The national Republican., 1862-04-26
MEN AND Tniios AZ rHE nc; CAPITAL. p r T.
IRON YomrowS.

IRON YonxTowN.
A letter was received, By IN important mem
Der Of the Government, last nIght, from Gen.
McClellan, in Which hs give an encouraging
picture Of the condition Of the " army Of the
Potomac" and the prospects for victory. Oi
course II would be improper to give any Of the
statements IN The letter, but Il can do no harm
10 state the fact that Gen. Mcclellan and his
subordinate generals are full Of hope respect
ing the results Of the coming battle. We also
hear, from individuals who left Yorktown, or
rather our army which ID before Yorktown, 9
day or two since, that immense preparations
were making to ensure triumph when the final
assault upon the enemy's works Is made.
GEN. sICKIEs.
Gen. Sicklee was at the Capitol yesterday in
very good spirits. lie was aware Of the fact
that the President has re.nominated him to a
brigadiership. Those persons who think Il
strange that the President has renoninated q
man whom the Senate 20 decisvely rejected
should remember that Mr.. Sickles certainly
will compare favorably in every respect with
numbers Of men who have been confirmed by
/ the Senate, and that other important fact that
Il eiuCc uib iVJCCtAOn bOuO vi tuO lCuutuk mcu VI
New York, belonging to both parties, peti
| toned the President TO renominate him. Hor.
ace Greeley, the editor of the Tribune, is among
/ the petitioners Under these circumstances
i the President sends 10 the name second time
THE ROADS.
We hear that the roads at Harrisonburg
| Fredericksburg, and on the peninsula, are In a
shocking condition, caused by the recent we,
weather. Our troops have needed warm cloth
ing and fires as much IS they did in mid-winter
but have lacked both.
1 COUNT MERCER
/ The yuid nlIacs have had q Jolly time over
| the recent visit of Count Mercler, the French
Minister, to Richmond. The sensationist, on
/ the one hand, were sure II portended French
interference with our blockade; on the other,
that France was about 10 take the part Of this
Government in subduing the rebellion. All this
10 pure Josh. Count Mercier went TO Richmond
to arrange with the French consul respecting
the vast quantity Of tobacco In that city owned
by French merchants And this fact 1--WE have
II on the best authority 70 be q facr gives good
evidence that the French Minister thinks the
days OF the rebellion are numbered and that
Richmond will soon fall into cur hands. II Il
was not so, he would not have gone TO Rich.
the rebels from burning the tobacco that the
trip was made.
CONGRESS.
There was u very spicy debate in the House
yesterday, upon the conduct OF the Contracts
Investigating Committee. We knew that when
Mr.. Stevens declared, the other day, that the
Committee I" had committed more frauds than
| they. had detected that when certain mem
bers Of the Committee got back to their places
| 10 the House there would he something further
To be said upon the subject. The debate was
one Of the raciest the session has yet afforded
Mr.. Dawes was very amusing 10 portions of hi.
was eloquent in reply to Mr.. Dawes. The de-
bate will be renewed on Monday next
REBEL DIPLOMATS
A batch Of rebel diplomatic correspondence
taken from the Schooner Calhoun, al the moutt
Of the Mississippi River, has Just beer
published and the loyal people of the country
are having u good laugh over the amusin.
points OF this European correspondence. Al
the rebel agents in Europe seem 70 have beeI
in dreadful want OF money. One Of the letter
solicits the addtess OF T. Bltler King, in Liv
erpool, that come Englishman may arrest hin
for debt; another secret agent" at Brussels
has "spent over thousand dollars" aud is a
the bottom Of bis purse, and can't move Ill
relieved"
He thinks our nationality might suffer b.,
exposing my condition here.r He afterward
adds that $3.50 "will leave me easy" and ex
presses the hope that The "return mail vii
bring the money We fear the nationality,
according to this theory, Is 10 q great agon,
just at present. Another gentleman compiaip
that European bankers will rot honor draft
upon th South--no matter whom they ar,
upon. The correspondence shows that rebe
diplomacy in Europe Is not pleasant diversion
THE AQUEDCCr BRIDGE.
Mr.. Stanton, Of the War Department has seu
to the House an interesting correspondence il
reference to the condition OF Canal Aqueduc
Bridge at Georgetown. The Secretary was re
quested 10 state what obstacles had been place,
In the way Of trade on the Alexandra canal
and when they would be removed. Quarter
master General Meigs replies TO this inquiry
that the only obstacle placed in tha way Of th'
trade of the canal by the War Department i
st the Aqueduct, which has been oonvcrte'
into temporary bridge. At present he doe
= not think the Government can safely relinquis
this avenue 10 Virginia. SPECTATOR.
ii CoTrON At LIyERroOL--On the 18th oil Aprl
1 l,la IN lat