Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-07
News from the Rebels.
From the Richmond Examiner. Jan. 2

| hoped to gam by vaunts, menaces, and dis
propOrtionate levies Of troops. The word
"armistice" has lately been heard on the floor
of congress, and without its walls the practi-
cability of convention, to be composed of
delegates from all the states of the late Union,
appointed by the authorities of the states, to
adopt some plan of general pacifcation, is now
much discussed.
But the time tor peace congresses is past.
SO long as the states were component parts of
the same confederacy, it was both lawful and
| proper that the representatives of their SOW
ereignties should confer upon and discuss
questions and affairs affecting them all.
Nothing in the constitution forbade such a
conference, or deprived its recommendations
OF respectability and authority. But such a
convention is impossible now. 1t is predicated
| upon the idea that the late Union still exists;
that the southern confederacy does not exist
that the men of Virginia. the Carolinas Geor-
| gla, &C., are fellow citizens of the men inhab-
lhng Massachusetts, New Y ork and Pennsyl-
vania. To admit the possibility of such con-
vention ignores the legitimate function of the
confederate government. The states of the
confederacy have delegated their authority
over their foreign affairs to common execu-
/ tive and legislature.
They cannot now take single step in any
dealing with foreign nations without violating
the solemn compact by which they created the
| government. The states of the Union are in
| precisely the same attitude toward the gov
eminent of the Union. They have no author
ity or power to treat with the southern states,
or any other foreign states. Such acts are
distinctly the province Of the federal govern
| ment alone No arrangement of national
character, no treaty or preparation for treaty
! OF peace between the two countries now at
war is possible or lawful, except such as may
be made by the president and senate of the
| confederate states and the president and sem
ate of the United States.
The people of the north who wish to see the
end of these hostilities and troubles must,
first OF all, agree to a recognition of the CON
federate government. Without this the war
must go on forever, Even an armistice sup
poses such recognition. Northern speculation
upon q general contention of states IS, there
| fore, mere n10ORStiHe, so long as the south re-
mains unconque1cd. little armies of the Uni
ted States acege to succeed in driUing the per-
sons composing the confederate government en-
tlrety beyond their territory, and destroy all
hope IN the people Of the restoration of the
confederate authority, q general contention of
the tlc0 nations, wlthout regard to the conStt-
tuted authorities Of either, free to form any
nea0 relations achioh they thought fit, might
then become q matter for consideration qcath
! the indiUidual Inhabitants of the land.
| Al present, the project of this convention
may be noticed only as a symptom of a strong
desire for peace among the northern people.
Nothing will come of it for some time So
| long as the present executive and congress
| remain in Office their discretion has no check.
| They are committed to the continuation of
the war in the last extremity. Passion and
| interest both bind them to it. They will I'M
| doubleday prosecute the war until new mem
| bers OF congress take their seats next year,
unless the vast army they have collected for
| their desperate undertaking succeeds in over
powering the south, or is itself destroyed be-
fore that period arrives.
From he Richmond Examiner, Jan2
DESTRUCTION OF IMPORTANT BRIDGES ON THE
EAST TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA RAILROAD
BY UNION CAYALRY-A DARING RAID.
A body of Yankee cavalry numbering, it is
reported, some 1000 men, made raid on
Monday upon the East Tennessee and Vir-
ginia railroad, and destroyed two important
bTidges-one across the Holston and the 9TH
er across the Watauga river. The bridge
across the HolSton, at Blountville, was guard
ed by 200 Of our cavalry, who were complete.
ly surprised and made prisoners without any
resistance. An account of the raid, which
we find in yesterdays Lynchburg Republican,
says
The enemy advanced within six miles of
Bristol, the terminus of the Virginia and Ten
nessee railroad, but retired without coming to
the place. They afterwards advanced toward
Jonesboro, and burned the bridge across the
Wotauga. At this place small scouting par
ty of citizens, hastily collected together, came
I'D with them, and brisk slirmsh occurred,
in which one of the enemy was killed and two
captured, who were brought into Bristol on
Tuesday. They belong to a Pennsylvania
regiment, and we learn, reported their force
at 5000.
The enemy first entered Virginia between
Cumberland Gap and Pound Gap, and passing
through Estiville, in Scott county, to Blount-
vile, fulfilled their mission ofbridge burning,
and made demonstration as if it was their
intention to visit Bristol. This, as before
stated, they failed to do, fearing, doubtless,
to venture so far. They continued in the
direction of Jonesboro, but it is stated
by our scouts, who came into Bristol Tues
day night, that they were retreating over
nearly the same route they had advanced.
The distance from the point at which they
entered the state line to Jonesboro, is be-
tween ninety and one hundred miles, and
the raid is certainly most daring one, and
argues an audacity in the enemy which they
were not supposed to possess. They are re-
ported to have been piloted by militia col
onel of Washington county, Tennessee, by
the name of Ward, who left his home on
Friday, and met them at the mountains.
The damage to the railroad is serious-as,
beside burning the bridges named, the track
is torn up in many places, and the stills and
iron burned. The distance between the Wa
tauga and Holston rivers is nine miles, and
the burning of the bridges across these streams
involves loss of that distance in our railroad
communications. II 9W take SeUerdL 1ceekS
to repair the damages, md they come at u
time Vaen the road IS taxed to its utmost ca
pGcity.
But few of the citizens along their march
were molested by the Yankees, nor have we
heard of that destruction of private property
usual in their raids.
The citizens of Bristol, we learn, behaved
most nobly on this trying occasion. Old and
young prepared with alacrity to meet the in
vaders of their homes, and to protect their
iresides from pollution by the hireling foe.
PRISONERS TAKEN BY STUART IN HIS LAST RAID
There were received yesterday at the Glib
by" 90 abolitonist prisoners, taken care of by
General Stuart, near Dumfries, in his recent
raid.
The commissioned officers are Capt. John
Buckley, LIST Maryland cavalry regiment; I'd
Lieut.. Paul Drucks, LIST Maryland cavalry;
LIST Lieut.. John II. Hammond, 18th Illinois.
Among the prisoners are the following pri
Yates of the LIST Maryland cavalry: George
| Hammond, John Sullivan, John Brown, An