misdemeanor, directing the authorities to arrest all engaged in it, and instructing General Meade to employ the land and naval forces of the United States and the militia to prevent the execution of the invasion. No supplies or arms were allowed to pass to those in Canada, and most of those who had crossed made their way back. Another crossing was made, a few days later, near St. Albans, but it shared the same fate as the former one. The officers of the Fenian army were mainly arrested and held to bail; the privates were released and sent to their homes at the cost of the United States.

SOUTHERN AMERICA.

Under date of June 4, Mr. Bigelow, our Minister to France, relates an interview between himself and M. Drouyn de Lhuys. The purport is that the French Minister of Foreign Affairs said that it was the purpose of the French Government, "for its own convenience, and for no other reason," to withdraw its troops from Mexico within the time specified (from November, 1866, to November, 1867) "at the very latest, sooner if climate and other controlling considerations permitted; and it was not its intention to replace them by troops from any other quarter." As to the reported shipment of troops from Austria to Mexico, that was a subject with which France had nothing to do.-Mr. Motley, our Minister to Austria, furnishes the correspondence relating to the reported shipment of Austrian troops to Mexico, the upshot of which is contained in a note from the Austrian Minister, dated May 30, declaring that “necessary measures have been taken to suspend the departure of the newly enlisted volunteers for Mexico." So that it seems clear that Maximilian will have to depend upon his own resources to maintain his position in Mexico. The desultory conflicts in Mexico tend rather against the Imperialists. The most notable incident is the capture, on the 16th of June, by the Liberals, of a large merchandise train, guarded by some 2500 men, proceeding from Matamoras to the interior.

causes: the geographical position of Prussia, imperfectly bounded; the wish of Germany, demanding a political reconstitution more conformable to its general wants; and the necessity of Italy to secure her national independence." He would have proposed that Austria should, for an equitable consideration, cede Venetia to Italy; Prussia should have more "homogeneousness in the north," which must be understood to mean the Duchies which she claims; and that Austria, having given up Venetia, should still "maintain her great position in Germany." In the case of war, which he judges imminent, he thinks that France will not be obliged to take up arms; but ever be the results of the war, none of the questions he adds significantly that he is assured that, "whatwhich touch us shall be resolved without the assent of France."

In the mean while events have been marching. We note the principal in chronological order. Prussia, Austria, and Italy have kept increasing and concentrating their armies and armaments; Russia has moved large forces toward her frontiers, as was supposed in consequence of some understanding with Austria; the Prussians advanced into the Duchies, displacing the Austrian troops there; whereupon the Prussian Minister at Vienna received his passports, and the Austrian Minister was recalled from Berlin. Then a dispute arose in the Federal Diet between Austria and Prussia. The former demanded that the Federal army should be "mobilized" and a Commander-in-Chief nominated by the Diet. Prussia protested against this mobilization of the Federal army as a violation of the Federal compact; but the Diet, on the 14th of June, voted for the mobilization. There were, including Austria, 9 votes cast in favor, and 6 against it. The 8 votes cast with Austria represent a population of 14,000,000, and include the second-class States, Bavaria, Saxony, and Hanover; the 5 votes cast with Prussia are all from minor States and represent a population of 3,000,000. The representative from From the River Plata our tidings come down to vote. The Prussian representative thereupon anBaden, having received no instructions, did not the middle of May. On the 2d, a sharp action took nounced that his Government considered the Fedplace at Estara Bellaco between the van-guard of eral Diet dissolved, that Prussia seceded from the the Allies and a Paraguayan division. The Paraguayans attacked by surprise, captured a battery of present Confederation, and submitted proposals for four guns, which they retained; but the Allies be- a new league. The Austrian Minister insisted upon ing reinforced, the Paraguayans were in the end that no member had a right to secede. The Diet the indissolubility of the Confederation, declaring forced from the field. It is said that the losses on passed a resolution sanctioning this view. Prusboth sides amounted to 5000 men, killed and wound-sia had before announced that any State voting ed. The Allies, at the latest dates, were advancing by land and river to attack Humaita, the first of the Paraguayan fortresses on the river.

EUROPE.

