Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-04-17
The Case of the Blockade Runner
i PetefhOff.
~ ~ xoes.-RT 1T
Address of jeff Davis to the
citizens of the ''COnfederacy."
A seeesh Review # !, The War !
PREPARATIONS FOR A DRAFT.
Gov. Curtin, Of Pa, to be Minis
ter to Spain.
sIJllL = = = > > : --iH IN III
The Supreme Court decides that
Fugitive Slaves be returned
to Loyal Owners.
A (secesh Review Of the War.
PREPARATIONS FOR A DRAFT.
Especial to Tribune.

.
- aul. Be = III WASHINGTON, April Is.
The case Of the Anglo rebel steamer Peter
hof continues to engage the Administration
as well as diplomatic circles here. 1t is un-
derstood that Lord Lyons has requested the
British mail found on board to be returned to
HIM unopened, and that the State Depart
ment is ready to accede to his wishes.
| Secretary Welley is of tho opinion that
whatever abstract right and wrong of the
question may be the District Court which has
the case before it for adjudication alone can
decide, the statute being peremptory that all
papers and writing found on board captur-
ed vessel, shall be transmitted unopened to
the court before which such vessel is proceed
ed against.
Judge Belts last week invited Mr.. Archi-
bald, British Consul, to be present while the
mail was being opened, but he did not ap.
pear. The Judge would then have proceeded
to open the mail, IS we are informed, but for
the reception of telegram from Washington.
The presence of force of rebels at Rector
town, Middleburg, and through that region,
is known here. -
The rumor started here that there had
been skirmishing at Fairfax Court House is
not true.
NEW York, April 16.
jeff. Davis has issued an address to the
people Of the Southern Confederacy urging
them to devote their agricultural labors to
the production of food. He says, though
the soldiers are on half rations of meat, there
Is plenty of it in the Confederacy, but that a
difficulty exists in its transportation, which
Is now about to be remidied. The address
contains the following paragraph:
To oppose invading forces composed of
levies which have already exceeded 300, 900,
We had no resources but the uncomfortable
valor of apeople determined to be free, and
so destitute of military supplies that tens of
thousands Of our citizens were reluctantly re-
fused admission into the service from inabil-
ity to furnish arms, while for many months
the continuation of our strongholds owed
their safety chiefly to a careful concealment of
the fact that we were entirely out of a supply
of powder for our cannon.
Your devotion and patriotism have tri-
umphed over all these obstacles, and called
into existence munitions of war, clothing and
sustenance, which have enabled our soldiers
to illustrate their valor on numerous battle-
fields, and to infiict crushing defeats in sue
cessive armies, each of which our arrogant
foe fondly imagined to be invincible. The
contrast between our past and present con-
dition is we'll calculated to inspire full conf
| dence in the triumph of our armies. At no
previous period Of the war have our forces
| been so numerous, so well organized and
thoroughly disciplined, armed and equipped,
as at the present season. TSsy
High waters, on which our enemies relied
to enable their fleets of gunboats to penetrate
| into our country and devastate our homes, is
fast passing away, yet our stronghold on the
Mississippi still bids defiance to the foe, and
months Of costly preparations for their de-
struction have been spent in vain. Disaster
has been the result of their every effort to
storm Vicksburg and Port Hudson, as we'll as
Tallehatchie and other navigable streams.
Within few weeks the falling waters and
increasing heat of summer will complete their
discontinue and compel their baff1ed and de-
ferted forces to the abandonment of the expe-
dition on which was based their chief hope Of
success in efecting our subjugation.
| We must not forget, however, that the war
is not yet ended, and that we are still con-
fronted by powerful enemies and threatened
by numerous fleets, and that the Government
that controls these fleets and armies, is driven
to the most desperate efforts in the unholy
purpose in which it has ehus far been defeat
ed. 1t will use its utmost energy to a-ert
this impending doom so fully merited by the
atrocities it has committed. The savage bar.
barities which it has encouraged, and the
browning attempt to excite servile popula-
ton to massacre our wives, daughters and
helpless children. With such contest be-
fore us there is but one danger which the
Government Of your choice regards with ap-
prehension, and to to avert this danger it ap.
peals to the never failing patriotism which
you have exhibited since the beginning of the
epecial to the Chicago Times.
WASHINGTON, April IT,
The preparations for enforcing the Con
scription act are about completed. The
medical rules have been submitted to the Sec
rotary of War by the Board of Army Sur.
geons, and the list of appointments for Pro
vost Marshals has been finally revised, and
will soon be announced. The enrolment, il
is believed, can be made during May, so thai
the draft may be ordered early in June, il
deemed necessary.
Gov. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, has beer
rendered mission to Spain. He declines a
denomination to Congress. .a-a ss "A
l Capt. John Brown, of the 18th Ohio, has
been appointed Deputy Provost Marshal o.
the War Department.
| The proceedings in the case Of private Sal.
ter, OF BissePs engineer regiment, as also the
sentence in the case, have been set aside
| The trial took place Al Memnhis