Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-07-02
An hNsLh IAN'S VIEWS On The
IdERlCAN WAR

Vn' Ou CorrsspoHdent tn Nsn Or.
.a" M. REsseIs Tenth Letter to ths
H>adOn Times--R, rarkabie Rsvelations-
-Ss4 Treatment Of srstish Subjects
New ORLEANS, May Is. z
There are doubts arising In my mind respect.
ing the Sanber Of armed men actually in the
fefd In tAe South, and the amount of aruls in
The possession Of the Federal forces The oon-
slant advertisements and appeals for ~ fe W
more men, to complete Euch and such compa.
nies, furnish some sort Of evidence that men
are still wanting. But painful and startling
Insight into the manner in which volunteers
nave BEEN sometimes obtained, has been af
forded to me at New Orleans. In no country
In the world have outrages on British subjec Is
been 30 frequent and so Wanton ss in the States
of America. They have been frequent, per-
Aaps, because they have generally been at
tended with impuhity.
Englishmen, however, will be still q little
surprised to hear that within few DAYS Brit
lish subjects living In New Orleans have been
seized, knocked down, carried off from their
labor at the wharf and the workshop, and
forced by violence to serve in the volunteer
rapks. These cases are not isolated They
are net in twes and threes but in tens and
twenties; they have not occurred steaIthily or
in by-rays; they have taken place in the open
day and in the streets of New Orleans These
men have been dragged along like felons, pro-
testing in vain that they were British subjects
Fortunately, their friends bethought them that
there was still British Consul in the city,
whe would protect his countrymen-English,
Irish, or Scotch. Mr.. Mure, when he heard
of the reports and of the evidence, made ener-
getic representations to the authorities, who,
alter solne evasion, gave orders that the im-
pressed "volunteers' should be discharged
and the Tiger Rifles" and other compa1iss
were deprived of the services of thirty-fye
British subjects whom they had taken from
their usual ayocations. The Mayor promises
ii shall not OCCUR again. 1t is high time that
such acts shosld be put a stop to, and that the
mob Of New Orleans should be taught to
pay some regard to the usayes of civilized
nations There are some strange laws here
and elsewhere in reference to com pulsary sery-
Ice On the part Of foreigners which it would he
well to inquire into, and Lord John Russell
may be able to deal with them at favorable
opportunity. As to any liberty of opinion or
real freedom here, the boldest southerner
would not dare to say shadow of either ex-
1ste 1t may be as bad in the North for all /
know. but it must be remembered that in all
my communications speak of thing. as they
appear TO me to be in the place where am at
the time. The most cruel and atrocious acts
are perpetrsted by the rab5le who style them
selves citizens. The national failing of curl
osity and prying into other peoples afairs l.
now rampant, and assumes the name and airs
OF patriotic vigilance. Every Stranger is
watched, every word is noted, es,fsuaee com
mands every key y-hols and ev ery lettsr-box.
love OF country takes to cav esd droppinp. and
freedom slaves mems hea is, and packs men
up in bsIes for the utt.rspce OF & sboIition
sentiments" In this ..ity there is a terrible
substrstum Of crime and vice, violence, mis-
cry, and murder, over which the wheels OF The
Cotton Kings ch Ariot rumble gratingly, and
on which rest Il dangerous security the feet Of
bis throne fhere are numbers Of negroes
who are se;lt cut on the streets every day with
Or66ra 10 rat, xr1k ska-
anything more they oan keep. But If they do
not gain that-about IS. Sd. dsy-they are
fr1bie to punishment; they may be put into
goal on charges Of laziness, and may be fOgged
ad kfbitus1. and are sure to be half starved.
Can anything, then, be more suggestive than
this paragraph, which appeared in last nights
paper - Only three coroners' inquests were
held yesterday on persons found drowned in
the river, names unknown" The italics are
mine. Over and over again has the boast been
repeated to me that on the plantations lock
and key are unknown or unused in the plan
ters' houses. But in the cities they are much
used, though scarcely trusted. 1t appears IN
deed, that unless . slave has made up his or
her mind to incur the dreadful penalties Of
flight, there would be no inducslneE. 10 COM
init theft, for money or jewels would be USE
less: search would be easy, detection nearly
certain. That all the slaves are not indifer-
ent to the issues before them is certain. At
the house Of q planter, the other day, one Of
them asked my friend, will We be made to
work, msssa, when ole English ceme?" An old
domestic in the house of a gentleman in this
city said, There are few whites in this
place who ought not to be killed for their cru
city to US" Another said, l." Oh, just wait till
they attack Pickens These little hints
are significant enough, coupled with the mott
oes Of runaHays and the Judgments in the Do
lice goals, to show that all is not quiet below
the surface. Tho holders, however, are firm,
and there have been many paragraphs stating
that the slaves have contributed 20 tho various
funds FOR State defence and they generally
show the very best spirit.
By the proclamation of Gov. Mago6in, copy
OF which i snciose, you will see that the Gov
ernor Of the commonwealth Of Kentucky, and
Commander-in-Chief of all her military forces
On land or water, warns all States, separated
or united, especially the United States and the
Confederate States, that he will 6ght their
troops II they attempt to enter bis common
wealth. Thus, Kentucky sets up for herself,
while Virginia is on the eve of destruction,
and an actual invasion has taken place of her
sod. IL u excsedingly difficult Of oomprehen-
sion that, with the numerous troops, artillery,
and batteries which the Confederate journals
asserted to be In readiness to repel attack, an
invasion, which took place in the face of the
enemy, and was effected over 4 broad river,
with shores readily defensible, should have
been unresisted. Here it Is said there is a
mighty plan, in pursuance of which the United
Btatss troops are TO be allowed TO make their
way into Virginia. that they may at some con-
senient place DO eaten up by their enemies;
and IL We hear that the Confederates at Hsr-
pers Ferry retain their position one may be-
1ievs ssme suoh plan really exists, although
1t il rather doubtful strategy to permit the
United States forces to be in possession of the
right bank Of the Potomsc. Should the posi-
tiOn 1t Hsrpsr's Ferry be really occupied with
dssigEof using IL a. point daPpa for
msxemss against the North, and any large
number Of troops be withdrawn from AnnapO-
lis, Washington, and Baltimore, 80 as to leave
those places comparatively undefsndsd, an ir-
ruption In force Of the Confedsrates On the
right fank and In rear Of Gen. Scott's army,
might cause most serious isoonvenience snd
'endanger mis- communications, II not the pos
session Of the places indicated.
Locking at the msp, il is easy to somprs
hend tht nsrch southwards from AlsIan-
dris could be oVmbined with an effective move
ment By the forces said TO be concentrated in
and around Fortress Monroe, % as to place
Richmond itsef in danger and III apy such