NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
March and April 1864
From The Missouri Democrat, Saturday, March 12, 1864.
THE LATEST NEWS.
BY TELEGRAPH.
FROM WASHINGTON.
GENERAL GRANT’S VISIT TO THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
HOW HE WAS RECEIVED.
He Wants to Re-organize the Armies, East and West.
McCLELLANISM A BUGBEAR TO THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
PASSAGE OF THE GOLD BILL BY THE SENATE.
THE PRESIDENTIAL QUESTION.
How Mr. Chase’s Letter is Received.
Speculation as to Who will Receive the Nomination.
The Case of Knox vs, Blair, Continued.
The Investigating Committees.
Congressional and Other Items.
[Special dispatch to the Missouri Democrat.]
WASHINGTON, March 11. – General Grant left this evening for Nashville. He arrived about ten o’clock this morning from the Army of the Potomac. He was received with great enthusiasm by the army, although the heavy rains prevented general demonstrations to his honor. He had a long conference with General Meade, at whose headquarters he spent the night, and by whom he was accompanied here. It is understood that he desires to reorganize the armies, both here and in the West, and that he has said that if permitted to have his own way, he could soon suppress McClellanism in the Potomac army, which he has regarded as the chief obstacle to its success. General Barry is to follow Grant to the West in a day or two.
The Senate has passed the bill allowing Chase to sell gold at discretion for one year. Little doubt is entertained that it will now pass the house.
Publication of Chase’s letter to Allen asking the withdrawal of his name from the presidential discussions forms the great topic of conversation and speculation in all circles. Mr. Chase receives the heartiest praise on all hands, both from Lincoln organs and others. Many insist that this brings forward Fremont with great prominence; others say that Butler will now come in. Democratic papers generally insist that the contest lies between Lincoln and Fremont.
A letter from the President of the School Trusters, of this city, to Speaker Colfax, relative to colored schools here in funds for their support, discloses the fact that besides supported by taxation upon property of colored men, there are eight evening schools taught gratuitously by the government employees, and crowded with the finest and most eager learners, mostly adults, and many of them freedmen who have congregated here from all points in the slave States reached by our armies.
Case of Knox vs. Blair, was continued before the Committee of Elections this morning, Mr. Blair proceeding with his argument. He expects to finish to-morrow. He made an application in the House this afternoon, to bring testimony taken out of time before the Committee, and the House granted his request, so far as regards the printing and referring his testimony as concerned, leaving the Committee to judge of its admissibility.
The Sub Committee on the Conduct of the War, Messrs. Gooch and O’Dell, have returned from New York where they have been examining the Quartermaster’s Department. While they find some things which should be corrected, they leave New York with the impression that the business of that Department is conducted in a systematic and thorough manner.
The Committee having charge of the Custom-house investigation will return to New York next week.
On Wednesday the Committee on the Conduct of the War, investigating the charge of Gen. McClellan meeting General Lee after the battles of Antietam, have dismissed the matter, as they find the only witness wholly unreliable. The Committee expected, however, soon to commence a thorough examination into the facts, bringing before them between two and three witnesses from the neighborhood in which it is said to have occurred.
A resolution instructing the committee to take into consideration the expediency of granting aid to the branch of the Pacific railroad from Warrensburg, in Missouri to Emporia in Kansas, passed the Senate to-day.
Mr. Clark introduced a bill in the Senate to repeal the clause in the recent revenue act, which taxes imported spirits on hand.
The President has sent a message to the Senate relative to the point of commencement of the Iowa branch of the Pacific railroad, enclosing an order fixing such point, at the suggestion of the company, on the western boundary of the state of Iowa, East of, and opposite to the east line of section ten township fifteen, north of range thirteen, east of the sixth principal meridian, in the territory of Nebraska.
The Iowa legislature in a joint resolution presented to the Senate, prays Congress for a modification of the Pacific railroad law to authorize the construction of the Sioux City branch westward so far as to unite with the mainline by the most practicable route. It regards the authorized location north of Platte Valley at right angles with Elk Horn, Soup Fork and other tributaries of Platt, in a rough and impracticable country, as too burdensome ever to be built by sensible capitalists.
SECOND DISPATCH.
