Company reel passed them at a sharp run, on its way to a fire; and the familiar apparatus was saluted with such a yell of recognition along the entire line, as must have fairly astonished the staid old reel. Somebody remarked to one of the b'hoys, that his hair was cut rayther short. Oh, yes, was the reply, "we all had our heads filed before we left New York." They all look like fighting boys; but one company seems to have a special prestige that way. "If there's any mischief done, lay it onto Company 68," seemed to be a pet phrase amongst the b'hoys.

Some of the Zouaves, in emerging from their quarters (Columbian Market building) this morning, disdaining the tedious, common-place mode of exit by the stairway, let themselves down to the street from the third story by a rope, like so many monkeys.Charleston Mercury, May 8.

WASHINGTON, May 26.-The Fifth Massachusetts Regiment, Col. Lawrence, having received orders to march over the Long Bridge into Virginia on Saturday night, were filed out of the Treasury Building with astonishing promptness, when it was discovered that they had only their State color, not having received their national ensign. Immediately, several Massachusetts gentlemen-Hon. G. W. McClelland, A. W. Fletcher, Capt. Perkins, and J. Wesley Jones -begun a search for the "Stars and Stripes" under difficulties which were happily relieved by the kindness of Mr. J. D. Hammack, who very kindly consented to sell them a beautiful new cashmere flag, of the finest quality, which the ladies had made for his hotel.

Securing a carriage, they overtook the regiment midway on the Long Bridge. Word having been passed along the line, the regiment was halted, and Col. Lawrence advanced to the carriage, doubtless expecting some change of orders. Judge of his surprise, when the committee stepped forward, and, unrolling a beautiful flag to the breezes of the Potomac, presented it to the gallant Colonel, and through him to the brave boys of the old Bay State, accompanied by a few felicitous remarks on behalf of the committee by Mr. J. W. Jones, substantially as follows: "Soldiers of Massachusetts !-a title rendered illustrious in the early struggles for freedom on this continent, and now established by your prompt and heroic inauguration of the present war for the Union, is the proudest title any citizen of the world can bear.

"Soldiers of Massachusetts! with honor you have borne the beautiful ensign of your native State, even within the confines of the enemies of human freedom. Having rendered the capital of our beloved country safe, you now march towards the Gulf!ready to do and to dare,' for the true and the right, which is your country's cause, and that of liberty. And we bring you now, and here, on this dividing-line between loyalty and treason, the flag of our common country-the flag of the foreverUnited States.

"Soldiers! thus far your acts are matters of history, and noble acts. But we come to give expression to the feelings of pride which we feel as Massachusetts men, at the universal praise accorded, by all the citi zens of Washington, for your gentlemanly bearing and noble conduct while quartered in the capitol. Not a single complaint has been made by any citizen of Washington, friend or foe, of any uncivil conduct by any Massachusetts volunteer. Bearing this high

reputation, you now advance, not as a conquering army to subjugate and enslave, but as the advance guard of the grand liberating army of deliverance, bearing the stars' of hope to the oppressed lovers of liberty in the South, and the 'stripes' of justice for all their traitorous oppressors. For bear in mind, that, though you will contend with desperate villains of the darkest hue, assassins, and poisoners, and perjured traitors, there are yet millions of the white race in the South, who, like good old Daniel, daily, with their hands outstretched towards the heavens, and their faces eastward, pray God for a sight of your advancing columns, as their only hope of salvation from a bondage worse than death, an oppression more terrible than Siberian convict rule. As soon as these noble men shall dare to speak, your hands will be strengthened, and your hearts cheered. Go on, then, ye heralds of civilization, establishing in your march the church, the school-house, the Bible, and the Constitution, as the only sure foundations of human liberty. In your veins flow the blood which ensanguined the fields of Lexington and Concord, and rendered immortal the heights of Bunker Hill, and which has rebaptized the cause of human liberty in the streets of Baltimore. you, we can safely trust this glorious flag, assured that it will be borne to higher places of honor, and will never cease its triumphant march until every secession symbol shall have been trampled in the dust, and every traitorous enemy shall have been hung in mid-heaven, or be forever exiled from a land which he has cursed. Bear this flag proudly in every battle-field for liberty, guard it well and long, until triumphantly it shall forever wave 'o'er the land of the free,' and no home of a slave !"

