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THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL. WILMINGTON, N. CM THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1661. THE NEWS. MONDAY, MAT 218T. Charles Lever, the novelist, died at Spezzia, Italy, in the latter part of April Few readers of light literature will forget the rollicking fan which so much abounds in " Harry Lorrequer," " and " Charles O'Malley," or the quieter, but more irresistible humor which every " crops out " in the LoiteriDgs of Arthur O'Leary. Dr. Lever had seen much of the world, mixed with so ciety in all its phases, and shared in many of its dissi pations. For years past he had been a resident on the continent of Europe, less from choice, we presume, than from the pressure of debt. His stories of camp and field are inimitable. We think Mickey Free " will generally be preferred by the readers of Charles O'Malley, to Dickens' character of " Sam Weller." " Major Monsoon," Frank Webber, Captaia Power Corney Delaney and msny other of his creations are rreat. His later and more pretentious style never took so well. In one thing Lever had a great advan tage over Dickens he wrote of gentlemen as a gentle man. Dickens was and is a snob and a cockney. There are strong reasDns for believing that a collision took place yesterday near Norfolk, Ya., between Fed eral troops, probably from Fortress Monroe, and a portion of the Confederate army stationed in the neighborhood of Norfolk. We presume that on our side " nobody was hurt," and almost as a matter of course, the Federal troops suffered an ignominious repulse. p. S. Our dispatch shows that the affair was be tween a battery and an armed steamer. The Federal authorities at St. Louis trample without the slightest hesitation upon the rights of the city, of the State, and of private property . They have seized the arms belonging to the police Commissioners. They have visited the State tobacco warehouse, and seized what they could find there. Also, they have seized five hundred Colts pistols in the hands of Adams Express. They treat the people as conquered slaves. Troops continue to go on to W ashington from New York. Some three Regiments were to leave the lat ter place to-day. The S tee mm Parkersburg and MouDt Yernon have left Nlw York with provisions for Pickerjs. Stephen A. Douglas is reported to be very ill at Chica go. His disease is typhoid fever. His recovery is doubtful. General Cadwallader of Philadelphia, who is a gentle man, has taken the place in command of the Federal troops at Baltimore, from which General P. F. But ler of Lowell. Mass.. has been removed. Whatever else B. F. B. may be, it is evident that he is not a gentlemaD, and we doubt if he is a soldier. It turns out the whole statement about Major Ander- . son and Mr. Breckinridge comes from a Pensylva nian with an unpronounceable name, who says he over heard Andtr3un say it was reported, and so forth. WEDNESDAY. MAY 22D. TLc bank of Albary, N. Y., closed its doors last Sat urday. The Old School Presbyterian General Assembly in ses fciorj at Alexandria have refuseJ, by a vote of 123 to 104, to appoint a special committee to enquire into the expidiency of giving some expression of their de votion to the Union and loyalty to the old govern ment. The 14-th New York Regiment, 1,000 strong, arrived at Washington on the night of the 19th inst. Riots arc said to be threatened iu Chicago in conse quence of the laborers beios paid in " Wild Cat Money." Several arrests have lately been made in Washington City, under the plea that the parties were Southern epics. Fears of a pestilence exist among the troops at Wash ington. It is reported that the Kentucky House of Representa tives have adopted a resolution in favor of a strict neu trality. Queer ! Has Kentucky been sold to the hell-hounds of Sewardism ? If so, we pity her condi tion. We learn that our friends of the Wilmington Light Infantry, stationed at " Confedederate Point," for merly known as Federal Point, had a jolly time of it yesterday, a large number of the beauty of the town having gone down early in the morning. The Company acknowledge the presentation of a beauti ful little soncr. bv iieortre Davis. Esq. I he corres pondence will appear to-morrow. The passage of the secession ordinance by the Conven tion of the State of North Carolina, was celebrated here yesterday by the firing of 11 guns at 8 o'clock in the morning one for each State that had left the old Union. At 12 o'clock the official report of the passage of the ordinance of secession, and also the ordinance adopting the Confederate Constitution was received, when an additional salute of about 90 guns was fired near town hall. The above salute was fired by the Wilmington Horse Artillery, under the direction and management of Lieutenant S. R. Bunting. It w:3 the first time the troop had been called upon to perform such duty, and we have no hesitation in say irg that, if the opinion of experienced men is worth anything, they manoeuvred their brass pieces well, end every man seemed anxious to perform his part faithfully. The Norfolk correspondent of the Petersburg Express says that Capt. Hunter who had been on board the Federal fleet off Old Point on the 20'oh inst., under a flag of truce, reports that the steamer Monticello fared very badly in her engagement with the Sewell Point Battery. Six men were killed on board, and several wounded. Later accounts say that eight men were killed and a number wounded on board the Monticello, in her engagement on Sunday last. Four war vessels are reported to be eff Fortress Mon roe. The election for the ratification or rejection of the se cession ordinance passed by the Virginia Convention tates piace to-morrow, (inursday.; we presume that the volunteer companies of the State have al ready voted as an order was issued last week by the Governor and Council of State, authorizing the com manders of the various companies to take the vote of their respective companies immediately, and not wait for the regular day of election. The report of the death of Stephen A. Douglas has not been confirmed. It was for the death of a Colonel of a New York