The national Republican., 1861-03-25
N EW s ITEM s

A Canada postmaster has absconded with
100000 of the Government funds, besides com.
hitting other swinding transactions to like
amount
An enthusiastic Union man in California thus
closes business letter:
California is upright, downright, and out.
right for the Union, whatever its Legislature
may say or do. No buzzard, bat, owl, pelican,
nigger, bear, or wolf flag shall ever flap treason
from its folds while there lives pioneer to pull
it down."
The official census of the United States has
just been completed, and it shows total of
81 ,429,89l; Of these, 3,95l ,s0l are slaves.
Mr.. Cobb, the former Representative from
Alabama, and who was for long time sound
Unionist, has at length accepted the new Con-
stitution of the Confederate States. He will
hereafter take his chance with the secessionists.
The storm of Thursday night, at the East, was
the heaviest snow fall OF the season. In Bos.
ton and vicinity, snow fell to the depth of full
twelve inches, with keen, sharp air and high
wind in fact, a gale. A vast amount of dam.
age was done to the trees, both in the city and
the suburbs. Large limbs were broken off and
strewn about the streets.
DESPERATE AFFRAY IN TExAs.-An affray
occurred in Texas, Jackson county, on We'd
nesday, the 9th inst, between Mr.. Voolfolk on
one side, and Messrs G. NJ. Flourney and R.
s. Flourney on the other. Several shots were
exchanged with effect, the first named gentle.
man being killed, and the elder Flourney se-
verely wS'nded.
A DESPERATE GAMBLER.-A young man,
gar bier, lost his entire fortune last season, at
Baden, amounting to $l6O,600. After gam
bling away successvely, park, chateau, city
mansion, and country house, there remained
to the unfortunate gamester, out of all his es.
tates, only single spot Of ground-a small
orange plantation.
There were 35 mail pouches on the Penn.
sylvania railroad train which was burnt on
Wednesday night, most of which were destroy.
ed. Among them the St. Louis and Louisville
mails of the 10Th, and the Cincinnati Toledo,
Columbus and Pittsburg mails of the 2Oth,
destined for Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and
Washington. The Harrisburg mail alone was
saved. Among the letters partly destroyed was
one to the President. The remains of the
letters will be sent to the dead letter office.
The streets ofRome are now nightly infested
by thieves and assassins. The gendarmerie,
though 5000 in number, afford no security to
the Inhabitants or to strangers after dark.
J. A. Stewart, of Atlanta, Ca, having writ.
ten letter to Nashville (Tenn.) paper, con.
demning secession, the Atlanta Itelligencer
calls for his expulsion from the town.
The Oldest member of the Ouondaga tribe
of Indians died recently, aged l2O years.
Abd.el Kader is about to visit France, "which
he loves SO wel.'
The latest advices from Port au Prince, un-
der date of the 18th of February, inform us that
Captain Pellitier, ofth American ship William,
had had charge preferred against him of try.
ing to kdnap some of the natives, and carry
them to Cuba, there to be sold as slaves The
principal witnesses against him are his own
crew.
John Barrel, an engineer on the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, was instantly killed on Thurs.
day afternoon, while the train under his charge
was nearing Moundsville. He had gone for.
ward for the purpose of oiling the wheels of the
engine, when he fell from the platform, and was
crushed to death between the wheels, his head
being severed from the body. He resided in
Cumberland where he leaves a wife and child.
Bullion in the Bank of England had de.
creased El49,OOO. The money market was
generally unchanged. Consols, 9lB "a 924.
About three o'clock on Friday afternoon. a
man, named William W, Fife, residing in Tenth
street, above Poplar, Philadelphia, Jumped
from window in the third story of the build.
ing to the ground, with the intention of com,
mitting suicide. He was considerably injured
by the concussion, but not having succeeded
in accomplishing his purpose, he rushed back
to bis chamber, seized a pair of scissors, and
inflicted several stabs Il pom his breast and
throat. The nature of the wounds evidently
indicated the desperate purpose of the suicide,
and, after lingering in intense agony for few
moments, he expired. The deceased was la.
boring under the influence of delirium tremens,
de was thirty years of age, unmarried, and
well known as teacher Of penmanship and
drawing.