With

The gallant Colonel, evidently much affected by this tribute of his friends, received the flag with a few felicitous remarks and with many thanks, and the column, with three cheers and many a "God-blessyou," resumed their onward march.

Over vale and over mountain,

Pealing forth in triumph strong,
Comes a lofty swell of music,

Old Virginia's greeting song.
In the new-born arch of glory,

Lo! she burns, the central star;
Never shame shall blight its grandeur,
Never cloud its radiance mar.

"Old Virginia! Old Virginia!"
Listen, Southrons, to the strain;
"Old Virginia! Old Virginia!"
Shout the rallying cry again!

-N. O. Picayune, May 5.

RICHMOND, VA.-Feeling a deep interest in the coming struggle, but yet an abiding faith that Divine Providence, which has so evidently upheld us, will sustain us still; remembering, also, that God takes care of those who take proper care of themselves, we call the attention of the Government to the fact, that

our noble army of volunteers have no distinguishing | symbol from those at the North;-alike in uniform, language, and complexion, they will constantly fall victims to mistakes. We would suggest that, as in the wars of the Roses in England, the white or red flowers designated the different parties, so in our army the letter S, in the form of a metallic badge, about 2 inches in length, worn on each man's breast, would guard him in the skirmish or the battle from being slain by his own Southerners. It might have inside a secret stamp or mark, to prevent it from being pirated by the enemy.-Charleston News, May 9.

THE most eloquent, persuasive, and convincing speech ever delivered in America, was delivered by the rebel guns when they opened fire on Fort Sumter. That speech has compacted the loyal hearts of this broad land into a league of patriotic freemen, who, laying aside all minor issues, are now ready to defend the insulted flag of their country, or perish in the attempt. The North, long unable to believe that treason would ripen into armed rebellion, is now fully awake to the duties of the hour; and every day only adds to the firmness of the determination on the part of the free States to maintain the Government and save the Union, for themselves, their posterity, and the cause of Christian civilization throughout the world.-N. Y. Christian Intelligencer, May 9.

MR. LINCOLN is of a Quaker family, and it is to be remarked that a Quaker President is the first one to plunge the country into civil war, and within less than six weeks after his accession to the office. Quakers are remarkable for approaching their objects by indirect means. Thus, Lincoln, after much apparent hesitation, despatched a fleet to reinforce Fort Sumter, knowing that it would expedite the reduction of that fort, and that the flag would fire the Northern mind, while it would at the same time inaugurate war. From that initial followed incidents and episodes all tending to array the North and the South in a vexed conflict.-N. O. Picayune, May 9.

THE New Orleans Crescent thinks that one Southern man can whip two Northerners, and suggests the following mode of beginning and ending the war:"Let a proper battle-field, giving both armies equal chance of position, be selected. Jeff. Davis should command a Southern army, say, for the convenience of round numbers, of fifty thousand men. Abe Lincoln (or any person he may choose to desig. nate) shall command an Abolition army of one hundred thousand men. The equipments of both armies should be equal-we mean in small arms, artillery, cavalry, etc.-only that the Northern army, outnumbering the Southern army in the proportion of two to one, shall have twice the equipments, twice the amount of small arms, twice the number of cannon, twice the regiments of cavalry, etc.-that the Southern army shall have. All around it shall be in proportion of two to one in favor of the North; and the position on the battle-field is the only one in which there shall be any equality, so far as our proposition is concerned. Topographical equality is the only quality involved.

"Then let the two armies engage, and forever settle the question between the North and the South. If Lincoln's one hundred thousand men whip Jeff. Davis's fifty thousand men, the people of the South are to bow submissively to whatever laws and regu

lations the Abolition Government at Washington may see fit to adopt. But if Jeff. Davis's fifty thousand men whip Lincoln's one hundred thousand men, then the Government at Washington-or wherever else it may be located, as we do not believe it will stay long there-shall agree to an amicable separation and a just division of that which was once common property."-N. Y. Independent, May 9.

A FRAGMENT-CABINET COUNCIL.

