The New York herald., 1862-02-17

| ARMY AND NAyY.-In returning public thanks
| to the generals and soldiers of the army and the
officers and men of the navy who participated In
the recent splendid victories at Roanoke
Island and on the Tennessee river, the Presi-
dent has evinced a true appreciation OF the
value at which due recognition Of services
nobly rendered is held alike by the soldier and
the sailor who do battle for their country at
the risk of life.
There is nothing more sweet nor more stimu-
lating to men who dare all hazards for good
cause than to have their brave deeds honorably
recorded upon the tablets Of their country's
history.
In adopting this course the President and the
Secretaries of the Army and Navy, who jointly
signed the order, have done much to add vigor
and courage to our troops in both services and
we may expect to reap the benefit of it in many
hard fought field, if, indeed, there remain many
more to be contested before the rebellion is
squelched And well may the President return
the thanks of the nation to the gallant fellows
who have achieved so much in the two late VIC
tories; for they have proved themselves equal
both officers and men--tO the oldest veterans Of
any country Look, for example at the
dashing bayouet charge of the Hawkins Zouaves
on the battery at Roanoke Island; the
cool daring of the naval officers on board tue
gunboats, when the magazines took fire, in going
below, without assistance, and extingnishng the
con0agration, while instant death stared them
in the face. Such deeds as these show the met
tie our soldiers and sailors are made of; and
there have been many such brave deeds done
in the recent battles both on the coast and in
the West. And again observe the feat of Ma
poleohic energy accomplished by the troops of
General Lander in Western Virginia, as stated
in his despatch OF Friday, where two columns
of two thousand men each marched thirty-twO
miles, and another column forty-three miles,
between four O'Clock on Thursday and eight
O'Clock on Friday evening, period OF only
twenty-eight hours, during which they had to
stop by the way aud throw bridge across the
river Cacapon, at a deserted mountain road. in
| order to pursue their march. Examples like
these will convince the world that this country
can bring men into the field in time of need
who are equal to every emergency.
AN INVESTIGATION Committee HuNmUGGING
ITsELy.-Hickman' Kitchen Investigating Com
mittee seems determined to throw dust in its
own eyes in one way or another. 1t arrested
the Chevalier Wikoff because it found in the
HERALD something about the Presidents Mes
sage dated the day before the Message was de.
livcred Chevalier Wikoff at first refused to
tell where he had obtained his information
abou. the Message, but finally announced that it
came from Watts, the White House gardener.
Watts te titled that he saw and read the Message
| in the Presidents library, remembered its con
| tents and repeated them to tie Chevaier. But
here the committee comes to the end oft, rope:
for what has all this to 10 with the HERALD?
| All that the HERALD published Of the Message
upon the morning Of its delivery, was shrewd
guess at Ore or two of its most important
points. We published this just as the London
Times gives "a synopsis Of the Queens speech in
the issue OF the morning that her Majesty all
dresses Parliament. In London this synopsis is
gathered from the current talk Ut the clubs
where the speech is OF course discussed and lis
| tone anticipated. Our information was prcba
bly, OF this very character, and it was telegraph
| cd TO us, not by tie Cheval:er Wiko1'-wh0
| had no connection whatever with The HLRAI.D-
but by Mr.. lianscombe, who was at fiat time
but is not at present, the managing chief Of our
corps of Washington correspondents. the
committee therefore. has discovered only
mares nest in elicitng the source of Chevalict
Wikofi' in:o.motio for the Chevalier did no.
telegraph rs anything upon the subject of toe
Message. What tlen, has The committee to d..
with him or his gardening friends:
! What the HERALD published about tho presi-
dents Message harmed no one but can the
same he said of the Tribul,es surrcptitious pub
! iication oi General Thomas report, which en-
! Dol icned the rebels and killed General Fre-
mont, or of The publication OF the details of our
expeditions by other OF our abolition contempo-
! rarics: Let the committee leave the White
| House Garden for q while, and direct its atten-
| ton to premature exposes of military and naval
movements. II may have better luck, perhaps.
The New llBEL FLAG.---The rebels in adopt
ing their now flag appear to have, to certain
/ extent, accommodated themselves TO the circunl-
stances of tie period but thc designers might
| have done better. ard produced more appro-
! rr.ate emblem For instance, on the blue
! union " in the corner the new flag has tolr
! stars. meaning we know not what. Had the
number been three il would be comprehensive
inasrnuch as there are only just that number of
rebel states left now over whose soil the good
old Asg-the " Stars and Stripes is not noat-
ing.
When the rebel government FIRST adopted a
flag the colors and general style of the banner
were made to assimilate 10 those of the United
States, the stars being preserved, and the
." bars " being substituted for the +" stripes"
The stars, however, ut that time numbered
seven, to represent the number Of rebcliious
States. In the new design the bars have van
shed. and plain field Of blood red supplies
their place, typical of The bloody and unnatu-