The proposition for a general European Congress has proved unavailing, Austria refusing to join it except on the condition that none of the Powers should be allowed any accession of territory. The Emperor Napoleon, in a letter to his Minister of Foreign Affairs, June 11, states explicitly the views with which he should have sent a representative to the Congress. "You would," he says, "have declared in my name that I repudiated all idea of ter. ritorial aggrandizement so long as the equilibrium of Europe was not disturbed. In effect we could not think of an extension our frontiers except in case of the map of Europe being remodeled for the exclusive benefit of a great Power, and of the conterminous provinces demanding, by votes freely expressed, their annexation to France." The Emperor says: "The conflict which has arisen has three

for the mobilization of the Federal army would be considered to have committed an act of hostility against Prussia, and that, if war ensued, she would be guided solely by her own interests and those of her friends. Among the States which thus voted were the kingdoms of Saxony and Hanover. On the 16th, two days after the vote, Prussian troops entered both these kingdoms, occupying the capitals on the 17th and 18th.

At the hour when our Record closes the steamer brings intelligence up to the 20th of June, of which we condense the principal points. An engagement took place near Frankfort on the Oder between the Prussians and a detachment of the Federal army, in which the latter were defeated. Simultaneously on the 18th Prussia and Italy declared war against Austria, of course by previous concert. The Prussian Government sent to the various foreign courts a dispatch justifying its course. states that the action of the Diet on the 14th broke up the Confederation, and the law of self-preserva

It

In the Federal Diet a motion presented by Saxony, requesting assistance against the Prussian invasion, was passed by a vote of 10 to 5; Prussia not being present, and the representative of Baden voting with the majority.

tion compelled Prussia to secure herself against the action of neighboring States. A conditional alliance was proposed to Saxony, Hanover, and others, on the basis that they should reduce their war establishments, agree to appoint delegates to a German Parliament; and on those conditions they The Emperor of Austria issued a long manifesto should be guaranteed all their rights and territories. to his people. "On the northern and southern These propositions were declined; and "as Prussia's frontiers of the Empire," says the manifesto, "are geographical position does not allow her to tolerate arrayed the armies of two allied enemies of Ausin those States open or concealed hostilities while tria, with the intention of shaking the foundations she is engaged in war in another direction, the of her position as a European Power. To neither Prussian forces have crossed the frontiers of those of them has Austria given any cause of offense. countries in order to prevent our being cut off in But one of the hostile Powers [Italy] deems no prothe rear while defending ourselves against Austria." test necessary to justify its lust for the plunder of a A royal proclamation was spread among the people portion of the Austrian monarchy. In the eyes of of the invaded States, declaring that, in seeking to that Power a favorable opportunity is a sufficient make Germany a party in her war against a mem- cause for war." In respect to the difficulties with ber of the Confederation, the Diet had violated the Prussia the manifesto says: "Austria sought no Federal Constitution, and that this being in effect conquests, and bears no part of the blame for the sad abrogated, it was the duty of the German nation to list of unhappy complications which, had Prussia's form a new Constitution. And the measures which intentions been equally disinterested, would never Prussia had taken were necessary for the defense have arisen, and which have been brought about for of her independence, which had been threatened by the accomplishment of selfish objects, and are not the recent action of the Diet;" and "Prussia could therefore susceptible of a peaceful solution by my not now tolerate either enemies or doubtful friends Government." The Emperor assures his people on her borders." Meanwhile the troops which had that "in this conflict we shall not be alone. The entered Hanover, Saxony, and Hesse-Cassel, had princes and people of Germany are aware of the received strict orders to observe the most friendly danger which threatens their liberty and independattitude toward the people of those States, and in ence, and not only ourselves, but also our German the event of coming into contact with their troops brethren of the Confederation, are in arms for the to avoid bloodshed as much as possible by endeav-security of those objects which we are bound to deoring to induce them to lay down their arms.

fend."

Literary Notices.