LINCOLN [Solus; asleep in a rocking-chair—after a pause, springs up suddenly.] Give me another Scotch cap; wrap me in a military cloak !

Have mercy, Jeff. Davis! Soft-I did but dream.
[Loud knocking heard at the door.]
Who knocks thus loudly?
SEWARD [without.] 'Tis I, my Lord! the White
House cock;

Thrice have I crowed since the day hath broke.
[Enter Seward, Chase, Bates, Blair, Cameron, and
Welles.]

CAMERON-HOW doth my good Lord?

LINCOLN Indifferently well, methinks, good Coz. That confection of homminy and hog, which, as my wont,

Late on yester eve I ate, did most wofully affect me.
Ilave I no leech among my councillors chosen,
Who can minister to a body diseased? Alas, my

friends!

Bred to the chicane of the law, what know ye of the leap

And bounds of rebellious blood by fitful fever stirred? BATES-My Liege, as I glanced o'er the morning

prints,

In which our glories are duly and at length set forth, Methought much praise was given to a medicament Yelept in foreign lore-Cephalic Pills!

LINCOLN-Away with this nostrum-I'll none of it! For know ye, I bought a box from a harum-scarum boy,

Whom I encountered on our Western train, and who
Cried-God wot !" Old Abe, buy some Pills?"
These I bought, and tried, and got no better fast.
BLAIR-You'd scarce expect one of my age
To speak in public on the stage. Yet I can but think
"Tis not the confection, but the defection of the
Southern tier,
Which pains our Liege's.

LINCOLN Ass! knave! think you so?
Know you not, my babbling Coz, that this defection
Is all gammon ?-the crisis is but artificial !
CHASE-We know it well; would we could for-
get it;

Yet, your Excellency, I read in some fool
Southern paper-called, I know not what-
The Mail, the Mercury, or some such absurdity—
That there is much feeling down in their unsightly
swamps,

Where Afric's wrongs smell rank to heaven.

LINCOLN-What then! Let them howl!-You

know full well,

That, cry as they may, there's nobody hurt!
Oh, how I do despise a peevish, complaining people-
A people who know not which side their bread is
buttered.

Misguided people! who would fain tear away three stripes

Two of red and one of white-from our Star-spangled Banner.

SEWARD [aside.] Long may it wave!
WELLES-O'er the land of the free!
BATES-And the home of the brave!
LINCOLN And imagine they founded a new nation!
And now yon fighting Colonel Davis,
With his ragged ragamuffin crew, loudly swears
He'll sit in this very chair wherein we sit-
Save the mark!-in spite of Wool or Scott.
Friends, farewell! yet take something ere ye go;
Leave me to myself, that I may court the drowsy
god.

Watch well the door, that no foul traitors enter
With machines infernal, or throated revolving pistol.
Spread yourselves, and lose no opportunity to tell
Th' expectant people that all is going well;
And while, reluctant, ye admit the Southern feeling,
Urge and declare that 'tis marvellous consoling,
That nothing is hurting anybody. There, go!
Stand not on the order of your going, but go at

once.

[Seward and others bow and depart.] New Jerusalem! is this happiness? When erst I dreamt of might, majesty, and power; when, in days gone by,

An humble splitter of rails, wearing but one shirt a week;

Or, when in revery, I leaned in listless mood
O'er the oar (ha! a pun) of the slow-gliding broad-
horn,

And thought of the powerful and rich of earth,
And, envious, contrasted their gay feasts and revels
With our simple joys, our humble shuckings and
possum hunts,

Our apple-bees and quilting frolics-alack-a-day!
As Shakespeare says in his Paradise Lost, I sadly
feel

That "distance lends enchantment to the view." -Nashville Patriot; and Charleston Mercury, May 6.

THE editor of the Brookhaven (Miss.) Advertiser offers the following argument in favor of raising more corn than cotton :

We have always been persistently in favor of planting a large crop of corn, even if cotton has to be a little neglected, particularly in times like these, when communication with the Ohio may be cut off at any moment. Corn is a necessity, but cotton is only a convenience. A man can live very well without a shirt, but what can he do without whiskey?-Charleston Evening News, May 9.