regiment, that the shipping on the Po tomac carried their flags at half mast on Monday last. K,We learn that Capt. Robert n. Cowan, (of the Wilmington Horse Artillery,) has been appointed Lt Colocel, and Wm. L. DeRosset, (Capt. of the Wilming ton Light Infantry.) Major in the third regiment ol North Carolina troops. From what we learn this regi ment will soon be raised, as our volunteers are generally desirous of active service in the field. Frank Pierce. It will be seen by our telegraph that Ex-President Pierce is out for peaceable seperation arc! against coercion. Mr. Pierce in a letter to the Boston Post emphatically denies having made use of the coercion expressions attributed to him in that and other papers. We are happy to be able to feel again, wha: it pained us to doubt, that Frank Pierce is a true man. Ilxey will no Dlnpers. Who are to t the Com battanU 1 Will there b much War 1 Is Iuiin. -tilat Peace Desirable? The rebellious persons in Virginia seem to have been called together by Mr. Lincoln's proclamation ordering the seceding States to " disperse." Before that proc lamation came out Virginia was as quiet as a lamb and North Carolina opened not her mouth, or if she did, it waa in a feeble way, through the mrdium of the Scuth. ern Right3 organization, which, without circumstances had intervened, would have bad a long and hard struggle before attaining ascendancy in the State. Lincoln's order to disperse caused the Forts to be occupied, the Arsenal and Mint taken and the people to spring to arms. It worked like a charm. Well now the finest vessel in the United States Na vy, assisted by a smaller armed ship, has been battering and banging away at a little earthwork thrown up has tily at Seweli's Point, some eight miles from Norfolk and, strangely enough, neither the earthwork nor its de fenders can be induced to " disperse." u On the centra, ry, quite the revers ," for the Minnesota steam-ship ol untold size and fabuluus gun power, together with a smaller mate of her's.have been driven off and slightly dis persed themselves. But the sinners ocght to tremble, for is not Mr. Gen eral Benjamin FraDklin Picayune Butler coming io town ? Is he not the commandant of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and the Rip Raps ? TheEe ar2 questions worthy of all attention. Mr. Butler has been made a Major General on account of his high military abilities displayed in the capture of the Relay House and the Patapsco Bridge, in the performance of which feat he gallantly captured the watchman and scared three colored persons. Nevertheless, we must not underrate the forces of the enemy. There is a class of their population that we do not fully understand. Their people and ours are d.ffer ently organized, as we might say. The military strength of the South is, and indeed must be in the country, from the fact that we have no large towns, or so few large towns, as not to affect the general average. In the North the case is different. Tak'mg out the very lowest class the loafers ot the cities, th i most t fficient soldiers that that section can raise will be found among the fire men, the " Moses " and " Jakes " of Philadelphia, New York, and, measurably of Boston, i hese men are gen erally workers, somewhat dissipated, foLd of a row, reckless and ready for a fight, and will fiht as hard as anybody, and from their habits of life are inured to ex posures and irregularities io living that would soon use up the more methodical farmers or villagers of the intericr. Outside of this element of the city population, the older States of the Noith are not very formidable, until you strike the moun tain populations, and all along the Alkgbany Ridge in New Hampshire, Vermont, portions of New York and Pennsylvania, ynu will find a stalwart race. This race of people influenced by the mountain climate, is physically superior to the inhabitants of the seacoast, especially in the Kastern States. The people around Massachusetts Bay are generally rathtr defective in physique. The contrast between tte natives of Boson and its neighborhood and the' men of the up-country, may at once be seen by comparing the merchants' clerks or operatives with the tiuckmcu, the latter being nearly all Vermonttrs and New Hampshire men, or, if Massachusetts men, generally from Berkshire or some other Western and mountainous County. The men 'rom the valley of Virginia, and the mountain regions of North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia are all distinguished for their stature, but it is probable that this culminates in the upper portion ot the latter State, known as " Cherokee Georgia." Enlistments for the army show a larger average height for the recruits from that section, than lrom any other section in the former Union. The artizans of the Northern and especially the Northeastern states, cooped up as they are in close and artificially heated workshops and factories, for about half the year, will uot make very efficient soldiers. Neither will the great majority of the raw emigrants from Ireland or Germany, none of whom in Ireland could have acquired any knowledge or expe rience in the use of a gun unless surreptitiously, nor in Germany, either, we suppose, outside of the regular armies, and even this the younger portion generally es caped. We have heard speculations and suimises involv ing a doubt as to whether, after all, there would be any great amount of fighting. This doubt is based upon the evidences of some reaction in certain quarters at the North. Thus we can now see that Frank Pierce i3 not to be numbered among the coercionists. We see that papers like the New York Lay Bock, News, and Journal of Commerce, are enabled to speak out with some freedom. So far as these things go they are all right, but they fall very far short of the requirements of the occasion. All these influences in their fullest strength were exerted to avert the catastrophe before the election of Lincoln, but without the slightest effect. They are still more powerless now, but we honor them none the less. Perhaps we respect them now more than ever. Seme also predicate their surmises in favor of an early peace upon the manifest