The national Republican., 1861-06-22

1rue 10 your country stM. '.HiE o. t
RETURN OF THE REBELS TO HAIR
.'. PER'S FERRY. 4..' '.'' p.
We take the following account from the
Star: Al. Il u,f.t.. ,-.rull l.I,-
- FREDERIcK, June 20--6 p NJ e.,
Editor Star: have just returned from car
ryiug out your directions to see for myself
aud report the actual state of things at Hsrper's
Ferry. rn. .... .yr,-... .,.G.H.
Yesterday "Wednesday afternoon, at three
o'clock, crossed over to Hsrper's Ferry, and
found everything pretty much as the secession
troops had left it.. Such scene of utter desc
| laton and destruction never before met my
eyes. ] returned back to Sandy Hook lone
mile below Harper's Ferry, on the Maryland
eide Of the Potomac,) to rest for the night.
After an early breakfast l returned to the
Maryland end Of the late Harpers Ferry bridge
| over the Potomac, and assembled the mountain
heights there, to look at the condition Of the
works on that side that the enemy had aban.
doned. At 6 A. NJ. ! discovered picket or
advance mounted guard Of about dozen men,
vending their way into Harper's Ferry, down
the Chsrlestown road. Alter making q circle
through the town, they returned out upon the
Charlestown road, and in an hour afterwards
| saw force of about, 800 foot and GO horse
| enter the town by the same road, On their ap.
pearance on the outskirts of the town, there
was general stampede Of the citizens that had
remained there or ventured to return there after
its late evacuation BY General Johnson's, army.
They mostly rushed into the river and made
| for the Maryland shore by wading and swim.
ming. Some put off in small boats. The se
oession troops hurried to the waters edge after
them, and fred ut the poor defeuceless cres
| L. e tln,, ~ac
their pieces. Not one of them, (about fifty
in number,) however, was either killed or
woundsd. ~, ,at 81. ..gr ,i.t,n,l.n,,..... 4
4, The disunion, troops Immediately afterwards
recommended the work of distraction. saw
them set fire to the fine bridge over the Shenan
doah--fa costly uncovered structure, built about
two years ago. They completely dsstyoyed it,
though il was all on Virginia soil. They next
went 70 the Potomac Baltimore and Ohio rail
road) bridge and threw into the river fue and
very large locomotive, that had been left, (be.
cause too large te lie carried off upon the Win.
chester railroad when Johnson,s Amy retreated
on the only span Of the bridge work that was
not burned on the morning Of the evacuation
it being an iron span, it will be recollected.
They accomplished that work of desruction.-
throwing the locomotive into the river-by the
use Of crowbars, &c. They next arrested Mr..
E. II. Chambers, surrounding his house and
ordering him to surrender, which he refused to
do. An order was then given to shoot him |;
and then he surrendered and was taken off ON
horseback, without even permitting him to get
his hat. They next went to the sesidence of
Nat Allison, and arrested him pretty much in
the saipe. way, and afterwards Mr.. John Chat
ham, Armstead Roderipk, Adam Ruleman, and
Mr. Abram Herr, who owns and carries on the
great Touring mills there. All these gentle.
men are highly respectable citizens and strong
Unionists. In all, they arrested and hurried
off about twelve. They next went to the Halls
rife works and removed the gunstocks that had
been left there undestroyed; they were worth
about $4,000, and it was understood they were
preparing TO send them to Richmond via the
Winchester rsilroad. l remained watching
them, from the mouutsip, Ipti one P. NJ, up to
which time they were engaged in scouting the
gunstocks and had fred one of the rife shops
before left my position to hurry to this point,
to telegraph the Star this account of their re-
turn to Harper's Ferry.
From some of the citizens who escaped their
clutches by swimming the Potomac, learned
that they avowed that they had orders to burn
every house In the town on which Union flag
was found hoisted and also to burn the bridge,
and all the remaining rifle and arms works.
learned from the swimmer that Johnson 8
army is understood, at Harper's Ferry, to have
gone in different directions, a portion remain.
ing at Bnnksrs Hill, eighteen miles from Har.
pers Ferry and nine miles from Charlestown ;
some going further down towards Manassas ,
some stretching along between Charlestown,
Winchester, and in the direction of Martins.
burg; another portion wa, said to have gone
to Romney.
NO PRIVATEERS TO ENTER BRITISH
mPORTS-THE DEBATE IN PARLIA-
MENT. ...u
The following is a report of the debate in
the British House of Commons, on the Sd inst,
on privateering: +
Mr.. W. E. Forster asked the secretary for
foreign affairs, whether her Majesty's Govern.
ment would exercise the discretion which BY the
law Of nations they possess to prevent privateers
sailing under the, as yet unrecognised flag of
the so-called Southern Confederacy, from bring.
ing their prizes into any port of her Majesty 9
dominions. He added that he did not ask this
question with regard to privateers sailing un-
der the flag of the United States, simply be.
cause he had no expectation that any letters of
marque would be issued by the United States
| Government. :. ''... rl. 49, .. b.. do.
Lord J. RusselL-My answer must be rather
wider in extent than the question which has
been put to me. The whole matter has been
considered by her Majesty's Government, aud
it has been determined, after consulting the
law officers OF the crown, that orders should
be given 10 mterdict Tie ships Of par and pri,
pateers Of both pa,ties from e,tering Tie ports
and harbors Q Tie United Kingdom, or Of Me
colonies and dependencies Of her Majesty, oah
prizes. In order to make the matter more clear
the House will perhaps allow me to read an ex,
tract from the dispatch which has been sent to
the India Office, aud to the governors Of the
colonies.
"Her Msjssty's Government are, as yop are
| asara dsuirons Of ohaarxinn thu atrini ont nan.