The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-02
washinsten CerrespenAenee.

WaohingtoA CorrespOndenee.
WASHINGTON April "A, 1863.-It has
rained now for a, day and q half steady
most of the time pouring, drenching rain,
and there il no sign Of cessation. The pa
thence Of the country at the immobility of
this army must be sadly aggravated, and T
know that its commander is. But there is :
no help for it. The short period of sunshine
with which we were blessed week or so
ago, am afraid did us no good. Improv-
ing the first opportunity which was offered
to sally into the field, the cavalry force got
committed, and I believe has not yet all
returned to quarters. am afraid, howey.
er, that just enough was done to indicate,
for the advantage of the enemy, the plan Of
the coming campaign, or at least the point
from which he was to be attacked. There
was opportunity to do no more.
This army has to considerable extent
adopted a new mode Of transportation
packing the stuff upon mules instead Of
loading it upon wagons. Good results are
anticipated in respect of mobility and safe
ty; and when the army does move, it will
carry but a small part of the baggage, in
dependent of food and ammunition, that it
has hitherto lugged around. All the spare
room here is fast filling up with the bag
gage of officers and soldiers that comes by
every boat from Aqua Creek.
AS was indicated through wholesale
quarters three or four weeks ago, the paper
makers have agreed to suspend partially,
for period, the manufacture of writing pa
per. The intention, as made known in adj
vance, is by limiting the production to
maintain the price at the present point for
the coming season, and as long as possible.
To placate the newsmen, newspaper and
MANILA is to continue at about the present
rate of supply, and is expected to fall in
price. This determination is not only ex-
tremely selfish, but certain to defeat its own
end. have never known more powerful
and well concerted effort to affect legisla-
ton than that Of the paper-makers at the
last session OF Congress, and it was success
full. But this new combination for monop-
ly, if carried out in the spirit intended, as it
doubtless will be, is tolerably certain to as
sure the removal ofduties upon foreign pa:
per at the coming session. Their removal
at the last session, it was argued, would be
substantially Intellectual, on account of the
high rate of foreign exchange. The argu-
ment was easily proved and had its effect.
But the idea OF the paper-makers was, that
then proposed, with exchange at hundred
and sixty or seventy, would be imperative
upon prices; yet the tariff once removed,
and foreign competitor let in, it would be +
very difficult, and perhaps impossible, to
get 1t restored. They were looking to their
permanent instead of their temporary in
terests. But they saw what an effect then
combination for enhancement of prices had
last year-how zealously and long they had
to labor to prevent its causing the removal
Of duties upon foreign paper. 1t is singular
that they should repeat the blunder. The
result is morally certain to be q great re-
duction of duties upon paper at the coming
session, if not their total abolition, and the
sop thrown to the newspaper men will not I
avail to prevent it. Whatever price the :
produce of paper mills might bear under /
unrestricted competition, would doubtless
by the unusual condition of the country
and anomalous commercial circumstances; 4
but the attempt of great branch of trade
and manufacture to combine for the pur- !
pose OF nonophzing and commanding the
market, assure to aggrayate and arouse an
opposition that will be fatal to it. There
are few things more hateful to the Ameri-
can people than purely selfish monopolies.
Gen. Warren is here and has been for some
days. He is not likely to have any trouble
in the adjustment of his difficulty with the
department. The matter has been referred
by the President to Mr.. Holt, Judge Advo-
cate General. The difficulty is alledged to
have sprung out of Gen. Halleck's office
entirely. Gen. Halleck is brOther-in-l law
Of Gen. Schuyler Hamilton, and sometime
before Gen. Warren's appointment, he and
Gen. Hamilton had serious personal diff
Guilty which, doubtless ranked in heart of
the latter, and some believe he has attempt-
ed to retaliate through the instrumentality
of the General-in-Chief. Certainly General
Halleck has made the most gross and NAL
eyOlent statements concerning Gen. War
rem, which must have been instigated
by yindictiyeness in some quarter, for
they have no other foundation. Gen. HAM
ilton will never be forgotten by our people
for having sent the immortal Iowa End Ou0
of ST. Louis in disgrace, without music or
colors, once more to vindicate their noble
fame by scaling the enemys works at For
Donelson.
Gen. Boyle is announced as having re.
turned to his command at Louisville. He
was summoned here partly upon matters
connected with the treatment and DISPOSE
ton of contrabands. believe his own con-
duct in that connection was not supposed
to be satisfactory, and that was one cause
OF his coming. At any rate, what he re-
ports of many others is inhuman and infa-
nous. For instance, he says that Federal
officers on the north side of the Ohio, even,
connive at, and give frequent and positive
aid to the kidnapping Of refugee negroes
for money. He relates one particular case
where an officer in Illinois, at or in the
vincinity of Cairo, caught and sold $50 atv
$40 head!
A story has appeared about the arrest of
AQOlSOn cnleI Clerk III the OIlce OF the Adj
tant General, here, and of his brother,
chief clerk in the Pension Bureau-the for.
mer for communicating plans to the enc
my. have heard nothing about it around
town, but as the statement is reprinted in
the city papers | presume it is true. The
chief clerk in the Adjutant Generals Office,
where all the orders emanate from. ID
above almost all men here, so situated, and
has access to such range of papers and
important information, that an agent betterl
than he could hardy be desired by the Con-
federates. If as is probable, the charpes
against him are true, by how much has the
war been prolonged, how greatly has the
public debt been increased, and worse than.
all, how many engagements have been LOST
and how many thousands upon thousands
of patriotic lives have been DESTROYED by
the acts of this one man! His crime swelis r
up, In this light to such a magnitude that /
the offence of common traitor is petty
and puerile beside it. But, from the first |