justice and common sense of the thing. They know, as every sensible man must know, that peace must be made some time or other, and it might as well be made now as hereafter. When it is made,the basis of settlement must be the recognition of the absolute independence of the seceded States. Why, say some, does not Abraham JLincoln and the section cf which he is President, take a just, reasonable and fair view of this thing, aBd settle it at once ? They think he will not be fool enough to sacrifice life and prop erty for no purpose. This is all fair enough, but Mr. .Lincoln and bis mends no more realize the true state of the case than did Lord North in the first Revo lution. The North is drunk with prosneritv and inflated with confidence. It does not realize the difficulty of the job it has undertaken, and the tone of its press and its officials shows plainly that they are not much swayed by considerations of justice, or a regard tor common sense. We cannot yet see any reason to believe or to hope that this cloud will pass away without bursting in thunder over our heads. It would be weakness to flatter our selves otherwise. It would be worse than weakness to dream so for a moment, so as to abate our zeal or relax our preparations. It is altogether desirable in a political sense, that this thing should be settled without some fighting ? Of course humanity would dictate and in fact compel the adoption of all honorable means to avert the shedding of human blood ; but we much question if all the ends of separation would be so fully or so substantially at tained without a fight as with it. The commercial in dependence ot the South, her manufacturing prosperity require a wide breach, a deep ditch, a high wall of coa intercourse. If this thing passes off like a summer cloud, this independence will be seriously jeopardized. It is a painful reflection, but it is also one founded upon experience.that bloodless revolutions are seldom per manent. As in ordinary human life, so in national life, what comes easy, goes easy. Looking at things in this light, it may well bedoubted whether the claims of hu manity or of policy are entitled to the greatest consid eration, whether some suffering on the part of the pres ent generation may not be necessary to secure the liber ties of the next. Richmond Countt Walker F. Leake, Esq, has be3n elected delegate to represent Richmond County in the Contention to assemble at Raleigh on the 20th instant. The vote stood, Walter f. Leake, 267; Alexander McQueen, 157 ; Col. W. Harrington, 31. North Carolina an Independent Republic . At 6 o'clock p. m., on the glorious, but now twice glorious 20th of May, the Sate Convention ol North Carolina passed unanimously, the ordinance of secession, thus severing the shadow or form of connection between North Carolina and the once proud but now degraded Union. We are no longer even in name the subjects of King Abraham and his military satraps, Scott, Wool or Mr. Butler of Lowell, Massachusetts. We understand that the Convention also on the same day, yesterday, passed another ordinance providing for the entrance of the State into the Confederacy, as soon as the various forms and requirements can be complied with. This we suppose will be done promptly. There was little excitement here on the receipt of the news. It was a foregone conclusion, and no man could Have gone to the Convention who was opposed to se cession. The State was a unit. On the question of immediately joining the Southern Confederacy there may possibly be not quite so large an amount of unanim ty, but we presume there will hardly be even a show of opposition. Strangely enough, although promised telegraphs from sundry parties both in and out of the Convention, we are yet ignorant of the organization or officers of that body, and indeed oi everything about it further than as stated above. This morning the Wilmingtoo Horse Artillery fired a salute io honor of the independence of the State.: This is about the first salute fired here since the war ex citement commenced. In the interim, now that we have left the one Union and are not formally a member of the other, we are not simply a sovereign and independent State, but we are a notion for this day at least. Old fcarapson Aroused. At a special meeting of the Magistrates ot Sampson county a week or two since, (which we noticed,) a sub scription of $15,000 was made to defray the expenses of the volunteers from that county. We learn that the regular session of the County Court was commenced in Clinton on yesterday, at which two-thirds of the Mag istrates were present, who unanimously approved of the i.etion ot the special court, and made an additional sub scription of $35,000, making the county subscription $50,000. Our informant states that old Sampson is fully r.rcused and will do her whole duty. She has now one Com pany of about 120 men iu service, and three more Com panies have been organized, and are getting ready to tuke the field the latter Companies numbering already near 300 men. Br We regret to see the announcement in the last number of the Wilmington Heruld, that, owing to the pressure of the timps, the publication of that paper must, for the present at least, be suspended. We trust that the suspension will be but temporary, and as we do not wish to regard our friend Waddell or his spirited paper as " down among the dead men," we refrain from many of those commendatory remarks which however deserved in his case, have a decidedly obituary tone about them, by no means pleasing to the living subject. We hope to Eee our gallant cotemporary soon returned from the wars, coven d with hunors, and, resun:iDg the qu:et avo cations of peaceful life, once more proclaim that " the pen is mightier than the sword," aud "Herald" forth once i more the glories of Southern independence. The timts are hard on newspapers, sure enough ; and tbey rre falling " like leaves in wintry weather." If any, unaided by official patronage, succeed in keeping up, it will be all they can do. As for making money, that would be a nice juke. The fact is that no daily paper can be sustained, or ever has been sustained, solely upon its subscription list, and