AMERICAN NEWS

Wellington Independent, 2 December 1861, Page 1

AMERICAN NEWS

TO THE 19th SEPTEMBER. The commercial letters received by the mail from New York express, though in guarded manner, weariness of tha war, and desponding anticipations whatever may be its mode of termination. Business generally was more active, but the existing tariff and the doubts that it may possibly be permanent, prevent merchants from, entering into any transactions that cannot be wound up as quickly as the country can now pay for its imports only by the supplies of grain. A conviction is stated by some of the most experienced financiers, that if the war continues, all the Banks will inevitably suspend before next summer. The rate of exchange was very firm at lO7f to 108, and there were very few drawers up to the 6th September, although , the loan of ten millions had been two weeks hi the market, only £800,000 had been subscribed by the public The main body of the hostile armies still stand faoe to faoe along the line of the Potomac General M'Lelland, Federal Commauder, has effected considerable improvements in the discipline and organisation of the Northern but he has not yet attempted a single offensive movement, he scarcely feels himself as yet sufficiently strong to hazard a repitition of that advauce Southward which the North formerly clamoured for so eagerly, and which resulted in the disaster of Bull's Run. -With regard to the Secessionists,Beaure'gard, the Southern leador, had actually, it is affirmed, commenced a movement aoross the Potomac at the end of August for the purpose of cutting off the Federalists at Harpur Ferry from those at Washington.! (general M'Lelland defeated that 4nano3nvre by ordering the , position at Uarpur's Ferry to be abandon- ; cd. Asa fair stand therefore, on the : Potomac, it appears that an engagement on a large soalo may take place at any

moment, though the Federal General shows no desire to force it. President L'incqln has been by no means inactive. tfe recently fitted out a naval expedition with secrecy and despatch, with the view of acting against those portions of the coast of the Southern States which harbour and protect the privateers. The,expedition was directed, in the iirs't instance in the ports at Cape Hatteras, and it achieved a success which has raised the spirits of the Northerers not a little. The garrisons of J,he ports surrendered as prisoners of war, and the forts and the ammunitions of war whioh they contained are now in the possession of the Federal- ' ists, but a more important, and also a more perilous expedition, is being fitted out in Missouri — a strong flotilla, carrying rifled arms, will descend in the stream from Missouri to Louisiana, while 'each bank is cleared of enemies by a formidable Qp/lutnn of troops. If, ; th,i.^e,»pediikfrii $hfeh is to be &ided?4&ysw&&&y^4 another fighting its way up for New Orleans, should prove successful, the .Border States of the West, Missouri,, Arkansas, and Louisana, would be cut off from the Confederacy, and the great • highway of Mississipi expedition would be under Federal command. This Mississipi expedition would be entrusted to General Tremon, the commander of the Union forces in Missouri. Martial Law proclaimed in Missouri. Several Federal regiments mutinied. Kentucky expected to secede. — In the North the feeling of waging the war on an anti- slavery basis is gaining ground. The measures passed into law by the Northern Congress, arid .the / Executive proclamations issued b y y President Lincoln on his own responsibility, embrace a circle of prohibitions, penalties, and menaces such as no European Sovereign would venture upon under any pressure of circumstances. For example: the Southern Ports are shut up by President Lincoln, which., in other countries would be considered preposterous. All persons coming or going from a suspected State are required to be provided with passports; and all persons who ara supposed to be in favour of secession are seized and put into prison. Arrests on suspicion, even of ladies, are constantly . taking place. Spies are employed on board f the steamships plying between Liverpool and the United States. Letters are intercepted at ifye post offices/ and travellers are seized and shut tip in prison. A recent telegram brings intelligence of the fate of the editor oif a secession journal in Massachusetts, who having published some observatidna in his journal which did not happen to, please the rabble, was instantly/ dragged out of his house and tarred and feathered In other places we hear of presses destroyed, and newspaper offices sacked | and gutted. This is the work no doubt of the people themselves, and not of tb.e authorities ; but it is all of a piece. The authorities pursue exactly the same unliceused course.! What they don't like they put down and what they suspect they punish. In advance of proof, hence it happens so utterly lawless are both the Executive and the population, that the whole country is in a state of chaos, and that we cannot reckon from day' to day upon the turn events will take next. The command of the Federal army was , offered to Garibaldi, who declined. The Russian Government addressed a , despatch to the Federal Government, urging reconciliation with the South.