A day of rumors.
--The extreme brightness of the atmosphere on Saturday rendered it a day peculiarly fit for the generation of rumors. People felt happy under the influence of the fine weather. Every man felt "his bosom's lord sit lightly on his throne," and "all day long an unaccustomed spirit" lifted him from the earth. It was not wonderful, therefore, that all the rumors were of a rosy hue. The "reliable gentleman" was in town early, and began his tour as soon as he arrived. The first intimation we had of his presence was from an enthusiastic friend, a professional gentleman of much eminence, who met us with sparkling eyes and countenance radiant with joy, seized us by both hands, and, with a voice quivering with excitement, exclaimed, "Glorious news!" He was able to get out no more, and it was some time before he could make us understand that he had seen — not the elephant, but — the "reliable gentleman," and had learned from him that Gen. Lee had captured 18,000 Yankees! We thought this a pretty big haul, but our friend was so earnest that we did not venture to dispute the correctness of his information. We passed on, therefore, to hear the same tale repeated in a hundred different shapes. "Where did the intelligence come from?" "From the War Office." "Did you hear it there?" "No! but I saw a man just from there, who says Col. Withers told him so." Full of hope we repair to the office, and meet Col. W. at the door. "Col. W., have you received a dispatch announcing the capture of 18,000 men, &c?" "Never heard of it before." We feel wonderfully nonplussed, but resolve not to give it up so. We continue our investigations. Soon meet another friend with the same intelligence. "How did you get it?" "It came from the President's private Secretary. There can be no doubt of it. It must be so." We are now certain. We meet a man to whom we communicate the glad tidings and the source whence they came. "Why, I have just seen the private Secretary, and he said nothing about all this." Here is a damper. Surely if such a communication had been made to the private Secretary he would have said something about it. We resolve, however, not to despair. We meet a gentleman to whom we communicate what we have heard. "Why, it must be true; for I was at the Enquirer office just now when a gentleman came in and said a member of the House of Delegates had risen in his place and read a dispatch from Gen. Lee to the President to that effect." Here we were again staggered. We know that dispatches were generally addressed to General Cooper, and that the President was away. But we began to pluck up our spirits, and determined to see the end of the mystery.--So we went up to the Capitol. A member was on his feet, and, upon inquiry, we found that he had made the announcement, not exactly as it had been told to us, however. He said the intelligence in question had been flashed along the wires." We determined to wait until he was done, to ask him for the source of his information. He seemed determined to speak against time, and in the impatience of our humor at the time we could not wait. So we applied elsewhere — that is, to lobby members; but they could tell us no more than we have signified above. We had resolved to give it over, when, meeting a gentleman connected with this paper on the steps, he told us that he had himself mentioned the rumor prevailing around town to a member of the House, and that the enthusiastic speaker had gotten hold of it after it had been considerably adorned, and had put it forth in its then imposing shape. Having thus traced the thing as far as we were able we returned, but found on our way that new evidence had been brought to bear. It was now a wounded soldier, who had fought and bled in the terrible action that furnished the wholesale surrender. The report gathered strength and was proceeding merrily, when its career was cut short by the telegram which we publish to-day, and which we suppose is pretty nearly correct.
