Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-03-05
LETTER FROM THE CONFEDEEs-
ATE CAPITAL.
Special Correspondence of the Memphis Appeal
RICHMOND, February -. 1862.

"A-NNNA N"tAN'a-hANAN" va 'N" AA'AAN-' ~HEfN@-h
RICHMOND, February %, 1862.
It has been a matter OF speculation for a fortnight IN
this city what can be the meaning Of the French heet u
Hampton Roads. aud for what purpose can the flag ON
Ger Of that fleet desire to send armed vessels up to ,hC
wharves of Richmond. The consul of France residing
here has made repeated inquiries Of official parsonage
concerning the depth Of water in the channel, with th,
view Of asceraning whether it would be practicable fol
French war steamers 20 ascend the river 70 this point
the head Of navigation. knowledge OF this fact very
generally communicated To the public most probably ld
to the wild report that the President would announce IL
his inaugural address the recognition Of ihe independence
Of the Confederate States by France at least, if not by
England also. It is now whispered that an agreement
has been bad between Seward and NJ Mercier. His i'm
Perial msesty's representative at the court OF Abe Lin.
coin, by the terms of which, France nor recognizing the
independence, etc. etc, the blockade shall be opened for
the spccis' transportation Of the tobacco held here iort1
French government. do not assert that such bargain
has been struck between the parties. ] merely state the
umOr. If itturn out 10 be true very grave questions VIII
arise with reference to the effect of so extraordinary
a procedure. Il was laid down several months ago in
the debate in the British parliament upon tie relations
Of England with the United States, that a suspension Of
the blockade ia favor OF any country with reference tn the
export of any one commodity, was fatal TO the validity
of the blockade itself and that England would require
It 10 be raised If such suspension was granted " nat
therefore. would seem to be the policy Of the COuieder-
ate government under these peculiar circumstance
shall we furnish the tobacco relying upon the law OF
blockade as held by English juris- consuls, and looS 70
Great Britain to open our ports at once, OF shall we
deny the right Of France to take the tobacco until she
shall, herself break the blockade to that end 9 For it would
seem that there are two sides 20 the question Oh bltth
AIDED port. Your correspondent but little Yersed IN IN
ternatioual law, and his opinion upon a matter Of this
sort may be of uiAing worth, but be submits that If the
Lincoln government may-without the usual declaration
or proclamation TO al the wOrld-susJail the closure OF
the southern ports by merely EDti yiHg vessels seeking
an entrance that the ports are b~lOckadedi we also notify
vessels Of all countries, entering them by agreement with
the Lincoln government, that zoe have closed our ports by
informal act Of nOuintercourse, and that their approach
is al their peril Certainly if the powers Of Europe
are permitted 10 send their ships here and pro
cure the cotton and tobacco which they SO much need,
but inhibited from furnishing US those aTuclt contra
band Of war which we so much need, the blockade viii
never be raised through any Interference on their part,
while we shall be cut of In a great measure from The
means Of carrying on the WAT. it is altogether a one
sided reciprocity. But II We resolutely Withhold ulT
great staples, the time must come when for every vessel
laden with cotton OF tobacco which we shall permit 10 60
out. a vessel laden with Enfield rifles and Armstrong
guns shall be permitted to come In. 1t cannot be denied
that heretofore the neutrality OF the powers Of Europe
has been al in favor Of the Yankees and against US
They deny us the night 10 carry the pH-s lRen Dy oui
priysteeus into their seaports, whereby the entire naval
and commercial marine OF Nankeednm has been C9Hceu-
trsted upon our C0astiu great armadas and expeditions,
whereas. if the right had been granted, it would have re-
guiIed every armed vessel in LncOIu's navy 10 protect
Yankee commerce from our bold sea captains, and no.
an armed steamer of them all could have been spared 10
J rAYHgB our islands And now wien DIV THIS severe u-u-
trality, the Yankees have been enabled TO make -his
| blockade nearly if not wholly efficient, ourforeigu friends
would seek to have it lifted for their special convenience
Mt our expense. This is rather sharp practice. II Is
hopsd that the Confederate States will take tie highest
ground upon this subject, and that not a box Of tobacco.
not g bale Of cotton shall be furnished to the powers Of
Europe until the blockade has been raised. You wul be-
lkelyt to hear mere Of this French business at AN early DAY
The new Cabinet IS not yet announced The rumOs
runs that Benjamin has resigned. The Presidests car.
rage stopped at Mr.. To0mbs' residence, or Mr.. TOOmbs
carriage stopped at the executive mansion, yesterday. q
don't know vrlirh) yvhereupou il was gr8ye'y surmised
that Mr.. Toombs Il drop his military title ia speaking o.
him in connection wiki TIE Cabinet was 10 be Secretary
Of War. Few better appointments eOuli be made for
that office, though Floyd, Robert &. Lee, and others, ar
mentioned as competing names For the State Depart,
meut, John Bell, Nm- G.. Bivus, and james A. Sediou,
are most frequently suggested think still the latter
viii be the man. There are also several gentlemen
spoken of for the Navy, among whom NJ. /. Mausv and
Commodore Tatnal are the most prominent. It il by no
means certain yet however, that g wholly new Cabinet
will be formed.
