The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-10-01 00:00:00

li_ - - _.... .

THE WAR IN AMERICA.

LAUB? WAR News—By the arriyal of the Arago,
we have news from New York to the 18th Inst. At
that date no attack had been made on Washington. but
a reconnaissance in force had been made before the city.
upon the centre and right wings of the Union army,
The belligerents had evidently conic to very close quar-
ters, without an actual collision having taken 'dace.
Maryland appears to be going over openly to the Con-
federates, and several officials have been arrested in
oonaequenoe—the Mayor of Baltimore and ten members
of the Maryland Legislature being among the number,
Fremont's proclamation—which, it will be remembered.
confiscates the property and gives freedom to the slaves
of all persons in the State of Missouri who have taken
up arms against the United States—is beginning to be
put into operation, two negroce having been liberated
under its provisions. The release of Mr. Serrill is am-
armei ; and the Mayor of Washington having consented
to take the oath of allegiance and resign his office, has
also quitted Fort Lafayette. The tone of the Northern
papers is recovering its old accents of arrogance, and of
sours. England comes in for more than it. share of the
usual amount of shwa cod misrepresentation.
. . _ .

By the Canadian, which arrived at Londonderry on
Monday, we have the following news from the seat of
war up to the 14th inst. An action was fought on the
10th inst. near Suinuierville, Western Virginia, between
5,000 Confederates, under General Floyd, and a body
of Northern troupe, under General Roisencrans. The
former were strongly posted, and held their ground
during the contest, but 'luring the night retreated,
abandoning a portion of their baggage and ammunition.
The loss of the Federals is reported to be slight. That
of the Confederates could not be ascertained, as they
removed their killed and wounded. It is rumoured,
but the rumour Is not credited, that General Fremont
has been superseded, on the ground, it is supposed, of
ble having exceeded his authority in issuing the prod"-
tion respecting the slaves owned by insurrectionists in
Missouri. During a skirmish which took place near
' Elkwater last week, Colonel John Washington, of
Mount Vernon, was killed, lighting on the Southern
side. The Kentucky Legislature has decided upon
ordering the rebel troops out of the state, but has re-
fused to adopts similar *parse with regard to the Fede-
ral troops. The Confederates, on the other hand,
appear determined to hold their position in the state, as
by the last accounts there were 15,000 at Columbus,
and 50,000 (5,000?) at Hickman. Prince Napoleon has
arrived at Quebec, and been well received. Skirmishes
continue to take Oros in Missouri and Virginia. The
Confederates are slowly advancing on the Federal lines
in Virginia. This strengthens the belief that • great
battle will soon be fought. Vessels sailing under the
Confederate Sag are admitted into the port of Cube on
the same footing as the vessels of other nations, but
without their nationality being recognised. Large
numbers of persons ciontinne to be arrested in Balti-
more. The Prince de IJonville has arrived. He has de-
clined the reception which was offered him by the
Government.
A TALC OF • of the traitors of spies
arrested in Harrisburg, a day or two ago, on his way
' from Virginia to Now York, was • man named W. J.
Kelly. He and his two ootnrades were all thoroughly
searched, awl evidence was found on each sufficient to
prove that they were properly arrested. Mr. Kelly's
turn was the last one, and his case was much the most
interesting. He had taken off all his tiothes but his
shirt, and nothing contraband or treasonable
could be found on him. He stood thus before
the Mayor and an examining °Moe', and under
the cireumstances the position was a very
embrassing one, for, to say nothing of ordinary
modesty, which may even exist among the rebels, the
owner of that shirt knew it was lined with treason.
The raising of that garment would reveal his treason,
and probably make his life forfeit. The moment of
suspense, during which Mr. Kelly rtood thus before
' his curious captors, must have been rather an agonising
one. But fancy his feelings when the ofnetr remarked
something peculiar in the hang of his shirt, and
fancy them when he was ordered to take it off. He
trembled and turned pale, and his bare knees shook
and knocked together. He could not endure the shock
to his modesty, but called for water; he was on the
poiat of fainting. But the officers were inexorable.
The shirt came off, and the treason of Mr. Kelly was
Laid bare. The shirt was a marvel of ingenious needle-
work, having various well concealed pockets, in which
were found numerous letters from the South ; some
from in the rebel army to their friends in Baltimore •
others to men in New 'York, and • number for Europe'.
In addition to this, there were various bills of sale,
dated at Richmond, for pork and other articles, and
imp packages of money, principally in notes on banks
in the Confederate States. AU of these articles, says
the reporter. were done up in neat packages, and
looked as if they had been subjected to the pressure of
a hydraulic press. The ingenuity that contrived this
new mode of parrying letters was commendable; but it
was baffled by the perseverance and patience of the
oaken at Herlieellre. Mr. Kelly wee provided with
another shirt and accommodations with his comrades
in the county prison. The money was placed for safe
keeping in one of the banks, and the letters and
other documents were delivered to the Attorney-General.
There ought to be valuable revelations in these docu-
ments, concerning spies and traitors in New York, as
well as in other places. Kelly's ALS is • valuable
acquisition for the Government. —Philadelphia Bulletin.
A DESOLATI CITY OF THE SOUTkl.—We have had
concurrent accounts from various quarters going to
*bow the desolation which this niad Southern rebellion
has brought upon her greatest wart of commerce—the
city of New Orleans. Trade and commerce are at a
st&ndstill ; no inward or outward bound vessels pass the
mouth of the Mississippi, unless it be • sneaking pri-
vateer or au insignificant coaster that may escape in a
fog or storm cotton boles and sugar hogsheads are not,
as in former times, piled upon the broad levee, but are
kept on the plantation, lest tiny fall into the hands of
the national forces; the streets are so deserted that the
Picayune perpetrates the dismal joke of recommending
them to the attention of some indostrous nobleman: the
payment of rents is regarded as an antiquated absurdity,
and the citizens generally are quaking in terror over the
idea of a visitation under the national fund.
Sin E. B. Lrrrox, M.P., on Antitica.—The annual
meeting of the Hertfordshire Agricultural Society was
heist on the 25 that Hitchin. After the distribution
of primes the members dined together in the Corn
Exchange. Sir E. B. Lytton, in reapon.ling to the
toast of the "County Member,'," maid: I recollect • few
years ago, when 1 took the chair here, I brought with
as my geed the distinguished diplomatic represen•
Wive of the then United States; and many of you will
remember the enthusiasm with which he spoke of the
kindred ties between us and our brethern in America.
At that moment there was pending between the two
countries one of those irritating questions, in which
much was strongly demanded by young Jonathan and
mildly conceded by John Bull. She then rejoicied in
unity and seeming strength, and I am sure no English-
man will exult over the pangs of her separation
and the horrors of her civil war. (Hear, hear.) I
could not then say what I always felt, that I slid not see
how any thinking nisi* could conceive that the whole of
the American continent could reMain under one Govan.
inent, but that separation must wooer or later take
place. I lung saw it was inevitable, and I now venture
to predict that our young men will live to see, not two,
but at least four, and probably a greeter number of
independent communities arrising out of the American
popitlation, whose legislation has been hitherto directed
by a single President, and whose commerce has been
defended by a single Bag; and so far froin thinking with
the Emperor of Reside, that this serration will be
to
injurious the future development of America, or
idiot any blow on lbo groat priaoip of self-govern'