The History of Julius Cæsar, Vol. II. By the Emperor NAPOLEON. The greater part of this volume is devoted to the history of the wars in Gaul. Taking Cæsar's Commentaries as the ground-work, but abridging portions where there is a prodigality of details, and amplifying where Cæsar more slightly develops his proceedings, the authors of this work have produced a thorough history of those great campaigns which have gained for Cæsar a place as one of the four great captains of the world. We say the "authors;" for every page bears proofs that many persons have labored long and diligently upon this History. Every passage in contemporary writers which can throw any light upon the subject has been examined; surveys, explorations, and excavations have been made; profound mathematical and astronomical calculations, often to establish a single point, have been performed; every mile of territory traversed by the Roman legions has been gone over in order to fix the localities and elucidate the operations carried on. The lifetime of no one man, to say nothing of one whose occupations are so numerous as that of the Emperor, would suffice to perform this preliminary work. But the whole of this mass of materials has been moulded and compacted into what we must regard as the most perfect military history extant. The volume details the events of ten years, closing with the passage of the Rubicon by Cæsar, and the inauguration of the civil war. The key-note to the whole history is struck near the beginning: "The sequel of this history will prove that all the responsibility of the civil war belongs not to Cæsar but to Pompey; and although the former had his eyes incessantly fixed on his enemies at Rome, none the less for that he

pursued his conquests, without making them subordinate to his own personal interests. If he had sought only his own elevation, in his military successes he would have followed an entirely opposite course. We should not have seen him sustain, during eight years, a desperate struggle, and incur the risks of enterprises such as those of Great Britain and Germany. After his first campaigns he need only have returned to Rome to profit by the advantages he had acquired." All this, changing only the names of persons and places, is the Napoleonic representation of the first Empire. Toward the close of the volume occurs a passage which reads like a vindication of Napoleon's own coup d'état: "Cæsar was reduced to the alternative of maintaining himself at the head of his army, in spite of the Senate, or of surrendering himself to his enemies." Ought not, asks Napoleon, Cæsar to have renounced his command? "Yes," he replies, answering his own question, "if by his abnegation he could save Rome from anarchy, corruption, and tyranny. No, if this abnegation would endanger what he had most at heart, the regeneration of the Republic. As chief of the popular party he felt a great cause rise behind him; it urged him forward, and obliged him to conquer, in despite of legality, the imprecations of his adversaries, and the uncertain judgment of posterity. Roman society, in a state of dissolution, asked for a master; oppressed Ita, for a representative; the world, bowed under the yoke, for a saviour. Ought he, by deserting his mission, disappoint so many legitimate hopes, so many noble aspirations?.... There are imperious circumstances which condemn public men either to abnegation or to perseverance.

Whoever hereafter undertakes to write the history of the war must be under great obligation to this work. We judge it to be by far the best work upon the war which has yet been produced. (Published by C. B. Richardson.)

Pictorial History of the Civil War in America. By BENSON J. LOSSING. The war had scarcely closed when several works, previously commenced,

To cling to power when one is no longer able to do good, and when, as a representative of the past, one has, as it were, no partisans but among those who live upon abuses, is a deplorable obstinacy; to abandon it when one is the representative of a new era, and the hope of a better future, is a cowardly act and a crime." Such, in effect though not in form, is Napoleon's view of his own procedure. It is curious to compare it with the representations of King-purporting to be "Histories" of the great conflict, lake; still more curious would it be to compare both with what Carlyle might say, were he to write the history of Napoleon III. Apart from the political motive, which is kept quite out of view during the narration of the campaigns, and only reappears in the closing chapters which treat of the civil affairs of Rome, we repeat that this account of Cæsar's Campaigns is the most perfect military history extant. (Published by Harper and Brothers.)

