Washington telegraph., 1864-03-30

SHERNAx's Observation-Disclosures the retreat
OF Sherman's column from Meridian, in the
direction of Vicksburg, is designed to be the
emo OF his movement, or whether it is mere
temporary expedient, adopted for the purpose
OF enabling hin to make better preparations
Tor 80 long march as that indicated by the
New York Times. We are unable to say. In
either case it is greatly to our advantage. since
It viii enable us to collect strong force in his
front, should he choose to advance again: or.
should he continue his retrograde movement
to harass his rear. cut off his foraging parties,
and otherwise infict serious damage upon his
command. We should even hope that be might
be cut on and forced to lay down his arms, had
We not been warned by the escape of Stoneman
last spring. and the escape of Avarill last De-
cember. that success in such cases is apt to be
more desirable than attainable And yet, we
should think it would be far easier to capture
Sherman than either of the others Their COM
mands consisted entirely Of mounted men, and
were capable of moving with great rapidity
His cavalry. on the contrary, seem to have been
separated from him. The men he has with him
are mostly infantry and artillery. They started
with twenty days cooked rations, one half of
which, NO doubt, after the fashion of soldiers
generally, they threw away, and the other half
every thing in the country as they passed
corn, bacon, beef-all kinds of provisions that
fell in their way-part of their mission being
to starve out the rebels. They threw down and
burned all the fences, set fire to all the dwell
ling-house barns, corn-houses. fodder stacks,
hay -ricks, smoke houses, mills and cotton gins
tore up all the bridges, cut down all the
fruit trees, destroyed all the farming imple-
ments, and shot all the horses mules and
cattle which they could mol carry off. In q
word, they converted the country into desert,
in order that it might not hereafter afford sus-
tenance to the rebels. 1t seems. therefore,
almost impossible that they can themselves nd
the. means Of subsiesing, since their communi-
cation with the railroad, by which they we're to
be supplied, has, according TO all accounts,
been at least partially interrupted. Aud in
terruptiun for even O day would be, to men in
their situation, terrible privatiou.
1t seems to be the opinion of come that this
force Of Sherman's was n mere flying column
such rs the French made such free u-e OF in
Algiers-designed to desolate the country
through which it passed, withou. having in
view the establishment Of. any fixed line OF
station. Such does not seem to have beea the
opinion of the Yankee newspapers, who Away,
seem to be well posted with regard to the in
tentinns of their Generals, and not unfreqnently
betray them before the time appointed for
their execution. The New York Times-the
great military paper Of the Yankee na:ion-had
no doubt that Shcrman's movement was part OF
n grand military combination. which was to
put the whole of Alabama III possession of their
army, to turn the flank and rear Of Johnston,
and, in word, to put m end to :be rebellion.
screw-probably more than one screw-was
evidently loose somewhere. Farragut did not
come up to time, or Forrest and Lee were toe
e. d. ~ II.-.
position on the Bigbee was too strong for an
army who carried all their supplies in their
haversacks, OF something Of that nature. we
may be assured, arrested the march. Whether
it will be renewed will, We presume, depend
very much u ON the activity Of our troops in
the pursuit; for. il seems to US. that il the
people of the country yield the ass stance they
ought, Sherman must be annihilated.
GRichmond Dispatch.
THE PANIc.-On the publication Of the
Currency Bill, passed by Congress, prices
Immediately '.Ieared up" Everything
has an upward tendency. Yesterday,
whisky, which had been selling ten days
ago for $50 per gallon could not bo bought
for el20. Brown sugar sl2 SO per lb !,
BY the hogshead, aud none Offering. Some
of the dealers have abs ,lutely shut up,
and refused to do business at all, prefer
ring to hold on to the goods, rather than
to receive anything 10 the shs pc of money
larger than five dollar note
All this is but the result Of the sudden
panic, into which the country has b,en
thrown by the unexpected reputation OF
portion of the currency. Ii is, however,
the mere influx of the tide, aud its refux
will reduce prices to their old standard
1t seems to be generally conceded, by all
parties, that pr ices will fall the currency
appreciate, aud everything get better after
the lst of April.
But it is much easer to bring prices up
than to bring item down; aud the reduc.
tion Of prices will not be so rapid as the
advance. The luxuries of life will still
demand high figures, but the necessaries
will probably fall. The bill passed by
Congress, and known as "the Foreign
Commerce Bill" was grand fncsse, and
it will, without doubt accomplish its OBJ.
ject, which was to force all blockade
runners to bring into the country necessa-
ries, for the use of the people OF the Con-
federacy, or cease their operations alto
gether. The exemption bill relating to
agriculturists and producers, compels the
sale of produce to the Government and
the families of soldiers, at reduced prices.
The quantity of provisions raised 10 the
Confederacy will be greater than ever
heretofore; and if the government will only
allow transportation of food instead Of
millions of dollars worth of fancy articles
aud high-priced dry goods, there will be
no complaint among the poor for want Of
what they really need; the necessaries Of
life will be abundant aud cheap and our
people will learn to depend upon them-
selves and their own exertions-on their
internal resources, and not on the inge-
nuity of the outside world.
Richmond Enquirer, 24h.
For THE GIRLs.-The blooming and
beautiful young lady-rosy-cheeked and
bright-eyed who can darn . stocking,
mend her own frocks, command regi.
ment of pots aud kettles. feed the pigs,
milk the COWS, ard be lady when requir.
ed, is the girl that young men are in quest
of for wife. But your puny, screwed
,,r -.sn v~;stad doll.d .dressed ronsumn.