We have received Northern papers of the evening of Friday, the 20th. Gold was quoted at 199 1-2 on that day.
Blockade-Runners going to Wilmington.
A telegram, dated at New York on Friday evening, says:‘ The steamer Corsica, from Nassau on the 16th, has arrived. Five blockade-runners cleared for Wilmington December 23d, and six arrived there from Wilmington on the 6th and 7th instant.--Two also cleared for Wilmington on the 14th.
’
Sherman at Savannah — his letter — his policy Regarding the negroes.
The papers publish Sherman's letter to a Georgian, dated the 8th instant. In it he says:‘ I am merely a military commander, and can only act in that capacity; nor can I give any assurance or pledge affecting civil matters in the future. They will be adjusted by Congress when Georgia is again represented there, as of old.
’ Georgia is not out of the Union, and therefore the talk of "reconstruction" appears to me inappropriate. Some of the people have been, and still are, in a state of revolt, and as long as they remain armed and organized, the United States must pursue them with armies, and deal with them according to military law. But as soon as they break up their armed organization and return to their homes, I take it they will be dealt with by the civil courts. Some of the rebels in Georgia, in my judgment, deserve death, because they have committed murder, and other crimes, which are punishable with death by all civilized governments on earth. I think this was the course indicated by General Washington in reference to the whiskey insurrection, and a like principle seemed to be recognized at the time of the Burr conspiracy.
As to the Union of the States under our government, we have the high authority of General Washington, who bade us be jealous and careful of it, and the still more emphatic words of General Jackson, "The Federal Union--it must and shall be preserved." Certainly, Georgians cannot question the authority of such men, and should not suspect our motives, who are simply fulfilling their commands. Wherever necessary, force has been used to carry out that end; and you may rest assured that the Union will be preserved, cost what it may. And if you are sensible men, you will confirm to this order of things, or migrate to some other country. There is no other alternative open to the people of Georgia.
My opinion is, that no negotiations are necessary, nor commissioners, nor conventions, nor anything of the kind.--Whenever the people of Georgia quit rebelling against their Government, and elect members of Congress and Senators, and these go and take their seats, then the State of Georgia will have resumed her functions in the Union.
A telegram from Washington to the New York Tribune gives an inkling of a grand scheme to be carried out by Sherman. It says:
‘ One of the results of Secretary Stanton's visit to Savannah is to solve a doubt as to the soundness of General Sherman on the negro question. This soldier's views and policy are those of the Government. His treatment of the negroes of Savannah has inspired them with confidence, and they rely on him wholly. He has borne in his heart a great scheme for the benefit of their race in Georgia, and it is understood here that the country will be electrified in a few days by an order from him partitioning among them the abandoned Sea Island property of fugitive rebel planters, and establishing them in their new freeholds, and laying the foundation of a new social condition in the South, whose superstructure but few politicians in the country are now permitted clearly to see.
’
Blair's Second mission — Speculations about it.
They are speculating in Yankeedom in more senses than one on Blair's second mission to the Confederacy. A letter from New York on Thursday says:‘ There has been a young panic in Wall street to-day, resulting in a general decline in gold and merchandise. This was caused by the persevering efforts of the "bears" to create the impression that we are going to have peace right away, as the result of the Blair-Singleton missions to Richmond. One story is, that Mr. Blair returned to the rebel capital this morning, with a programme this time from President Lincoln in favor of commissioners to meet at City Point to see if a "settlement" cannot be reached. Preposterous as these canards are on their face it is perfectly true that they find a multitude of people credulous enough to believe them. Everybody, therefore, who has anything to sell, is selling it at a sacrifice, in many cases, under the conviction that the war is about over. In a day or two they will probably have occasion to bemoan their credulity in thus giving ear to the dreams and delusions of a set of sharpers who are simply "operating for a rise."
