The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-02-26

"s' Dus tno government refused these moo-
est conditions Of peaoe, and, war being the
consequence, the unoiFending aud grievously
injured seeding States have undertaken the
task, In behalf Of their institution Of slavery, to
fight out the struggle for freedom
And how has this war for Southern con-
fsderacy prospered! This rebel Congressional
manifesto informs Us that the prowess and
achievements Of the soldiers Of Davis have
excited the wonder and admiration of man.
kind; that such people never can be subdued;
that, anxious as they are for peace, they have
no overtures to make. considering the temper
of certain late resolutions of the federal Con-
gress; that, horrible are the atrocities Of the
invading Yankees, heavy as are the trials of
continued resistance, they will risk slavery
and everything else to escape the bondage OF
| subjugation This manifesto in their behalf
declares that 1t would be ''better to be con-
quered BY any other nation than by the United
States;" "better to be dependency of any
other Power than of that" No doubt these
rebel leaders would sell out their States, peo-
| pie, slavery and all, to England or France, on
any terms, to escape the penalties of treason;
but there Ii no help for them. France and
England have other irons in the fire, and Davis
and his ruling confederates are cornered.
They confess that their "situation is grave,
but furnishes no just excuse for. dependency"
when dependency marks this indammatory ap-
peai from beginning to end. They call for
every man capable Of bearing arms and for
| everything that an exhausted people can fur
nish to a half starved army. They hope that
something may turn up" They have pow
erful party of sympathizers In the North, and
Lincoln despotism, It is commended, cannot much
longer be borne. 1t Is threatened with a
financial convulsion, and 'short crops in the
United States and abundant harvests in Europe
will hasten what was otherwise inevitable"
Such are the straws at which these drowning
men are snatching From first to last their ad-
dress is one long howl Of impotent rage and
despair. They still paint tho glories of
Southern confederacy in inviting colors, but
much subdued, while they employ, with the
desperation Of hopeless cause, every argu-
ment Of fact or fancy calculated to revive the
fighting spirit which is dying out of their i'm
poverished, disheartened and> diminished fol-
lowers.
Such is the last card of the retiring rebel
Congress We shall not be surprised if our
next intelligence Of its signers shall be that
they have run the blockade for Nassau, or have
departed westward in the hope Of joining Gene
raj Price under the refuge of the French pro-
tectorate in Mexico.
the military Operations In Alabama.
Advices from Vicksburg on the 10th inst
inform us of General Sherman's advance to
Selma. Selma is on the Alabama river, about
three hundred miles above Mobile. 1t ia an
important point strategically in its relations to
that city, and it is also very important point
to the confederacy as naval depot There is
naval arsenal at Selma, and several iron
armored vessels have been built there. Two
of these are now on duty in Mobile bay.
By his occupation Of this point General Sher-
man gives us another important move in the
game against Mobile. Selma is the southern
terminus of the Alabama and Tennessee River
Railroad. Seventy miles above Selma, on the
Alabama river, is Montgomery, the capital OF
Alabama, and the first capital OF the 6outhern
confederacy Montgomery has direct railroad
communication with Atlanta and with the rebel
army in Georgia under Johnston. Gen. Sherman,
therefore, by the occupation Of Selma, and the
occupation Of Montgomery that will doubtless
follow, has seized the great lines OF communi-
cation between Johnston aud Mobile, and has
effectualIy isolated that city. In this he has
probably dono the greater part Of what he had
to do against Mobile. Leaving the more i'm
mediate operations against the city to Farragut
and Banks, he will probably keep his face
turned toward Georgia and Johnston. Selma
is an important stage gained in his eastward
journey, and, as base that will be available
by water when Farragut and Banks have done
their part against Mobile it will be u very adj
vantageous point for future operations on the
flsnks OF the great retreater who now com
mands the Southern army OF the Southwest
From Farragut's operations we hear no news
that is reliable The rebel report of fight on
the 18th inst, at Grants Pass. was doubtless
false. Grants Pass has only four feet Of water,
and Farragut has no vessels that can operate
in it. His more probable plan Of operations
will be to run his iron-clads into the bay,
destroy the rebel iron-ciads Morgan and
Gaines, attack Fort Morgan from the north
ward with his iron-clads, while bic wooden
feet operates on the southern and western faces
of the fort. He then will cover the landing Of
the troops and aid with his rifles their advance
on the sand batteries which extend from Bull
Island up to the city Of Mobile
THE WAN AMONG THE RErrBLIcANs IN WASH
NGroS.-The war between the radicals and the
Lincolnltes in Washington is assuming lively
and practical shape in the revival Of the per-
secution Of some Of the personal friends Of
Old Abe. The Marshal Of the District, once
the Presidents law partner, has his old Con-
gressional prosecutors again upon bis heels,
and this time they attempt to touch his pocket