Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-02-05
From the NatDnal Capital.
WASHINGTON, D. c., January 80, Il


greets the eye in all directions. Every street,
every Avenue, is filled with it--and the road
to the Chain Bridge, What a sight 1t looks
more like a bed of mortar than anything else
| can compare it with. Pedestrians, be they
ever so careful, wiH get bespattered; and the
ladies-dear creatureS-what time they have
to keep their sstrails'' and ssbalmorals'' ana
other "fxins'' out of the horrible stuff; and
should, haplessly. foot slip, causing the fn
gers to relax their grasp, the condition of the
fair ones toggery, may be ima9 ined but can
not be accurately described.
The soldiers, matter of course, have an
interesting time of it in the camps, which are
surrounded by compound somewhat thicker
and more toGsn than that of the City. The
roads Gre entirely too heavy for field opera
tlJns, and thus an onward movement of the
Army on the Potomac is once more prevented.
The decentralization which inactivity is spread
ing more and more each day, has been so much
talked of that do not feel like repeating it.
ThoSe'who have the management of war affairs,
probably think they are doing everything that
can be done but the people are growing very
impatient, more especially when they hear
that the soldiers are anxious to have chance
at the traitors. They do not admire so much
Kid -gloveisin-gilded promises and pleasing
words must make way for hard blows and hard
fighting, if the respect and confidence of orr
own people, and the non-recognition of the
Southern Confederacy by foreign powers, is TO
be maintained much longer.
On Wednesday, Mr.. Gurley of Ohio, in the
Honse OF Representatives., made some COM
plants as TO the manner in which the war is
conducted. He said, that, thus far, our COM
manders had been the victims of some unalter-
able plan-the creation OF one mind-which
had failed, whilst attempting to strike at all
poi1ts simultaneously, of accomplishing little
beyond what was done without waiting for the
hV piV lpb
enemy might be found. East Tennessee had
asked for ten thousand men for her defence
against the Rebels, but was refused on the
ground that they could not be spared from the
Potomac; and yet there were absent, the other
day, from the army here, on pleasure or busi-
ness, a thousand officers and seven thousand
prlvates- There was another case in point.
He has it from good authority that, some three
weeks ago, ten to fifteen thousand Rebels in
the neighborhood OF Romney, were virtually
in the power of a division of our army num-
bering about forty thousand Gen. Lander
sent messenger to Gen. Kelly asking him to
join him in the movement, and Kelly, without
knowing what Lander did, sent similar mes
sage to the latter. Gen. Banks also inv-
ted TO Cooperate, and at the same time tele-
graphic dispatch sent to headquarters in
reference to what was going on,when an answer
came, in form of an order, not tS advance,
accompanied by reprimand for even the sug-
geStion of such a movement. He referred to
the blockade as a cause for shame, and init
mated that the President was'anxious to prose
cute the war with vigor. He thought also that
he saw streak of light resting upon the chair
OF the new Secretary of War-a man, wLo, If
report spoke truly, was like brave Ben Wade
of Oho-a good com bindtion Of ssOld Hfckor
and Zach Taylor, with a mind of his own,
brain to plan, and an iron will to execute.
And this reminds me that Secretary Stan
N tn nS e
the New York dalies remarks, ssthe next best
thing to tax BILL" The order prohibits the
making of further contracts fer articles OF
foreign manufacture that can be produced or
manufactured in the United States revokes
and annuls all outstanding orders, agencies
and lirenses for the purchase of arms, clothing,
&C., in foreign countries requires all persons
claiming to have contracts or bargains with
the War Department, to file copies of the a
greement with the Secretary within fifteen
days; and declares that a failure to comply
with this provision will be regarded as priBlG
facie evidence of the claim being fraudulent
and void, and no allowance will he made there
on unless upon full and satisfactory proof of
its validity.
To-day Mr.. Cox, of the House, responded
to the attack of Mr.. Gurley on Gen. Mcclellan.
He referred to the difficulties which Generals
Halleck and Buell. experienced on assuming
their cammands IN Missouri and Kentucky.
lie contended that, if Lander and Kelly had
been permitted to carry out their intended
movement against the Rebels at Romney, it
would have most likely been another Balls
Bluff affair, and asserted that Gen. Banks ap-
proved of Gen. McClellan's action in the mat
ter. AS to the Army on the Potomac, he
said it could not move for mud. He inveigh-
ed against the fedgling Congressional critics,
whose experience was mostly confined to Bull
Run. He said that those who now were SO
querulous about Mcclellan were the same gen
tlemen who, in the Mexican War, believed
s'Peace the true grandeur of Nations,'' and
echoed Hosea Biglow's slang
'sFiie away, you ffin feller,
You may fife till you are yeller,
Fore you get held of me-