New-York daily tribune., 1861-09-06

G.- ogc harmless abO hlll""0i WI
-. proVost Marshal Major Mekmst'y'
,yh,t II. Effect will he upon tho Rebels rs
notter Of surmise. Doubtless IL VIII
provoke a COULTER proclamation from Don 'i0
Cnlloch, and a f'c,h assurance that Dc WIZ give
q no ouarter." But we do hope that IN fEe-
,oout we have at least oue commander who Is
~ to be frigbteoed into Wilk-and-wa'er policy
by tbrests from the Rebels. ut all eVen's we
q. have" them iu this respect: there ID 10 save
nopplation in the North for them to set lee
garubo is becoming the central 6gure 10 the coz
troyersy; and Dir. Wendeli Philips was rlgh' ID
the assertion that the four milliOns OF negroes
now hold A" tho balance Of power" on thS CON-
t,nept. There are at least $4,000 slsfss :"
Missouri, irk0Ss masters are or hass O''" %
ds Rebd erwy, and rho are "|'0'S
aop declared free men," UP"aiu
20 citzebs Of ST. Louis are also known W 10
actively engaged 10 tbe Rebellion. lhey "'i' o'
notified publicly, aud by name, 10 return '''H7n u.
allegiance WITHIN n gIveO Dumber OF oaySi ahO II
they do not comply, their property wiii oe iHine'
diately coh6scated, and sid uuder the hammer
for The beueft Of Government. Military c0mins-
sons will be established for the trial Of alleged
criminals; legal counsel will be- granted them for
defence; but 10 sort OF tecbicslitlcs will be
allowed 10 shield them or to cause delay; con.
vct,on will be sumusriIy followed by punishment.
The lines tighten, the elements crystalline, and,
in the Western Department, We are likely to have
no more roseWater, but grim, desperate, relent-
less warfare.
In the interior the Thugs and sssassns con-
tinue their diabo cal work. On Friday they fired
sixty shots into a traiu OF the North Missouri Rail
road fortunately only ioflicting slight wound
upon one passenger. A man named wells, charged
with belonging to tLese gangs, who burn bridges,
blow up railroad tracks, and fire into cars, has
fallen into the hands of the PrOsOst-Marshal.
he is now here iu irons, and will be tfied to-
morrow. Ii found gGlty, he will doubtless be
hung or shot before tins letter reaches you 1t
is b'gh time for few decisve examples.
The order from the War Department. utterly
prohibiting the publication of intelligence in re-
gard TO the movements Of troops, is better late
than never. We have been saving the rebels the
expense of employing spies quite long enough.
In this city, Only few days since, the exact
number Of men uuder Geu. Prcntiss, the names
Of bis officers regiments, aud battallOus the points
in which his army was detective, and the fact
shat be was ust starting in pursuit of the enemy,
which was only 45 miles south of him, were all
given 10 Iniaute detail. On the whole, however,
tie afars Of this Department have been we'll
conducted ia that respect. Gen. Fremont pos-
sesses the rare accomplishment OF silence--hardy
letting his left hand know what his right hand
doeth. Scores Of the gentlemen who thought they
understood bis plans were as much surprised as
anybody upon the appearance of his late pTocla'
nation. That he has been extremely active is
generally known; that be is organizing an army
ia also understood; but there are not four men
ia ST. Louis to-day, journalists included, who
know the number of men no,T under aTms IN this
Department; aud there are very few VINO could
come within 10000 Of it. The forces are scat
tered about at so moDy points, 80 constantly
moving, and receiving many occasions, that
one must be- like Michael Cassie, q great arith.
TDetician, TO keep the account, even if all the
sources Of information are open to m. But the
force lis much larger than is generally supposed
beFe; and the artillery upd cavalry arm Of the
service are each receiving doe attention.
Ono of the most noticeable results Of the pre-
vailmg activity is to be found in the prepara-
fiODs, now Dearly perfected, for Cawp Ben
tou," the schoo OF military instruction for this
department. The enterprise wac conducted en-
sirely by Major McKinstry. Fourteen days ago,
90 frat drew the plans; and now the most eI-
tensiye barrscks ever erected in the United
States are completed Ii they were ragged il
one continuous line they wOuld form building
nearly three miles in length; and they afford
ample accommodations for twenty-seVen Thousand
men Notwitbstandpg tie rapidity With which
the work has been accomplished, it is economi-
ealy done, AID well done. The barracks are
built Of cheap, uDplaned lumber, which has cost
tie Government $l2 psr thousand. They arc
provided with excellent yeutilstion, aud the ample
grounds Of the camp are graded, and supplied
with thorough system Of sewerage. The regi-
mental and company officers occupy quarters
side by side with those vi their men-which Will
compel them to enforce discipline, and attend to
their legitimate duties, instead Of spending their
time in the city, and some Of them now 40,
giving way to the free Use Of liquor--that deadly
Zoe to the efficiency OF an army.
Camp Benton is located on Col. O'Fallon's es-
tate, in the northwest part OF tue city near TIE
fair grounds; aud is to include upward OF six
hundred acres, afordiug facilities for every de-
scription of drill and parade 1t will be occupied,
within the next three days, by 2O,OOO troops;
and will Immediately become 0 great school Of
instruction. Each regiment is 10 occupy quar-