The Geographic wires were Frustrated on an the lines
yesterday by the storm, and we are without dispatches
today from any quarter consequently we are compare
lively quiet - DIXIE.
Ibegin to fear that the Yirginiaus are degenerate sons
of their illustri0us sireN In spite Of the martyrd0m of
jackson in spite Of the heruism Of Bethel while Yet
the devotion Of Dick Ashby, and the sunset CLEAN Of bis
saber ere II fell from his shattered arm, remain unsung
by poet; before the daisies have sprung from the dust Of
Nirginians who sleep AZ Manassas, the misgiviug comes
upon me that the living men Of The old commonwealth
are not worthy Of the ancient and the more recent memo
rgs of her veuOwn. The trepidatous and murmuriugs.
the c~rOskings and pruphesyings Of doom that have pos
sessed many OF the citizens Of Richmond during the past
week, would be enough 70 make uz despair OF The repUb-
Ic, If we could suppose the mass of the people Of the
Confederate States were equally tn0ruus and irrs-olute.
because OF a few reyerses which might bc retrieved bv
stout heaTtg and strong arms. 70 s thought by these craven
souls that the great Cause OF liberty Is lost. From one
end Of the town to the other they run with false tdings Of
new disaster, or "whispervyith white lipr, the foe, they
come. they come The YANKEES will be in Richmond
in ten days The government has determined 20 a5an-
don the State a. a line Of defense and make q stand in
North Carolina. The seat of government IS % Dee removed
mmediately-the French zunb0ats are coming up Jam 3
river TO take the EmperOrs tobacco a e lrnis-such are
some of the alarms that have been sounded by men who.
if the Yankees should get here, would be the frs. 70
swear allegiance to Lincoln. Hou recolrct how the
H1titeur spoke Of the landing Of Napoleon ouLis return
from Elbar aad hos Is greeted h5 arrival IN tle capital
The Cor-lcau monster has escaped The usurper
has landed in France Gen B0naparte IS at Gran g.
Bile % " Napoleon is at Lyons; The Emperor ls at
Paris % " T5Us L,EmDarevi Such would be the tone Of
I fear too many Of the inhabitants Of Richmond toward
Mcclellan. Last night there were sesia3led upon rh.
walls Of buildings all over town. strange aud p0rtgurous
sentences Of meuEce--Uch gs d" Nationals grid on YOUR
strength, memento Ieuune-5ee The scorpion ssc,.-
sion viii soon be- deprived of bis sting and other such
eowardly and tTeacher0us nonsense aud forthwith it is
pretended that the city ia filed with Union men, that a
secret society embracing thousands exits in the midst
Of Us. and that We are ao0utf0 be betrayed by emlBssries
Of the laukeeJ heretofore Iitt!s suspected Such pulling
and Taucinston Of ruin is almost ls bad as treason iisslf
aud these who indulge In II deserve well nigh the Iate
that should be awarded 20 the midnight scrIhblar could
we catch him That the Nannee-. embroidered bv their
recent successes, viii make the strongest efforts 10 carry
Richmond, there can be no reasonable doubs; but il be-
comes rs all the more, from this very conviction, with
heart Of hope to put forth all our energies in us defense,
and if we do this, let them come in clouds as dense as
the Persans that marched inso Greece, they will De
driven back.
a meeting was held last night az the City Hall. In the
interest Of the community Of southern planters. % TAKE
steps toward securing, ia tho last resort, the destruction
OF the cotton sud tobacco crops " the Confederate States
20 prevent its falling into the hands Of Tie Yankees The
best feeling and the most devoted patriotism were mani
tested Speeches were made by Gov. Brown. Senator
from Mississippi and Or. q. K Marshall. also Of that
State, by Judge Moore, Of Kentucky, sud by Mesgrs
ThOk II. Nyane and JoseEl Mayo uh4 magyar, OF this
city. The favOtIte scheme seemed 90 be- the purchase by
the Confederate government of all the staples now on the
plantations or in the Warehouse. aud the provision Of
tie means Of destroying it speedily al occasion snOu d
arise. without arriving at "a vote upon any specific
question, however, the meeting adjourned % meet again
tonight at the African church, where a much larger
number OF p,sa.Eg csn be accommodated.
We hear OF the landing OF d considerable fo-cs Of
Yankees al Newport News and the presence Of a large
number Of vessels Of war In Hampton Roads. Perhaps
al attack on Norfolk is to be- begun without further
delay.
Both houEas Of Congress were iu secret session today.
The Hon n. S. Foots IL tie chairman Of the house com
mittes on foreign affairs. DEIE