The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-17
OUR NEWS SUMMARY.


In notice Of Gen. P1ce. ~ Missouri,
by the correspondent Of the New Orleans
Delta, the following statement ID made:
After thApaptufe Of Mulligan and his forces.
Price intended to attack Fremont before he
could concentrate his army, but was prevented
by Q 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. I
these indispensable articles; but for some rea.
son, perhaps satisfactory, to those officers,
they were not sent. EA
The Illinois Constitutional Conven-
ton was organized on the 9Th inst. by the
election Of the following oficrs:
W. A. Hacker, of Union county, President.
| w. N. Springer, of Logan county, Secretary.
John W. Merritt, of Marion county, Assist
ant Secretary.
John Schell, of Adams county, Sergeant at
| Arms.
Robert Bu.ton of Adams, Postmaster.
1t is said by prisoners recently released
from the Richmond Jail that the ingenuity
Of the Yankees there confined is a 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 than in all the rest of the
Southern Confederacy.
The Chicago Tribune says that several
young officers of the army have been cash,
tered for saying that the South couldn't be
aohipped. a
The following is the substitute reported
from the Military Committee by Senator
Wilson in place of the original bill, con
corning slave-catching 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. claim
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 officer 30 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
clude 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
raid that Great Britain shall not, with the
consent of her neighbors, 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 I'd
instant, contains one of the boldest censures
of the rebel government. 1t exposes the
terrible condition of the rebel army the
drunkenness of the officers, and the demor-
alization of the men We make few ez-
tracts:
The present conditi, N 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
soldiery.
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 &C.
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
| ahod nd ha no 10 m o. f0 Mt hac
more than once gone the rounds Of the com.
pany.
We cannot shut our eyesto the fact that the
| army is becoming name Of terror and dread
| to the minds OF our citizens, The newspapers
are still filled with advertise uts of the bonus.
es for substitutes" although the War DE.
partment has adopted rude restricting the
number of substitutiOns to one 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 q substitute to
take the place of q private suddenly constrain.
ed to leave the army.
The same journal, which does not sp.
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 Slideil "bas banished
all hope of an immediate alliance between
Great Britain ard the Southern Confedera-
cy."
The Hon. j. NJ. 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, unfinchingly
and truly. What that duty may be 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
| eh;dn0 lovo for which thew have ever heen