were hurried to a conclusion. No one of these has the slightest claim to that character. Each and all of them abound with errors, both of omission and commission, to such an extent as to render them, one and all, absolutely worthless. It could not have been otherwise. The materials from which a history must be framed lay widely scattered. Many were inaccessible, and only came to light gradually one by one. Had they all been in the hands of the Homes without Hands. By Rev. J. G. WOOD. writers of these so-called histories it would have In the present Number of this Magazine, and in been a labor of months to arrange and compare several preceding ones, we have given papers drawn them, so as from the mass of partial and often conin a great measure from this work. Copious as tradictory statements to arrive at even an approxithese are they by no means exhaust the instructive mation to the truth. Mr. Lossing has wisely chosen and interesting matter embodied in this volume. not to hazard his well-won reputation by rushing Its plan is simple yet philosophical, being to de- hastily into print. His first volume-the only one scribe the habitations of animals according to their which has been published-is mainly preliminary, principle of construction. It commences with the narrating the origin and growth of the great consimplest form of habitation, a burrow in the ground, spiracy, bringing the history down only to the batwhether made by mammalia, birds, reptiles, or in-tle of Bull Run. Thus far the facts are so well essects; then proceeds to those homes which are hung in the air; those that are built up upon the ground or other solid foundations; those that are construct-ing so minutely upon them. We think that his ed beneath the surface of the water; those which first volume might have brought the history down are inhabited by creatures living socially in com- to the opening of the Peninsular campaign, leaving munities; those which are parasitic upon animals for the succeeding volumes the great military operor plants; those that are built upon branches;ations which fairly began with the establishment closing with those miscellaneous habitations which could not be classed in either of the preceding groups. The homes of well-nigh a thousand different species of animals are described, with accounts of the habits of the handless builders. These are illustrated by a profusion of pictures, convey-tainly brings to its execution some of the prime ing through the eye a far more correct impression requisites of a historian. He is unwearied in his than could be given by words. Taken all in all, collection of facts and documents, and is little likethis is by far the most charming work on Naturally to be imposed upon by the loose statements which History which has for years come within our notice. (Published by Harper and Brothers.)

Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac. By WILLIAM SWINTON. The history of the Army of the Potomac commencing from the time when, under McClellan, it undertook the disastrous campaign of the Peninsula, running through Pope's unfortunate operations in Virginia, the repulse of the Confederate invasion of Maryland, the slaughters of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, the triumph at Gettysburg, the fearful march through the Wilderness, the combats on the Chickahominy, the persistent beleaguerment of Richmond and Petersburg, closing with the capture of the Confederate army of Northern Virginia, to which it had so long been opposed-is in effect the history of the For the great achievements of the armies of the West were in a measure subordinate to these. The head of the rebellion was always with the army at Richmond. While this remained uncrushed the rebellion could survive the loss of its members. When this was finally crushed all was lost. Mr. Swinton has elaborated this history with great care from the most authentic sources, and with great judgment. Some of his conclusions will long remain matters of question; but as a whole his book will stand the ordeal of discussion and criticism. VOL. XXXIII.-No. 195.-DD

war.

tablished, and have already been so often detailed, that we think he has committed an error in dwell

of the Army of the Potomac upon the line of the
Chickahominy before Richmond. Thus far Mr.
Lossing's task has been comparatively easy. We
trust that the harder part, which is yet to be per-
formed, will be worthily accomplished.
He cer-

have misled so many of his predecessors into the commission of the most absurd errors. We confidently anticipate that his work will prove not unworthy of the author and the subject. (Published by George W. Childs.)

A Narrative of Andersonville. By AMBROSE SPENCER. There are some passages of history which we could almost wish should have remained forever unwritten. Such are the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, the Black Hole of Calcutta, and last, but not least, the horrors of the Southern prisonpens, and notably that of Andersonville. But the world will not suffer the memory of these atrocities to die. It is well, therefore, since they must be held in everlasting remembrance, that they should be truly described. Mr. Spencer, long a resident in the immediate neighborhood of this "hell upon earth," and with the official records of the trial of the chief actor in the atrocities there perpetrated before him, has told the story of Andersonville. It is all the more impressive from the grave and unimpassioned manner in which it is narrated. The naked facts, proved by testimony more conclusive than was ever before brought to bear upon a similar case, show that nowhere before in the world's history has such an accumulation of outrage been perpetrated as in the State of Georgia during the

A

WISCONSIN friend writes: I dropped into a | ties word that unless they sent him twenty-five

Justice Court one evening in a village hereabout, and found the room crowded with spectators, who had been there all day listening to the arguand Judge Q-, as to ments of Senator W whether the witness on the stand should be allowed to answer a question put by Q- and objected to by W It seemed that the witness had testified that he saw the defendant one morning splitting rails, and Q- wished to show what the The defendant said he intended to do with them. answer was supposed to decide the whole case, and the lawyers had spent near ten hours in discussing the question, and had sent several times during the day to a neighboring town for authorities.

