Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-01-02
European Complication.

No mail from the South and but little from the North
The much maigned telegraph the only avenue for news
It is toeraby interesting. 1t will be seen that our ar
tlery has been paying its respects to another OF Mr.
Lincoln's gun.boats in South Carolina waters.
The first paper we pick up is the Washington ~
C) Dispatch in which we fnd little no local items
of a ouoable character We are not certain whether
the correspondence between Mr.. Memmnger Secretary
of the Treasury, and MIR. Ferebee on behalf OF the
Convention OF this State which appears in the Dispatch
under the head of Confederate War FAX" makes lis
first public appearance through the columns OF that pa
per. 1T matter OF public interest and Will DC Iouhu
elsewhere in to-day's Journal.
A military correspondent writing FROM Camp Price,
King Georges county, Virginia member of the Grip
Van Wrinkles" which company recently proceeded from
Middleton in Hyde county to join the second regiment
in Virginia mentions some strange things route.
As an Indication OF the military spirit prevailing he
gays hesaw in KiDston several negroes and bobtai
dog will shoulder straps on.
The NeubeTn Progress and the Raleigh Sate Journal
orc the only North Carolina papers we have seen so far
that have been able to start a poetical address for
Christmas. 1t is a good old custom, this thing Of
Christmas rhymng, but hard to sit down to while so
much Of the actual prose of life is pressing down upon
all.
What has happened to the rest OF our State cotem-
aorares VIC hardly know Christmas suppose. The
Elounain Eagle, from Shelby, Ceaveand county, also
reached us this morning, but it is over a week old
OF papers outside of tie State have the Richmond
Dispqtcb and Examiner and the Petersburg Express.
None other North of since Christmas and South
en mail The whole interest Of these papers, the point
TO which all their speculStons tend is the European
complication. That England is ready and willing for
war there would seem to be manner Of doubt, al
though it is possible that the death of the Prince Con-
sort will cause the papers Of that country to be less
cIusiyey occupied with that topic than formerly, for
few days only, for the great world of London qCiU
move on If all the kings and princes living to
die. OF the thousand and one opinions offered, one
seems to be gaining ground rapidly. That the Lincoln
government will back down and surrender Mason and
Sidell We are something like Governor Letcher, in
praying that Lincons backbone may be stifened-that
like Pharaoh his heart may be hardened: 1t would
to that little reflection ought to convince any
body that Lincoln and Seward would be mad if they
rgked war with England at this time. We fear they
are not mad enough for that neither they wise
sensible enough to come forward at once to negotiate
the terms Of honorable peace and quiet separation
with the South.
The idea of an attack upon some part of the North
Carolina coast, by portion of General Burnsides ex-
petition now fitting out at Annapolis to be gain
ing ground Newbern is the point most spoken Of but
we think Fort Macon, or other point more ap-
proaChabe by shipping, likely to receive the at
teuon Of the invaders. The suspicion has never quite
been abandoned that attempt might be made to turn
Fort Macon by landing either on Bogue Banks or on
the mainland near SwansbOro'. To get to Newbern
from SwansborO would require an immense circuit, Ia
king the county road, and attack Fort Macon by
way of the Banks, would not be quite amusing to
the attackers might be thought In either case the
base of operations would be distant and the supplies be
liable to interruption With reasonable irmness and
common precaution we think Newbern is safe against
any force that will be likely to attempt to work its way
that far inland. Although we know that soundings
have been taken all along that concave sweep of the
coast extending from Cape Lookout to Cape Fear and
known on the maps by the general designation of Cons
low Bay" and although know also, or at least be-
leve that some few worthless characters along the banks
may have been tempered with, have idea in the
world that any serious attempt upon Wilmington on
the one side, Or Beaufort and Newborn on the other
viii be made by way of the distant and shallow water
Topsai IS there any probability of such attempts
being made at points distant the places indicated
We must wait and see.
The spirit Of the Northern press is less belgerent
than formerly. Indeed the New York Herald and
Times, with other organs that wheeled round so ra-
pdy and after talking blood and thunder advised SUBJ
mission, exhibit uneasy feeling. Il begins
10 be regarded doubtful whether war can be avoided
The Mason and SlideI affair only part of the COM
plcation. The English residents of Washington look
upon war as imminent but that is probably only an
opinion. 1t is certain that Lord Lyons communicated
with Mr.. Seward this day week. after the arrival of
Captain Seymour, the Queens messenger who came
over in the Europa. The communication which he
made is still a secret 1t is added that MIR. Adams dis
patches have little to say touching the affair of the
Trent be having received communication on the sub
ject from the British government.
The Washington correspondent of the New York
Herold has the following, which we give for what it
may be worth. We do not know whether it is worth
anything -
The President has important private letters, that will
great weight in the summing up of this tTaOrous
broglio. Senator Summer, chairman of the Committee
Fin interrupted the proceedings of the Senate to-day
by moving that the body into executive session to
slider imp0 business communicated by special
ger of the President. The motion prevailed. The
sage contained highly important concerning
foreign relations but having reference to the Mason
Gulf which after all of more Importance to this govern
ent than ANYTHING now agatipp the public mind in this
country. The message ordered to be printed The
Mason and Shdell affair is only employed by the British
government pretext while they employ their forces in
another direction to destroy power and strengthen
their
The Baltimore Ne,ys Sheet of the 2lst has the fol-
lowing -