The Express.
London, England, 1862-04-29 00:00:00

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, Anar. 17.
General Ha deck has assumed the command of
the array in Tennessee. The Confederate head-
quarters are at Corinth. There is a space of only
two miles between the two armies at Corinth, and
another battle is considered imminent.
The Journal of Commerce has the following re-
marks on the capture of Fort Pulaski :
It is not likely that an advance en Savannah will meet
with formidable opposition. Fort Jackson is • small work
four miles below the city, on a site near a bend in the river.
and commands the channel. It is built of heavy brick
masonry, and has an armament of ten 24-pounders, several
field pieces and howitzers, and a few mortars. Above this
fort again, as described by the Richmond Demote/4, are
beZtenee enough to make it a serious under eking to pro-
ceed to Savannah, but any obstacles of this character must
speedily yield to overpowering force.
The Despatch mourned in advance that the acquisition of
the city by the Federal+ would avail little. The editor
vauntingly said—" When at Savannah, what have the
Yankees obtained, The people then will hold no inter-
course with them. Were the turfing Rhode Wand senator
there with his vessel, he would find no one to open a trade
with him. There in indeed nothing there. There is no
cotton, and the banks have transferred their valuables to
the interior, so there is nothing for trade, and little
whereupon to employ the other predominant passion of the
Yankees.—stealing. They may burn Savannah. Well, let
them if they can reach it.
At last amounts there were supposed to be at Savannah
and thereabouts 4,000 Confederate troops.
The blockade of Savannah is now complete, and we take
it that the vessels which have done duty in that neighbour-
hood may seek employment elsewhere.
The fall of Pulaski places the Union in undisputed pos-
session of the entrances to Savannah, and for the future
we shall not hear of vowels running the blockade into that
river. The damage done on the walls of the fort by the
gnus brought to bear is another illustration of the programs
of, and improvements in, artillery. Stone forte and wooden
ships haveceased to rank high in the offensive and defensive
means of war. A few years ago we built this fort—a strong
and well-planned work of military art. Now with our im-
proved artillery, finding it in the hands of an enemy, we
batter it down like a child's toy house.
The Washington correspondent of the Journal of
Commerce says there is a new political movement on
foot in Washington.
The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times says, that the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions to which had been referred the treaty between
Great Britain and the United States, for the slip-
pression of the Slave trade, reported it back with-
out amendment, and with the favourable endorse-
ment of the committee. It is the opinion that the
treaty will receive the prompt sanction of the full
Senate, and be forthwith forwarded to England, to
be ratified by the British government.
General Grant, in his official report of the battle
at Pittsburg Landing, after describing the first

day's righting, says :
During the night all was quiet, and feeling that a great
moral advantage would be gained by being the attacking
party, an advance was ordered as soon as the day dawned.
The result was the gradual repulse of the enemy at all
points of the line, from nine o'clock until probe-1)1y five
o'clock in the afternoon, when it became evident that the
enemy was retreating. My force was too much fatigued,
from two days bard fighting and exposure in the open air
to • drenching rain during the intervening night, to pursue
immediately. General Sherman, however, followed the
enemy, fiuding that the main pert of their army had re-
treated in good order.
M. Mercier, the French Minister at Washington,
arrived ou the 16th instant at Fortress Monroe,
cud went on board the French steamer Gassendi,
which steamed up to Norfolk. Curiosity was evi-
denced in naval circles to know if the French
steamer would salute the Confederate flag at Nor-
folk ; and if the Confederate guns would salute the
French flag. It is supposed that M. Mercier will
visit Richmond. Some despatches state that he
has gone to look atter some French government
tobacco stored at Richmond. Other despatches say
that M. Mercier's visit gives rise to much specula-
tion in Washington.
The Tribune states it is rumoured that the Fede-
ral Secretary of War has resigned.
President Lincoln has sent a message to Congress
announcing his signature and approval of the bill
emancipating the alavea in the district of Columbia.
In this message the President says he never
doubted the constitutional authority of Congress
to abolish slavery in the district, and always de-
sired to see the national capital freed from slavery
in some satisfactory way. Hence he never had in
his mind any question on the subject except the
one of expediency rising in view of all the circum-
stances. If there be matters within and about this
act which might have taken a course or shape more
satisfactory to his judgment, the President says he
will not attempt to specify them. The President
is gratified that the two principles of c,impensation
and colonisation are recognised in the aot.l
Three commissioners have been appointed to in-
vestigate and determine the value of slaves in the
district of Columbia.
The Washington correspondent of the New York
Herald says that President Lincoln's signature to
the Emancipation Bill greatly disappoints conser-
vative men in Congress. It is regarded as an un-
willing consent to a measure of doubtful expe-
diency under existing circumstances. The Border
State members are much depressed at the prospect
of an unfavourable result from the adoption of this
measure upon their Union loving constituents.