At length the Justice decided that the question should be answered. Q- was elate over his vicif he had any tory, and tauntingly asked Wfurther objections? then, turning to witness, said: "Now, Sir, you answer my question; W does not object. What did the defendant tell you he was going to do with those rails?" The audience was profoundly silent; and the witness, giving a very thoughtful look to the floor, calmly answered: "Nothing that I know of!" The court adjourned till the next day.

dollars they would be divorced the next day, and
punished for living together! The German walked
ten miles in the rain that night with the money.

LIEUT. K—, a gallant and dashing officer of Indiana Battery, Army of the Cumberland, thewho prided himself not a little on his fine penmanMose adored a fair ship, had with him a shining piece of ebony anoften wrote swering to the name of Mose. African at Nashville. Lieut. Kletters for him to her. On closing one for him, he asked, "Mose, any thing more?" Mose, scratching his head, with a grin, replied, "Yess, Massa; tell Rose howdy, and to excuse bad spelling and bad writing!"

DURING the late war, while the exchange of prisoners had been stopped for an indefinite time, and about twelve hundred Federal officers were stopping as guests of J. D. in the Hotel De Libby, time dragged heavily, and among other resources to amuse ourselves, and drive away the dull monotony of prison life, many resorted to writing letters to their friends at home, which, owing to prison rules, were required to be very brief, consisting of but six lines, on purely domestic matters, leaving the envelope unsealed. In consequence, considerable ingenuity and skill was practiced to extend the limit and -evade the eye of the officials. Among other devices a solution of saleratus and water was used as an invisible ink by officers having an understanding with their friends. A Tennessee officer among our number, hearing of the secret, concluded to try its

THE Wisconsin Legislature is noted for its "dog laws" and a habit its members have of voting themJselves large quantities of postage-stamps. S, a not over-intelligent but honest German, represented the Creek district in the Assembly a few years before the rebellion, and voted for and took his quota of postage-stamps with a dignity and promptness worthy of a more experienced legis-effect, and after writing the usual six lines with orlator. At the close of the session he retired to private life, taking with him over forty dollars' worth Sof surplus stamps. A few years after J took his first letter to the post-office, and was told by the postmaster that the stamp he had put on it was worthless, as it was one of the old kind of stamps, and the time for redeeming them had expired. "Hein!" said John, "I t'ought dey vould haf last me so long vat I lives-and I t'ink dey vill?"

HONEY CREEK, Sauk County, is a settlement of Germans several miles from the Wisconsin River and civilization. But its inhabitants love, marry, quarrel, forgive each other, and are happy again, the same as other people. Some years ago Lawyer G-, who lived on the river, about ten miles from Honey Creek, was called upon by an injured wife, for the purpose of getting divorced from her husband. G promised it should be done at the next term of court, which was near at hand, if she would bring him twenty-five dollars the next day. She agreed to the proposition, and G set about drawing the papers. The same evening the husband called on G- and wished a divorce from his wife. Gtold him he would do it for twenty-five dollars down, and the German started home for the money.

G- considered himself in k-a double fee and no opposition. Court-time came, but he had seen neither money nor husband nor wife. Inquiry showed that his clients were living together again on the best of terms. G had drawn the papers in the case, and how was he to get his pay? He sent the par

dinary ink, concluded his letter with a P.S. informing his friends (not having a previous understanding with them) that "if they wished to read the whole of his letter, to hold it to the stove!" And then finished the sheet with invisible ink. The use of the article with us was soon after "played out."

A CORRESPONDENT in Boone County, Missouri, writes:

Having never heard any thing in the Drawer from our parts, I contribute the following, which you can take for what it is worth. I think it equal to any "fish story" I ever heard:

A traveler passing through our town asked our livery-stable man how much corn was usually raised in this part of the country. He told him there was generally raised from fifteen to twenty bushels to the acre, and each stalk had nine ears on it, and was twelve or fifteen feet high. "That is nothing to our corn," says the traveler, "up in Illinoy, where I come from; we always had nine ears to each stalk, and a peck of shelled corn hanging to each tassel, and we never could raise any corn-field beans with "Because the corn grow so fast it." "Why?" it always pulled the beans up!"