’ A Washington telegram of the 19th says:
‘ F. P. Blair, Sr., will start for Richmond again to-morrow. Since his return he has been in frequent and close consultation with the President and other leading members of the Administration, but what the character of his communications has been, or with what authority he is now clothed, is, as yet, unknown. That he should so soon return is indicative of his having been charged with some communication by Mr. Davis, the tenor of which has not been made public, and which, in connection with the successes achieved by our forces since his interview with the rebel Executive, and the evident disinclination of the mass of the Southern people to continue the war, induces a belief, on the part of the Administration, that the resources of statesmanship may now be usefully employed, in connection with a vigorous prosecution of military and naval operations, to bring about a termination of the existing difficulties. At all events, it is certain that he returns at once to the rebel capital.--This would indicate that Mr. Blair's first mission was far more successful than was allowed to transpire.
’
The situation at Mobile — more fighting expected.
A correspondent of the New York Tribune, writing from Mobile, predicts active operations in that vicinity shortly. Speaking of the recent demonstrations by moveable columns in the Southwest, he says:‘ It seems that our demonstrations were mistaken for a movement upon Montgomery, or some point on the Alabama river, where its navigation could be stopped. And that city and Selma have been, and are now, occupied by the enemy in strength. This news, which is trustworthy, has reached us while I am writing, and is very important when considered in connection with the inquiry, from whence do these forces come? Of this, however, I need say no more. While our forces were marching straight to the Gulf, the enemy, entirely mistaken as to which end of the Union elephant was confronting him, concentrated his strength to meet us, just where we had no intention of going, thus leaving the region which was passed over by General Davidson, during the first half of last month, entirely reclaimed. Our forces can now traverse it free from molestation.
’ As matters now rest, the advantages of the situation are largely on our side.--Deceived as to our original intentions, most of the rebel forces designed to protect the Mobile and Ohio railroad and the navigation of the Alabama and Tom bigbee rivers are far up in the interior, or else so scattered in their endeavors to cover the vulnerable points of the railroad as to have no great strength. Furthermore, fear of another raid from Vicksburg or Memphis will not permit them to alter the present disposition of their troops. They cannot make a movement without endangering the communications of Mobile. Of course, this state of affairs is being taken advantage of, and such movements and dispositions are being made as promise speedily to compass the fall of the city. General Granger is already active — in fact, has been for a week, while the troops on and near Pascagoula river will not be far behind. I expect soon to write you of heavy fighting on both land and water.
Later from New Orleans.
The latest intelligence from New Orleans is to the 14th instant.The hull of the gunboat Indianola, sunk by the rebels nearly two years ago, has been raised and found in excellent condition, and will be rebuilt.
General Hodge, who commands the district of Mississippi and East Louisiana, has established his headquarters at Woodville, and has begun a most vigorous rule. The corporeal-punishment order of Colonel Scott has been revoked, and instead General Hodge levies a tax of sixty dollars per bale on all cotton taken to the bank of the Mississippi river.
The Natchez Courier of the 13th mentions the arrival of eight or ten rebel deserters from Alexandria, Louisiana, who report a small rebel force at that place, fortifying in expectation of another Federal expedition. Shreveport has been made very strong, and has a garrison of four hundred or five hundred men.
Hainson has a regiment of troops at Trinity. These deserters were of the opinion that Northern Louisiana could easily be brought under Federal rule.
Vicksburg papers say that from sixty to one hundred lives were lost, mostly of New York regiments (numbers not given), by the collision of the steamers Mars, Dickey and La Reine. The former boats were seriously damaged.
There is no change in the New Orleans markets.
The steamer Glendale has arrived from Memphis with Major-General Gillmore and staff.
Recruiting rather slow for New York.
The New York Herald is alarmed at the proximity of the draft and the slowness of the volunteering, which they hoped would fend it off from New York. It says:‘ We learn with regret that recruiting at the headquarters of the Supervisors' Committee, and also the payment of bounties, has dwindled down to an infinitesimal quantity. Just at the moment when we want men most; when almost the certainty of a draft is suspended over us; when, unless our quota is filled by the 15th of February, the roll-call of the provost-marshals of every district in the city will be heard, and the wheel of the lottery will be turned, drawing an army prize for many a gallant youth — just at this moment, when we required two hundred men per day to fill our quota, the committee are not paying the bounty to a dozen per day. This, too, includes all credits for this city, whether brought in as substitutes from the offices of the provost-marshals or enlisted by the committee itself. The business of volunteering appears to be blocked, while the day for the conscription is rapidly approaching.
