Late Northern News.
the Missouri question — the violation of the Savannah blockade — Assignment of commands, &c.
We received last night, at too late an hour to make any extensive extracts, files of the Baltimore American to the 9th. The war news is of no very important character, however, being mostly anticipated by our New York files of the 10th. We copy a number of the most interesting items:
The Missouri question.
The President has arrived at no definite conclusion regarding the Missouri question. He has, however, decided that hereafter all contracts and appointments for the Western Department shall be made in Washington, in the regular way, and through the ordinary channels. Brig. Gen. W. K. Strong will also be authorized to make such changes in Missouri, as Chief of the Staff, as he shall deem best. I repeat that it has at no time been decided either to arrest or remove Gen. Fremont, and it is authoritatively reiterated to-day that nothing but the imperative demands of public interest shall induce the Government to supersede him.Members of Congress and others familiar with the state of affairs in Missouri are here, in daily intercourse with the President, and they assert the positive necessity of taking immediate and decisive action. They confirm the statement made in recent letters from prominent citizens of the Northwest, that unless something is speedily done for Missouri all will be lost there. The Attorney General is unreserved in his expression of opinion concerning General Fremont, and does not hesitate to pronounce his retention a public crime. Mr. Bates is in receipt daily of letters from important sources in Missouri, indicating a dangerous condition of affairs in that State. His temper and his fears are greatly exercised by these dispatches. A full consultation on the whole subject will be held to-morrow in a Cabinet meeting.
The violation of the Savannah blockade.
The publicity given to the violation of the Savannah blockade by the British steamer Bermuda, is said to have proceeded from Lord Lyons's dinner table. Information, strange to say, from the village of Thompson, Connecticut, gives me reason to believe that a part of the freight of this big vessel was seventy tons of gunpowder, seven thousand Enfield rifles, ten rifled cannon, sixty thousand pairs shoes, a large quantity of blankets and clothing, and an extraordinary amount of quinine and morphine. Remonstrances against her sailing, and, indeed, against her completing her cargo, were made by Charles Francis Adams, in London, but the Foreign Offices did not feel at liberty, or would not see its obligation, to arrest the unlawful voyage. The circumstances under which the Bermuda effected an entrance into Savannah, will probably be made the subject of a court-martial.--One thing is certain — the Bermuda will never go out again, except for condemnation and sale.
The Patriotism of Ohio.
Ohio has sixty regiments in the field, and forty more are organizing. Twenty regiments of this great army are cavalry and three artillery.
Commands assigned.
General Heintzelman is assigned to the command af a division in Virginia, comprising the brigades of Generals Sedgwick, Richardson, and Butterfield. Gen. John Newton is assigned to a brigade under Gen. Franklin. Col. Sir John De Courcy, distinguished in the Crimean war, has been commissioned by Governor Dennison Colonel of the Sixty-ninth Ohio regiment, and will leave to-morrow to take command. Capts. John Mason and Crook, of the regular army, are also to have Ohio Colonelcies.
Postal Deficits of the seceded States.
The following statement exhibits the financial relation of post-offices in seceded States and parts of States to the Post-Office Department on October 1, 1861:
Dr.
| Balance in hands of Postmasters, April 1, 1861 | $277,401 23 |
| Stamps and envelopes sent subsequently | 121,554 68 |
| Total | $398,955 91 |
Ca.
| Stamps and envelopes returned | $38,767 92 | |
| Deposits by sundry Postmasters | 11,499 10 | |
| Drafts on Postmasters collected | 58,964 63 | |
| Paid by Postmasters to contractors | 79,180 10 | |
| $188,411 75 | ||
| Balance unaccounted for | $210,544 18 | |
| The Postmaster at New Orleans notifies the Department that there is in his hands, subject to its order, stamps and envelopes amounting to | $13,120 08 | |
| The Postmaster at Nashville, Tenn., acknowledges a balance due the Department subject to draft of | 1,732 42 | |
| Which sums, deducted from the balance stated above, leaves us the total indebtedness of Southern Postmasters | $195,671 66 | |
| The whole number of post-offices in disloyal States and portions of States is | 7,617 | |
| Of these returns have been received for the first and for the whole or a part of the second quarter of 1861, from | 1,848 | |
| Leaving without returns for that period | 5,769 |
The Missouri imbroglio.
There was a Cabinet meeting this afternoon, in which the charges of Colonel Blair against Gen. Fremont, and the counter charges of Gen. Fremont against Col. Blair, were under consideration. The principal charges against the Commander are that he sacrificed Gen. Lyon; that he neglected to reinforce Col. Mulligan when he had the power to do so, and kept Col. Mulligan's messenger, sent to ask aid, waiting three days before he saw him; that his expenditures of money were excessive and corrupt; that one member of his staff had a contract for the purchase of five thousand mules; that he surrounded himself with corrupt and bad men, knowing them to be such; that he was inaccessible to Union men calling on business, to the great damage of the public interests; that he willfully delayed assuming his duties after he was appointed to his command in Missouri. No conclusion was reached in the case.
Gen. Anderson superseded by Gen. Sherman.
Louisville, Oct. 7.
--The Journal of to-morrow will announce that Gen. W. F. Sherman has superseded Gen. Anderson as the head of the department of Cumberland, the hero of Sumter retiring on account of ill health, which renders him unable to attend to the laborious duties.
