The Daily Dispatch: December 25, 1862., [Electronic resource]

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Latest from the North.

Northern dates of the 22d have been received. The Herald says Sunday was the gloomiest of all the days in the history of the nation in Washington. Seward and Chase have certainly resigned — Seward will not remain in if Halleck and Stanton are retained. Chase will not remain if Seward quits as in that event he says, the Northern capitalists would shut down. There are two candidates for the place of Commander in Chief--Fremont being urged by the Radicals, and McClellan by the Conservatives. The Herald says Chase may be Premier, and R. J. Walker Secretary of the Treasury. The Herald says it is believed that neither the people nor the army will submit to Fremont in place of Halleck, or to the retention of Stanton; and adds, that if such a course be pursued the newly elected Governors of six of the great States (Imitating Massachusetts in 1812) will recall their troops from the field, and demand a change of policy. It also says, in the present posture of affairs the alternative is presented of forming a new Cabinet upon the emancipation platform, or of adopting the conservative policy of Mr. Seward--in the former case there is danger that New York will abandon the war, in the latter case, the entire force of the Radicals will be brought to bear against him. The most intelligent observers, it continues, believe the proclamation will prevail.

The Herald says that all agree that another army can only be raised by extreme measures.

of Maine, and D. S. Dickinson are named for Premier and it is believed the former will be tendered the place, Grow, the present speaker, it is said, will get a Secretaryship.

A dispatch from Washington, at midnight on Sunday says the President has announced that be proper judge of the conduct of his armies, and that he will not be influenced by the dictation of S

The Herald says the forward movement by Fredericksburg by Burnside was not undertaken by his own judgment, but was peremptory ordered at Washington.

Halleck visited Burnside at Aquia Creek on the 18th.

Burnside was in Washington on the 21st.

The Herald behaves the rebel army is falling back to Richmond.

Gold rose one per cent in New York when the news of Sewarn's resignation reached there.

It was telegraphed to Washington from Burnside's headquarters, on the 21st that his staff officers know nothing of his resignation, and that General Hampton had captured a captain, thirty , and eleven su ers and six su ler wagons. They complain that su rs' goods are needed in the army, but that the overland route is too dangerous.

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Bold letter from a Northerner.

The following is a remarkable letter from Hon. Wm. B. Heed, a distinguished citizen of Pennsylvania, and the Commissioner to China. Before the recent Democratic successes in the Northern elections the writing of such a letter would have sent and man to Fort Warren:

Chesnut Hill. near Philadelphia, Nov. 5th, 1862.
Gentlemen

Nothing would give me more pleasure than to unite in the festival in honor of the recent victory in Pen ; but the short notice and some personal considerations with which I not trouble you, prevent it. Let me hope that before I may congratulate you on the fruit of the political success to the restoration of the fac Constitutional Government at the North, and an honorable peace. It is my firm belief that the paramount wish of the masses of the North in --though timidity or considerations — mistakes in my opinion — of expediency prevent them from saying so. It has been part of the policy of the Administration to crush out this cra of a common humanity and to denounces as traitors those who think as I do; that blood enough has been shed already. This has been acquiesced in the long. There are thousand who think with me, whose property is endangered — whose industry is paralyzed — fathers and mothers who are praying anxiously for the return of their soldiers from the battle-field or waiting for the stern doom that takes from them those who are left at home. This prayer will soon find --and the community, weary of war and bloodshed — weary doubt and taxation, of the tax collector and the recruiting Se --weary of the ambulance of the wounded and the h of the dead — will with ecstasy beyond control the hour when flags of permanent trace shall be displayed at Washington and Richmond. I am old enough to remember the peace of 1815, and the joy it excited; but it was nothing in compa with what ours will be when this brothers' war is over.

When peace comes — or before it comes — if the of those in power prolongs this dreary conflict — will come the day of responsibility; and part of the duty of the Democratic party will be to enforce this stern account. The House of Representatives at Harrisburg will be strictly the Grand inquest of this Commonwealth, and it will have work enough on hand. On it will devolve the duty to inquire into the conduct of this war, so far as Pennsylvania is concerned, and to know if her authorities have been faithful to their local trust.--The bitter cry of the Roman Emperor for his lost legions is echoed by Pennsylvania, asking why her gallant resources were sacrificed and cut to pieces on distant battle-fields, and her own frontier left open to invasion and insult. Gen. Stuart's unresented raid through two of the most po lous and loyal counties of Pennsylvania circling as he did in defiance near the capital of the State, is to the authorities the most disgraceful incident of this war. It was bloodless by mere accident. It was not the less discreditable because it was bloodless.