’
Fighting in Kentucky.
Bardstown, Kentucky, seems to have very little rest. The "guerrillas," as the Yankees call them, pop in there on all occasions. A telegram from Louisville, dated the 18th, says:‘ Forty guerrillas, under command of Pratt and McGregor — a consolidation of several bands — at three o'clock yesterday made a dash into Bardstown for the purpose of recovering one of their men, John Robinson, confined in the jail at that place. Bardstown is garrisoned by a detachment of Union soldiers, under Captain G. W. Nichols. The guerrillas set the depot on fire, and it was burned to the ground, and the body of Mr. Sunbury was consumed in it. The guerrillas and our troops had a heavy fight. Captain Pratt and Pat Bull were killed, and Lieutenants Munday and Mason and several others wounded. The guerrillas were routed and driven from the town. The pursuit was continued till darkness put a stop to further proceedings.
’
Street scenes in Baltimore.
We find in the Baltimore American of Friday an account of one of the street scenes common to a subjugated city:About 9 o'clock yesterday morning a negro soldier, named Thomas A. Hartwell, of the Twenty- third colored infantry, who had received a furlough for thirty days, returned to the quarters whilst laboring under the effects of mania a potu, and demanded protection of Colonel Woolley. The Colonel, perceiving his condition, sent Owen McCarthy and Charles Wells, of the Ninety-first New York artillery, to watch him. Upon reaching the corner of Eutaw and Pratt streets they called upon him to halt, whereupon he drew his revolver and fired several times. The first ball grazed the right check of a citizen named William S. Stewart, which lodged in his neck. The second grazed the stomach of Charles Wells, whilst the third proved harmless. Before he could fire the fourth time McCarthy grabbed him, knocked him down and broke the revolver over his head. Colonel Woolley turned him over to the civil authorities, to be dealt with according to law. Mr. Stewart resides at No. 135 Franklin street, and was an officer in the Ninth Maryland regiment. Wells is but slightly injured. The negro is about fifty years old, and was raised in Richmond, Virginia.
Miscellaneous.
Governor Jacobs, of Kentucky, has been unconditionally released from arrest by Lincoln. In his letter, dated yesterday, to him he says: ‘"You are at liberty to proceed to Kentucky, and to remain at large, so far as relates to any cause now past. In what I now do I decide nothing as to the right or wrong of your arrest, but act in the hope that there is less liability to misunderstanding among Union men now than there was at the time of the arrest. "’The first decision of Chief Justice Chase, in the Supreme Court of the United States, was that West Virginia is legally a State. The decision was given on the question placing the name of that State on the list when calling the docket.
The loaded shall fired into the rudder post of the Kearsarge by the pirate Alabama has been sent to Washington as a present from Captain Winslow to Mr. Lincoln, the latter having expressed a wish to have it as a trophy.
The death of one of the Democratic members of the New Jersey Legislature gives the Republicans a majority of one in the House, which has not hitherto been able to organize on account of the political tie.
The Roanoke river is said to be full of torpedoes from Jamestown up to Rainbow Bluff. Over one hundred and fifty torpedoes have been taken from the river already. They are put up in block tin cans and placed from three to eight feet under the water, and in rows across the river at intervals of a few miles.
The Louisville Journal (Prentice's paper), heartily approves and endorses Mr. Yeaman's speech in Congress in favor of amending the Constitution so as to abolish slavery. It deems the extermination of slavery not only a fixed fact, but in every way desirable.
Sixteen years ago General Grant was setting type in an Ohio printing office.
General Butler is to have an imposing public reception when he returns to Lowell.
The total cost of the marble for the capitol at Washington, and for cutting it, is $2,778,544.
Mr. Melvin S. Whitney, one of the most opulent and respectable merchants of New York, committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor, in his apartments in West Thirty-second street, near Broadway.