we need inform no one of the extent to which all other sources of revenue are cut off. We know this, for although our daily list is about doubled, that inciease falls fur short of compensating for the losses arising from other causes. But we truppose everybody else feels the pressure as well as we do, and there is no use in complaining. -A paper must be kept up here, and we will endeavour to keep it up in the best way we can, and to give all the satisfaction and infor mation we can to our readers and the public in general. We will, in short, do the best we can l-y the public. We truat the public will feel some added inclination, if not obligation, to do the best they can by us, so that we may weather the storm end spread the news. We have plenty of ink. At tilt) Forts. We have heard that the Flag ordered for Fort Cas wel', by the ladies of Wilmington, would be hoisted there to-day. We have suggested in conversation with sundry of the volunteers stationed there, that perhaps the best time for hoisting the flag would be when the State passed the ordinance of secession, which will pro bably be to-day. At Bollts' Battery, Confederate Point, the Wilming ton Light Infantry celebrate the anniversary of their Company, by larget firing and other exercises. They, with their invited guests, are to partake of a dinner provided by their lady friends. We trust our friends at all the forts will enjoy them selves. If we get news of any important movement by the convention, we will try to get it down to our friends on service. To-day, May 20th, is the Anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, of the which the centenary celebration is near at hand. It is likely to be bareafter marked by a still more solemn and im portant event in the history of the State. It will be known, we trust, as the anniversary not only of the first but of the second and crowning declaration and act of independence for the old State. And this secocd declaration will differ from the first, not more in the magnitude of the interests represented than in the unanimity of the persons representing them Then, the movement was local. Now, it pervades the State and the whole State is officially present in Sov ereign Convention. Thee, and lon,r after the actual outbreak of hostilities, it was very doubtful whether Whigs or Tories were most numerous in certain locali ties. Now, we think, nay, we feel sure that the unani mity is such as perhaps has never before been witnessed in any country. What a Lie ! The New York Herald reports that Major Anderson, while at Harrisburg, Pa., told Gover nor Curtin that John C. Breckinridge was to command a regiment in his (Anderson's) Lincoln Brigade from Kentucky! We suppose the lie must be with the Herald. Badly as Anderson has acted, and bad as has been the character of his late associates, we think he has not yet so yielded to tne influences of low company as to have lost all sense of shame. The Herald never had any. Masonic. We learn that at a regular Communica tion of Cape Fear Lodge 194, held in Elizabethtown, May 15th, 1861, the Lodge appropriated $15 to each of its members who had volunteered. Good I Duplin County Official. W. J. Houston. Kenacsville 209 Halls ville 24 Snatcbett 109 Cypress Creek 93 Island Creek 90 Bockfish 86 Magnolia 164 Warsaw 119 FaiBon's Depot 47 Wolfsrape 115 Branch's Store 26 Deal's. 86 .Albertson's 79 Smith's 30 Barecta. 26 Duplin Rifles, B&leigh,. 66 Franklin Grays, Home, 34 J. T. Rhodes. 210 24 107 94 97 -85 . 165 120 t 47. 116 26 35 ' 70 33 26 66 33 Total. Wb lkark that Major W. H. C. Whiting, of the C. S. A., who has been Acting'Inspector Gen'lof the State of North Carolina since the commencement of the pres. ent difficulties has been ordered to Harper's Ferry. We rather think that there is work about. Maj. Whit ing leaves this afternoon. Captain Childs will probably be ordered to the same point. Maj. Whiting is known as an engineer officer of high standing. Captain Childs had secured the confidence and respect of all the officers and men at the Forts here. Harper's Ferry is under the command of General Johnson, a brave and able officer formerly of the United States Army. The troops there are strongly entrenched and fortified, ably officered and superior in every respect to any Northern force of anything like the same num ber that can possibly be sent against them. Harper's Ferry will be found to be a hard nut to crack. BgU We would call attention to the great letter of Mr. Marcy to Count Sartiges, on the subject of priva teering. Its doctrines were endorsed enthusiastically by the whole North, which now turns up its innocent eyes in holy horror at the idea of Southern privateers. The Petersburg Express, on the authority of its Norfolk correspondent, say that there are three hundred Indians at that point, and that they come from the county of Cherokee, N. C, and under the skillful train ing of Gen. Jackson, a distinguished member of the North Carolina Senate from Cherokee, are now ready for immediate action. The only errors we find in the above statement are first that the Indiarjs.are not from Cherokee second that they are not under the skillful training of Gen. Jackson, a member of the North Carolina Senate, and third, that we doD't believe there is a man of them down at Norfolk. The eo-calkd " Junaluska Zouaves " would probably number about two hurdred fighting men, the whole tribe (a branch of the once great Cherokee Nation) numbering about 1500 souls. Col. Thomas, of Jack son, who has loDg been the agent of this aboriginal rem nant, is their leader and advisor in all things Col. Thomas is something of a " path-finder " himself. Few men know the geography ot the Southern Appalachian country better, and be and his Cherokees would he invalu able in any mountain or partizan warfare ; but down at Norfolk, amid the bustle of camps and thunder of great guns, the simple dwellers around Quallatown would be lost and perhaps worse than useless. " Junaluska " was the name of a favourite Chief of the tribe, said to be in many respects a good man, and who deserved well of the State. No Very Great Bullies. Although the appearances of force and of military