—Governor Pickens, agreeably to the ordinance of secession, issued a proclamation, proclaiming South Carolina a separate, sovereign, free, and independent State, with the right to levy war, conclude peace, negotiate treaties, leagues, or covenants, and do all acts whatever that rightly appertain to a free and independent State.—Herald, Jan. 1, 1861.
—A mass meeting was held at New Orleans to ratify the nominations of the Southern Rights candidates for the Convention. It was the largest congregation of every party ever assembled in that city. Cornelius Fellows was President, and speeches were made by Charles M. Conrad, Charles Gayare, and others, advocating immediate secession, amid unbounded enthusiasm. The Southern Marseillaise was sung as the banner of the Southern Confederacy was raised, amid reiterated and prolonged cheers for South Carolina and Louisiana.—National Intelligencer, Dec. 25.
—The election for delegates to the State Convention to meet January 7th, took place to-day. The separate State secession ticket was elected in Mobile by a thousand majority.
The election passed off quietly through the State. In many places there was no opposition; the secession ticket, in the whole State, has 50,000 majority.–Times, Dec. 25.
—Governor Moore issued a proclamation, convening the Legislature of Alabama January 14th, to provide by State laws for any emergency that may arise from the action of the secession Convention called for January 7th.
—The Speaker laid before the House of Representatives a letter signed by Messrs. McQueen, Bonham, Boyce, and Ashmore, members from South Carolina, to the effect that the act of secession passed by their State had dissolved their connection with that body, and that they should accordingly withdraw. The letter was laid on the table, and the Speaker directed the names of the South Carolina members to be retained on the roll, thus not recognizing the conduct of their State as severing their connection with the House.–(Doc. 6.)
—The Richmond Enquirer of to-day announces that President Lincoln will be forced to relinquish Washington, and suggests the propriety of the prompt interposition of Maryland and Virginia to prevent Mr. Lincoln’s inauguration at Washington, by taking possession of the capital without delay.
—Excitement at Pittsburgh, Pa., in consequence of a report that the artillery at the Alleghany arsenal was to be transferred to new forts in the southwest. A call is in circulation, addressed to the Mayor, to convene a meeting of the citizens to take action in the matter. The call is signed by prominent men of all parties. The feeling against allowing a gun to be removed south is almost unanimous.—Evening Post, Dec. 28.