Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-05

wishes to find out If the North Is right in say
ing the work can be done by white labor The
answer is coming from Cairo and St. Louis; for
the Mississippi expeditionary force will be
ready by the end Of this month, and must pro-
duce the most important result in tie course of
this war, IL il be not destroyed. Gen. Pillow
on one side, and Gen. Prentiss on the other,
have gone forth into the outer darkness with
large armies, and are fighting, perhaps, tre-
mendous battles, but we know nothing at all
Of their movements here.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Mr.. Davis is said to be suffering from fever
at Richmond. I would like to know any one
who is not suffering from fever in Washington,
Nature has made this a lovely country, but she
has also established fine fever system, and it
cannot be enjoyed without quinine. When
last saw Mr.. Davis he was recovering from an
attack of tic-doloreux, to which he is subject,
and its agonies have been 80 great that he has
lost the sight of one eye, was assured, in cen.
sequence. He is slight, spare man, who did
not appear to me capable Of resisting violent
disease. There are those who think the South
ern Confederacy depends on bis life alone.
They might have been right at one time.
do not think they are so at present fer, al
though Mr.. Toombs, Mr.. Benjamin, or any
other civilian might be unable to take his
place, the military leaders would afford ample
materials for such a President as the South
desires at present. There is a report that Mr..
(John) Slidell, of New Orleans, is about going
as commissioner to Europe. How he is to get
there is not so obvious, for the Government
would give good deal to seize upon such an
able and dangerous man.
TRAITORS IN WASHINGTON.
The system Of surveillance is now very nearly
as complete as it is in Austria-and so it NAV
well be, when there are 30 many persons dis
affected to the Government in the midst of the
Northern States. l took occasion to observe
some time ago that on going into the Post
Othce was surprised to find a gentleman
whom had reason to regard as a secessionist,
In the inner Office, engaged in sorting letters to
forward to his southern friends-and that too,
within few feet of Mr.. Blair, (the Postmaster
General,) OF the SGRgre azWL Of abolitiOnism.
Inc American papers, taking me az pted de
fs iettre, have proved that Mr.. Blair was not
within few feet Of the gentleman in question
what meant was that within the building
presided over by Mr.. Blair, in which his office
was, and separated from him by only few
feet, was gentleman of different ways of
thinking, engaged in giving comfsrt to the
enemies of Mr.. Blair's government and prin-
ciples 1t is only justice to the gentleman in
question to add that he had the permission of
the authorities to pick out those letters for his
southern friends, as am since informed, and
that he was not engaged in any clandestine
proceeding. Some time after saw him, how
ever, his wife was taken into custody for trea-
sonable practices, and still remains prisoner
Two fires occurred in the neighborhood of the
house in which she and another lady are in
custody, on Sunday night, and it is suggested
by some suspicious circumstances that they
were the work of incendiaries, who intended
to liberate the csptives in the confusion, and
whose plan was only frustrated by the firm
ness OF the guard. / am glad to think there
are no captives in nay immediate vicinity-for
however gallant man may be, ii is not un-
reasonable in him to object to be burnt alive in
the cause Of two ladies whom he never saw
THE CITY AND FOREIGN ELEMENTS IN OUR ARIY.
1t is well for the United States to
get rid of the rascadOm of its Cities but il does
not do to rely on it as a military element; and
the police, who delight in the process, are doing
no good to the army. There are now men of a
different stamp focking to the field. AS the
pressure creeps upward the recruits will come
from the higher levels. Tens of Thousands of
respectable Germans and Irish are joining the
natlve-born Americans-formerly the Amer
leans joined them-and exhibit zeal not less
than that which their countrymen in the South
show for the Confederate States. The New
Orleans Delta states that the vast majority-I
think three-fOurths or more-of the regiments
from that city are Irish. If they and the New
York Hibernians can get fair vacancy" at
each other, there will be the materials for a
new epic at once. In the District of Colum bia
recruiting does not prosper. I fear there is a
good deal of ''secesh' in the population, and
the only considerable number of men enlisted
are Of the two foreign stocks who have done so
| much Of the fighting for the United States.
As reward for his steadiness aAd acknowl-
edgement Of his military merit, the govern
ment have made Brigsdier Blenker Major
General. The Irish are delighted with the
appointment of their old favorite General
Shields Scotland, believe, may claim Nc
Clellan and Mcdowell as descendants of her
children. England can claim many Of the
best by similar process Of descent.