The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-27


deus Stevens, who talks 80 glibly of ''strip'
ping the epaulettes" from General McOlell-
ans shoulders, is not so wise as the Roman
officer who replied to his Emperor that he
did not care to argue with man that cons
manded twenty legions.
"A letter received from Seth Webb, Jr.,
Commercial Agent of the United States at
Port au Prince, Hayti, under date of Nov.
l6, says: "All the agricultural products OF
Hayti are larger than ever before since the
time of the French. The coffee crop is bet
ter in quality and more in quantity than at
any other time since the independence of the
island. 1t will exceed 100000 pounds.
The rebels claim to have 5000 prison.
ers, counting not few citizens of the South
ern States, who have remained loyal to the
Union, and too many have been picked up
on our outposts. From the beginning they
have shown much greater proficiency than
we in the art of capturing small picket
guards or fractions of them, and it is said
that their recent successes in the vicinity OF
Washington have rot been inconsi lerable
The rejection of the claim of Mr.. Eos
ter, of North Carolina, to a seat in the
House of Representatives is regarded as a
just rebuke of an attempt to gain seat in
that body by taking advantage of the Pc
culiar condition of public affairs without
having been chosen by any number of citi-
zens anywhere to represent them.
The Anti Slavry Standard publishes
an extract of private letter from "dis.
tinguished friend of the anti-slavery cause"
which contains the following:
What wishy.washy message from the Pres.
ident 1t is more and more evident that he is
man of very small caliber, and had better be
at his old business of splitting rails than at the
head of a Government like ours, especially in
such a crisis. He has evidently not drop of
anti.savery blood in his veins and he seems
incapable of uttering a humane or generous
sentiment respecting the enslaved millions in
our land.
The above is evidently the sentiment of
the abolition organs in this State, but with
the exception of Mrs. Swisshelm, they lack
courage to express it.
The Charleston Courier says: "The
fearful confagration that has just passed
over our city will cause the 18th and 18th
| of December, 1861, hereafter to be remem-
bered as one of those dark and trying pc
riods which, for the moment, seem to para.
lyze all tbs longscherished hopes and bright
anticipations OF the future. We have been
visited by one of those mysterious dispense
tons Of Providence which we cannot at
tempt to solve. Our city has received a
blow which it will take the work of years
to repair
The command of Gen. Hunter as Chief
of the department of Kansas, embraces
total OF 10000 men, including 1900 regu-
lar, (the most OF whom are in New Mexico,
or doing garrison duty) 1850 volunteers,
and 1900 recruits not yet put in the field.
There are five field batteries of artillery,
numbering twenty>six guns. Of this force
5000 Or 1000 will be mounted. This force
is doubtless ample for defensive, but certain
ly insufficient for any other movements, es,
pecialy when the great border to be guard
ed is considered
1t is stated that Hon. W. A. Richard
son, of Illinois, has accepted the post of
Brigadier General. He will command the
Kentucky Brigade, assigned quarters at
Camp Dubois, Jonesboro, Illinois.
"A peivate letter at New York on
Wednesday, states that the stone feet,
which had arrived safely off Savannah, for
which port it was originally destined, had
sailed, in company of man-of. war, for
Charleston. 1t was intended to sink the
ships in Charleston harbor and this was
to be done on Saturday last. The plan was
to sink double row of ships across the
harbor in the following order:
................
..'............. ...............
...........
In this way it is supposed the harbor by
this time is permanently sealed.