Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-21

| WroRgS in Its Defence.
The Richmond Examiner of Janu nary 1S says:
| "News was unus ually scarce yesterday. There
| was uninterrupted telegraph communication
| we could learn, not line OF news, official or
| otherwise, was received.
| "Itappears from brief telegram from Will
mington, on Monday night, that the combined
| land and naval attack on Fort Fisher took
| place at one O'Clock on Monday morning, in
stead Of ten O'Clock on Sunday night as re-
"The force which appeared in the vicinity of
Grahamville, s. G., last week, is reported to
| have gone back towards Savannah.
| "The report of Mr.. Seddon's retirement rom
| the Cabinet has not been confirmed, nor indeed
| any Of the rumors of high military and politi-
cal appointments circulated by sanguine per-
| sons in the last few days. We learn that the
| Secretary Of War has directed the provost
marshal of Fredericksburg to release MIR.
| FoCts from custody 1t is uncertain neither
he will now proceed to Washington or return
| TO Richmond"
The following is from the whig of the 18th:
| 1.-The arrival of the Southern mail any day,
| may now be considered an exception rather
| than the rule We are disposed to acquit the
| Post Office Department OF responsibility for
| these repeated failures, as 1t is evident that
| whatever efficiency is aimed at, Is counter
| vailed in a great sSsgree by the inexorable de-
mands OF the army and the enforcement OF the
| corscripton law. AS we received no ex-
| changes this morning from points south of
| Dan vile, we are unable 10 pIesen; our usual
| variety OF news items.
The Capture OF Fort Fisher.
| The Enquirer of the 18th contains the follow
| Ing in reference to the capture of Fort Fisher,
| which plainly shows that the Richmond ed
itors are very much in the dark in regard to
| that matter:
"Dnring all yesterday tuesday, we were
| without additional particulars of the capture
| Of Fort Fisher, beyond a correction ~ in the
time of the assault-the position having been
| carried by the enemy at one o'clock on Mon
day morning, instead Of ten O'Clock Sunday
| howev IN
| rant the assumption that the defence of the
tort vas defective in potlt OF vigilance."'
| "1t is reasonable to believe that the fleet kept
up al least 4 fitful bombardment during the
night and that the repulse OF the land force
the preceding evening satisfied the garrison
| that TO secOBd attack would be made until the
| ensuing day, and that its own safety and
strength would be enhanced by retiring to their
bomb proofs, OF other wise seeking shelter and
repose ter the night. At the hour at which the
fort " as taken the moon was shining brightly
in the mid heavens, a circumstance which
should have suggested extreme vigilance. The
strength OF the position, and the fact that Gen.
Weitze, one of the ablest engineers of the Fed
eral army, had pronounced the works impreg-
n6Dle, would seem ID lead to the conclusion
that there was something wrong.
"As the matter now stands we will have to
he con,ented, for time at least, with the ac-
counts of the enemy, unless, by some lucky
chance, scme one o: more of the garrison shall
have escaped to throw some substantial light
| upon it."
| LF'rom the Richmond Dispatch, of Jan. Isl
| There was no special news received from
| Wilmington yesterday. When Grant sent But
Ter 10 take Fort Fisher, his instructions were:
| "Should Fort Fisher and the point OF land on
| which it Is built fall into the hands of cur
troops Immediately on landing, it will be worth
the attempt to capture Wilmington by forced
march and surprise" These instructions were
| pTecicsted upon the belief that Gen. Bragg and
most Of his troops had gone TO look after Sher-
man, leaving only four hundred men at Will
| mir gton and Fort Fisher, and have, no doub.,
been modified, since he is aware that our forces
at Wilmington have been largely increased
Cen. Weitzei, who, we presume, now com
mands at Fort Fisher, will, therefore, hardly
| make forced march towards Wilmington
| but If be moves that way az all, will do 80 WITH
| much caution. He may content himself with
The capture OF the fort and the consequent
| closing Of the port OF Wilmington. On this
| point we may expect to hear something to-
| day.
| There seems to have been 20 foundation for
the report that Gen. Breckenridge had been
| appointed Secretary OF War: He is in the city
on business connected with his command, in
| Southwestern virginia.
Gen. D. II. Hill passed through Augusta yes
| terday, gong South.
The Peace Question
| From the Richmond ENQUIRER, Jan. Is
| While the other States Tof the South are not
so well, or II il is preferred, so badly off as
virginia; while they are not blessed with SO
many "Governors' that it is impossible to
agree as TO which of them is the rightful Gov
ernor Of their good people, or cursed with
Governments that while all are de fdcto none
are de Jure in the opinion OF the enemy, yet the
| people Of all the States are met with condsca-
| ton acts that plainly tell them "you may come
back, but you must return propertyless, pen
niless; you must surrender all your land, all
yoar slaves, all ycur personal property, cer-
fofnty and take your chances for life with the
courts and with Executive Glenn ncy.''
| Can any man point out any other terms
We know that Mr. Orr, of Miss, intimated that
better terms than abolition OF slavery could be
| Obtained Al W ashington; but with all due
spect TO that gentleman, we defy him to give TO
bis counhymen any evidence whatever to
| justify his assertion We challenge him or any
other man TO come forward with any evidence
that both confiscation and abolition are not still
insisted upon by the washington authorities.
| We assert that both laws are unrepealad, aud
we understand that Mr. Singleton, the reported
| peace Commissioner, now in Richmond, in
formed gentlemen, since his arrival here, thst
the Republicans in Washington were discuss
ing bills before Congress for the establishment
| OF Con1Iscation courts wherever their armies
penetrate and the taking possession of all
| property and its distribution among their
armies Mr.. Orr, os Mississippi, cannot mean
TO wilfulIy delnde and raislead his country
into the pellet that the enemy have, through
any OF the ltineTant peaca-makers that have
been lately passing TO and fro like trade winds,
intimate that other terms than "aboltion or
| recOnstruCtion'' could be made with the Wash
mgton authorities. We have no knowledge of
that movement which MIR. Orr announces to
be In the hands Of men who are sustained by
a volnme PA mo-, we believe.-ED.1 OF senti.
! ment in the country, and in the army, and by
their own sense Of duty, and who are deter
| mined thatin some form the craftsmanship of
the country shall be invoked in an honest et-
| fort to end this carnival OF death by negotia-
non." We wish Mr.. Orr and all other men
| God speed in ending this carnival of death"
| but let them take care that they don't inaueu-
| rate a carnival OF slavery, and make their
| countrymen by-wOrd and reproach among
| the peoples of the earth
! From the Richmond Sentinel Of Jan. ta.l
| 1t is said that Governor Foote has been re-
! leased by order OF the Confederate authorities.
| Cobb, of Alabama, and Wright, OF Georgia,
| took the lead. Foote attempted 10 follow. Who
| is the next! The whole thing is as easy
| rolling Off q slippery log 1st Denounce the
| Con federate authorities. ID Whine about
| peace, and offer peace resolutions, and then
| desert to the enemy.
! Savage Attack on DaV Wis, the Confederate
Congress, Virginia Legislature and Al.
most Everybody and Everything Else in
the South.
From the Richmond Examiner, jan III
| The loss OF our last port oy the fan OF Fort
Fisher will be no vii in the end IL it serves TO
| spur the country on ts decisive action. Moth
| nsn in