preparation in all parts of th? country are very large, and in the aggregate are large yet we must not there fore expect that battles will any where be fought oa this continent at ail equalling, so far as numbers engaged is concerned, those of the recent Italian or other Euro pean wars. In the first place, the theatre of operations is too large to admit of such concentration of forces. Second, the resources of so sparsely settled a country as is likely to be the theatre of the first conflicts, would wholly pre clude the massing of large bodies of men without almost certain ruin both to the forces and to the surrounding country. I he dimeulfy of subsistence will be the great obstacle. Tba theatre of the war in Italy covered a space of not more than one third the area of the single State of North Carolina, but with a population of something like five millions of people. It was within striking dis tance of vast depots and teeming populations, so that subsistence was easily to be obtained. We hardly expect to hear of more than twenty thou sand men being brought into the field on either side at one point of collision; not at first, certainly, and hardly at all. It is possible that as casual encounters occur, reinforcements may come up and the numbers be swell ed to proportions never before known on this Continent. Abraham Lincoln's quietude for the present arises less from any disposition to keep the peace, than from the fact that his first call was for three month's volun teers, and their terms would expire before he could carry out any plan of effective operations against the South. Some of his levies will hardly have time to find out which eud of their guns shoot, before they go home again. 8 Col. Gaston Meares requests us to state that the Head Quarters of the 3d Regiment of the State troops of North Carolina will be-at Wilmington for the pres ent. All letters relative to matters pertaining to his command should be addressed to him at this place. Every Northern paper contains announcements such aa that a government agent just returned from Hich. mond, reports so and so ; another has just been to Har per's Ferry, another writes from North Carolina. Is this to be borne, if it can be avoided, if even the pro. clamation and enforcement of military law be necessary to prevent it ? General Van Dorn, of Texas, is a great hunter and he always bags his game. Every now and then he " capti vates " a force of United States troops, and makes them prisoners of war. He is after Reeves' command of six hundred men and will have them. Almost a Sseriocs accident. we learn tnat on yesterday afternoon a freight train on the Wilmington and Weldon Rail Road run over a cow just beyond Goshen bridge, some 62 miles north of this place, when the Locomotive and tender were thrown from the track, tearing up the track for some distance before the Engine could be stQpped. The Engine, tender, and several cars were thrown off Goshen bridge down a precipice some 25 or 30 feet, but, strange to say, no one was injured. In consequence of the obstruction at Goshen, the Mail train due here this morning at 5 o'clock did not arrive until about half-past 8 o'clock. Daily Journal, 22d inst. Soldiers Waiitid. D. A. Lamont and C. H. Stevens, one of Wilming ton and the other of Black River Chapel, New Han over County, advertise for recruits to form a Company for the service and the defence of North Carolina. Neither cf the gentlemen have any other object in try ing to get up this Company than to promote the inter ests and the honor ot J orth Carolina in the contest now impending. Those who wish to enter the service of the State will find this an excellent opportunity. John A. Richardson, Esq., of Bladen county, also proposes to raise a company to serve " during the war." See notice in to-day's paper. The Mails and the Adams' Express were on Satur day last prohibited passing through Washington from the North. We do not know that they have been pro hibited from passing through from the South. SAMPSON COTJNTYOfficlal. H cr o a o 00 CD ST O a 3 CB O ES X EL 2 W Clinton, 272 Tajlor'B Bridge,...., 135 Libbon, , 84 Turkey, 50 McDowell,........, 69 Little Coharie, 96 HoDeycutt'a, 95 Hall's, 39 Piney Grove, 92 Ming'a, . 94 Dismal, 32 West brooks, ; 22 Fort Johnson, 75 271 135 84 60 69 S6 95 39 92 94 32 21 77 60 78 13 2 . Total........... 1155 use 62 78 U Tne Affair Km HTorftellc. We take the following - account of the attack by the federal steamer Monticello on Sewell'a Point Battery, from the Norfolk Day Book Extra, of the 20th inst. Later accounts by telegraph and by the papers assert that some six or seven men on board the Monticello were killed, and several wounded in Sunday's engagement, and the steamer seriously injured, though the latter ap pears to have been repaired, as she was off the Battery the next day in company with the Minnesota, and also the day following by herself : The steam-tug Kahukee, Captain B. Taylor, started down on Saturday about half past twelve o'clock, to carry one hundred negro laborers to the battery now in course of erection at Seweli's Point When she arriv ed in the vicinity she saw the steamer Monticello laying well over in the mouth ot James River. The Kahukee took her position as near the earth-works as prudent, lowered her yawl and sent it ashore with as many of the laborers as it would carry ; these were landed, and the boat was about returning for another load, when the steamer Monticello, which hd steamed away from the mouth of James River and gone in the direction of Old Point, as those on board the tug thought, came round the point of woods at the extreme end of Seweli's Point, in chase of the Kahukee. The latter was now about three miles below Boush's Bluff, the only place where there are any guns mouDted in that immediate vicinity, and seeing the Monticello about coming after her, steamed up the river to escape. The Monticello then fired a shot after her, which not answering the purpose, of stopping her, she repeated by firing a shell, which we understand exploded about 50 yards in ad vance of her. In the meantime, the chase had become so exciting to those in command of the Monticello that she was