CHARLESTON, S. C., January 5, 1863.

Honorable W. PORCHER MILES,

Member of Congress, Richmond, Va.:

MY DEAR COLONEL: Can you not persuade the Government to take advantage of the present favorable condition of affaris for issuing n address, powerfully written, to the Northwestern States, calling upon them to cast aside the despotic, destructive, and contemptible Lincoln Government; to form a separate Confederacy of the Northwestern States, to include Ohio, with its capital at Saint Louis; then to enter into an alliance, offensive and defensive, with the Southern Confederacy, so as to have a perpetual free use of that common artery, the Mississippi River, for which the Northwestern States contend they are mainly fighting. It seems to me that our evident community of interests, our natural oppostion to high tariff and to protective duties in favor of fisheries, a large navy, and commercial marine, &c., ought to cement an eternal alliance between us, if they will only let the negro question alone. I should regret not to have time to write more on this important subject, were I not coninced you will anticipate all I could say about it. Be expeditious, however, for circumstances may vastly change our prospects a few weeks hence. Now, I believe, is the most propitious moment to attempt to divide our enemies and brig about a welcome and honorable peace without further expenditure of blood and treasure. As to the Northeastern States and others of the present Union, they will be left out in the cold to quarrel amongst themselves or form an alliance with the Canadas for better or for worse. Of course I desire that all the present slave States shall join our Southern Confederacy. I am as happy to hear of our late successes in Virginia, Tennessee, and Mississippi as tough I had taken a part in them. Lee and Bragg have done remarkably well, especially the former, whose battle of Fredericksburg would do honor to any general of any y continue to meet with such successes is my most sincere wish. Our preparations are still progressing, but more heavy guns are much needed here and at Savannah. General Whiting has called upon me for assistnce to repel the threatoned attack on Wilmington, but I could only send him Gist with one brigade and three batteries, for all my available forces in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida do not amount to more than my forces at the bttle of Manassas. You remember, I suppose, what they were. It takes, moreover, ninety hours for 1,000 men to send any large force to and return from Wilmington; hence it would be endangering Charleston and Savannah to send him more troops from my department, especially when the threartdened attack on Wilmingtom may be merely a feint to attack Charleston or Savannah, as meditated and proclaimed long ago. Weldon or Goldsborough, in my opinion, is more important to the enemy than Wilmington.

Yours, very truly,

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

[14.]

CHARLESTON, S. C., January 7, 1863.

Honorable W. PORCHER MILES,

Member of Congress, Richmond, Va.:

DEAR COLONEL: Should the Governmentdesire to send me back to the West, before I shall have got through here with the Abolitionists, I hope my friends in Cjongress will oppose it most determinedly, in justice to myself and to this section of country. After a great deal of