Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-08-10


Law, The Special Correspondent Of The London Times.
WASHINGTON, July 8, 1861.
The rail and the river still connect South
and North together. With all the hate of the
South toward the North, and with all the
anger Of the North toward the South, there is
yet some lingering aversion to the total dis
ruption of all ties between the belliserents.
The trunk is torn from the limbs, but the
political surgeons are 10th to cut the tendons
and seem to act as though they thought Con-
servStlye surgery would effect some miraculous
recovery. Although Postmasters-G General cut
of the mails, they wink at the devices Of ex-
pressing agencies and railways to keep open
the communications, and thus a man or let
ter may, at risk Of certain contingencies, be
sent through. The contingencies are that he
or it may be opened if there be aught treason
able in expression inside or out-and treason
is determined by both sides as they list. SO
it is am here without being opened, and I
am bound to say that Of all the myths-and
they are many and msgnifcent-which have
been hymned and hummed on the Tyres of the
type, none have been so quantity fanciful,
though stupidity mendacious as those which
have been published to the effect that have
complained Of my letters having been "tam.
percd with"
There never was a people which rushed so
rapidly to the conclusion that the argument
of force was the great solvent and settler of
disputes as our American brethren. See New
York now-just recollect what it was toward
the close Of last March. Sumter cannot have
made all these banners, filled all these streets
with soldiers, turned the Laodiceans into fren-
Eied Unionists, and shut the mouths of the dis
affected. People who argued philosophically
about the right of Secession and the impotency
of the Federal Government to restrain States
from exercising that right, have all of a sudden
begun to find out 1--WE must maintain our
glorious Usion, We must have a eountry;''-
and then they go of into sOphistical arguments
on the other side about the Mississippi and
unity Of peoples and political necessities. Had
you always held this language, good gentle
men, you might never have had this present
contest. You strengthened the hands of the
becessionists just as you weakened the hands
of the United States Government, by the
Indifference or actual hostility to its moas-
Ures which you displayed when it most re-
quired support. 0ne-half of the indigna-
tion, one-half Of the strength you ex-
hicited after Sumter had fallen might have
prevented It's ever being attacked. Why
are the Southerners 30 much more irritsted
against New York than any other part Of the
Union but because in their own words s'she
deceived us at the last moment. Up to the
taking of Sumter she pretended to be friendly
and then, when that happened which she
seemed 10 approve, she turns on US more saw
agely than even the Black Republicans" In
fact, though the Government may not now
wish to recall the circumstances, the tone of
must have perplexed it almost as much as the
hostility OF the Secessionists. 1t is all very
we'll to talk Of the outrage on tho fsg, but be-
fore Sumter was fired on, the flag had been ex-
posed to insults sufficient. 1t had been hauled
down by force from United States arsenals
The Star Of the West carried 1t as much as
Maj. Ander's command, and she was fred on;
one shot as edshtS beLii or cGHsG 6elII is as
good as 20. Why, when / arrived in the
United States the newspapers were treating of
the surrender Of Sumter as an abstract ques-
tion, and the headings about it and Pickens
barely excited languid curiosity in the minds
of many men, end northern journals, not mere
1y in New YOra, but in Pennsylvania and other
States, seriously warned the Government that
If they attempted 70 hold the one or reinforce
the other they would be responsible for the de-
struction Of Union which at the time was
manifestly destroyed. How the tone is changed
now can recognize no reason for the change
in events, but can understand that behind
all this surface shoW-this varnish coating
which pretended to reflect public opinion
there was solid, deep, and powerful mass
inert however, and needing strong excitement
to set in motion, which only began to heave
upward and burst through the glaze when
heated by the news that the Stars and Stripes
had been shot away by rebel bullets. The
mass is now at work in earnest. 1t is rolling
over the land in lava streams. 1t may be
that If an attempt be made to check il the red
hot foods will again break through the official
crust. While Mr.. Seward, with the modest
confidence which distinguishes his vaticins-
tons, was prophesying that the policy Of
the Government would win back the rebel
States at the rate Of one q month, not only
were the seeded States preparing to hold their
own in the course of secession more strongly
than ever, but the Northern States were be-
ginning to ssitate the questions in a man
ner which might have inspired one with doubt
as 10 peaceful issue. 1t is not improbable
IL. II r 4
there were in the Cabinet at Washington states
men who thought they could patch up the
quarrel, and unite North and South b. running
Canada q drag scent under their noses In
deed il would certainly be an agreeable result
If the $50 600 Northern troops now in the field
could be united with the Southern forces in
common raid on British North America and on
the Spanish possessions. But North and South
will not agree to join. What may come after
battle who can say? At present dismiss en-
tirely from the mind Of England the idea, no
matter how idmay originate, that there will or
can be peace, compromise, Union, or Secession
till war has determined the issue ~
How gay New York Is with frgs The Stars
and Stripes float on the fainting air in the
warm highways; the shop windows are full Of
prints Of . martial lcharacter-soldiers, ,frsmen
or corps Of eccentric costume, Ellsworth, Scott
Greble, battles and charges, Tsnopkins, and
Big Bethel. There are little Zouaves led by
nurses, and old light infantry men, abdominous
and spectacled, on the trottoirs All the cleric
tribe are in gray or blue glories. There are
tents in the public squares, rows Of sheds in the
places" wherein are soldieryquartered who
came hither on their way to the seat Of war;
plaesrds about books Of tactics illustrated
with staring red and scarlet Zeuaves in impOs-
sibls attitudes. (Oh. dear me, how tired am
becoming Of these limitations Of my excellent
friends, 10 which little is successful except the
bagginess Of the breeches and the color Of the
uniformly Advertisements concerning arms
and equipage meet the eye in all directions
There is . crowd around a window in which is
displayed . recession oeicsr's cap, and as it is
all stained with blood the exhibitor Is justified
in saying, as he does, that the owner was
killed. This is relic; there is q strong feeling
for relies in the States The tree under which
Brig Gen. Sickles shot Q gentleman in WASH
inyson has been denudea OF the bark for Is or
70 feet above the ground to furnish relics Of the
remarkable event. incurred the resentment
and provoked the indignation Of friend by
my Indifference to relics at Charleston. He