But another outrage on the dignity and the sovereignty of the State demands inquiry and redress. On the 6th of August last a Federal military officer--General James Wadsworth--claiming to be Military Governor of the District of Columbia, came with a guard to the capital of this State and without authority of law, in the middle of the night, seized and dragged from their beds directly under the eye of the Governor and his Cabinet, four respectable and, as the event proved, innocent citizens of Pennsylvania. They were incarcerated in a distant prison and finally discharged without an or any succor, and for them, our own immediate fellow citizens, no word of remonstrance or even intercession was uttered by the Executive or his advisers.

Had I no other cause for rejoicing at the restoration of Democracy to legislative power in this State, I find it in the prospect of inquiry, and, if need be, punishment of those whose neglect and indifference have inflicted there kindred ignominies on an ancient Commonwealth where the step of invasion has not been felt for more than seventy years, and where personal liberty, as secured by law, has never before been violated.

You will, I am sure, excuse these suggestions for the future. Something may be pardoned to freedom of speech suddenly restored.

I have the honor to be gentleman, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Wm. H. Reed.
To Messrs. Ancona, Galt, Beyer, Moyer, and Fillman, Committee.

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A Northern Lady Disgusted with the Management of affairs — the effect of M'Clellan's Removal.

Philadelphia, Dec,--1862.
Dear Brother:

You have satisfied me at last. I can be quiet for a while. I was anxiously expecting a letter from you, because I want to write Me I did not think about sending no money home, except you were not paid — indeed, I could not think of such a thing as you being a bad boy. If you was only here I think I would be tempted to eat you up. When will this horrid war cease? It it was not for the lives it would cost, I would wish the rebels would get to Washington, if it was only for one day, and drive Lincoln and his hordes from their majestic positions. I think it would do them good; but there is no such good luck, Washington is too well fortified. They are sure to take care of their own lives first. If they should ever get in danger again, how quick McClellan would be ordered back, when be would be a big goose if he went. I heard this evening. Burnside has been removed, and Hooker steps in his shoes; but I guess it is a mere rumor. I am just about tired of this thing--one year and a had and just where they started from, for the simple reason because they foiled every one of an's plana. There was a letter in the Sunday Transcript from your regiment, wherein it stated all the officers unanimously tendered their resignations (bully for them) when McClellan was removed. I have been wondering why you did not unanimously receive to lay down your arms and not fight under any other General but him. What could Abe and his tribe have done if from one to two hundred thousand men would have marched home? I would help, any soldier to desert. If the Government does not do its duty a soldier ought not to do his either. I expect a scolding from you for talking so, but I can't help it. I'll ran down Lincoln and his friends in Congress before anybody, and if I should be arrested to-morrow. I do not think the whole ship and crew of them are worth one cent. I wonder whether you won't come home on a furlough by Christmas or New Year, or some time soon, I do wish you would try. Father would like to see you, too. He has asked Aunt Louisa several times whether you ever said anything about getting a furlough. He thinks you ought to get one. He is doing splendid. He looks almost like a different man. I was down at Fisher's on Thanksgiving Day. He spoke very pleasantly to me. I did not think he could speak so well. He cuts up and fools with Willie all the time. The little fellow is all day long in the bake-house, making apple dumplings for cousin Bill and Jim. Uncle Henry gave me a piece of dough. Aunt Loui and all send their love to you. Grandmother sends her love and best wishes to you. Please write soon again. We cannot get too many letters. I do not remember whether I ever told you Mrs Beech had your photograph taken from the one I have for herself. She has moved in the country,

and taken it with her. If you do not come try and send mother your picture; she would like to see how you look now. Henry and I had our pictures taken on Thanksgiving Day for our Albums.

The Lord be merciful unto you, and protect you, is the wish of your sister,

Amelia.

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Official letter about the Yankee relations with France.

The following dispatch from Mr. Dayton, United States Minister at Paris, to Secretary Seward, is published in the newspapers:

Paris, November 6, 1862.
Sir:

The receipt of your circular No. 25, and of dispatch No. 237, are hereby acknowledged.

I have to-day had a conversation of some length with M. Drouyn de L'Huys in reference to our affairs. I told him that circumstances were such as to induce me to ask him distinctly whether any action was in contemplation by France, or by France conjointly with other Powers, in reference to the condition of things in our country. He said no; that everything remained as it had done for some time past; that France; in common with the other Powers of Europe very much regretted the war and its continuance, but they had no purpose to intervene or interfere in anyway. I then said to him I had seen it Stated that France, England, and Russia were conferring upon the propriety of offering mediation. He said that the wish that the war could be ended, or that something could be done, with the assent of the belligerent parties, had been spoken of, and it was yet spoken of, but nothing had been resolved upon. In further conversation he said that France reserved to herself the right to express this wish to the parties if it should be thought advisable to do so, or that good would grow out of it. I told him that this at once brought us back to the starting point; that the expression of such wish would be, I presumed, but an offer of mediation in another form. He said no; if there was any word which could express less than ‘"mediation,"’ that such word should be used in its place.

