, 1861-12-04


WASHINGTON, Nov as 1861
ihls is Thanksgiving Day in Washington
as well as Chicago. The fact would hardly be
worth noticing, as the beginning of this cor
rcspondcncc, but for the following paragraph
which appears in this mornings Republican:
There arc a large number Of poor forsakcn. and
forgotten men. women and children IN our cify
3aA whose hearts would be gladdened by the sight
Of Thanksgiving dinner. They haye committed
ccEsion masters. and though liuing array IN a
A1,7sS4a pz;*on their hearts are as loyal as those
ThG 81 y I'll t na aag RF5sf sad for permitting them
Why these forsaken creatures are held in
the city Dungeon I do not know, and there
fore will not undertake to say at present. It
is hardly probable that the Government con-
templates rcmanding them to slavery, after
boarding them during tic war.
The slavery question has employed the best
energies Of Congress, at every session, since
1s45. It bids fnir to engross the attention Of
this Congress, attic session which commences
next Monday, to a degree which will over
shadow everything else. And why should it
not? There is 4 just God, before whom slave
ry stands stupendous crime. Thomas Jcf1er-
son tremhlcd in yicw Of it. Little more than
a quarter OF 8 century has passed since he
penned lis Notes on Viryinia, recording his
convictions and fears Of the future to overtake
the country which thus dct1es the justice Of
the Almighty-and what do VIC scce No need
to look at Virginia specially, with her deserted
villages and bIoodstained fields. The nation
presents more imposing picture, in the mil
lion Of men-nay, more than million-who
confront each other to-day with fixed bayon-
cts on line Of fifteen hundred miles, marking
the boundaries Of slavery and freedom. Does
any one say that slavery is not the cause, the
very sole cause, Of the war? Such q person is
either secessionist at heart, and would exult
in his country's downfall, or lie is 4 lunatic
and ought to be furnished at once with the
conveniences which society provides for that
class Of unfortunates. Why should not Con-
gross bcstir itself once more about the slavery
question, and make an end Of it?
Perhaps one-ha1f Of the members have now
arriycd-not more. Nearly all arc dissatisfied
With tic four months work which has been
done, or left undonc, since they adjourned in
extra session; and while there is some differ
encc Of opinion as to military errors and their
remedies, there is none, so faras can find, as
to the one sovereign remedy for the whole dis
ease. am Of the opinion that Congress will
direct the President, as COMMUNICATIVE Chief
OF the Army and Navy, to wipe out slavery ut
tcrly in every State which Claims to hare sccc-
ded. Whether the act be called coniscation
or emancipation makes no practical difference.
The more radical and earnest members of both
Houses agree tllat it must be done, because
1st. It is right
End. It is expcdicnt
Jrd. 1t is necessary.
The conservatives either reverse the order
OF the propositions, OF assert only tic third.
No man, except d few hidc-bound officers of
the regular army End Mr.. Secretary Smith,
prctends to say that it is not necessary. We
have now oyer sir hundred thousand 7nen under
pay in the army alone. This know to be a
fact. The number includes officers and men
in all departments, tcamsters, ar1norers, etc.
Here, in and around Washington, are more
soldiers than any mortal nlan can mano,uyre
in battle. What is tic use Of having more ?
They would only tramp1c each other to death
like bu11,loes. The ground OH which they arc
expected to operate is the worst in the world
for handling large armies. If We eau do moth
my with the force nc now have, VIC can do
nuthing with any force which it would be pos
sible TO raise. Il the troops were all as well
drilled as the handful Of old regulars who were
reviewed day before yesterday, We might hope
for speedy results but the discipline Of in
army is rather impaired than enhanced by the
addition Of new recruits. It docs seem that
ANYTHING which VIC can hone to accomnlisi, in
thu way of mere carnaee, can as well te done
with our present force as with one five times
as large. The Beaufort expedition has result.
ed in notlling thus fur but the addition of g1o.
r. TO in already glorious navy, Affairs
arc ut a dead lock in Western Yireinia
ditto Kentucky; ditto Missouri Bnt these
arc not the worst evils. The money question
is getting to be one of alarming importance.
The daily expenses Of the War and Navy De-
partments arc nearer two million dollars than
one million. The country can stand that lit.
tie bill awhile, but not foreyer,-not for The
time that it will take to put down the rebel
lion and preserve slavery Then the patience
OF the country, constantly worn up.
on by the burdens Of war and the arrangement
Of commerce, tried by deferred hopes and sore,
y exercised by disasters on the field-eyen
this viii break down before way is discov.
cred to overthrow JEFF Davis and preserve the
Institution in bchilll Of which he has arowedly
initiated the ,Yar Foreign powers, too, mly
DC excused If they DO not see any present pros
pect OF a re-establishment Of the Government
III part OF the seeded states. AL Europe will
recognize jeff: Dayis's government before on'
Generals develop that kind Of strategy whicl
will enable them to conquer the rebels and 6ayt
intact the cause OF the rebellion.
:, hat VIII the Administration recommend
the secrets Of tho Government as any news
paper, and observe that its Washington cor
| TCspondence Of this morning says, referring Il
/ the emancipation question in Congress, tha
s'thc trucst friend Of freedom is hc who re
| frains from agitation" This utterancc ia quit,
| De1phic, and the reader is at liberty to get til,
| true intent and meaning out Of it at hi:
| leisure. The National Republican, on the othe
| hand, alluding to a letter written bY AIr
| Scgur, the newly elected member Of Congress
| from the Fortress Monroe District Of Vir
| ginia, to Gen. Dix, wherein MIR. s. declare
that if the VIII is to be waged against eth,
| great institution of heSoufh. he {Mr. Serur
| and his friends will take 11p arms against th
| Governments ttthe sooner Mr. Seau
| gets his arms rcady the hetter.r Mr. SeonP
I one Of those 0union'' men who loy
slavery {: great deal better than thcy d
their country. or ANYTHING else that could h
named. Wc have spent GOOD many million
| Of dollars, we have sacrificed a GOOD man
hundreds of lives. and ye have hid aside roT
science, manhood sclErespect and the symns
thy of the world. to acouirc-wl,atS = Th
privilege Of giving Ny. Secur a seat in Il,
House of Representatives and 5000 per yea1
under threat that If NC do not conduct th
var SO as to preserve and keen alive the eau,
4 healthy tone is pcryading the army. I
passing one of our camps on tic Wnshineto
Brunch R;lilroad, yesterday, saw banne
rsliscd, in full view of the train, On which wa
inscribed the words tsKo SLAVERY CoIont
John Cochranc's speech you have already la
the substance Of On Monday last Colon,
| FaruswortL made brief speech TO his men O
the occasion Of sword presentation to hin
self br the Whitcside county bows in his req
mcnt. Col. F. said that if the war vas to 3
simply scheme for mutual slaughter witLo1
t ouv i,;yh and no11r end IN lin nl,f,,ncd 1,a 4;