Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-17
LATEST SOUTHERN NEWS.
Wilmington-The b ON ba I'd me mt Renewed
The Mission of MIR. Blair.

Wilminston-The b ON ba I'd m mt Renewed
The Mission of MIR. Blair.
From the Richmond Examiner, Jan. 12
The Yankee gunboats, upwards OF fifty in
number. are again visible of Wilmington, and
were Yesterday said to be engaged in a vlgor-
ous Smelling of the woods near Fort Fisher
There is a rumor that an attack has been COM
mepced against the fort itself, but the War De.
partment had last night received no intelli-
gence OF it. The Yankees will not take Fort
Fisher.
We learn that the Piedmont connection will
be in running order to-day or to morrow.
From what we hear there are certain obvious
facilities of transportation which the Govern
ment may command by the attraction OF the
guage of this road, and which 1t should take
advantage Of at the earliest moment. In our
great line OF Southern communications. ex-
tending say from Richmond to Augusta, the
road Is Of the same guags, excepting the Pied
mont link, which extends 48 miles. 1t Is only
necessary to conform the guage Of this az miles
Of railroad to that of both its connections, by
moving one OF it's rails three inches and half
"a work which gang OF negro laborers might
do in q week; TO have single guage from Rich
mOnd to Atlanta, over which trains might pass
without once breaking their freight. AS it is,
we hear there is great occasion Of delay in the
reshipment of freight and we are informed
that it is not an unfrequent occurrence for
trains to be detained at Goldsboro' for two
days at q time, waiting to shift their freight
There is no occasions for these stages Of trans.
portation which choke up the road, and no
reason that we can dis cover but the neglect of
obvious facilities why the Government should
Georgia to the depot in Richmond
From the Richmond Examiner, of Jan. AL
There is no doubt of the fact that Francis
p Blair is here; and there IS the same diversity
about his projects here as at Washington. We
have reason to think-to kH0p, indeed-that
this old man is here on his own authority, and
of his own motion; that he has no authentica-
ton from the Yankee Government, either
written or verbal; that he has no message to
deliver, or cards to show-only he asks to see
the cards in our hands. One story goes that he
expresses the opinion that the Southern States
might negotiate their submission on the basis
of Irrespective Emancipation" The received
version OF his inter view with President Davis
is, that he, Blair, wrote Davis a little letter
inquring whether he would receive q social
visit from an old friend, that Davis responded,
and that the interview took place, at the end
OF which Davis delivered to Blair q letter to
Lincoln, in which he declared his Willingness
either to receive commissioners from the United
States TO treat of peace, or to send them duly
credited, ii they would be received at Wash.
ingtOn.
The Sentinel of Saturday saws:
Mr.. Francis P. Blair, ST.. is still in this city
and is not at the SPOTS wood. but at the pri-
vate residence OF Colonel Guild, Commissioner
OF Exchange. He has had several interviews
with the President, and there are various and
conflicting reports of their Interviews or con-
ferences. One is that President Davis has
agreed to appoint three Commissioners, to meet
three to be appointed by Lincoln, to settle the
little existing difficulty between the Confeder-
ate States and the United States. Another re-
port and we think the most likely to be trne,
is that the President has broken Off all confer
enee with Mr.. Blair, and dismissed him with
q flea in his ear. 1t is expected that Mr.. Blair
will leave Richmond IN the Hag-of-truce boat
that goes down to Narina to-day.