, 1862-02-26

OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Tic A777ay Of tic Rton1ac-An3tHcr Flint Cor
ce,ning R6zf Donezson-6en. 1ansaSzd on The
u Contrubands Gen. Lanes Pfopose1 Return
to tie Senate Stock Jo51ing scith the Neaes Of
the 45s't A6air..
[From our OWL Correspondent
WAsu1saros, February 70, 1862.
The numerical strength Of the army Of the
Potomac, commanded by Major General Geo.
B. Mcclellan, has been heretofore, so far as
the public were concerned, matter OF guess
work, and the various guesscs have ranged
from ice, eco to 100000 men. Senator Wilson
yesterday, in 4 debate on the proposed reduc-
tion Of the cavalry force, stated it as follows:
s'I think we have fifteen divisions now In the
"army Of the Potomac; each division CON-
"mandcd by Major General, or by Brisa-
"dier General acting as Major General; and
"cach consisting Of three b1igades, each brig
"adc Of three regiments of infantry, making
"twelTe infantry regiments in a division, and
''one regiment Of cavalry, and three, andEomc-
4" times four, batteries OF artillery, or twenty
pieces. That is supposed to be about the
q relative proportion that ought to exist be-
F" tween infantry, cavalry, and artillery. be-
" ieye that there have been assigned to two or
i" three Of these divisions more than one regi-
{" ment Of cavalry, and;;I think one or two Of
them have four batteries instead Of three,''
Since this intod Rtiona now published in the
G7o6e, the oficin1 paper Of Congress, there can
be no harm in rcpublishing it in Chicago.
Fifteen divisions, oftwclye infantry regiments,
one cavalry regiment and three artillery com-
panies each, cdhstitutca force Of 202, 75o fight
ing men, or men who Fould fight if they had
. chance. -
The battle ut Fort Donelson has been fol-
lowed by battle less bloody, less glorious,
but not less obstinate, as to Which Of the Gen
erals, two hundred or ten hundred miles from
the field, is entitled to the credit OF the
achievement. Gen McClellan's partisans, in the
little ..pro-slasery Star, CHIN it all for hun.
Gen. Hallecks friends, assuming to have
some special information, which they
could disclose. If *hcy woald claim
it al for him. The public, On the other hand,
seem to give it, as @ Et3itary achievement, to
the generals who were there, ratler than the
two Or twenty who were somewhere else. And
mannestly they are right; for no general, in
ancient or modern times, ever won reputa-
ton from battles in which he had no part.
Alexander, Hannibal, Casar, Cromwell, Gus
tayus, Marlborough, and wellington, all
achieved their renown on fields where theyled
the contending hosts, and it is too late to es-
tahlish different rule for measuring the
prowess Of military sclieftainE. The general
who does all his fighting On Brussels carpet,
in fourstory house, several hundred miles
from the eannon's roar, will never rise higher
than useful mcdiocrity on the historic page
Gen. Buell., who vas enjoying the news at JEFF
fersonville, Indiana, while the battle was rag
ing at Fort Done1son, will find himself out
ranked by Gen. Grant when the two reach
Nashville, OF wherever they-comc together
and so it should be. The courage, the prompt
which mark the great captain, can only be
shown and proved in the midst Of danger and
the c1amor Of battle.
It is gyatif1 ing to find general, holding a
command IN the field, who brings common
sense to Ills aid in determining the condition
| Banity Is not perhaps to be looked for in ex-
cess in our regular army, but we have right
to expect the exercise Of the faculty Of reason
| and when We find both humanity and reason
| bestowed On the blacks, it becomes us to mark
| it as an cmcn Of much magnitude in the pres.
| Mansfield is such an omen It was written in
| answer to m inquiry propouHded to General
| M. by 4 commission appointed to collect The
| acdges Of the negroes in the service Of the GoT,
ernment at Newport News:
| CAap BCrLER NEWPORT News, ya.,,
| February eth, 1862.
| TO he cemmis$ion, col; Gram and 1iajor Jones
| aT9ein!ea pe, Gensro9 Orders 40. 5, from Head
- q certain !" Contraeands:"
! GEs71Exzs: By Invitation Of a member of the
Commission, I take the lberty.to e1press to the
Commission my views on the sntiect Of the "con.
t1ahand" negroes, Eo-cal1cd. These can be divided
| into four classeE-
ist. Theee abandoned By their rebel owners and
| compelled to ask for work aud support.
| I'd. Those who hare run away from their owners
the rehela, to obtain their freedom from control
| Sd. Those who have been prt at work by thcis
rebel ownereoa the Qualifications etc, to resist the
| Government, and hare made their escape.
th. ath. Free negroes who seek wogE fof support
The question new aliaes az to these negroes i
! the United States bound to hold them as slaves
and dcprive them Of the right to go where they
for shey bare never been found ID arms; and have
made their escape to avoid taking pa1t gainst the
United States, is tha rebels have abandoned landa
e @ Sae nesns 1s hsad
livelihood Some Of them having worked on rcb
e. foEtnestlhons ets }a1 released andsr the IT
!
1851: to eonfseatc property from farther sci yce
10 their 1oas1srs. And in such eases what Is thai
position: Why simply that Of any person in thf
connt,! released BY law from she payment OF II
Al these negroes, with the exception Of the Ut
class are OF have been Claimed az property BY tlt
very rebels who hare taken np arms against the
United States, and are lawful plumber, + properly
1oey yyeT a5e 1qs ie Tsops b1 hsa
and no where else, and are not bound or held tt
labor for the United States. consequently they AT
not s!avcs to the United States. It Is clear ths
condition Id M of siayea with them was co-existen'
States to the Constitution and Laws Of the Cnitei
states against which they a.e in open rebellion.
esss e - e
cessioa the Confederate States have voIantaril,
| broken the Constitution and laws, and have takei
The United States are thereby absolycd nom tht
enforcement Of the fugitive elaEe Law, even II &
2bsatd Calm were Pat forth. I. THIS statement
waSss they can earn. and to 50 where they please
arhl wonld dFecou1u,end thst al their earnings b.
paid to them While IN the United stasee, employ
and that M officers and others VINO employ then
IN thia department be required to pay them q just
comp@nsaiian,a and that they be allowed to improve
sy e s1a s,ea ss please
Your obsdie1t SCI 4sant.
| lSigned1 DOS. K.F. MA1sF11D,
:@-@ Drigadier General U. s. 4
| Gen. Lanes proposed return to the Senate
| (f It be true} does not strike his friends faycr
ably, because they desire to prove By his gal
1antry In the field that their confidence wa:
not misplaced It be wouid accept his brigs
diergenera1ship, and demand to be sentin ia
the service, the responsibility Of shelving him
would be: or the Government, aud. he Moult
stand as high in the estfmstion Of the 'eQantrl
Is though he had been placed at the :held q
an army, and had set his face toward tbs aul
of MEXICO. The astonishing enthusiasm vhtel
his proposed expedition created In the North
west le readily explained. Coming forward a
the close Of a long reign Of imbecility, COW
ardlce and corruption ending In public bank
rnptcy. and promlsfDg to do so1setAing. 1t /
!. | rot to bo wondered ut thAt the: people haile,
him IS deliyersr. Nor is it surprising, noz
that de!ySTanco hascome from another guar
Ter, that: h1s differences With Gem Hunter m
Gen.: Hunters differences with him. shoul
hsee been lost atehtof in the smoke Of: For
EoUe1son. -: - I:-'! go: ..-; ..srt;..,
4 singular fact hss boea brought to slfEh
recently tending to: Show that taorn is ftl