AMERICA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 279, 30 January 1862, Page 3

AMERICA.

Tlie armies in the neighbourhood of the Potomac remain in the same position. One engagement lias taken place there between two small bodies of troops, the, Federalists numbering 1800 and their opponents 5000’or 6000, but probably less. * The advanced to a place called Ball’s Bluff,"near Leesbui’g, on the. Virginia side of the Potomac, which the enemy allowed them to cross in small detachments in' two boats without opposition. On the other side they found themselves in small open space of ground surrounded by %\semicircle of bush, and having the river in' their rear. The Southerns picked them off at their leisure from the wood, until their commander being slain-they made across the l’iver in great confusion, with the lass of a third of their men and three guns. The Naval expedition, so long talked of, has at length been despatched. The { Home N ews ’ gives the following succinct account obits operations, — BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF PORT j ROYAL. At last the destination ,of the Federal fleet is known. On the 7th of November it entered Port Boyal harbour in South Carolina, engaged the forts, and, after a fight which lasted four hours, forced the enemy to abandon them. The next day the troops, to the number of 15,000, were landed at Beaufort, which, we are told, they found totally destroyed, together with the neighbouring plantations. We now know the point against which the Federal operations are directed, and there isj'.of course?’.much .spechlatioh>as to this •subsidiary campaign, and the designs of the government in sending an army to the coast of the Atlantic cotton States. In the first place, it appears certain that the fleet was handled with considerable skill. In spite of a succession of very heavy gales, in spite of the dangerous nature of the coast, and in’ spite of the resistance of the Confederates, who seem to have been not unprepared for a visit, the Federal? have established themselves

drl aiiother spot of Southern ground , and in much 'greater force than they did at Hatteras. Beyond the wreck bf two, or perhaps four vessels,,in the storm; the Northern forces met with no disaster. Along with the two forts at Port Royal, they captured 43 guns, a quantity of military equipments, and, as the telegrams state, “ valuable papers.” All this was effected with the loss of eight men. Of the Confederates, 100 are reported to have been killed during the bombardment.

It is stated that a Federal collector will be immediately stationed at Beaufort, and that the place will at once be opened to commerce ; but it appears incredible that a trade with the Union party in the South can thus be established. The temper of the Confederates is shown pretty clearly by the destruction of the town of Beaufort, which consists chiefly of the summer residences of the planters, and could have‘.afforded the invaders nothing but ordinary shelter. Port Royal is a deep inlet running between two islands on the coast of South Carolina. It is situated about'3-5 miles in a straight line from Savannah, and between 50 and 60 miles froin Charleston, the county of Beaufort, in which it lies, being the border county of the State, and divided from Georgia only by the river Savannah, on which the city of that name is situated. At the top of Port Royal is the town of Beaufort, the ruins of which the Federals now hold. The whole district is one of the richest, but also one of the swampiest, parts of the coast. It is, indeed, the great rice producing region of South Carolina, and the plantations which the Confederates destroyed were probably the rice estates, of some secessionist millionaires. Beaufort»and Poit Royal and the Federal camp are divided from the main, land by the Broad river and the Coosan, which, with various little tributaries, form, a number of sea islands, of great fertility and with a large population. The islands themselves are healthy, but as much cannot be said of the country a little way inland, which extends its dreary marshes over many miles. As a position to be held during a long war on an enemy’s coast, there is probably none better than Beaufort. Port Royal is one of tlie best harbours in the South. Time must show what are the further intentions of the Federals. Whether they purpose an advance into the interior of the country over a difficult and wasted territory, or the capture of Charleston or Savannah, or merely the holding of their present position, so as to threaten the chief rebels with the emancipation of the negroes in the last resort, it.is impossible to guess. For the present they will, no doubt, remain stationary, and employ themselves in strengthening the position they have won. It will meanwhile also be in the power of the Washington government a.L any time to divert a large part of the. Confederate army from the Potomac by sending reinforcements to Port I!oyal. Already vve hear that General Beauregard has left the Potomac for South Carolina. The New York despatches which announce the above tacts mention that large numbers of negroes were coming into the Federal camp, but this news must be taken “ with due reserve.” The ‘ New York 7/erahl’ states that the object of tlie above expedition is : 1. To carry the war into the cotton States, which are chiefly for the rebellion, and by doing so to produce the disorganisation and dispersion of the immense rebel army now collected in Virginia.

2. To fee tiro winter quarters for our troops ami Harbours of refuge for our naval and mercantile marine.

3. To-open one or more Southern ports to commerce, and thus satisfy'all demands and obviate all difficulties about the supply of cotton and the efficacy of the blockade; ami 4. To form nuclei in those rebel States near, which tbe kng-suppressed loyalty and good sense of the neopie may find safe and appropriate expression, and to encourage and stimulate this reactionary feeling, o which we have seen.such a remarkable ami encouraging manifestation in North Carolina. This diversion is said to have led to a withdrawal of part of the Confederate troops from the lower Potomac. Two engagements are reported as having taken place at Bellemont in Missouri, between 3-500 of the Federalists and 7000 of the Confederates. Both sides suffered severely ; but the Federalists fell back. A slight engagement has also taken place in Kentucky. General Fremont has been superseded b}' - General Hunter, much to the regret of his troops. General Scott has resigned and embarked at New York for Europe. General McClellan was coni.-mander-in-ehief.

