New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-08
RECENT EXCAVATIONS.


stiaened at moment into death-the swift de-
structiOn suspeDding in mid-air the tool of the
workman. freezing into gtasty grinnng the
smile Of beauty, and arresting the hand Of the
reVeier as it bore the fOaming goblet to the lip!
we resolutely restrain ourselves from pursuing
this seductive subject in order to come at once
to the application of the matter
When the Federal troops occupied Alexandris,
two weeks ago. they had distant rear view of
many gallant Yirginians who fed away in most
admired disorder, upsetting each other in their
eagerness TO escape from the necessity of fight
ing. They left behind them little valuable
property, as well ns some which represented
wealth to them, but could not be converted by
their invaders into cash. Among the last were
some negroes, and a printing-ofice with an ed
itorial room attached. 1t is with the printing
establishment we are chiefly concerned.
The Aien1ndria Sentinel was q journal whose
ugly face had for a long time made our pile of
Southern exchanges more than normally repulsive.
IL was not so much that it was badly printed
aud gnorantly edited, but it was so pOnderously
dull that it crushed the life out Of all the papers
which lay beneath it. We should have looked as
confidently for fun in comic almanac as in this
AlenendYia Sentinel. Aud yet it has furnished us
amusement Of q certain kind. 1t appears that
this valiant sentinel of Slavery ran away more
nimbIy than any Of tho other virginans leaving bis
editorial nest 10 the dsarray peculiar to such places
Some days elapsed, and a visitor, wandering
about this ruined precinct, entered the office of
the deserted journal There stood the ink-stained
table ON which the editorial boots bad often
rested; there the chair, hacked with restless
Jack knife; there the capacious spttoon, cleansed
at remots period; the practicable chair for
friends; the rIckety, bOttcmle's chair for bores;
the paste-pot, sourer than tho temper of the
man who used it, the scissors, polished with
much use; the pens, rusty through little work;
the ink-stand, filled with pursy spider AID the
withered carcasses Of flies; the whisky bottle, of
course quite empty; and various other things too
numerous To mention. The opened streets Of
Pompe are not more sad.
on the table Of the editor lay piece OF
copy" ready for the printer. 1t was to have
been published in the next issue. Unfortunately
"a press of matter"-in this case rather serious
matter OF United States trooPs-preyented its
appearance. We propose to give II somewhat
wider circulation than it would otherwise have
lad. The bit is this, slightly corrected "a to it's
punctuation in order 70 adapt it 10 the preju-
dices OF educated readers;
CoSt,s TO HI. sESsrs.-The old viii seosled. White
rsr,d Phissopb.r OF IHs IsSt 'hos sofa. 'sns OF r,
turning When dupe, we're wanted 70 bshs the South
l Of January ls2, beng the onse, time would possibly
.ecoun Of the S,uhcn climate not being healthy 70 aach
South UBil No,.moer Hear whA hc nos s.ys 10 he dps
lie @ hs@ os tia; arc h's ~ De ehe"od up And cot
at pl,vure."
Then follows an extract from one of TIE
TRmUNEs leading articles, wherein the South
il spoken of az by nature lighting people.
There was also di-entOmbed a mass of CORE
spondeuce. If the letters received by an editor
of the smallest paper in the backwoOds were to
be published as written, they would all, un-
doubtedly, interest those who take sn il-natured
pleasure in seeing people make asses OF Them
selves, The publication of every one seized in
the Alexandria Office would, perhaps, be anus
ing; but 4 somewhat full experience in such
documents has taken off the edge OF our sppre-
cation. and but few shall be noticed.
Senator Macon. the biggest bully of them a,
furnishes an Autograph The purpose of his
writing is to procure the insertion in The Sea.trct
Of his abominable letter threatening with pslish-
ment all who should dare TO vote against Seces-
sion in Virginia. The autograph epistle is like
Mason. who is social humbug. 1t liz written
on gt.edged paper, but ia bedaubed with a
Lidcous blotch Of ink, evidently smeared after.
ward by the Senatorial thumb.
Next we find q letter from candidate, who
wishes "to represent tho county OF Prince
"William in the approaching Convention.
Ibis is Eppa Ilunton, aud the editorial indoFse'
ment ssyles him " Gen. l.. Hnnton." lie ap'
nros., OF tic course OF The SeatiSei which he
call. manly aa3 able. Wien a correspondent
writes to an cdi0r approving hls course, he
wants an AZ grounh Gen. j.. Hunton's AK
shortly appears. lIe is very anxious that the
Convention shall not vote to submit the question
Of Secession to tho people. and he wishes the
able editor 10 work against the submission.
This is the point Of the noble patriots lettet
Mr. j. Barton Hill writes from New-fork on
the 26th Of January. He incl0ses d communica-
ton. II doesn't appear TO have been prklishcd.
NfIs i'N 'phihAtI'tAi'ti' VI" 49, NAf" t'N"'' -
proportion to the number sent. Mr.. Hill states
that be- is unaccustoincd 10 writing ior pnblica-
ton, IN entirely unnecessary remark, but one
usually made in such cases What moved him
to commit hnself 10 paper, was reported da'
loeue between q man and Marshsl ISAIAH
Rynders, printed in tho New-York papers OF the
time. Half Of the communication is taken up
with al enormous puff Of Rynders, Tor bis
" strenuous efforts TO carry the Union tickot;"