The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-23 00:00:00

RAILWAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orleans 1425 .. 1427 50
Northern
New ditto 915 ..
Lyons and Mediterranean 1031 25 .. 1035
Geneva 357 50 .. 358 75
Southern 662 50 .. 665
Western
Eastern
Sardinian 365 ..
Austrian
Lorrbard •e
541 25 .. 542 50

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, SEPT. 21.

The Real Mail steamship Asia, which arrived
here at 11.20 p.m. to-day, brought 69 passengers.
She landed the Irish and English mails and five
passengers, and proceeded at 11.40 p.m. for Liver-
pool ; all well. The Asia left New York on the
11th inst.

NEW YORK, SEPT. 10, EVENING.

(Per Asia, via Queenstown).
The following is the text of the despatch read by
the Baron de Stoeekl to President Lincoln at an
audience on the 7th September : ,

" St. Petersburg, July 10.

_
" Mr. de Stoeckl, &c., •
"Sir,—From the beginning of the conflict which divides
the United States of America you have been desired to make
known to the Federal Government the deep interest with
which our august master was observing the development
of a crisis which puts in question the prosperity and even
the existence of the Union.
" The Emperor profoundly regrets to see that the hope
of a peaceful solution is not realised, and that American
citizens, already in arms, are ready to let loose upon their
country the most formidable of the scourges of political
society—a civil war,
" For more than the 80 years that it has existed the
American Union owes its independence, its towering rise,
and its progress, to the concord of its members, consecrated
under the auspices of its illustrious founder, by institutions
which have been able to reconcile the Union with liberty.
This Union has been faithful. It has exhibited to the world

the spectacle of a prosperity without example in the annals
of history. It would he deplorable that, after so conclu-
sive an experience, the United States should be hurried
into a breach of the solemn compact which, up to this time,
has made their power. In spite of the diversity of their
constitutions, and of their interests, and perhaps even be-
cause of their diversity, Providence seems to urge them to
draw closer the traditional bond, which is the basis of the
♦ery condition of their political existence. In any event
the sacrifices they might impose upon themselves to main-
tain it are beyond comparison:with those which dissolution
would bring after it. United, they perfect themselves. ;
isolated, they are paralysed.
" The struggle which unhappily has just arisen can
neither be indefinitely prolonged nor lead to the total de-
struction of one of the parties. Sooner or later it will be
necessary to come to some settlement, whatever it may be,
which may cause the divergent interests now actually in con-
flict to co-exist. The Americannation would thengive proof
of high political wisdom in seeking in common such a set-
tlement before a useless effusion of blool, a barren squan-
dering of strength and of public riches, and acts of violence
and political reprisals shall have come to deepen an abyss
between the two parties of the Confederation, to end, defini-
tively, in their mutual exhaustion, and in the ruin, per-
haps irreparable, of their commercial and political power.
" Our august master cannot resign himself to admit such
deplorable anticipations.
" His Imperial Majesty still places his confidence in that
Practical good sense of the citizens of the Union who ap-
preciate so judiciously their true interests.
" His Majesty is happy to believe that the members of

the Federal Government and the influential men of the

two parties will seize all occasions, and will unite all their
efforts, to calm the effervesence of the passions. There are
no interests so divergent that it may not be possible to re-
concile them by labouring to that end with zeal and perse-
verance in a spirit of justice and moderation.
"If within the limits of your friendly relations your
language and your councils may contribute to this result
you will respond, Sir, to the intention of His Majesty the
Emperor in devoting to this the personal influence which
you may have been able to acquire during your long
residence at Washington, and the consideration which be-
longs to your character as the representative of a sovereign
animated by the most friendly sentiments towards the Ame-
rican Union.

"This union is not simply in our eyes an element essen-
tial to the universal political equilibrium; it constitutes,
besides, a nation to which our august master and all
Russia have pledged the most friendly interests, for
the two countries, placed at the extremities of the two
worlds, appear called to a natural community of inte-
rests and sympathies of which they have already given
mutual proofs to each other. I do not wish here to ap-
proach any of the questions which divide the United States.
We are not called upon to express ourselves in this contest.
The preceding considerations have no other object than to
attest the lively solicitude of the Emperor in the presence
of the dangers which menace the American Union, and the
sincere wishes which his Majesty entertains far the main-
tenance of that great work, so laboriously raised, Old which
appeared so rich in its future.
" It is in this sense, Sir, ;that I desire you to express
yourself as well to the members of the general Government
as to the influential persons whom you maymeet, giving

them the assurance that, in every event, the American
nation may count on the most cordial sympathy of our
august master during the important crisis which it is pass-
ing through at the present.