about getting into a good position to be crack ed at by Uaptayi Young's battery at Boush's Bluff. Captain Young having now one gun to bear on her, though at long range, let fly at her with that, which was grape shot, aud scattered about her like hail stones. The Monticello immediately backed he engine, and without turning round got out of harm's way. She then dropped down opposite the place where we are erecting a battery at Seweli's Point. She here opened her fire on the unfinished breastworks, with the inten tion of demolishing them ; this she continued until as it was supposed her ammunition was exhausted ; and in the meantime the little steamer Yankee came up to her id. They two, together kept up the bombardment for about three hours, say from 1 to 4 o'clock. They were still firing when another little steamer, sup posed to be the YouDg America, came over from Old Point, when they ceased. The two small steamers the Yankee and Young America, then left for Old Point, and the Monticello kept her position in the neighborhood until our informant left. These steamers were about a quarter of a mile from the unfinished works, during the time they were ham mering away at them so, but we learn have scarcely sol led the works, theouly damage being the starting of a log of one of the embrasures. Out of about thirty shot and shell only one took effect as above. The women and children living in the nighborhood were very much alarmed left their houses and sought safety by flight. There was no one on the place armed. A white man had a Sharp's rifle loaded, with which he stood upon the works, took aim and fired; though it is not known with what enect. Another man had one of Allen s old style pocket pistok which he had left near the beach in the crotch ot a tree. He mentioned the circumstance to a negro who volunteered to go after it for him; he told him not to do so. 1 he negro however watched his chance between fires, and darted to the tree and got it; thus evincing a remarkable degree of fearlessness. I he Kahukee s boat then at the shore, put off for the steamer, aud the battery at the Bluff, mistaking her for one of the enemy's boats, fired a shot after her which caused her to put buck. 1 his shot we understand was a line shot, but the distance was too great to do aDy damage. The hands at the works were s' rongly tempted to 6camj er on, till the hrst two or three shots lrom the Monticello were fired, but hading their ability to dodge them so finely, they held their places in order to see the un. Many of the shots took enect in the trees, limbs rom which were cut off, which was the most dangerous eature of the hole affair. Tbey however kept clear ot the trees, and avoided the danger from that source. The ball and shell mostely fell in the rear of the works in bog, the mud from which some of them would scatter like a bail storm. A ball struck among a flock of crows in the neigh borhood, who rose en masse, aud ascertaining that it came from the " d d Yankees" left in disgust. Another Engagement -The BXoiittclllo Crippled and Withdrawn. As will appear from the above the steamer Monticel lo kept the position near the breast-works, where she hitched on to a buoy, on Saturday after the firing. She remained there until yesterday, watching the operations ashore, and in order to keep them from going on with the works. I he battery is on a sand bank and very much higher than the steamer, she conscqueatly did not see everything that was going on, notwithstanding the strict watch, for the 4 boys ' were at work like moles, some of them we understand having to lay flat on their stomachs to pertorm some part of their labor. On Saturday evening wb :n the firing ceased, there was not a gun on the toewcll's Point battery, but by men hghting tor their rights herculean teats can be per formed. 1 hree short 62 pounders were carried down from the city, and got in tolerable condition for tem porary use. I5tsiae8 tnese, two six-incn neid nne pie ces, the guns ot the United, were drawn up in position, the whole concealtd from view of the enemy. Yesterday (Sunday) evening about four or five o'clock, a small schooner from below passed up, and when near the Monticello she fired a gun which passed over the battery. It is not known positively whether she fired at the schooner or at the battery ; though it is asserted by some that the schooner was acting in the capacity of a look-out for the steamer and bad sent a boat alongside of her before she fired the gun. The idea is that the schooner got as near the fort as possible and sent a man up on her mast head to spy into the fort, those inside being unconcious of what was going on and deeming her a friend. However, that first gun was taken as a banter, and the battery answered it, with as much spirit and rapidity as convenience would allow, the second ball, we understand, taking effect in her rig ging, much 01 which wa3 cut away. The firing con tinned for some considerable time, by both the steamer ana tne Dattery. The two rifle cannon it is said done the most execa tion, a shell from one of which it is reported bursted on 6tnkmg the steamer's rigging, though it is not known whether it proved fatal. The steamer was struck in her hull several times nearly amidships, and one hole we understand was knocked into her Bide, large enough for a flour barrel to enter. The steamer's battery was finally silenced, and about that time the two little steam ers, the Yankee and the Young America came up, both 01 wnicn we understood nred a lew Dans at the fort They all three then started off down the river towards Old Point. It is the general impression that the Monticello is seriously crippled, from the manner in which she was creened over when she left, and probably from her hav mg ceasea ner nre so quick. ihe shot and shell from the steamers flew over the battery, many of them striking a mile in the rear. One shell bursted near the battery without injury. A piece of it weighing four or five pounds we saw last night. The tops of the pine trees in the neighborhood were pretty well cut down by the shot aid shell from,. the x anKees, ana tne Dougns and splinters were scattered about with a good