The New York herald., 1862-03-01

(No. l0) forty five miles below the city. which
they supposed could be 80 fortified and mounted
with heavy guns as to command the Mississippi
river at that point; and that General Polk had or
dered the track of the Ohio and Memphis Railroad
to be torn up, and the fortifcstions at Columbus
to be destroyed, preparatory to the evacuation Of
the place.
We publish to-day the first message Of Jen.
Davis to the new rebel Congress, which, like his
recent inaugural betrays great distress Of mind az
to the future fortunes of the csnfederacy, and dis
plays, at the same time, little deviation from the
strict line of truth in reference to the resources of
the South and the conduct Of our government and
our army. He admits that events have proved
that the rebel government attempted more than it
could achieve; that the Southern people had no
idea of the continuance Of the war beyond a
brief period, nor of the overwhelming force
which has been brought against them. To this
fact he attributes the unwillingness of the people
to enlist for long term, but he hopes that tins
fruitful cause Of disaster. short enlistments, win
not again occur. In referring to tho defeats at
Roanoke Island and Fort Donelson, he speaks of
the former as humiliating (Which may be inter-
preted as rebuke to General Wise); and of the
fall of Donelson he says that, in the absence OF
official information, he can form no judgment, but
cannot believe that an army of "our people" could
surrendered without an effort to cut their way
through the enemy (Which probably means an
alusion to Floyd and his ignomnious fight. The
strength of the rebel army he puts down, some
what indefinitely, at four hundred regiments of in
fantry, with proportionate cavalry and artillery.
He relies greatly upon the new enlistments to
make up the force Of the army, and expresses
confident opinion that the war is going to last
for several years to come.
Our news from Fortress Monroe, under date of
the 9th, puts in possession of some interesting
information from the South. A meeting of cotton
and tobacco planters was held on Wednesday
evening, at the City Hall, Richmond to discuss
the question of destroying the cotton and tobacco
crops in the State; but the discussion, after a
variety of speeches were delivered pro and con-,
resulted in transferring the matter to COM
mittee for report at an adjourned meeting the
next night, the business Of which has
not yet reached US. resolution was offered
in the rebel Congress on the same day providing
for compensation by the government for all to-
bacco and cotton 80 burned to avoid its falling into
the hands Of the United States government. The
tone Of the Southern press continues to be most
doleful and despairing. The Raleigh IN. CO. Re-
gister of Wednesday says that it would be cri-
minal to deny that the present is the most gloomy
time that the rebel confederacy has experienced
since the commencement of the war. 1t appeals
most strenuously to the people Of the South to
make despArate stand, and to resist to the last.
The Lynchburg Virginsan publishes special
despatch from Bristol Tenn stating that troops
are in possession of Nashville, fact which our
official news to-day fully confirms.
The Norfolk Day Book has dispatches from
Memphis admitting that Fayetteville, Arkansas,
was burned by General McCulloch before its aban'
donment to the Union troops under General Curtis
as we stated yesterday.
We publish, in another column, full particulars
respecting the capture Of the English steamer
Lebnau, at Becia Chica, near Rio Grande, by the
United States sloop-ofwar Portsmouth. The prize,
which was brought safely to our waters yesterday
morning, is most valuable one.
We publish to-day a full report of the speeches
delivered in the English House of Lords, on the
10th ult, by Earls Carnarvon, Russell Uord
John), Derby and Donoughmore, relative to the
arrests Of British subjects in the United States the
Southern ports, and the effect of the maritime
clauses of the Convention of Paris in time of war
between great naval Powers.
Mr.. Mason, the rebel Commissioner, having stated
to Earl Russell that from six to seven hundred ves
sells entered and left the blockaded ports The Earl
told the House that he had asked Mr.. Mason what
was the tonnage Of the vessels to which allusion
had been made, and to that question Mr.. Mason
,cds unable to gice him any dns,cer That said the
Earl, was matter of great importance in the
question, because the seven ports blockaded were
connected with several other smaller ports and it
was possible that vessels carrying small cargoes
might run from one to the other; but these could
hardy be called ressels running or breaking the
blockade.
The British State papers relative to Mexico,
just presented to Parliament, are also published
elsewhere.
A Paris letter, Of the 9Th ult., published in the
London Herald, says Colonel Charras, Minister of