Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-03

are on his right nank, and the gnboafs Smelling
his p6ntoons, which he has as yet been unable to
cfoss upon.
The water in the river d ten feet deep, and fall
We have had steady rain all the evening
FROM NEW ORLEANS.
THREATENED ATTACK on BATON ROUGE.
correspondent of the Herald, writing from New
Orleans on the Path, says:
Twenty five hundred rebels under Scott and Writ
Adams, threaten to attack Baton Rouge Tho are
the nelghborhood of etwl and say they:wil eat
their Christmas dinner there. Gen. Burton is pre-
pared to give them warm reception.
'5 FROM CHANTS ARMY.
The: Heraldsays -
IT. is believed in ojr armies IN front a Richmond
that General Lee designs making u heavy attack on
some portion on the Union lines there very soon. Con
siderable movements of rebel troops in front of the
left q the Army OF the James were observed on
"Wednesday kisti butsthese are thOughtto have been
nothing more than the changing of positions of differ
ent tylsions. 1t IS expected that Lee will shortly be
reinforced by breklnridge's troops from Tcnne
and those recently forming the garrison of Savannah
under Hardee- Gen. Butler returnedfrom the North
Carolina expedition on tile 2sth inst andreassumed
command oil the ARMY OF the James.
sToSEMAN's RAID.
Tho Herald publishes the following condensed ac
General Stoneman arrived in Wytheyille on Thurs
day evening, from tho recent important and most
successful raid in Northeastern Tennessee and South
western Virginia in which his own and Generals Bur
BRIDGES and Gillems troops We're engaged The dam.
age inflicted on the rebels was immense Besides ALI
the OTHER devastation effected the loss to them alone
Of the ss works at Saltyille and tile lead mines near
Wythevie is ALLOW from WHICH they probably viii
not recover The forces of Duke Breckenridge Jones
and Vaughn were all met, defeated and scattered IN
leveryditecton Breckenridge was driven across the
mountains into North Carolina, aud Tennessee aud
Kentucky are now free from all organized bodies ID
fsbels Of any consequence.
WHAT A IsEsEhrElF PROM GEN LEES .Rs SAYS
GEN. LEE. Sndrr TO "AsroyIsH IuE WORLD"
. Washington despatch OF the 29tli says:
| Arebel desertnr who came in a few days ago. de-
clares that the state Of affairs III the rebel army In
dictate early offensive operations n;Some direction,
the nature 0fwl6ch: is unknown 4he men are told
that General Lee IS aboyt attempting the Initiation
eta project which viii adonish the world.
/ THE FLORIDA" AFFAIR.
DIPLOMATIC cOFREsPjNDENcE! REGARDNG rHE car.
TURE OF THE FLORIDA,
II appears. from official correspondence that on
the 18th Of EoSember, Secretary Seward wrote TO
Minister Webb that this government had lust heard
OF tie capture OF the Florida by the Waekusett at
hahia' and OF the consequent hostties adopted by
the brazilian forces IN that port, and that in this
FN"CNSf IIeSlueHt thought N brODpr
that MIR. Webb should inform the Minister for For
egn Affairs that we arc not :indisposed to examine
the subject up To It's merits carefully and to consid
or whatever questions may sTise out Of L in friend
" and beconJpg Spitt If that spirit should be adop
ted b5hisi Imperial Maiesty's government,
Qnthe i2ilf of December, NJ. Barbssa' Charge d,
Afaires al Interim, addressed Secretary Seward
letter in reference 10 the seizure of he Florida cal
ling 1t an act Of the most transcendaIt gravity
which involved maniiesrviolaior Of the tergit9Tial
jurisdiction Of the empire, and offence to its hon
Or and sovereignty; He enters into the particulars
Of the seizure. ',lie concludes by saying
On This; occasion, remembering the United States,
whose antecddents are well known. and noted il
history by the energetic defence Of and respect for
neutral rights tho undersigned cannot Consider the
event which occurred at Bahia otherwise than as the
Individual act ofthe commander OF the Wachisett
not authorized or approved by his government and
rthat It will consequently give to the government of
his Majesty, the Emperor, the explanation and re.
plratlon which, in conformity with International law
are due 80 power which maintans friendly and b.
chic relations Yith tue United States. The just re-
ciamGtioD. oi.the imperial government being thus
presented, the undersigned awaits the reply of the
Hon. MIR; Seward, and fully confding in his exalted
wisdom and in the justice ofthe government Of the
United States he has not even Tor mOmept doubt.
ed that It will beqs satisfactory as the incontestbe
right which AIDS the Empire and the vast gravity of
the offence which was done 30 it utay require"
Secretary Seward, in his reply Says ''J Jealousy
OF foreign intervention In any form and absolute non
intervention In the domestic afiarso foreign nations
arg cardinal principles in the policy of the United
States. You have, therefore, Justly expected that.
the President would disavow-and regret te proceed
ngs at Bahia He will suspend Captain collins and
direct HIM TO appear before court martial" The
Consul at Pah'a admits that he advised and melted
the captain, and was active in the proceedings lie
will: therefore, besismissed. Tie flag of Brazil will
receive from the United States navy the housl Gus
tomary IN the intercourse OF friendly maritime pow
ers the Secretary says il j. lpt 70 be understood,
howsyer that thg goyefnmert admits or gives creSt
to the charges of ischood, treachery and deception
brought against the Captain aud Consul These
charges denied, on the authority OF the officers
accused. And the Secretary also takes cssion to
say mat THIS government disailows tho assumption
that the insurgents Of this country lawful naval
tplligerent and on the contrary it maintains that
the acrptionof that character blythe gosc5ument OF
Brazil TO the insurgent citizens OF the United States
VINO have hitherto been, ana still are destitute of
naval forces, Posts and courts, is an act OF
intervention, in derogation of the la.y of ma
tons, and unffiendi, and wrongly as il is mani
testify injurious 10, the. United States, and af-
Ger further rcmarkS h9 Gays 1t docs not however
belong tothe Captains Of ships of of the United
States, Oh 20 the Commanders of their armies or 10
TIER Consnls residing in foreign ports, acting with
out the authoSty Of Congress and without even eK-
iecutye direction, and choosing their time man
ner and occasion to assert the rights and redress the
wrongs of the country This power cap be lawfully
exercised only by the Government OF the United
STATES Although the are enemies of the Uni
ted States, and they contend enemies OF the hu-
man race yet the offenders we're nevertheless un-
lawfully brought into the custody Of this iGovern-
mentj aud therefore they could not lawfully be
subjected herGt the punishment. which they hayel
deserved. More ould they, being enemies be allow
ed TO enjoy heprotectIon of the United States They
will therefore be set at liberty 20 seek refuge
wherever they may find it, With the hazard Of re-
capture when beyond the jurisdiction of this Govern
ment,' :
The entire correspondence will soon be officially
promulgated. >. -