The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-03-05

President Stevens has been sick. He health is
improving.
Gov. Vance comes out in a card against The taxa
ton OF Stale property for the Confederacy.
THE Era or CONFEDERATE DEsERTIoSs-The his
torian who writes up the Collapse of the Contederacy
will probably speak Of this as the Era of desertions.
President LincOln's Amnesty Proclamation had
scarcely time to penetrate the ensmy's lines before
desertIons began TO he reported Every day adds To
their number. Desertions from Lee, deseI tons from
Longstreet, Fort Morgan hosting the flag of the
Union in open revolt, desertiOns everywhere that
there IS an enemy with q Union force al hand 10
desert TO. The rank and file evidently opine that the
Jea Davis ship is sinking. and with the instinct for
which even rats are famous, flee for their lives.
Couple with these facts the doletul leaders Of the
rebel papers, and one cannot resist the conviction
that the end really approaches. Says the Richmond
Examiner, The true policy now is TO risk nothing.
The duration Of the war is simply a oues-
ton Of continued supplies Of food for the people"
Then it grOans over the short supply Of fold. and
hints the possibility that at this eleventh hour the
people may 60 mad for their great want in food
and clothing" When q newspaper published at
hlchnond under the very noSa OF the Confederate
Congress and Cabinet, intimates such terrible contin.
gencIes, be sure the masses are excited, and on the
verge Of rising to assert their independence of dema-
gogues who have nearly completed their rain.
NEW YORK, January 4-The Times contains the
translation of a letter from a Frenchman, formerly
in the rebel army, dated Richmond. 18th January.
de reports the arrival there of another agent Of the
Emperor, named Martigny, and his mysterious con.
ference with JEFF Davis. 1t is known that he says
Jed has promised France all the advantage Of q
Southern Confederacy, if Napoleon would recognize
and support the Southern States. All our principal
men, he says, think that war between France and
the United States is near at hand. The writer has
no doubt heard that a plan making Gen. Lee dictator,
viii be adopted as the only means TO counterfeit the
strength of the North. Lee, ii is expected, is willing
TO accept it. He and Jetf are on bad terms. Davis
Is very unpopular in consequence of keeping Bragg
so long in command. He has even thought since
Bragg's dismissal. of giving him command Of the
Army Of Virginia, and sending Lee to Dalton, but
bad 10 abandon the plan on account of the great in
huence brought against il. Johnston who took the
command Of Bragg's demoralized army thought of
retreating to Atlanta, but was kept at Dalton by en-
order from Richmond that he might take advantage
OF the probable weakening Of the Northern army by
burroughs and by the expiration of the soldiers term
of service. JET s plan is to keep the army Oh an
offensive footing, though Lee gave his opinion that
with the miserable condition of the army in regard
to clothing and provisions, it was impossible to do go.
Earlys ex Expedition was a miserable failure, more than
LOO veterans returning h0rS de combat, having
hands and fingers frozen.
The news from Charleston, the writer says, is dis
couragiDg. Beauregard has expressed an opinion
that he could not hold Charleston much longer, as
GilmoTe's guns are in a position 70 reduce it to ashes
in a few hours if he intends to do so. One of the
South Carolina regiments doing duty there intended
to desert en- mdsse, but were prevented by one of the
soldiers giving information. Twenty ringleaders
were shot on the 4th, and the rest divided up among
other regiments. The 18th Virginia regiment was
ordered TO Alabama, but refused 10 go, and were dis
banded and used in 6lhug up the other egiments,
as the only plan to avoid mutiny.
Bread riots occurred almost daily in the South.
The writer concludes that the days Of tina Southern
are numbered and its backbone broken.