" Receive, sir, the expression of my very deep conside-
ration.

(Signed) " GORTSCHAKOFF."
" The Secretary of State has delivered to Mr.
Stoeckl the following acknowledgment
" DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON,

Sept. 7, 1861.

" The Secretary is authorised by the President to express
to Mr. do Stoeckl, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of Russia, his
profound sense of the liberal, friendly, and magnanimous
sentiments of His Majesty on the subject of the internal
differences which, for a time, have seemed to threaten the
American Union, as they are communicated in the instruc-
tions from Prince Gortschakoff to Mr. de Stoockl, and by
him read, by His Majesty's direetion, to the President
of the United States and the Secretary of State. Mr.
de Stoeckl will express to his Government the satisfaction
with which the Government regards this new guarantee of
a friendship between the two countries, which had its be-
ginning with the national existence of the United States.
"The Secretary of State offers to Mr. de Stoeckl re-
newed assurances of his high consideration.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

" Mr. Ed. De Stoeckl."
The Washington Corresspondent of the New York
Tribune, writes as follows :
"Prince Gortschakoff, to give impressive earnestness to
the meaning of the Emperor's letter, directed Baron
Stoeckl to read it in person to the President. The Baron
came on expressly for this purpose from New York yester-
day, and the despatch was read by him to Mr. Lincoln
and the Secretary of State in the blue room. Prince Gort-
schakoff further directed the Russian Minister to make the
Emperor's friendly letter public to the people of the United
States through the newspaper press."

It is reported that ten Confederate regiments
have been withdrawn from Virginia for the pro-
tection of the North Carolina coast.

It is also rumoured that an additional expedition
to the Southern coast will be inaugurated imme-
diately.

The Federal Government has forbidden the
transfer agents of the New York Central Railway
to transfer or pay dividends on stock to owners in
the South.
The Hammonia has arrived out.

The Africa was intercepted off Cape Race on the

9th inst.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Provisions slightly firmer. Wheat firm and ad-
vancing. Flour improving. Corn and sugar, good
inquiry. Coffee unchanged. Molasses steady.
Cotton quiet; midling upland, 22c. to 222 e. Money
tighter. Exchange steady, 1071. Stocks steady.
New York Central, 73k; Erie, 251; Illinois Cen-
tral, 67,4.

NEW YORK, SEPT. 11, Morning.

The Baltimore American states that a Mississippi
regiment at Leesburgh had revolted, broken their
muskets, and started home.

One company of the New York Rifle Regiment
has attempted to desert.
They were fired upon, and two men were killed;
the remainder were arrested.

General Polk has proposed to the Government of
Kentucky that both Confederates and Federals
should withdraw from that State and respect its
neutrality.

The greatest activity prevails in the Federal navy
departments.
The report of the death of President Davis is now
totally discredited.

The New York World states that an impression
is gaining ground at Washington that the Con-
federates will await an attack from the Federals.
The North Briton has arrived out.

QUEENSTOWN, SEPT. 22.

The Royal Mail steamer Niagara arrived here to-
day at 1 p.m., embarked the mails, passengers, and
latest telegrams, and proceeded for Halifax and
Boston at 4 p.m. ; all well.

NEW YORK, SEPT. 7.
The steamship Arabia arrived at Boston early on
the morning of September 6, and the steamship
Glasgow at New York on the night of the 4th.
The New York Herald of September 7 gives the
following summary of news :-
1 " A reconnaissance was made yesterday along the
whole line of the Union army, from Alexandria to
the Chain Bridge, and the condition of the troops
proved to be most satisfactory. There are no longer
complaints of dernoraliantinn or want of fligeipline
the spirit of the men is described as most excel-
lent. The War Department is receiving fresh
troops as fast as it can assign them positions.
Some heavy firing in the direction of Chain
Bridge yesterday created an impression that a con-
flict was in progress, but it proved to be only some
artillery practice from one of the batteries. The re-
bel pickets, however, in the vicinity of Bailey's
Cross-roads and Manassas Hill are within some 700
or 800 yards of four companies of the 37th New
York Volunteers, company E, commanded by Capt.
Kavanagh, being in the ad,vance, and completely
under the fire of the rebel batteries on the hill.
The most important news we have to chronicle to-
day is concerning the condition of affairs in North
Carolina, resulting from the late naval victory at
Hatteras Inlet. The rebels, alarmed at the expedi-
tion under Stringham and Butler, have abandoned
Ocracoke Inlet, spiking the guns before retiring,
and leaving the white flag flying. The Government
is thus in possession of Albemarle and Pamlico
Sounds, and, with the exception of Beaufort, virtu-
ally commands with its navy the whole coast of
North Carolina. The War Department sent orders
to General Wool yesterday to hold Fort Hatteras
permanently, and the fate of Beaufort cannot long
remain doubtful. The moral effect of the capture
of Hatteras Forts upon the Union men of North
Carolina has been most striking. They are pour- i
ing in by hundreds to Hatteras Inlet to take the

