Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1862-01-16
FOREIGN Items,

A telegram of the 2Oth ult., from Berne,
Switzerland, contains the followiog impor.
tant announcement:
The Federal council has received a cir.
cular addressed by the French Government
to European Powers, declaring that the ar.
rest of Messrs. Mason and Slidell was con
trary to principles which are regarded as
essential to the security of neutral flags
The circular states that the French Gov.
ernment deemed it necessary to submit this
opiuion to the Cabinet at Washington, iu
order to determine it to make concessions
which the French Government considered
Indispensable.
A large meeting of masters and officers
in the mercantile marine had been held in
London, and they had resolved to heartily
cooperate with the Government, whenever
their services might be required.
The Shipping Gazette says that either
our merchantmen must be armed or the
Government must detail number of the
fastest and most efficient ships to watch A.
mericau prlvateers
The London Herald bitterly criticises
Mr.. Seward foreign correspondence, char
ging him with iosoleuce, folly and wicked
ness, as wanton aud mischievous as any
that history records
The London Times also has an editorial
on Mr.. Stewards dispatches, and treats them
with ridicule. 1t says Mr. Seward assumes
to instruct the entire human race as to the
origin of the rights aud prospects of the
war in America, and his confident assuran
ces as to the dimensions aud duration of the
war are belied before his words reached the
public
The London Posts Paris correspondent
says that neither France nor Russia have
taken any steps as mediators
The Paris Patric, in enumerating the
five French vessels at New York, says 9th
ers are speedily to be sent there
THE BAYoNET THE TRUE WEAPON
A gentleman who participated iu the glo
rious battle of Greenbrier river, informs US
that he himself heard the Yankee General
repeatedly call upon regiment after regi
ment of his valiant heroes to "charge the
id rebels" and that they declined to
bulge ar inch. He singled out particular
regiments, invoking them to charge, but
they respectfully declined, and he then
called upon select companies in those regi-
ments, but none of them had stomach for
the job. He called upon the officers, with
a volley of caths, to lead their men to ''the
imminent deadly BREACH" but the officers
replied that unless they carried the men on
their shoulders, there was no way of get
ting them there. At last, he offered to pay
then. if they would "charge the ID reb-
els," but even that all powerful influence
fail:d to bring them to the scratch. We
understand that at Drainsville, where they
numbered fifteen thousand to our sixteen
hundred, aud on several other occasions,
they manifested a similar disinclination to
come to close quarters. At the battle of
Allegheny, out numbering us FIVE to one,
they took to their heels iucontinently at
every charge of the bayonet. These facts
should impress upon our men the value of
cold steel in Southern hands, and impress
upon them the importance of bringing the
enemy to close quarters whenever it is
practicable. ble.-Richmond Dispatch
THE CoNFEDERATE WAR TAx.-In the
tax bill enacted by the Confederate Con.
gress there is clause placing tax upon
saIl interest bearing bonds" We learn
that, according to the construction of the
law given by Secretary Mcmmiuger, the
tax payer will not be permitted to deduct
his liabilities from the amount Of money