To test the character of this offer, or suggestion, which he reserved to himself the right to make, I said, ‘"Suppose your offers, or suggestion, if made, shall be refused, what will be the consequences?"’ He said ‘"nothing;"’ that we would be friends as we had been before. I told him that I had just seen it stated in the English press that some such offer of mediation was to be made by the three Powers, and, in the event of our refusal to accept it, the independence of the South was to be acknowledged. He said that was not so; that no such consequences would follow a refusal upon our part; that things would remain as before. I told him that we should look upon an acknowledgment of the South as but a form of intervention. To this he assented, and said they did not think of intruding into our affairs in any way, or intervention in any form; that their intent would be comprised in the expression of a wish to be useful, if is could be done with the assent of both parties. I told him that the Emperor, at an early day, had expressed such a wish, and that he had been willing to act the part of a friend between the two, if they should mutually request it. He said that such was yet his disposition, and nothing more, except that the calamities of civil war had increased and strengthened the wish on his pact.

I may add that I said to M Drouyn de L'Huys, unofficially, however, as I told him, that such an offer, if it should even he made, would come to nothing.

The above was the gist of the conversation, although other matters were embraced in it, of which I may write you hereafter. As a whole, the conversation was very satisfactory, and I send it to you at once.

I am, sir, your obd't serv't,

Wm. L. Dayton,
His Excellency Wm H. Seward, Secretary of State, &c.,

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Beauties of Lincoln's message.

The Albany (N. Y.) Atlas has a good article on the ‘"beauties"’ of its President's message:

The Administration journals have pretended that the defects of the message were to be attributed to the haste of its transmission by telegraph. On the contrary, the telegraph has rather improved than injured it. We look into the official copy in the National Intelligencer and find such sentences as them:

‘ "If the condition of our relations with other nations is less gratifying than it has usually been at former periods, it is certainly more satisfactory than a nation so unhappily distracted as we are might reasonably have apprehended"

’ For ‘"apprehended"’ read ‘"hoped."’ We do not apprehend what is satisfactory.

‘"A blockade, & c, could not be established "c, without committing occasional mistakes and inflicting unintentional injuries."’

Blockades do not commit mistakes. Blockheads do.

‘"During the last year there has not been only no change of previous relations with the independent States of our own continent, but more friendly sentiments than have heretofore existed are believed to be entertained by these neighbors, whose safety and progress are so intimately connected with our own."’

If there has been no ‘"change,"’ how have the sentiments become ‘"more friendly?"’

Here is a discrepancy of another kind:

"In the month of August last, the Sioux Indians in Minnesota attacked the settlements in their vicinity with extreme ferocity, killing indiscriminately men, women, and children. The attack was wholly unexpected and therefore no means of defence had been provided. * * * *

Information was received by the Indian Bureau from different sources about the time hostilities were commenced that a simultaneous attack was to be made upon the white settlements by all the tribes between the Mississippi river and the Rocky Mountains."

It seems, then that the Indian Bureau had information that ‘"the attack was to be made."’ How, then, was it ‘"wh llyunexpected?"’

Speaking of the Agricultural Department, he says:

‘ "It will soon be prepared to distribute largely seeds, cereals, plants, and cuttings. "

’ What is the difference between ‘"seeds and cereals, plants and cuttings?"’ May not cereals be seeds, and plants be cereals, and cuttings be plants?

Speaking of a boundary of separation, he says:

‘ "Nearly all its remaining length are merely surveyor's lines. * * * No part of this Line can be made any mere difficult to pass"

’ A confusion of singular and plural which might easily have been avoided.

Here are two profound remarks. The italics are from the official copy as published in the National Intelligencer:

‘"And if with less money, or money more easily paid, we can preserve the benefits of the Union by this means than we can by the war alone, is it not also economical to do it? "’

‘"Certainly it is not so easy to pay something as it is to pay nothing; but it is easier to pay a large sum than it is to pay a larger one. And it is easier to pay any sum when we are able than it is to pay it before we are able."’

It is impossible to add anything to profundities like these.

‘"If there ever could be a proper time for mere catch arguments that time surely is not now."’

The telegraph operator dropped the word ‘"catch."’ not knowing what to make of it.

The President says, on closing; ‘"We cannot escape history."’ No; but he has escaped grammar, logic, and arithmetic.