em, and soon there
may be 10,000 Federal prisoners from Wilmington, which it seems cannot
be exchanged there. Is it the policy of their own government to starve
them?

Mr. Burgwyn, of North Carolina, writes to the President (11th inst.)
that some 15,000 bales of cotton are locked up in Wilmington, belonging
to speculators, awaiting the coming of the enemy, when the city will
certainly fall into their hands. He says Gen. Bragg's orders regarding
its removal are wholly disregarded; and he implores the President to
prevent its falling into the enemy's hands, and disgracing his State as
Georgia was disgraced by the cotton taken at Savannah. He says these
speculators have an understanding with the enemy. The President
indorses, simply, "For attention--J. D."

I bought quarter ounce early York cabbage-seed to-day at $10 per ounce.

FEBRUARY 23D.--Raining; the most inclement February for years.

It is stated that Gen. J. E. Johnston has been replaced in command of
the army in front of Sherman; a blunder, for Beauregard's friends will
raise a clamor.

Grant's men fired salutes yesterday in honor of the DAY--22d--and had
the Richmond papers read to them by order of Gen. Grant--accounts of the
fall of Charleston. Our government will continue this fatal policy of
allowing easy communication between Richmond and the enemy, begun by Mr.
Benjamin, and continued by his successors! It will ruin us, and would
destroy any cause. Next, our papers will announce the fall of
Wilmington.

Three preachers--Hoge, Burroughs, and Edwards--have sent in a
proposition to the President, to take the stump and obtain subscriptions
of rations for the troops. The President marks it "special," and refers
it to the Secretary "for attention and advice." Humbugged to the end!
These men might fight, but they won't. They will speak two words for the
soldiers, and one for themselves. I believe two of them are _Northern_
men. What idiocy! If they meddle at all in the carnival of blood, I
would put them in the ranks.

Gen. Bragg says he is greatly outnumbered by the enemy's two corps near
Wilmington. Of course he will evacuate.

There is no money (paper) in the Treasury. Mr. Trenholm, seeing Mr.
Memminger abused for issuing too much paper money, seems likely to fall
into the opposite error of printing too little, leaving hundreds of
millions of indebtedness unpaid. This will soon rouse a hornet's nest
about his ears!

Gold is arriving from Charlotte,