deal of activity, though with no bad results, except the scratching ot the hand of one of the stan omcers who was present. It gives us pleasure to hear so glowing a report o me spin i 01 uravery wnicn was Drougnt out in this en gagement. we leel satisfied that our cause is in the hands of the right kind of men. During the cannonading, we understand, some of the infantry sallied out on the beach and discharged their small arms, (Minnie rifles, we presume,) at the Monti cello, she being, what was considered at the time, within range. It is said that every man engaged onshore acted the part of a hero ; the only regret being that iuey were not more tnorougniy prepared ro: the occa sion, by having their heavy ordnance in better condition lor the reception of the enemy. The only injury, we understand, with the exception of the staff officer, was that received by Mr. Wm. Mor ris, of the Woodis Rifle corps, who got his ankle bruised by the rebound of one ot the big guns. We understand the injury is very slight. Not a shot of the enemy struck the works to injure them, most of them passing far overhead. " Nobody hurt "-on our side, though we don't believe we can say the same thing for the ene my, as the apparent confusion on board seemed to indi cate otherwise. - It is thought by some that this attack on oar battery is intended as a ruse to draw our attention from some point of more importance to the enemy. However, this may be, they will likely find it unavailing, as our people now begin to realize that tbey are at war, and have got fighting to do, which, jodgine from thTT2225 played by - the boys," Vy & T0 to? Yankees will only give them a chance eCt,a tS By others it is ?urmised that the attack finished battery was intended merely to faJZv ,tht Un. the, did not know it ,M there ffifi&S . fi oa-toraay, whilst in pursuit of the stealer FIT1 H finding it nnnrpnnrml in nn. . "OOkwi finding g it unprepared to return their fire thS ?Dkee-N bv to deter our folks frnm uev &nchnj near HF' th(a!!Wer they Sfc from ttl Point battery yesterday evening took them . I', UJ QUI lOCm NORTH CAROLINA COSvSJq FIBST DAT. W. P. Leak nominated Hon. Weldon N m permanent President. award! f wards On taking the chair, Mr. Edwards was recti.. applause. He gracefully acknowledged th looi compliment paid to him and pledged, as the h nDexPectd conld make, his utmost eflbrts to discharge tif 8Vetttfn hi posed upon him in an efficient and acceptablB tie in ter an allusion to the circumstances in wWv! !?& nnr- At placed, he said North Carolina was not wroft?A?to, ot the troubles with which the country wm n8lb fran paid a high tribute to the character of the mnl' S the convention and sat down amid loud cheer ComPoain- On motion of the Hon. Asa Biggs, the Cm ceeded to the election of principal Clerk vention pt0. Col.'W. L. Steele, of Richmond, and Jag t Raleigh weie put in nomination. The vote rp'.nu ,re. of 94, Moore 18. Mr. Bteele was accrdinelv 1 ."P-SteeU Ex-Gov. Reid nominated for pT-S0.' hard, of Tarhoro'. L. C. Edwarda acd t w ' f m - v - uuu LlirCA nth n1"' also put in nomination.. The vote stood Frio 5erg 're gelhard 33, scattering 2 3. Mr. Edwards was Zu ? 5R- En James Pace of Randolph was then '?cle(J- Doorkeeper . and Lovell and J. C. Moore A priDciPal The Convention now being organized, the nr 1,taDti were opened with an impressive prayer b fiFJ'n Tucker. . T Hi. jsl cummuuicBUbii was jcvcjvcu lrom Hon P T Commissioner from the State of South Carolina ' On motion, Hon. a. w. v enable and Hon Thorn were anpointbd to conduct the Honorable OnnTm; Buffia a seat in the Hall. Ah Mr. Moses entered, he wMl0ner 10 with hearty cheers, and took his seatto iherieht M.lec?i' dent. fcUlittePieij Hon. Burton Craige offered an ordinance of Becowi te action of the Convention. He urged the annrnn for of the 20th of May for the act contemplated I and t 'M there would not be a dissenting voice. 1 Mr. Badger called up an ordinance offered by him v the organization of the Convention. oefore to receive the South Carolina communication i me commissioner Hon. F. J. Moses was received with the warmoaf .... ne said he was warned by many kind intimations to be h " in his remarks. No one could be mere gratified than k . find North Carolina in snch great haste to get ont of Union that she had not time to hear a word from him t would be the best answer to his mission to inform v State that she could not be listened to here in rnn An.no nftha liaata with whirfi Knrtli nni;.. ' , . y"Ufr (Loud cheers.) But, he continued. 1 have to fnidi and present my credentials. There v . iy mY.an Qnntli Parnlina. Viorf inmt foar Tint if ..- i.. ""M tion, for she could not forget your patriotic anceorgJh , you bad a Macon and a memorable 20th of May (rn tinued cheers.) Things had greatly changed since he tu honored with hia mission to this State. North-Caroln had thrown offthe lethargy with which she had been tana? ed as was seen in the spirit of the asiemWage then befori him and in the haste now displayed, which shows no listen ing ear for her neighbor. He believed that if North-Car linians were called on to fight at Johnston or Caswell their acts would eclipse all that was done at Sunater. Ailudiar to South-Carolina, he said, that if she had acted hastily h the course she had taken (which however he denied,) sheL ration. Georgia and other States had followed her, and shown that she was capable of vindicating her paper declt nothing now remained but to receive her old sister. North. Carolina, to her arms. (Cheers ) Bat, as he had kirjit ted. he would throw no impediment in the way of the work of this second great 20th of May. In conclusion he thank, ed the Convention for the kind reception he had met, and said, iu reference to the entrance of the old State iutotbe new Confederacy, that when 6he did come, no matter hot many guns you may fii e in celebration of that event, Soma Carolina will fire one more. (Load cheers.) The ordinance offered by Mr. Badger was now read. Hon. Burton Creige offered his as a substitute. Hon. Kenneth Rayner moved the Convention resolve itself into secret session. It was possible some differences of opin ion Eight exist, and they would