The New York herald., 1862-02-27
INTERESTING FROM MISSOURI.
Our st. Louis Correspondence.


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Our st. Louis Correspondence.
81. LOUIS, Feb %, 1892.
Great Demonstration IN Honor of the 22d-Nota1e
Oratio~ from an Old Line Democrat-Arriual Of Fbrt
Donelson Prtonns-Visits on Board their Prison
Superintendent and Decentralization They 7dk and
Feel-SimgAlar Delusions, de-, dc.
Tho celebration Of washington's Birthday yesterday
in this city one Of tho most imposing and
enthusiastic affairs Of the kind that has occurred in
the West It is impossible to 60 into all the various de-
tails of the embellishments and displays noticed evory
street and thoroughfare All business completely
suspended and tho whole city seemed wrapped in flags
Unfortunately the weather not all that could be do
sreda heavy mist hung the streets and houses all
day, which go thick that the flags displayed from
the dome OF the Court House, hundred and thirteen
FEET from the sidewalk and from the tall spre of Dr.
Nelson's church. could hardly be distinguished The pro-
cesson and quarter miles long by actual mea
srement the advance of the First division encounterng
the Ninth before the latter was fairly in
motion, after travelling one hundred and seven.
teen squares in Its progress. The dwellings
along the route gayly decorated with flags and
white and blue Here and there secession
residence would form marked exception TO the general
gnyety; but the secession element is daily growing
smaller and many families who have resisted tie Union
and Its armies with great vgor yesterday among
the foremost TO do the honor Fort Doneson
represented in the procession and the San Jacnto.
with rigging opeer shn's guns and blue Jackets true
to life, formed interesting feature. II will DC day
long be remembered for s rejoicing and ,estivty in
St. Louis.
The notable feature OF the celebration was the
demonstration in tho venng at tho Mercantile Library
Tall After various patriotic songs and the reading Of
Washngton's Farewell (prophctic) Address, an grafton
was delivered BY The Hon. Charles d. Drake Of this city.
Mr. Drake is OF the old line democrats of Missouri
He has been honored the councils Of the party, and
two years ago elected to the State Senate by q
very large majority although the republican ticket was
elected at the election, showing undoubted strong
personal popularity with the masses. His grafton last
evening masterpiece Of oratory and received
with the most enthusiastic applause He excoriated Sc
cession in all its forms, and particularly severe on
the disgrrceful selection of Washirgtons Birthday ami
versary for the Inauguration CT Jen Davis with tho
sentiment that love fer Washington and JEFF Davis could
in tho same heart The whole audience
their ce and Checrcd vocifercusy. But the most
aordnary part Of this grafton was Mr. brakes avowa
on The subject Of slavery Coming from such source,
wonder 1t caused surprise. Mr. Drake, as he said had
been ghng abotionsm for thirty years but he believed
slavery tho Of tho rebellion He still oppos ed
immediate emancipation, fraugbt with great evil but
added -'But let it be manifest that rebellion
not bo otherwise subdued, and that shut up to
choose between our robe country with its priceless con-
sitution ard slavery then with every fibre Of my heart
and every energy Of my nature will pass along the uni
versal cry Of all patriots, Down with slavery o ever"
This wss received rather mildly at first but
being enforced with emf hasis soon brought down
S Is h the Of the Sy
was handled by savcrys champions excites the
deepest astonishment.
Fort Doneson ut this port route for Chcego Detroit
and Indianapolis, have occupied considerable attention
Of id!es and those who gossip about military affairs
Nearly all the steamers have gcno TO Alton or landed
their rebel cargocs Bloody Island, opposite the city
Ihreo boats tho Southwester. the Aeck Scott ard En-
ma Dnncan-have been, however, tied to the evee for
brief period and although to the boat only
gained by the privileged few still the rabble corld
plenty Of sights from the evee 70 satisfy all but the most
raraccus curiosity Those who managed to get on
h ard generally brought off few tribes by way of tro
is in the shape of Confederate postage stamps and
lasters purchased for rife from the deuded fol-
lowers of Je Davis. Tho officers generally retccnt
and desous OF avoiding observation Their chief ankle
~ appeared to bo to learn tho value Of Tennessee
money in st. Louis Nearly all Of them had Confederate
bonds mostly enties, the face Of which tho South
ern confederacy promised to pay twenty dollars six
months after tho ratification Of eace Tho holders OF
these bonds held hcm enormous price, and would
sell one Of them for less than y cents the dollar.
