Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-07

Special CoTespondence Of tie Aelnphis Appeal
RlcHMoEp. pscamber so. ls6.

EtOM &AOAhAAONBs 4
Special correspondents Of the Memphis Appeal
RleHMoKD Dscsnber 80. 1861.
W. are awaiting in anxious expectancy the news Of
he rrsst battle. which all accounts from Tennessee
lead Us to believe must be fought near Murfree.boro1
before 1872 IS brought to a close. All condolences Is felt
IN the steady vslor Of our Western troops, ard their
ability to drive back the invader, but i, must be admit
ted that This invader has penetrated very far into the
land, snd made a large PORTION oft, for the time, his
own. Missouri and Kentucky are wholly IN bondage,
the fairest portions Of Tennessee, and its most epulent
cities, are in the tyrants hands. Louisiana, IN bitter
ness Of soul, writhes under his iron grasp. Within q
year, since the fall of Fort Donelson, what losses has
not The Confedersey Sustained along the Mississippi and
Is tributaries Th4 hour, lot US hope, has come for
retrieving them. and for rescuiDg our outraged and des
olated territory from hostile possession, The cheering
news Of yesterday from vieksburg, and thei buOyant
spirit Of the army Of General Johnston, under the per
sonal lead Of that crest military genius, encourage rs
to believe that a blow Is about to be struck which win
render the enemy powerless hereafter in the west
Affairs have not changed upon the line CT the Kappa
hammock. A small portion Of he enemy had again APP
peared opposite Fredericksburg, but it was Lot sup
posed that any new attempt would be made upon our
position on the hills overlooking the recent battle field
Gen. stuart, With a picked cavalry force, large enough
to Withstand a heavy assault but not too large for easy
management, had undoubtedly crossed the river on
sunday with the view Of hsrrassing the enemy, but
nothing has been heard from him up to the time Of
writing Loud and continuous eannonsding in the
neiqhborhood Of Dumfries was reported yesterday,
which may have been ocessioned BY his attack upon
the rear guard of Siegers command, but this Is purely
conjecture. It is noteworthy fact that while the Yam
kee papers attribute their heavy loss in the slaughter
pen" near Fredericksburg to the murderOus fire and
great number Of our light batteries, the COMMITTEES Of
the Lincoln Congress, which was sent down to inquire
into the causes Of the terrible slaughter, report that not
less than eightythres per cent of the casualties were
the result Of mimic balls. Il was the infantry then,
after all, that did the work.
The fund, for tho benefit Of the Fredericksburg refu-
gees. have reached the sum of twenty-five thousand
dollars, which, though bat a small figure in comparison
with the number Of helpless and dependent persons to
be sheltered and fed through the winter, viii yet relieve
a considerable amount Of distress. Nothing can exceed
the u-nmurmuring resignation OF these poor creatures
many of them womeR Of education and refnement-
under their suferings, nor the unhesitsiing cheerful
meas with which all classes Of the community respond to
the eal made in their behalf. as is often the case, the
largest offerings are not given, however, by those who
are best able to give. The poor soldier, with the gener
osity which belongs to him, and which almost always
accompanies valor. is ready to give his months pay, fit
be asked him. Inc eNUoflOnert VINO IS growing Flcn OUT
the poor soldiers necessities, hands over a Confederate
five and thinks himself liberal. The committee yester
day received a letter from Gen. Lee enclosing bis check
for two hundred dollars.
Lincoln is seriously exercised in tho recesses of his
conscientious bosom, concerning thu admission of
" Western Virginia IS a new State Of the Federal
Union, and, It is said, VIII veto the bill, being urged to
do so by Bates who is special constitutional adviser to
his majesty. The bin is moth accordance with the pro
visions of the Constitution, Mr.. Bstes thinks. But to
veto it, and yet retain Garlic and Wiley in the Senate
as senators from this new State, seems iiomewhat incon-
sisteut. L cannot be pretended that these men were
ever constitutionsIIy elected as senators Of old Virginia;
indeed, they sit at this moment as the senators of neD
Virgins. and # Mr. Ba.es considers that the PierpQRt
government is in truth the Commonwealth of Virginia
known to historic fame, let him ask P~ierponts first
auditor ofpublie accounts if he designs to pay the in
terest due 1st January, 1865, upon the State debt TIE
fact is Lincoln is in the horns Of a dilemma aoout this
bogus Wheeling government Not TO admit the new
State into the Union, and yet to give It an equal power
in the senats with New York, is rather difficult to
reconcile with strict views Of constitutional obligation,
but to disregard the plain prohibition, in the instru-
ment itself, Of the formation Of new States out
Of old ones, without the consent of the old ones,
weuld be clearly to psEjurs himself Bat it is really
the best Joke Of the season that Lincoln should care
anything about thar he has become 20 accustomed to
perjury that one might suppose it were a matter Of no
sort OF concern to him. There is yet another h~ttletcsuse
Of diSquietude to old Abe Governor Seymour is not
going to permit any more arrests to be made in New
York for political ohenses, 50 that the Iars de cache,
Stewards pet revival Of an old French fashion, viii go
out Of vogue, and there viii really be no use fer the
suiUoines which have been imported from France, IN
less an outraged people at the North should put tbemin
working order for tbs President and Premier them
selves. Remember tie fes Of poor NJ GuIlotin, the
inventor Of the horrible machine &
The weather ia dismal enough today, rainy, dark,
raw and threatening worse things to mOrrOr.
Congress is sure enought to sit in the Exchange Hotel,
and workmen are engaged in making it ready for the
reception Of the two Houses.
The small pOx is on the decline, but a malignant type
Of scarlet fever is prevailing.
Garotting and stabbing are on the incrsas,. Coffee
has reached five dollars a pound and molasses six dol
lars q gallon. DIXIE.