The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-17
OUR NEWS SUMMARY
In notice of Gen. Price, of Missouri,
by the correspondent of the New Orleans

In notice of Gen. Price, of Missouri,
by the correspondent of the New Orleans
Delta, the following statement is made:
After thscapture of Mulligan and his forces.
Price intended to attack Fremont before he
| could concentrate his army but was prevented
by lack of ammunition, from executing his
design. When Lexington surrendered. he had
| but two thousand percussion caps in his whole
command. He sent to Gen. Hardee, and,
believe, to Gen McCulloch, for a supply of
these indispensable articles; but for some rea-
son. perhaps satisfactory to those officers,
they were not sent.
The Illinois Constitutional Conven-
ton was organized on the 7th inst. by the
election of the following offers:
W. A. Hacker, of Union county, President.
| W. NJ. Springer, of Logan county, Secretary.
John w. Merritt, OF Marion county, Assist
| ant Secretary.
John SchelI, of Adams county, Sergeant at
| Arms.
/ Robert Burton, of Adams, Postmaster.
1t is said by prisoners recently released
from the Richmond Jail that the ingenuity
Of the Yankees there confined is constant
source of wonder to the Southrons. With
no better tools than case knife and steel
pen they make and polish many articles of
use and luxury. A rebel physician remark
ed that there was more ingenuity in the
Yankee prisoners thar in all the rest of the
Southern Contederacy.
The Chicago Tribune says that several
young officers of the army have been cash,
tered for saying that the South couldn't be
achipped.
The following is the substitute reported
from the Military Committee by Senator
Wilson in place of the original bill, con
corning slave-catchiDg by army officers
Be it Enacted, That it shall be unlawful for
| eny officer on military and navy service of
| the United States. to cause any person. LAIN
ed to be held to labor or service by reason Of
| African descent, to be delivered up to, or for
| any person claiming such service or labor.
Any ficer 50 offending shall be discharged
| from service, and be forever Ineligible to any
| appointment in the military or naval service of
the United States.
General Schuyler Hamilton has been
appointed TO succeed Gen. Curtis 10 COM
mand of the District of st. Louis, to in
cude the country south of the Missouri and
east OF the Merramac rivers, and on the
Pacific Railroad to Linsey Station.
1t is rumored at Washington that sew
eral Ministers from Continental States have
eaid that Great Britain shall not, with the
consent of her nejghtors, seek quarrel
with America without substantial reason
They think that the United States have
shown too much willingness to do those
things which make for peace to be drawn
into hostilities sgainst their will.
| - The Richmond Examiner of the ID
instant, contains one of the bodest ccnsures
of the rebel government. 1t exposes the
terrible condition of the rebel army the
drunkenness of the officers, and the demon
alization of the men We make a few ez-
tracts:
The present conditi q of our army is the
cause of severe and painful anxiety. TIE cour
| age of our troops is not abated the eagerness
for the tray is not relaxed; and yet demoral.
zation is creeping in, We fully believe, from
the insane and reckless neglect of the govern
ment TO sustain and cultivate the spirit of our
| sOltiery.
What can be predicted but utter demorali-
cation for an army whose condition is that Of
tens Of thousands Of men, living in utter idle
ness, grOveli in their tents. with no other oc-
| cupatiOn than what is afforded by the greasy
pack of cards that is the inevitable inmate of
every tent, or the yellow. covered novel, whose
wretched and perhaps filthy entertainment has
1 . han fhn do <,f t,n
pany.
We cannot shut our eyest to the fact that the
| army is becoming name If tu' rOr and dread
| to the minds OF our cltiTens The newspapers
are still filled with advertisements OF the bonus.
| es for substitutes" although the War De.
| partment has adopted a Thir restricting the
| number of substilutiOns 10 in each com.
| pany. The rates paid for subs flutes are enOr.
| nous. We are informed that they average
from two hundred to two hundred and fifty
dollars and We have been told of q recent in.
stance where fifteen hundred dollars was paid
for the prompt procurement of substitute to
take the place OF private suddenly cOnstrain-
ed to leave the army.
The same Journal, which does not ap-
pear at all favorable to JEFF. Davis policy,
admits that the year CLOSES under gloomy
auspices for the rebels. Reverses in Mis-.
souri, and the battle at Drainesville are bad
enough, the Examiner admits, but the sur
render OF Mason aud Slid, II "bas bapshed
all hope of an immediate alliance between
Great Britain AID the Southern Confedera-
cy."
The Hon. j. M. Howard, the newly
elected Senator from Michigan, upon being
nominated by the Republican legislative
caucus, addressed that body, in part, as fol,
lows
Should the two Houses of the Legislature
see fit to ratify your action, elevating me to
the Senate of the United States, | shall ever
strive to do my duty faithfully, unfilnchingly
and truly. What that duty may he we cannot
foresee. We cannot penetrate the future and
zee what will be the appropriate line of action
to pursue. We are engaged in struggle the
like of which has never before been presented
on this continent, nor hardly, indeed. in the
world. We are struggling for national exist.
ence, and if the American people still possess
for their country that courage, patriotism and
abiding love for which they have ever been
famed, they will have come out triumphantly
| and saved the Ark of Covenant which good