President Davis was expected to be re-elected ; the voting was to take place on the 6th November. The blockade of tlie Southern coast has been so ineffective that 516 vessels are said to have eluded the Northern cruisers. Mr. Roche, the editor of. the ‘New York Phoenix,’ has arrived in Dublin. He gives a deploi-able picture of the existing destitution and suffering amongst the working classes of New York. With many of the Irish in that city there is no alternative between enlistment and starvation. And the condition of New York is no worse than that of other cities in the Northern States ; the war has paralysed commerce and industry everywhere. Mr. Roche urgently dissuades his countrymen from the madness of emigrating to America now.

A Liverpool correspondent of the ‘ Globe ’ says,—“ that all the United States ships bound from Liverpool to any of the Northern ports, undergo, before leaving the Mersey, a system of piercing, in order that they may be able to carry

guns. The upper decks and bulwarks are generally strengthened, and cannon, constructed on the most,, recent and improved principles, put on board. In order that the guns may be worked, so as to do as great execution as possible if the vessel be attacked by any of the Southern privateers, practical gunners have been engaged, and in most cases the number of hands increased. The cargoes, too, of many of the vessels are not of the most >■ peaceful chai'acter, as is well known to those engaged in their stowage. Within the last few days several ships have left the Mersey for New York, which will prove Tartars should they be molested by privateers.”

A Paris correspondent of. the ‘ Belgian ludependance,’ says he has learned from reliable quarters, concerning the imminent departure of the combined forces to coerce Mexico, that the joint action of the two great Powers with the accession of Spain is called forth with ulterior views. The time must come when the cotton blockade .can be no longer tolerated, and the farthest period allotted for the game now on foot to be played out by North versus South is fixed for January 1862. If at that date the Southern Sia’ es hold their own, their claim to joint recognition by France and England will assume such urgency, backed by more pressing arguments from home, that a decision must ensue.

Groat excitement has been created at Southampton by the arrival there of the Confederate war steamer Nashville, with the crew of a prize, the Harvey Birch, that she had destroyed in the British Channel. It is supposed that the neutrality of England will be violated if the Nashville is permitted to refit at Southampton, although a Federal war steamer put into the same port three weeks before, and underwent the needful overhaul. The rate of insurance on American ships has been greatly raised in consequence. ‘ The insolence .of the Federalist} Government has reached a point which its greatest enemy could scarcely have hoped for, and unless ample apology be made an embroilment with England is certain. In August and September last two Britisli s .bje y' s w ere laid hold of on a charge of treason and consigned to a military prison without trial,where they remained for fifteen days : —the one being released because the government believed him innocent, and the other on a bond being executed with a penalty of £S OO in case he should 'be found disloyal to the government. Lord Lyon addressed a letter of remonstrance to the Federalist government, stating that her Majesty’s Government were of opinion that the authority of Congress was needed to justify such proceedings. Mr. Seward in his reply admits the facts, but s+ates t that the PrOKHtaiuk Tide - full poTiror..■fcn-cuvfe.-an; fin a---arbitrary way— “ Treason” he says “ must be prevented, if practicable, by unusual and vigorous precaution. lam fully aware of the inconvenienc s which result from the practice of such precaution, embarrassing communities in social life, and affecting, perhaps trade and intercourse witlr’foreign nations. But the American people, after having tried in every way to avert civil war, have accepted it at last as a stern necessity. The chief interest, while it lasts, is not the enjoyments of society, or the profits of trade, but the saving of the national life. That life saved, all the other blessings which attend it will speedily return, with greater assurance of continuance than ever before. The safety of the whole people has become, in the present emergency, the supreme Jaw, and, so long as the danger shall exist, all classes of society equally, the denizen and the citizen, cheerfully acquiesce in the measures which’that’law prescribes. This government does not question the learning of the legal advisers of the British crown or the justice of the deference which her Majesty pays to them. Nevertheless the British Government will hardly expect that the President will accept their explanations of the constitutions of the United States, especially when the constitution, thus expounded, would leave upon him the sole executive responsibility of suppressing the existing insunection, while it would transfer to Congress tlie . most ■material' and indispensable power to be employed for that purpose. Moreover, these explanations find no real support in the letter, much less in the spirit of tlie constitution itself. He must be allowed, therefore, to prefer and to be governed by the view of our organic national law which, while it will enable him to execute his great trust with complete success, receives the sanction of tlie highest authorities of our own country, and is sustained by the general consent of the people for whom alone that constitution was established.” We presume the last outrage on international law which is 'so gross as to be difficult of credence, may be defended in tlie same manlier. It is announced in a telegram dated London, Nov. 27, as follows— Slidell and Mason, Confederate commissioners, were • forcibly taken out of English Mail steamer, Trent, while on a voyage from Havana to St. Thomas, by United States frigate San Jacinto. Consols declined 93|. Another telegram seems to confirm the above in tlie intimation that—- “ A serious difficulty has arisen between England and the Northern States of America. War not improbable. The export of saltpetre from Great Britain r has been prohibited. Great excitement prevails. Consols lower ona and on<- , fourth per cent. Cotton one penny lower.” A j}ostscript to above telegram is as follows :—“ Rumoured that war lias actually been declared, but • cannot vouch for the truth of it.”