WASHINGTON, March 11. – Among the returned prisoners from Libby to-day were Colonel Von Schroeder, of the 74th Ohio, and Lieutenant Holmes, 6th Ohio.
The orders pretended to have been found on Colonel Dahlgren’s person and published in the rebel papers as excuse for their barbarity to his dead body are forgeries.
[To the Associated Press.]
WASHINGTON, March 11 – The case before the Supreme Court today, is that of Frederick Shushards and others vs. Phillip Allen and others. There were on the docket on the first Monday in December, about 264 cases, of which 120 have been reached. As the court will adjourn on the 8th of May, a large number will remain undisposed of at that time.
WASHINGTON, March 11 – The President to-day sent to the Senate the following message:
WASHINGTON, March 9, 1864.
To the Senate of the United States:
In compliance of a resolution of the Senate, of the 1st instant, respecting the points of the commencement of the Pacific railroad in the 100th degree of west longitude, and of the branch road of the western boundary of Iowa to the said 100th degree of longitude; I transmit the accompanying report of the Secretary of the Interior, containing the information called for.
I deem it proper to add that on the 17th day of November last, an executive order was made upon this subject, and delivered to the President of the Union Pacific railroad, which fixed the point on the western boundary of the state of Iowa, from which the company should construct their branch railroad to the 100th degree of longitude, and declare it to be within the limits of the township in Iowa, opposite the town of Omaha, in Nebraska.
Since then the company have represented to me that upon actual surveys made it has determined upon the precise point of departure of their said branch road from the Missouri river, and located the same as described in the accompanying report of the Secretary of the Interior, which point is within the limits designated in the order of November last, and in as much as that order is not on record in any of the executive departments and the company desiring a more definite one, I have made the order a copy of which is herewith transmitted and cause the same to be filed in the department of the interior.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
The order above referred to is as follows:
In pursuance of the provisions of section 10 of the act of Congress and titled an act to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, and to secure to the government the use of the same for postal, military and other purposes, approved July 1, 1862, authorizing and directing the president of the United States to fix the point on the western boundary of the state of Iowa from which the Pacific railroad company is by said section authorized to construct a single line of railroad and telegraph upon the most direct and practicable route, subject to the approval of the president of the United States, so as to form a connection with the lines of said company at some point within the hundredth meridian of longitude in said section; namely: I, Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States, upon the application of said company, designate and establish such first above-named point on the western boundary of the state of Iowa, east of and opposite to the east line of section 10, in Township 15, north of range 13, east of the 6th principal meridian in the territory of Nebraska.
Done at the city of Washington, this 7th day of March, in the year of our Lord 1864.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, March 11. – The Secretary of State has replied to certain inquiries of the Secretary of the Treasury, saying in substance that there is no imperial or provincial enactment exempting American vessels from tonnage or other duties, in the ports of Canada.
In some of these ports duties are paid on them under the name of light duties, hospital duties and tonnage duties for [illegible] of harbor, &c. Hence, there exists no good reason to exempt from tonnage duties vessels belonging wholly or in part to subjects of foreign powers, including those residing in the British North American Provinces, on entry into our ports on the northern, northeastern and northwestern frontier from the British North American Provinces.
In view of these facts, and in accordance with the recommendations of the Treasury Department the House to-day passed the bill to repeal the 2d section of the act to regulate the foreign country trade on our frontiers, thus taking from her Majesty’s subjects the enjoyment of the privileges which were not reciprocated to our own actions by the British Government.
The cavalry which recently cut the rebel communications and made a dash on Richmond is now arriving by transports at Alexandria and route to the Army of the Potomac.
The following is the gold bill [as it passed the Senate to-day:
Resolved, that the Secretary of the Treasury be authorized to anticipate the payment of the interest on the public debt by a period not exceeding one year from time to time, either with or without a rebate of that interest on the coupons as to him may seem expedient and he is hereby authorized to dispose of any gold in the Treasury of the United States, not necessary for the payment of the interest of the public debt.
A committee from New York, appointed by the executive committee of the Metropolitan Fair, waited on Lieutenant General Grant to-day, to receive his attendance at the opening of the bear on the 11th inst. The General has communicated a favorable response through the chairman, and may be expected to be present unless prevented by pressing public duties.