As Virginia is to be the great battle-ground between the contending sections, and the first collision of arms is likely to take place on the banks of the Potomac, we hope that both parties will consent to respect one spot as sacred and neutral ground. Let the grave of Washington be still venerated by his countrymen of both sides, and let his ashes not be disturbed by the clash of hostile steel or the roar of cannon. Let there be one spot where the descendants of the men who fought under Marion and Sumter, Putnam and Greene, can meet without shedding each other's blood; and if ever an amicable settlement of this unhappy civil war is to be attempted, let us keep the holy ground of Mount Vernon dedicated to the purposes of peace, and there let the arbitrating convention, which sooner or later must treat on some terms for an adjustment of hostilities, meet for the purpose.

Let the press, the only organ which can now speak

to the people, South and North, claim from the leaders on both sides, that no "military necessity" shall excuse the defilement of the soil of Mount Vernon with carnage, or its air by the sulphurous breath of battle.-Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, April 30.

THE Richmond Dispatch gives the following advice to its fellow-rebels:

46 All over the State, particularly in the Tidewater and Potomac counties, there are a great many men who do not belong to companies, and who probably will not for some time. They have not regulation | weapons, but almost every man of them has a rifle, or a shot-gun, or a flint-lock musket, and one or more pistols of some kind. All these men should form neighborhood squads of from five to fifteen, according to density of population, put the weapons they have in perfect order, make each of them a strong, sharp sheath-knife-a large old file or rasp makes a splendid one-keep their best and most active horse always fresh and in good condition, and have a sig. nal at which they shall all gather at some rendezvous. Such squads are to act as guerillas, and if the enemy approaches their section of the country, hang upon his outskirts, fill the hollows, hide behind trees, in ditches, anywhere that they can best protect themselves and cut down the enemy. Such men, so armed and equipped, can destroy an enemy's army more certainly and effectively than regular troops, and any of the weapons we have named, in the hands of a cool, determined man, is sufficient. Ten men, so provided, and using proper judgment, can pick off a hundred men in a day's march, with little risk to themselves. They will also prevent foraging and marauding parties from scattering through the country, and every man they drop will be furnishing Virginia with at least another weapon. If our men through the country will organize thus-all of them, boys, old men, all who are not in active service-no army can ever reach Richmond, and our State can never be filled with the bands of lawless stragglers who threaten to carry so much terror and desolation to our homes and firesides."-N. Y. Tribune, May 11.

In

PHILADELPHIA, May 8.-A gentleman who has just made his escape from Memphis, Tenn., gives the following account of a solemn ceremony which took place in that city a day or two before he quitted it. He says that he was an eye-witness to the whole of the proceedings, and as he is a man of the greatest respectability, his statement may be relied on. the one solitary square which Memphis possesses, stands a statue of Andrew Jackson. By the side of this statue a large pit was dug, and on the day in question our informant, who was standing near the place, saw a body of about five hundred men slowly approaching, headed by a band of music performing the "Dead March." After the band came eight men bearing the dead body which was to be consigned to the pit; this corpse was no more nor less than a large standard of the Stars and Stripes, which was solemnly lowered into its final resting-place, the company assisting in respectful silence. The earth was then thrown upon it-"ashes to ashes, and dust to dust"--and the pit was filled up. The spectators then dispersed quietly, apparently thoroughly satisfied at having paid the last respects to an old friend's remains. The tomb-stone has not yet been put up, nor have we heard what sort of an epitaph is to be inscribed on it; but no doubt it will do credit to Tennessee.-Philadelphia North American, May 9.

"EIN FESTE BURG IST UNSER GOTT."

(Luther's Hymn.)

BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.

We wait beneath the furnace blast

The pangs of transformation;
Not painlessly doth God recast
And mould anew the nation.
Hot burns the fire
Where wrongs expire;
Nor spares the hand
That from the land

Uproots the ancient evil.

The hand-breadth cloud the sages feared,
Its bloody rain is dropping;

The poison plant the fathers spared,
All else is overtopping.

East, West, South, North,

It curses the earth:

All justice dies,

And fraud and lies

Live only in its shadow.

What gives the wheat field blades of steel?

What points the rebel cannon?
What sets the roaring rabble's heel
On the old star-spangled pennon?
What breaks the oath

Of the men o' the South?
What whets the knife

For the Union's life ?-
Hark to the answer :-SLAVERY!

