The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-12-20
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS.

ordnance 9Rcere, ana persons VINO are Watoh
ing the interesting and important experiments
that the scientific and political world are max
ing in iron -clads. The impregnability ofships
of war has been one Of the greatest problems
Of the time !. Immense interests hinge upon it,
social, commercial and political say has
been, because the experiments with the Stafford
projeotile dispose oft Twelve inches Of iron,
at sharp angle, have been penetrated by it,
Halt that AMOUNT Is more than any sea- going
vessel can carry. "a Gloire and the Warrior lo
are as emphatically disposed of as the wooden
wslls Of Englsndswess by the famous eneonn-
ter between the Merrimsc and our vessels in
Hampton Roads, which led the London Times
to declare that the navy of Great Britain had
been reduced ste two sbipsa-the Warrior aud
the Black Prince These two, before the pro
jeetile OF Mr.. Stafford, are as helplessSas wood
en- vessels were shown to be BY tho experiment
in Hampton Roads The sides Of the'Warrior
ana the defiant curves Of La Glo7re are nothing
more, than egg shells before if 70 az unset
enti6c Observer like myself, it, will appear .
matter of great surprise that the substantial
difference between this and other famous pro-
jectiles consists merely in the more perfect
4.pscking F" The lArmstrong projectle hiss q
packing of lead, in the rear,i believe, of the
iron missile, or at least cas-. around the body
Of it. Dahlgren's packing is Of lead, IN the
resra Both of these strip off, more or less, in
flight, besides iiuperfectly preventing the
| .svindage..'' Parrot has . thin sheet Of iron
| on the rear Of the missile, which the explosion
Of the powder expands and causes to take the
shape Of the rifipg. It isi an admirable pro-
jectile. but often uses up The weapons in ashort
time, l am told. James packing is Of lead,
along the body, and also subject to the peeling
process in fight, as have myself Observed
Hotohkiss 8, projectiles, so much used in the
army, have slead or soft metal packing, in the
middle, bat as it extends entirely through the
missile, it is not liable to strip. Besides iron,
lead. &C., India. rubber has been used, and Va"
rious other substances, all but imperfectly pre-.
venting the windage. Mr.. Stafford uses leath-
er for packing, And, strange IS it may seem
to IN unscientifc man, the additional security
which it affords against windage over every
other substance yet experimental with, has
nearly or qui e doubled the power Of penetra-
ton, .a q '- - - Ee eg-
The Presidents Emancipation proposition
contained in his annual message, was not receiv.
ed with any considerable delight by any class Of
politicians. It would probably have been better
received by the Presidents political friends if
it had been so stated that its exact character
aud relations could be apprehended at glance.
As it is, it was, and perhaps may say still is,
variously understood. Still, as it is now gener-
ally understood, after examination, and persona
explanation, it falls asiyet, to attract much AZ
tention or comment. When some one shall
bring it before Congress with an idea to giving
it living form, we shall then be able TO learn the
real Judgment of that body concerning It; but
all can say now is, that it creates DO ehthusi-
asm, finds no earnest advocates, and is little
spoken Of Discussion may show it worse or
better than is now anticipated. aaE sraf,zaa
The success, so far, of Gen. Burnside, in bis
have yet heard nothing only of his successful
crossing of the river,) extremely annoys the
psrtizans Of Gen. Mcclellan. They feel sore, as
they were bound to do, over any degree Of sue
cess by the General who supplapted their favor.
tie. They appear to rejoice less over the sue.
cess of the cause than they mourn over the
demonstrated inferiority Of Mcclellan. They
are bitter, snarliDg, surly.5 There are no smiles
on their faces at Burnside's successful crossing
Of the river in spite of such serious obstacles.
The neat but efsctual little vancouver by which
be bridged the difficulty land the river) before
him, elicits no applause from them. They
viii pretty soon curse Burnside Just as they are
already fercely; cLrsipg Halleck. and, with a
somewhat suppressed rage, the President too.
If Burnside fails they will exhibit no sadness Of
countenance and feel little or no sadness in
spirit. If he is successful, they will exhibit
towards him malevolence about proportional
to his success. Generally, at 6rst they took the
removal of Mcclellan very quietly. It looked
as if nearly all the ardor that had prevailed for
| him had been really supplanted by the progress
Of the war, and that the show of partixansbip in
bis favor had come to be in good part sham.
And to a certain extent this 10 true. But the
occurrence Of political events has very much
| enlivened the furore Of the. Young Napolson's
partisans, and they exhibit feeling, venom,
that they did not within q week after bis re-
moval However, it would seem that splendid
| :, n
tain to extinguish his.predecessor entirely.
| Upor opinion here, the testimony Of Gen.
Mcclellan before the Fitz John Porter court
marshal, 90 far as it relates to the Peninsula
campaign, has done him (AcClelan) good 1t
elsted his friends, and has caused some who
( we're not counted among them to question
whether he would not have taken Richmond il
he could have had his own way in this military
department entirely. further testimony may be
i a ~ a