The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-05-01
state of the War.

anu thdl ne couilete eAtlTIdtiOn OF the REBEL
lion is now a certainty and only a matter of time.
The most important item by the Watcher is
the capture of - Island No. lO,"-an important
stronghold of the rebels in the Mississippi River.
just opposite the southern boundary line Of Ken
lucky. As usual, the prisoners, cannon. and
munitions of war are so numerous as TO be al
most a burden 70 the victorious army. This
clears the way for the progress of the govern
ment forces down the river, and no serious OBJ
structions will probably be met till they arrive
in the vicinity of Memphis, located in the south
west corner Of Tennessee. Even there we do not
expect to hear of much fighting.
Beauregard was concentrating al the rebel
forces that could be mustered. at Corinth. a.
small town in the northeast corner Of the State
of Mississippi, on the line of the railroad run
ming from Memphis to Georgia and South Caro-
lima. One report states that he had deemed it
prudent 10 fall back or southwark even from this
favorable position. Regarding this movement,
however, there is some uncertainty, and it is
more probable that he will hold it until at least
the approach of the troops under Gen. Buell.,
stationed at the latest dates south of Nashville.
In Virginia, it is difficult to tell the precise
position of the Union army. owing to the sur
Vigilance exercised over the telegraph and public
presses by the government. There is a general
retreat giving on of the rebel forces towards
Richmond, and a corresponding advance of the
government troops, which, owing to the nature
OF the country, must move on cautiously, and
not become so divided as to be exposed to any
sudden attack and defeat. M'Clellau's policy
appears to be to allow the rebels to retreat quiet
ly, IN order that the sacrifice of property by
burning or otherwise may be less than it would
be if each large town or city was made a battle
field.
In Congress, the bill to abolish Slavery in the
District of Columbia has passed the Senate by
4 vote of p to IA. This, coupled with the
movement in Delaware to abolish Slavery in that
State, is n favorable omen. Although Congress
has clearly no right, under the Constitution, to
NEEDLE with Slavery in any State belonging tc
the Union, the question whether the obligations
of that instrument are binding when applied to
revolted States, which by their own acts have
thrown off and denied the authority of the Con-
stitution, is one not SO readily determined. We
notice in our exchanges that the conservative
view of the subject is held by the President and
by n majority of congressmen. i G., that Congress
has no right, or rather, perhaps. that it is not
prudent, to interfere with the institution of
Slavery in the revolted States as they return into
the Union and that all that can or ought to
be done by Congress in the matter is embraced in
the resolution proposed by the President himself,
and almost unanimously passed by that body, as
follows:
Resoired, That the United States ought to co-ope-
rate with any State which may adopt the gradual
abolition of slavery, giving to each State pecuniary
aid to be used ut its discretion, to compensate for the
nconveniences caused TO public and private property
by such change Of system.
We question whether this will satisfy the
North, which has already been taxed $500, OOO,-
BOO and more to support this war of Slavery, or
that they will settle down on anything short of
some definite plan by which the slavery question
will for all future time be placed beyond the per-
of again fomenting such Il rebellion
md such a civil war. 1t is contrary 10 human
nature that the ~yictors> should sue for terms from
the vanquished, or permit the frebrand to lie
lnextinguished beneath their dwellings, when
humanity and the laws of self protection call for
is extinction. If SdUery is the cause of this
,ostly, bloody and useless internecine war, let it
De now and forever wiped out from the pages of
American History.
The news brought by the Syren last evening,
was tine most exciting we have yet had from
America. Owing the ~lateness of the hour at
which it was received, we can only give n short
outline of the great battle, which will be found
IN the next page.
THE NEws.-Our dispatches, saws the Alta
If the 18th, although of delayed dates, pre-
ent a mass of very interesting intelligence, pro-
ninent among which is the whereabouts of Mai.
len. Mcclellan, of whose movements little has
heard of late. He is in command of the
column of the army, of which we had pre-
-ious advices of assembling at Fortress Monroe,
md had advanced as far as Yorktown, on the
York river, memorable as the scene of Corvallis
to the combined forces of Washington
nd Rochambeau This town he had invested,
nd a battle was momentarily expected, as
he rebels had a force of so 900 men under
he notorious John b. Magruder. This move
nent on the part of General Mcclellan is
he opening of a new line of operations
gainst Richmond. During his absence the
ommand of the central forces between the
,appahannock and Washington devolves on
len. Mcdowell. The rebels are also said to
ave made preparations to attack Gen. Burn
ide at Newbern, but we are inclined to doubt
he statements made of their strength. Our
Get in the North Carolina waters has not been
for Commodore Rowan had captured Wash
lgton and Kingston Court House. A change
{ command has ensued ut Port Royal.
Buffers forces had landed ut Biloxi,
nd by this time are ready for action. Gen.
churchman's Brigade is en- route for New Next
The campaign in Virginia Is slowly but
rely drawing to a decisive blow. and the whole
ublic attention necessarily centres on the move
tents OF our young Commanding General, in
HON are reposed the hopes of the nation. The
-oubles of Mexico are not over yet, as some diff
have occnrrad batuaaD tho diploma fists Q