The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-01-16

destination Of the great Naval Expedition which has
just sailed from Fortress Monroe. y few hours more
Of suspense will solve the mystery, and bring us
things of success or defeat. So well has the secret
been kept, that l find even to-day knots Of citizens at
Willard's specializing upon its objects, and each with
a different theory as to its destination. And yet 1t Is
possible that the rebel government is in full posses
sion Of the secret ere this Their spies abound every
where, and notwithstanding the researches of the
Congressional Committee, and the numbers dis
charged in consequence thereof, l doubt not there
are even now in every department Of the government
employees whose secret synpathies are with the
Secessionists, or whose wives are ready to communi-
cate any stray bit Of information they may gather
that will help the rebel cause. | find everywhere in
Washington, among the ladies, instances Of secession
proclivities, and though the manifestation Of them Is
more restrained since the arrest, by government, Of
certain fashionable ladies here who were acting as
rebel spies, still it is easy to see that the feeling exists
as an active principle.
The great question as to what principle shall be
adopted concerning the slaves who come into camp
and deliver themselves up, is fast approaching its
solution. If the Naval Expedition effect n landing
on the Southern coast, and open a cotton port, as it
is supposed by many it is their intention to do, the
issue will speedily be made, and the war will in my
opinion become one of freedom against slavery. The
! ltISISAcHi hd4t - AZ ItddS4S v '"S Nb~
to identify the Unionist troops with the Abolitionists.
for the sake of rousing the ~prejudices of the South,
although it was notorious that some Of our foremost
men in arms were leaders of the Breckenridge or pro-
slavery party, is likely to recoil with terrible effect
in their own heads. The President has heretofore
lent a deaf ear TO those who were clamoring for the
Immediate emancipation Of the slaves of those en-
gagged in the rebellion, deciding to take no important
step of this sort in contravention of the Constitution,
except as = military necessity of sufficient urgency
10 justify so radical a measure. In this view he was
confirmed by the voice of the border Slave States,
which continued (though nominally perhaps more
than really loyal, and which would have been driv-
EN- at once into secession by such a policy. Now,
however, the emergency seems to have arrived for
this step, and the reasons adverse to its adoption to
have, in a great measure, disappeared.
Though the slave states of Delaware. Kentucky and
Missouri, are nominally saved to the Union, it is not
with the consent of the slave-holding portion of them.
With few exceptions, and those mostly of old men
unfit for service, the Shareholders Of the Border States
are open or secret Secessionists, and a large proper
ton of them have joined the rebel army, and are in
arms. with the avowed object of driving out the
Unionists, and turning their States over to the South
ern Confejeracy. Those who remain firm for the
Union feel that Z" it is worth more than all the niggers
in the SOUTH as one of them expressed it, and that
II II QLeSllOH y, HCNnC Al ObaOH VI Oh'Nis ShhiA
cease to exist, are ready for the sacrifice of the latter.
So that the status OF those States is not now likely to
be affected by the issue, and therefore the objection
against interfering with the peculiar institution on
the score of policy is much weakened, if indeed it any
longer exists. Setting aside considerations Of justice
and humanity, there can be no question that in the
present position Of affairs, a stern military necessity
dictates the striking a blow at the rebels in what is
at once their IeakeSt and strongest POINT. slavery.
Their strongest, because as they themselves boast,
their slaves. undisturted by the war, which their
astute leaders have thus far kept from their homes by
victimized Virginia as a shield between
themselves and the loyal States, have raised their
food and their cotton, while their masters have been
thus free TO fight for their unhallowed cause, and
those not needed for this purpose have been en-
plOyed on Notifications. and in various ways, have
aided the rebellion. Their reakeSt, because they are
human chattels, prefer freedom TO slavery, and when
the opportunity to secure their freedom presents itself
to their minds, they will gladly embrace it. Such
an opportunity will be offered, if the Naval Expedi-
tion is successful in making a landing on the coast of
one of the Cotton States, as the Commander of those
forces is instructed to act with reference to the slaves
upon the principles adopted by General Butler at
Fortress Monroe, and accepted by the Government.
To day l took a long and very interesting horse
back ride of twenty miles into Virginia, among
the camps of our vast army, and almost up to the
rebel pickets. 1t is very difficult now to get a pass
to 20 into Virginia, the Provost Marshal being very
strict and refusing most applications. Your humble
however, having the honor to be secre-
tary Of the military committee of the little village of
Westboro', to which village the band of Senator (now
COLI Wilson's famous regiment, the "22d Mass
belonged, and being well acquainted with the vener-
able chaplain of that regiment, the distinguished
=
the Baltimore massacre, offered his services as chap
lain, on condition that his regiment was n o go
ground Baltimore, (but through IT'D obtained a note
from Col. Wilson to the Provost Marshal, requesting
n pass for me to visit his regiment on business.
Armed with this document, | proceeded to the office
of that potentate, and found a slow procession in sim
gle file reaching from his door some twenty feet along
the sidewalk, guarded by a file OF soldiers TO keep
order and STE fair play and that no one should
- crowd the mourners." At the caudal extremity of
this lugubrious procession, your irdter took his posi-
and there like other waters stuck. The file be-
me was what Artemus Ward would call decided
" mixed, but mainly consisted of most seedy and
lOaferisb looking settlers, and daIkies. Some were
who had come in on business and who wish
ed to renew their expired passes; some were suffers
to regiments, and some doubtless were engaged in
more Objectionable trade with the troops. As an in
dividual emerged every few minutes from the office,
his success or failure to procure the coveted permit
was easily read from his countenance. After waiting
some fifteen minutes, during which time l had ad-
vanced about one foot, 1 made q calculation that I
should reach the dread presence in not less than
three hours. Not having so much time to spare, l
80 broke ranks TO the evident qualification of the
behind me, and concluded TO await a more
favorable opportunity. The next day l went again
At three different times and finally took my place
determined to 81 see it out" / was forcibly remind
ID of the P~ost-oaice professions in San Francisco in
ls49, though here the progress was much slower.