The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-12-25

Among the fleet the colorado and Wabash are recog-
nized.
Our people are quiet.
Nothing Later From Wilmington.
[From the Richmond Examiner, Dec. 22.l
Telegraphic communication interrupted yesterday
Afternoon by the storm, with all points except Peters
burg We have consequently official advices from
Wilmington, Savannah, from Southwestern Virginia.
The continuance Of the NORTHEASTERN Lass night has nc
doubt prevented Butler from landing his troops. We
have very little fear from tho land forces tn expedi-
ton. General Bragg is In command at Wilmington.
The Last Mammoth Expedition-Im.
p0rtance OF Wilmin ton.
From the Richmond Examiner, lee. 2Z.1
or all the mammoth armadas yet sent forth by the North
the Porter and Butler expedition against Wilmington is
perhaps the mammothest Each successive colossal enter
prise of that gigantic people always enormously
huge than the last and we perceive BY the report lately
nMs os Mr. wees secresafy Of .ne navy,
difficulties OF the feat they have undertaken and
with the necessity OF making their effort large and stu.
pendous in propor ion. Mr. Weles admits with regret
that not only have the Yankee army and navy failed
hitherto TO take Wilmington, but they have failed
goes TO declare that all experienced naval officers
who have been of that coast edo not in the
closed by blockade"
The Secretary may say that we write upon paper
Wilmington; and most persons In Richmond eat, drink
and day articles which have passed through
the Con ederae Custom House at that place. not that
could not we'll dispense with these foreign uxuries hay
ing all necessares home; but will not, and espe
cally women will not deny themselves English and
French products when they have them without any
difficulty in spite Of Welles and his steam mammoths
This 10 very sad from the Secretary's point Of vew and
he sets himself to for the untoward fact He
says proudly sThe navy has been always ready TO per-
form its part in such expedition 10 capture Whining.
tom, but the army has no. been able 70 unite IN con
expect 10 DO successful independent Of the other"
THIS seems an unknd imputaton upon the army; as
mt nluvAu aAu In
KEGS had armies enough, large enough 70 do
the work they undertake. II Grant 60 TO take Whining
Richmonds throat Sherman be in two places at
once, the Ogeechee and the Cape Fear Thus the
esn spoiled by the nadequacy OF the material to be
worked WITH and It NO wonder the great soaring
bounded soul Of the nation grows impatient not ouy at
the pervorsty with which oven nature herself some.
times appears 70 delight in thwartmg the most man.
moth undertakings For example, the Cape Fear river
wish and which In fact his countrymen might have
reasonably expected to be, for the Secretary ssys
Orleans Mobile and Port Royal either or those operations
could have been repeated at that point but by OF
ton cannot BE- relied upon 70 Be SUCCESSFUL"
Hsnos, NO doubt the necessity for that monstrous
has just appeared on Wilmington II Butler once get
M how goriousy he will rob the stores OF worthy
as newer sfsn anx nsce ana Suse,
Grant Sherman who led the land troops OF that
wondrous expedition the enterprise is one that would tax
The confederacy Is not. apprchend, about to be
deprived this time Of it's chief port entry foreign
commerce. Neither Is II our only ono for many vessels
do, now, enter many another harbor which the
enemy attered himself he had hermetcally sealed long
This business OF closing the port Wilmington too
affair which will rather strongly excite the British
mentions the extent to which the English interest them
seve0 with certain dignihed regret, and that exalted
tone o. stern morality which 50 we'll becomes the yam
kee nation He is panied 70 think that men and mer-
chants should be influenced by "cupidty."
''lhe cupidity Of English merchants, aided by their
vast resources together with the advantages derived
from those triangular depots Of blockade runners and or
rebel suppliesthe ports Of Halifax Bermuda and Mas
sau, ports which will always be in sympathy with the
enemies Of this country-hss induced them TO engage
this trade"
Shocking, indeed And the good Secretary cannot re-
frain, In official report from improving the SUBJ
ject by moral lecture. He says
'srhe Illicit traffic with the rebels who making war
upon government belongs TO shat code OF CONNER
cai morals whch prompted the smuggling OF opium into
China and the rule OF those who engage II is 10 trade
legally or Illegally"
And again
"Amost every vessel employed In violating the block
gardless Of cost. and with sole engaging
this Illicit trade, the profits OF which almost
munerative AZ those attending the slave trade and kin
dred traffic that all Chrisendom discountenances."
To bring In and sell TO beef CLOTH Shoes
b an enormty which Mr.. weee keo to nothing but
the opium traffic. which posons China or tho slave trade
which Christendom dscountensnces. And then think
Of the villany Of building the ships for this
with great skill ana regardless OF cost" II
they had been built by bunglers and OF inferior power
and tonnage Woes would not have thought so hardly Of
the same breath. that the English are quite right to
trade with US 80 long as port Is open, and says
al the trade be Illegal Is the business OF the Amer
Just so; and as tho said Americans have never pre-
vented IT, those English being an Industrious and enter
10 be lying ready pressed IN bales for shipment will
come--t Is weak human nature-and will sell their
fu and buy the said cotton. Indeed. learn
by late publications statistics in England the supply
OF cotton from Confederate ports though very far indeed
from its amounts has boon increasing and does
actually keep certain number OF the Lancashire mills
gong and their hands out OF the workhouse.
Now u also happens that at the very moment when
the Yankees despatch their fleet and army close
this port OF Wilmington, and cut on even the mode
supply or cotton from England, the same Yankees
pointed out the Other dayarc opening the block
ads their peculiar and exclusive behoof per-
mng not only cotton, but tobacco also, be shipped
from Confederate ports 70 the North. There nothing
which according to all OF uatons so completely
vitiates a blockade and dspenses all foreign Powers
from recognizing It, as this very act OF using u es
pretext for occurring o monopoly TO the block.
aiding Power itself Documents furnished a lew
days ago TO the Confederate Congress contain q
correspondence between Commissioners OF Exchange
and General Lee the one side, and Grant
and stanton the other. whereby arrangements are
concluded for ship ITO b,gin with) TO be laden at
Mobile with one thousand bales OF cotton worth half
million In gold to be carried Through the blockade into
por, Amopg .ne ,or .ne ~ n
prisoners held atthe North is tobacco and III one OF
the letters General Grant, with charming courtesy ex.
presses himself prrecy willing 10 receive at any place
held by federal troops, all such articles, including, OF
course, tobacco. We believe him we'll.
This arrangement Is here oned TO ceuslre
object 10 u our poor prisoners who turned importing
merchants) will, way or another by
IT, But az il affects England aud trance IL may become
Legally and technically IL 10 end OF block
ade and England il lamshng for want Of cotton and
FRANCE mining for tobacco and as tho Yankee nation n
now making gigantic effort to close up from the oupidy
OF those wicked European merchants almost the only port
which has been hitherto open TO them one cannot but
begin 10 think the hollow and fraudulent character OF
shs pretended blockade will soon DO admitted on all
hands The very port OF Mobile which Is now opened 20
let the North ne cargo OF cotton the port which
not permitted 70 be used some time sDce 10 send 70
England the money we owed them. II may be difficult,
and know will be, to make England resent any thing
the United States may do but where her trade and profits
are directly struck A. and where France q common
cause perhaps she may DO capable OF being kicked up
into some activity.
Death OF MIR. james M. Wood.