be seized uponby the Black Republicans as an indication that there still existed a Union sentiment in the State. Hon. D- S. Reid thought there was nothing in the cirewn stances as at present existing requiring secrecy. Mr. Rayner withdrew his motion. Mr. Barnes renewed it. Mr. Reid was opposed to secret sessions at present. Ail agreed as to the conclusion to be arrived at therebeins oiily a question of form. lion. J. w. Osborne concurred with Gov. lleid. There was really no difference existing, save as to matters of torn, The ordinances were identical, except that one was accom panied by tne reasons leading to it the other was not. waiter b. LaK concurred witn Judge Oaborne. He coun selled harmony, but saw no cause for any difference. Mr. barnes insisted on bis motion. Rejected, 59 to Si. The question now recurring on the substitute offered bj Mr. Craige. Mr. Badger spoke at length in support of the proposition. Mr. Craige followed in reply. lie thought the reasom for secession would come better in the snaps of an addreu from a committee than in connection with the ordinance Besides, the reasons set forth in Mr. Bad tier's preamble did not go farther baok than the issuing of Lincoln's proclama tion, in the opinion ot many members ot the Convention, causes for secession existed along time prior to that period. Judge Ruffin in order to give time to amend the preamble of Mr. Badger's proposition, submitted the following reao lotions. He favored the immediate secession of the State, but thought the ordinance should be accompanied bj tie reasons which led to its passage : Mesoivea oy tne convention. That by reason 01 variou illegal, unconstitutional, oppressive and tyrannical acta of the Government of the United States of America, and of on- 1'ust and injurious acts of divers of the Northern non-slave-tolding States, it is the settled sense of the people of thi btate that they cannot longer live in peace and steamy u the Union heretofore existing under the Constitution of tb United States, and therefore, that this State ought of necea sity, immediately and finally separate from the otherSutec and that a committee be appointed by the President to briar in a proper ordinance for that purpose ; and resolved fur ther, that all propositions touching that object be referrel to said committee. Resolved further, That the safety and vital interests or the people of this State and the common defence of t South, depend essentially upon her becoming, without de lay a member of the Confederate States of America; w that the same committee briDg in a proper ord nance w that purpose, also, in conformity with the Constitution 01 the said Confederate States. ' Judge Ruffin moved to lay the two propositions on w table, with a view to oSering the foregoing. Hon. Kenneth Raj ner was desirous of hsrmony and much like to see some proposition made to combiDe thei ordinances now before the Convention. He liked w P , position of Mr. Badger, though ho did not like the ideao ignoring the gallant little South Carolina. BldwJ respect should be shown to tLe feelings of those w lieved this remedy necessay prior to the proclamaliB Lincoln. .,.f Judge Ruffin explained that he would vote for e me proposed propositions. . uuugc Biggs could noi Deneve mrc - jolj Convention who would dissent to the ordinance 01 Mr. Graham spoke for harmony. He would oe with Mr. Badger's ordinance without the preamble. eJ Mr. Craige announced that intelligence had been rc of a collision at Norfolk. He hoped that the ton would cease to talk and at once act, as the enemy dering at our gates. (Great cheering.) tv,r,aaiW Mr. Rayner said that whilst he would do mony, still he could not forget what was due w w who had inaugurated the secession movement u' and had sustained it to this point. (Cheers. support Mr. Craige's proposition and wouia o which even seemed to cast a stigma upon tnoBe been fighting this battle so long. , Tn-QMsii Th onoctinn tn at.rilrA ont Mr. Badger S decided in the affirmative yeas 72, nays 39. ,in.acetj mage Kumn moved to ameuu "-.';'- .nfi ufjj striking all propositions to repeal oticn m Judge Ruffin moved to amend Mr. yaig "'rUff8)ial nuttine the act of secession on the wui 01 uw ji r f u. Sjvvi., 5;. the Ticrht of secession. - W - T , . ft ArlAUyjlllli opposed to striking out a letter ot the oraiww , by Mr. Craige. Judge Ruffin withdrew his amendment. Mr. Graham renewed it. Rejected-a o t rf ori The question now recurred neXPe andcnftcallflf nance of secession proposed by Mrwnflinnatiw , the roll every member present voted in w 1 deao- The announcement of the vote was re?ftviDg of bf ing cheers, renewed arain and again, waa qsicW kerchiefs, Ac, Ac. The sound of rejoicing rattled echoed from the Capitol grounds. The fLexcitt111 the church bells rang and a scene of the wuu followed. T ,e Baffin d , As the vote was about being taken, J uagc Bo0. ; would vote aye if a baiter was round hia net. tionl 01 form and would vote for the ordinance; urauain ueuiareu ue wouiu wo " to-W The ordinance as passed will be fund mafI;Wb C ixrniA. v t a v..a cheers weteW1 artilf Una, "the noblest Roman of them all, wwcu given by tne entire asembiy. .otifvine we V,- T. D. Meares presented an ordinance rau'; visional Constitution of the Confederate 8ta' 5ndus a short debate was adopted by acclama"0 i tbe great cheering. This ordinance wm DB ' i,tive D WUU U. II utuviu vmw.ww flag. Referred to a committee. An mntinn nf Hnn. Kenneth Eavner, commit t V" "iVHU" w - V - fli 01 dinance of secession. . ttnd fle CosW A number of committees were appointed anu tion adjourned till 11 o'clock to-morrow. . Supreme Court o0H,! Will commence its Summer Term, m tn a w '.n. a ink .4.. .. Tnn nonaaa will hfl CSiltU " the 10th AtLV of Jane. June 12, those from the I Circuit. t 17' v 44 it July t 24 44 II III l and VIII Circus 8, 15, 4 it A British Squadron off Cape Florida--' A vpd at Key Weston instant from the Reef, reports that ontU ' Jt r fleet was off Key Travnier, near Cape Fiona ; sisted of a three-decker (uiaet guns; u -screw vesiels. U An 1 1 hr. KQlfrAl TtATVMnat A TT The vote resulted Edwards 65. nzL' i," abam. was declared duly elected Prai.. &nlMr. in