Then waste no blows on lesser foes, In strife unworthy freemen.

God lifts to-day the veil, and shows The features of the demon !

O North and South,

Its victims both,

Can ye not cry,

"Let Slavery die!"

And union find in freedom?

What though the cast-out spirit tear

The nation in his going?

We who have shared the guilt, must share

The pang of his o'erthrowing!

Whate'er the loss,

Whate'er the cross,
Shall they complain

Of present pain,

Who trust in God's hereafter?

For who that leans on His right arm,
Was ever yet forsaken?

What righteous cause can suffer harm,
If He its part has taken?

Though wild and loud,
And dark the cloud,
Behind its folds

His hand upholds

The calm sky of to-morrow!

Above the maddening cry for blood,

Above the wild war-drumming,

Let Freedom's voice be heard, with good The evil overcoming.

Give prayer and purse

To stay The Curse,

Whose wrong we share,
Whose shame we bear,

Whose end shall gladden Heaven!

In vain the bells of war shall ring
Of triumphs and revenges,
While still is spared the evil thing
That severs and estranges.

But, blest the ear
That yet shall hear
The jubilant bell
That rings the knell
Of Slavery forever!

Then let the selfish lip be dumb,

And hushed the breath of sighing; Before the joy of peace must come The pains of purifying. God give us grace, Each in his place To bear his lot,

And, murmuring not,

Endure, and wait, and labor!

O the trees on the land that grow, that grow,
And the fruits that they produce,
Demand to be sung with vigor, I know,
For each of them has its use.

To the oak and the beech much credit is due;
To the birch we have all dropped a tear;
And, as for the pine, what teachings divine
To its gum-clogged knots adhere!
But now that treason stalks the shore,
And sails upon the main,

The tree that most is worth a toast
From all of loyal grain,

Is the taper Yard-Arm Tree,
That grows on a ship in the sea

II.

Up from the Isthmus we steam, we steam,
With treasure in our hold;

Bars and dust that take no rust,

And nuggets of yellow gold.

Down on our quarter sweeps a bark
Flaunting the Cotton Flag;

A rebel bark, with a letter of marque,

And they strive to get our swag;

But they reckoned without one skipper brave, And grand it was to see,

The bloated Cotton blossoms wave

Upon our yard-arm tree.

So here's to the Yard-Arm Tree,
That grows on a ship in the sea!

CHORUS Then come, ye hardy volunteers,

Around our standard throng,

And pledge man's hope of coming years-
The Union, right or wrong!
The Union, right or wrong, inspires
The burden of our song;

It was the glory of our sires-
The Union, right or wrong!

II.

It is the duty of us all

To check rebellion's sway;
To rally at the nation's call,
And we that voice obey!
Then, like a band of brothers, go,
A hostile league to break,
To rout a spoil-encumber'd foe,
And what is ours, retake.

CHORUS-SO Come, ye hardy volunteers,

Around our standard throng,

And pledge man's hope of coming years→→→
The Union, right or wrong!
The Union, right or wrong, inspires

The burden of our song;

It was the glory of our sires-
The Union, right or wrong!

WAR SONG OF THE FREE. AIR-"Hail, Columbia."

I.

War sounds his tocsin loud and high;
Ye Freemen, hear the battle-cry:
Awake ye from your slumbers deep,
Your Country's honor still to keep!
Her hour of peril now is here!
The liberty she holds so dear,
The rebel Southrons fain would see
Consigned to blackest infamy.
Say, shall a traitor banner wave
O'er ashes of our bygone brave?
By the names we most revere,
By the trust we hold so dear,
Sound abroad the wild alarm,
Till it nerves each patriot's arm!

II.

The air ye breathe as yet is free!
The song it sings is Liberty!
That boon for which our fathers died,
That boon so long our Country's pride,
That gift to every loyal son,

From the dear hand of Washington-
Ye offspring of the honored brave,

Say, shall it find a hireling grave,
While one more drop of blood remains,
To show where Freedom's spirit reigns?
As we bless the God we love,
As we hope for heaven above,

Let us all united stand,

For the honor of our land!