inent—the only subsistence for freedom—it is my Con-
viction that it will be attended by lipppy results to the
aafety of Europe and to the development of American
civilisation. I sob you to reflect on this; for lam going
to nay what has not, I think, been said before. Just
reflect, if wealth and population continued to increase in
America with the same mpid strides as hitherto, whether
it wee possible that the whole of that continent, with
its inunenee Boatyard and the fleets which its ex.
teuded ambition would have raised and annel, could
long remain under one government with an executive
no feeble that it was unable to control an exciteable
and adventurous population. Why, America would
, have hung over Europe like an overcharged and de-
structive thunder cloud, for no nation would bo abM to
resist the vigorous demands of a nation able to consoli-
date the resources of • continent. But then that on.
wieldy empire would have been destructive to public
freedom and virtue. In the univerial experience of
history such empires as are too west for the circulation
of the life-blood of the people fall to pieces. (Bear,
hear.) It was no with the Babylonian and Avsyrian
empires, despotisms; and with that of Rome, • re- I
public. The same fate in later days befell the empire
of Charlemagne, and the pieces into which it fell are
now the great kingdoms of Europe; and America could
be no exception to the truth of history and the laws of
nature, Subdivided, she is leas formidable to Europe,
less dangerous to Erghind ; but in the wholesome spoil
of oompetition there is likely to apring up a rivalry
between the divided states favourable to the progress
and interests of humanity. From what I have said you
will see I am not ono who sees in the separation of
America the failure of democracy, for the same thing
would have occurred under any form of government,
as the states had no single interest in common. But
when we see how liberty and law broke down in the
moment of danger and of warfare, and how printing
prenses were invaded by a lawless mob, and legitimate
public opinion stifled by government, and how the
President, despairing if his own generals, offered to
Garibaldi the command of the Italian patriots—then,
without vanity to ourselves and without offence to
America, we may say that, in the art of good govern-
ment, by which liberty is maintained in the midst of
danger, America has more to learn from England than
England from America.
A Rents or TERIOR.—An American merchant
sends to the ilancliesier Daily Post the following
letter, received by a member of his firm from a gentle-
man of honour and high position, and one whose state-
ment may be relied on as true, without exaggeration.
The letter is dated "Niagara Fella, Sept. 6, 1861.—My
dear Sir, —I hail this from New York, but without
signing my name, as it has become den/crone for letter
writing to and from ' the States? 1 found such things
going on, that it was necessary for my personal safety
to leave at once, as no ono was safe. gyou foreigners
were down on lists for eurveillanoe. I shall make
another attempt by way of the West to resell my home.
Do not write to nie until you hear from me. Nothing
In the way of business can possibly be done until these
political differences are settled, or Great Britain Shall
au-knowledge the South, And pay no attention to the
Unit, el States blockade. All communications of •
postal nature has ceased, and no one can peas (torn the
North to the :South by chance. Everything at the
North is going to the d— and destruction. The
colil ere w
own are
opinion
but n
is
adverse
one
to allowed I u wtd
(..t.t ivvuakern
ment. Trio good people of England do not, cannot
understand the horrible state of things sA present exist-
ing in the so-called United States. One of their
journals has come out propoaing to exterminate the.
Southern people, and let a new set of people (i.e.,
themselves) take possession of the estates, nogroes. pro-
perty, fcc., of confiscated and departed Owners. Quite
• nice arrangement truly. Northern men (as well
as Southern) an. now daily being arrested f .r sympa-
thising with tlio Secessionists. If lily children were
not alone at the South I would just return to England,
but I uniat do that which I consider my duty, and
endeavour to reach them, to share with them whatever
may be the fate of our beloved home."