it has not been productive of good. It has now been in operation several
weeks, all the way to Warrenton; and yet a few days ago the enemy's
cavalry found that section of country undefended, and took Warrenton
itself, capturing in that vicinity some 2000 wounded Confederates, in
spite of the Secretary's expensive vigilance. Could a Yankee have been
the inventor of the Secretary's plaything? One amused himself
telegraphing the Secretary from Warrenton, that all was quiet there;
_and that the Yankees had not made their appearance in that
neighborhood, as had been rumored_! If we had imbeciles in the field,
our subjugation would be only pastime for the enemy. It is well,
perhaps, that Gen. Lee has razeed the department down to a second-class
bureau, of which the President himself is the chief.

I see by a correspondence of the British diplomatic agents, that their
government have decided no reclamation can be made on us for burning
cotton and tobacco belonging to British subjects, where there is danger
that they may fall into the hands of the enemy. Thus the British
government do not even claim to have their subjects in the South favored
above the Southern people. But Mr. Benjamin is more liberal, and he
directed the Provost Marshal to save the tobacco bought on foreign
account. So far, however, _the grand speculation has failed_.

OCTOBER 3D.--Gen. Wise was countermanded in his march against
Williamsburg, by Major-Gen. Gustavus W. Smith. He had 2700 men, the
enemy 1500, and he would have captured and slain them all. Gen. Wise was
the trusted and revered Governor of Virginia, while Smith was the Street
Commissioner in New York.

A strong letter from Vice-President Stephens is published to-day, in
which it is successfully maintained that no power exists, derived either
from the Constitution or acts of Congress, for the declaration of
martial law. He says all punishments inflicted by military governors on
civilians are clearly illegal.

There is a rumor that we have Louisville, but it does not seem to be
authentic. We have nothing from Lee, and know not exactly where
McClellan is.

Many people thought the President himself would take the field. I doubt
not he would have done so if the Provisional Government had continued in
existence until independence was achieved.

OCTOBER 4TH.--A splendid aurora borealis last night.

Yesterday, most of the delegation in Congress from Kentucky and
Tennessee petitioned the Presiden