They were quite as sharp In driving bargains as the most
Having had several opportunities Of convcrsing with
officers aid among the Fort Dcnelson prisoners Is
my firm conviction that three fourths Of them glad
to get rid OF service under the JEFF Davis govern
nent II is obvious that their treatment has been any
nrssccans. rebe Kentuckans and Mississppans Every
has been compelled TO provide his clothing and
the res, is collection OF ragged motley, variented
mon that would viz In appearance with FalssrMs
army there marked difference Of opinion among
the representatives the different States The Mssssp
rians curse the towards the
curse the vrgnians ditto and tho rebel Kentuckians
down on all hands. Nearly all tho regiments were
recc arrivals at Fort Donelson from Bowling Green.
The most remarkable unanmity prevailed among tho
prisoners on the subject Of the Union clement of the
Son h. The Miss sippsns acknowledged that IN NatchcZ
and vicksburg, and Jackson the capital Of tho
State, there many Union mon. Tho Tenncssecans
said that East Tennessee was hopccssy Unon and that
Nashville WAS half Union. few asserted a moderate
Union sentiment In Memphis and all admitted its reva
enco through the al districts The rebel kentuckians
who sbenconod their loyal athren for service under
Buckner made eonceanent i their disgust for the
Southern C rfcderacy, apd wished themselves homo.
Between tho rcpi officers and men there does not seem
TO be the sliatct bond Of sympathy An instance Of
this noticed board the Aeck Scott On Friday last
While tho ItyRAl correspondent was talking with couple
o! Tenncssecansapperenty prvatosono Of the prison
who appeared to be officer, approached behind
them Pretty Of the prvates remarked in response
to question. that ho did not think the Southern army
world make any stand for the defence Of Nashville, but
wCid cndcr the cry % II from burning. Both
the prisoner ofNhe opinion that Nashville would
not DO buried and gavorcasons for their belief AT this
the listening ene officer interrupted OF the speakers
with the amiablc remark that he was God damned
liar and furthermore Informed him that Nashville was
Of nosccoun anyhow and Il he ever told any Ncrthcrror
that tho South would Surrender any town without first
burning II that he would "cut hts heart cut" This
speech cut conversation short, and the parties
buged sneakol Jtf cre.tfall n possible.
One " tho strongest decisions which the intelligent
prisoners abored under that for every Union man
living in the South thero two rebe sympathzcrs In
the North They point to Ben Wood vallandigham and
John Davis, or Indiana representatives Of class.
Mississippi colonel remarked to me-"You crush out
those just the you say crush out Union
men down South" hut he was forced 10 admit that
Union could make srch speeches in tho Confederate
States as Davis had made in Indiana lately.
III you drive out of Tenn ss,e," said the same
Mississippi colonel mississippi will DO yours without
blow. and New Orleans won't be long In hands; but
when summer comes your soldiers Will die like shocp,
and an immense army will rour down upon you from
Virginia and carry everything before thom This dc.
csrst qualified In subsequent speeches by tho
statement that Burnside and Sherman penetrated tho
coast the confsderacy was gone up
Apropos OF tho Burnside expedition. Tho prisoners
loud in their assertion that u had gone 10 the bot
tom u was with difficulty they could he persuaded 70
think that Roanoke Island had been captured with
tho sard i've hundred Of the az. +. v's and North
Csrolinians.
Tut these stories ondess They reach you In q
SIMILAR strain from oyery point whore prisoners arc
taken, and one Gays experience does for all.