oath of allegiance to the Federal Government, and

otherwise demonstrating their fidelity to the only
authority that can preserve their Stat© from the
horrors of a despotism which is endeavouring to
overrun the whole south. The loyal citizens of
North Carolina have, perhaps, been made the vic-
tims of this despotism as much as any of the Border
States. On Feb. 28 last the people of North Caro-
lina voted on the proposition of the Legislature to
call a State Convention, and the following was the
result :—Against convention, 47,269 ; for conven-
tion, 46,627—majority against convention, 648. Of
those who voted for a convention it was said that
more than one-half were Union men, who took the
affirmative side under the impression that our dif-
ficulties might be healed by a body of repre-
sentatives fresh from the people. Notwithstanding
that there was a clear majority of voters opposed
to a convention as it was exhibited through the
ballot box, Governor Ellis convened the Legisla-
ture in its extra session on the Ist of May for the
express purpose of having a bill calling a regular
Secession Convention, which was done in confor-
mity with the governor's wishes. On the 20th
liay the Convention so authorised met at Raleigh,
and on the following day they tumbled the old
North State out of the Union. Is there any wonder,
then, that after this proceeding large numbers of
men flock to the standard of the country where-
ever an opportunity offers ? Governor Ellis, after
thus endeavouring to deal death and destruction
to the State, soon succumbed to the fell de-
stroyer himself, for he died immediately after
the consummation of this nefarious scheme.
Accounts from Leesburg, report 7,000 rebel
troops there, and considerable activity in throwing
up entrenchments at the junction of the Little Falls
Road with the Alexandria and Leesburg turnpike.
The pickets of the enemy line the shores of the
Potomac above Leesburg, though there were no
large bodies of troops there.
" We have very important news from Kentucky,
via Cairo. General Grant, with two regiments of
infantry, a company of light artillery, and two gun-
boats, took possession of Paducah at 11 o'clock yes-
terday morning. He found the rebel flags flying,
but they were immediately torn down by the Union
citizens on the approach of the troops. He took pos-
session of the telegraph offices, marine hospital, and
other public buildings, and issued a proclamation
to the people which we give in another column.
The town was in great alarm at the rumoured ap-
proach of 3,800 rebel troops which were in close
proximity to Paducah. We have to record to-day
one of the most horrible episodes that ever disgraced
of Missouri,
modern warfare on the part of the rebels

namely, the destruction of a railroad bridge on the
Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, over Plate River,
9 miles east of St. Joseph, by which a whole pas-
senger train, containing nearly 100 inoffensive
people, men, women, and children, were precipitated
into the river, and 17 killed and others horribly
mangled. It appers that the timber supports of the
bridge bad been nearly burnt through, and the
fire then extinguished, thus leaving no suspicious
appearance about the structure, so that when the
train entered the bridge at night, the whole
track gave way, resulting in the fear-
ful consequences above stated. It was subsequently
discovered that some other bridges on the route to
St. Joseph were similarly disabled, and the track
obstructed with logs, in order to prevent assistance
being conveyed from the town to the wounded vic-
tims of this cowardly outrage. The obstructions
weze, however, removed, and a large number of phy-
sicians and others proceeded to the scene of disaster."
The applications at the Sub-Treasurer's office in
New York for subscriptions to the Federal
Loan and for the new Treasury notes have been
so numerous that the banks in New York
have been authorised to issue Treasury notes
over their counters in the same way and on the
same principle as at the Sub-Treasury. Individual
subscriptions paid into the Sub-Treasurer's office
have some days exceeded 800,000 do's.
The Kentucky State Legislature assembled at
Frankfort on Sept. the 3d.

The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times states that the Federal government had given
no instructions for the proclamation issued by
General Fremont in Missouri, but that the measure
is approved by the Federal Cabinet. The same cor-
respondent states that the Governor of Missouri is
now in Washington, remonstrating against the ex-
tension of martial law over the whole of Missouri,
and urging the restoration of the provisional go-
vernment, of which he is the chief. He is said not
to be successful in his mission.