, 1865-03-03

ST. LpE1s, Feb. q, 1865.
The proposal to abolish martial Law has re-
ceiyed It's quietus for the present. General
Pope failcd to see the necessity or expediency
of the mcasurc, and on the contrary Tas
overwhelmed with protests from all sources
against it. So far from being unpopular, 1t
is believed that large majority Of our loyal
people are willing to see provision lncorpo-
rated IN the charter Of the city, requiring SIX
months Of martial law to be imposed in the
city every five years, to clean up all the little
cases Of outraged justice, loose indictments,
public corruption and prtgatc peculation,
which the ordinary courts cannot reach. The
condition Of the city and the public order
maintained here for the last three and half
years, is one Of the very best recommendations
in favor Of martial law, but It Is not to be
supposed that the ordinary police force have
been dishanded. The number Of policemen
has been increased, and the Criminal and Re-
corder's courts have been In effective opera
ton same as ever. But there are hundreds
Of cases of manifest outrage and injustice
which the law cannot touch, and these cases
are promptly settled by the summary process
Of the Provost guard. While the Provost
Marshal Generals Office Is In such excellent
hands as At present, there Is no fear that mar.
tial law will be oppressive Or burdensome.
The question Of = suspe nsion of the draft In
this State has been quite exciting daring the
past week. Gen. Ewing, however, has been
surcesefui in his nl,ssion to Washington. aud
has the consent Of Gen. Graht and the Pres-
dent to Try and raise thirteen regimtnts Of
cavalry for o1e years service to supply the
quota OF Missouri. The formal paper had not
been flied however at the War Department
EcEeral -oays uRo, when Secretary Stanton
teiegfaphed to Gov. Fletcher that the draft
wcrld take place. The result Of this an-
ncuncement Was to cfeate confusion and un-
certainty in the minds OF everybody. The
subs titute brokers took advantage Of the cir
cuns:ances to run up the price ofsubstitutas
to $C50-wheteas the price had previously
rulsd at $3.50. The raVagcs Of the rebels In the
interior, and the killing Of 20 many Union
men, and the running off Of so many
rebels render the enforcement Of the
draft in this State peculiarly unequal and af-
hicting. The probabilities are that the ,h'r-
teen cavalry regiments will be raised In due
| season. The veterans Of the Missouri State
| cavalry regiments will generally re-enlist.
| The Convection has been in huhbub the last
week in confirming the work Of the Commit
| tec Of the Who1s on. the Bill Of Rights. There
| was union OF members opposed TO three diff.
ftrent sections Of the bill to vote down the
| whole, and on the question Of ratification the
| yotc stood twenty-four and twenty-four, so
| 1t Was lost. but the f.iends Of the bill saw
1hIec sections. by which dodgiug they secured
| majority. The movement designed to put a
| sudden end to the Convention has subsided.
| It met with little or no sympathy In the city,
and the originators Of it were glad to confess
! that their motives had been misunderstood
| Tn, Enn{ Il IN
| as the puncture Of 4 little hole in dyke, let
! ting in but little water at first, but increas-
Ing to o torrent before It could be stopped.
Hud the {nfidel attack on the Convention
succeeded, there is no probability that the
assault would hare ended there. The whole
proceeding was fnctious, revolutionary aad
aggressive. The only regret is, that many
good men were insensibly d1 avn into the cur
ent. and gave courage to the sccesslonists to
btlicYe that the Union men would soon bc
fighting each other, sword In hand.
The miner Items concerning gucrillas in
the interior OF this State Indicate that the
rebels have friends still among the secession
residents cttbis State. They have pcrsecntcd
many Union men-as intormers during 1he last
fortnight. A few nights ago Jim Jacks:n
went 10 the house Of. respectable citizen
pear Mexico, in Audron county, and killed
| lin, telling Ills victinl's wife TINT be rad
| been killed for informing on rebels. This
SOFT Of Warfare will soon witness o recon-
] ut ncemcnt of the cxtcrminatIng process
which took place after Price's raid, and
Which drove 80 many thousand rebel refu-
| gees to this city and Illinois. There are
t tfons in portions Of Saline, Ray, Carroll and
| Charlton counties, who are being hunted
down by Union cavalry.
The postppnement Of the execution of q
| noted rebel named Harris was by order of
Gen. Pope. The President was not respond
/ 3rr ffho+ ~ NV 1,ut1iN ft,rr naru
has sins enough to bear OF this sort without
being accused unjustly. &c did reprieve TWO
! other rebels few days before, however, who
were quite as bad, and deserved hanging just
as much as Harris. It Is quite curious that
so many Of these condemned rebels are re-
Jim Rollins, the conservative members Of
Congress from this State. This interesting
| couple voted for the constitutional amend
ment abolishlDg slavery. and appear to think
that every request they make should be
granted since that vote was cast. There will
these days on this subject, and when theE
transpire look out fur fun among the consery-
alive n. c..
The Union Merchants Exchange have con-
cluded to unite with their brethren through
ont the country in the celebration Of the 4th
Of March. This IL d bitter pill for many Of
the Mcclellan merchants and secessionists
also, yet they must swallow 1t in order to
maintain consistent Union front before the
public. There are many merchants IN this
city who are good members Of the Union
Merchants Exchange in this city who arc at
Ata1t pro-sanyery seccssfonists, but they make
money by selling to contractors md IRE thus
indirectly forced to keep up show Of I'm
The publication of the income tax lists In
this city produced the came result here as
elsewhere, Viz: an immense surprise that SO
many people Who lived expeusiyely in mag
n'tcent aouses, whose charities often exceed
three or four thousand per year, and who are
reported TO pc fsry wealthy, have such small
incomes. On1 Of the richest men in st, Louis
returns an income OF less than 81 200 pcryear.
md yet he would tomorrow refuse s250, ,OW
7 for bis property.
The City Engineer has reported plan 10
the City Council to build o tubular bridge
across tie river at this point, at an estimated
cost of $500 COO. The railroad men and
other critics arc handling tue plan very &C.
verify. 1t is not probable t1is cxpcn sIye
plan will be finally adopted. y,
John B. Cough has delivered three lectures
in This city to crowded audiences. He spe1ke
twice more here and then starts for Chicago.
Be has announced tiet this Is his LAST visit
Mai. Gen, Blunt was in the city on Saturday
on private business.
Ibc Telegraph lines hence to Chicago have
been several times interrupted during the LAST
week hy storms end railroad accidents
A heavy rise in the Missouri has created an
Immense trade with tho towns On the upper
river. and q rush to the Idaho regions Is pre-
dicted.
The weather is miserable. :.