Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-01-01

The London Times, of December lst publishes
another interesting letter I1@ a IL
In the annals of civilized warfare sucn harmony IN
support OF war has never been approached The
women are never failing source OF wonder and admi-
ration to the stranger and mex. 70 .pg earn
Romish faith 1t is absurd to talk OF such word as
earnesness being applicable to the colored race tut to
the fullest extent OF their powers detesatlon OF the
Yankee is expressed by the negroes
In former letter from the North expressed the
opinion that Mr.. Davis the abiest living Amerl
can that impression is more than confirmed by inter
course with him. The President is one OF those caim
firm undemonstrative men, incHing to reticence, but,
if interested easily led to animated conversation who
belong to type which, strange to say seems to abound
in the Sou b. and is at variance with the imputed I'M
rulsiveness of these children oil the s1n
In many interviews with Northern men oil mark 1t
has never been my fortune to encounter one whose nd
was not made in the same mould with that OF bis TEL
lows who bad not Travelled along the same Macana-
mixed road of learning along which, though pursuing 1t
different lengths, the twenty millions OF 'be ~ oitn
undeyiatipgly advance. An interview with President
Davis reveals to you American with striking origin
aity whose mind has made its own road as 1t journey
ed, who has thoughtfuly pro6ed by his own ezFe
rences and got beyond the set phrases aid the primers
which circumscribe vgor and reach OF thought Each
word is slow weghty and luminous the ccnntenance and
voice agreeable and convincing the mouth one or the
ERNEST that was set In mortal head he Presi-
dent looks spare and worn but speaks cheeruy OF his
health. j mere Is DOtnDS JUSTIFY
tons of Northern papers that he is physically at bis
last gasp.
A month in the Confederacy has taught Inc what
tremendous power beyond the unanimous resistance oil
the inhabitants the North in coutendng against IN the
vast dimensions of the area it is striving to subdue L
have hitherto but grszed the edges of the great State
Virginia. but in order to do this day after day bias been
spent 10 the saddle hundreds of miles have been rldden
and notion of the difficulty of advancing an army has
been gained from the experience of single hOraeman
nd for From
Geo. Lees advanced posts four days hree III the sad
die and one the raroad required for the journey
to Richmond though the distance less than two hul
dred miles But the rocky roads of the Blue Ridge
make thirty miles on horseback good days journey
AS for food and forage it is almostas difficult to pro-
cure as in Central Africa.
The confidence generally entertained here that if
Gen. Mcclellan should advance it will be to his ruin, is
based upon the fact that no such army as that now
commanded by &c LIE has ever been in the field to
oppose him since the birth Of the C0ntederaCy. When
ever the history of this fully written, the world
will be aghast at the disparity of forces with which bat
tie after battle has been by Southern Generals and
especially by Gen. Jackson The best commentary
upon the Maryland campaign is found in the two facts
that Harpers Ferry, with II 600 and an untold
number of guns and abundant munitions of war, FELL
almost without costing fe into the hands of its as
salans, and that weeks have this day elapsed
since the battle of SharpsbuTg without any serious at
tempt being made by Gen McClellen to provoke
other battle
It is hard to expect that state which, like Virginia
has borne the heat and burden of the war; which has
laid bare her bosom to the smier and submitted to
rifces hardly paralIeled EARTH should look with pa
thence upon the lnkewarm zeal OF other rich and power
full States and accept their lip service equal her
hearts blood In the annals of the Cd Dominion there
will be no loer page than that which tells how month
after month the which established the independence
OF the South was fought on her willing soil how Lee,
and jackson, and Stuart, and hundred Others, were
hon nd hNu1 hatt 10
field rivers of the best blood of Virginia freely
shed rather than abandon the title to independence
which finds its expression in her fierce motto of SIC
Semper 1yraanis"
In one respect thre need be little anxiety entertained
in Europe about the pompous proclamation in which
President Lincoln that after the lst Of Jan
uary next all slaves in the States then in rebellion will
be set free From the very first dawn of this that
proclamation has been practically enforced There re-
mains power to enforce it 10 January, 1868, which
was not invoked and employed in January, 1862.
1t is remarked, after the experience of eighteen
months of warfare, that the smoothbore rife is gener
ally preferred by the Southern soldiers to the Enfield
Springfield rhe Confederates do not believe in
long Shots and seldom fire until within two hundred
yards of their enemy. At this distance the constant
tendency of the rhed musket is to throw its ball too
high. 1t is asserted that in the battles around this
town traces of the musket balls fred by the Coneer
ates indicate an average height OF from three to six feet
above the ground whereas the Fed ral bullets ranged
at height Of from six feet to nine feet There is not
question that aorily OF the Federal bullets
go high above their opponents head
1t is most ere dable to the Conederacy to remark
how, under all the pressure of their circumstances pub
lie liberty has been sacrificed the hobeaS corpus
act never suspended. AS an instance, may mention,
that there two journals published daily n this |
town, which animadvert upon the President and his
Cabinet, and upon the Governor of Virginia, in Ian
guage which could scarcely be surpassed by the New
York Herald. 1t has been better tc put up with the
I'M vi he
manifestations of discussion thus exhibited to the North
than to suppress interfere with the freedom of the
press. But effect of this tolerance is observed in
the fact that nearly all the quotations copied into North
ern papers from the Richmond press extracted from
these two journals, and the appearance of dssenson
which has no real existence thus delusivy presented
to Northern eyes.
POINTED PREACB1NG.-Father Moody was an &C.
centric man. He had in bis congregation Colonel
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