above the armpit, exclaimed, < Father here's where the ball went in.'

The boy who lost his balance on the roof fpuud it on the ground shortly afterwards.