Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-17
washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, April Ii, 1861.
WARS AND RUM0Rs OF war.

IL ls hln1Osl ltnpOSslDle W uesCTlOe b0e eA-
element under which every one in the Cap
ital moves. The news from the South; the
fitting out and departure of the vessels from
New York; the movements of the military
authorities here; the occasional glimpse
caught near town of a mysterious bug a. boo
named Ben McCulloch; the mastering into
service of the militia of the District; the
unwonted reticence of the War and Navy
Departments, and indeed of the entire Ad.
ministrationj the rumors of an attack upon
this city; the expectation of members Of the
Cabinet that can not be kept secret that
there will be war--all these are enough to
warrant a considerable degree of excite
ment. But when there is added to them the
effect of hundreds of rumors, hostile and
pacific, that hover over the city, as Virgil
described Fama to hover over Carthage, you
may pardon the Washingtonians, who, like
the comics, are feeble folk" for being in
such state of feverish restlessness as would
be quite comical at any other time. It is
the universal topic with men, women, and
children-this of "what's upon u.s." Lines
ore drawn between those who have "coun-
try" and will fight for il, and those who
have simply State" and owe allegiance
to it not among men only, but among
youths of tender years and the wearers Of
petticoats. Everybody discusses the last
news in the New York papers-there never
is any in the Washington papers-the orders
Of Inspector Stone, the sealed instructions
given to General Simmer, the probable des-
tination of Captain Barny's Flying Artil-
lery, the reasons of the substitution of Com
mtdore Paulding for Commodore Striugham
in one of the bureaus of the Navy Depart
ment. Everybody has Just seen dispatch
from Charleston (and how frequent lying
dispatches from that city are y announcing
that the bombardment has begun, or has
come from the White House, and says that
there they know nothing about an attack on
Charleston or elsewhere.
The streets are full knots of people clus-
ter about the doors Of hotels and the tele-
graph offices. Military fatigue-caps, lustrous
as their glaze covers and yellow" buttons
are as common as ordinary head. gear: Here
is knot of men in grayish-b blue uniforms.
They are some of the militia who were yes.
terdsy mustered into service and to whom q
strong oath of fidelity to the General Gov
ernment was administered. Poor fellows {
They don't know their destination, nor what
they are expected to do. But they are ready
to do it. Up these stairs is their armory,
and you may hear, if you will, the tramp Of
the sentry there, and perchsnce catch a
glimpse of him as he PAGES off his weary
hour of guard duty.
Business goes on nominally the same as
ever. But every shop-keeper in his shop,
every artisan at his work, every professional
man at his labor, every hack. driver on his
seat, every bar-keeper in front of his bottles,
wears an uneasy look as he sought some-
thing he could not find, or expected each
moment something horrible to burst upon
his vision like cowed beasts when a storm is
coming up, and the heavens are black and
the air sitting, and birds fly about in wild
circles, and there is stiffness more trying
than the thunder which presently shall roll
over their heads. Before you have this the
fever will have subsided or phlebotomising
have begun.
THE WAR BEGUN.
ApriI l3.-The stroke has fallen and the
thunder has burst. The instinct which felt
that war was coming has vindicated its
claim to prescience.
Yesterday we had the news. 1t was
fitting day for such news. The elements
provided that its receipt should be preceded
and accompanied by that disagreeable, chilly,
rainy weather, for the full display of which
will put Washington against the world,
with the possible exception of Scotland.
The morning was balmy and comparatively
clear, and the "news" was like it. For dis.
patches were received of pacific nature
from Charleston, so much SO that Mr.. Lincoln
said to one of our Ohio members, in the fore
noon, "lf the information have received
be correct Fort Sumter has been provis-
ioned and the crisis is past, without the fir
lug of gun" a rrn -s .gse.
Though these dispatches were not fully
credited, yet they produced a favorable inn
preston, and mems faces were visibly short
ened as they discussed them, and declared
that f'J they were sothe back of Secession
was broken" There's much virtue in an
1'' but the 'if" here was not "your only
true peace. maker" ''.i ir2 a . n -.
After rain there began one Of the WASH
ington mists, and to universal and anxious
expectancy Of news from Sumter, was added
disgust at the weather, for we
have had but two pleasant days this week,
and the prospect of another watery siege,
was any thing but pleasant. -,-..,|
At three clock an attempt was made to
hold a meeting of such strangers Temporal
rily residing in. Washington as were willing
to enroll themselves in a volunteer corps,
for the protection of the Capital. About loo
had enrolled themselves on paper. But,
owing to the. weather, and the failure to
give proper notice, the meeting was only at
tended by about fifty, and the enterprise
was, for the present, abandoned.
D After that there was the "mustering in"
of a large number of militia In Georgetown.
| understand that only about half the men
took the oath. This oath is strong one.
He who subscribes to it pledges himself to
Obey ''all the orders of the President This,
Of course, those partial Secessionists who
have such an extreme regard for their State
allegiance to Maryland as TO declare that if
she secedes they will not fight against her,
IAN not take. So some refuse on that
ground. Then there are others who are
oyal to the General Government, but have
families and business here which they can
not well leave, and, though they would fight
in the District, they do not want to be Or
lered out of it. Others do not want to en-
st for an indefinite period. Aud there are
others whose courage oozes out of their
inger-ends, when actual fighting stares them
u the face. y ID III IT FE
When the Georgetown 'tmuster" was over,
he mist had become heavy rain, and the |
Vind rose TO a gale, driving everybody
lnder shelter. Thus it was that, though ]
he dispatch announcing the commencement |
II hostilities arrived here about FIVE o'clock |
md was posted in the hotels, there were
cry many VI tno QuluuunC5I HnO ulu not |
lnow of it till late atnight. trnul
Still the hotel lobbies were crowded and
he teleglaph-offices and newspaper corre-
pondents were besieged by crowds anxious
3 learn something more: All aofts of ru,
nors prevailed -leanipg now to the side Of |
he COniedefatesy anon 70 that Of the Gov ]
rnmeRt. q II Wass announced that the walls |
# Sumter had been preached that three Of /
IS guns were silenced, that the hoating-bAt.
aFY had been disabled, that the fleet had
rossedr the bar, that no war-vessels were in |
ight that the traitors had met with great
oss OF life, that the Morris Island batteries |
we're disabled, &C., Sc. Then the lines were |
lrawn bstween the Secessionists here aud |
be Unionists; there were personal Rlterca-
ions; blows were exchanged as vel as hard |
sords; members of Congress hurried 10 the 4
resident, and were in turn visited by their
constituents TO learn the latest news; there |
vas a sudden demand for military caps Onid