Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 28, Number 4345, 23 February 1865 — THE BLOCKADE-COriON iBADE. [ARTICLE]

THE BLOCKADE-COriON iBADE.

A correspondent of the Boston Advertiser gives the following interesting facts : _ The importance of the open port of Wilmington to the rebel cause, and the extent of the damage indicted upon the rebels by breaking their connection with die Southwest,* as accomplished by Sherman, may be inferred from the I fact that, even before the Gulf Railroad from Savannah br.d been destroyed, they were obliged i to import from Liverpool,- in the short "period from October 2Cth to January 3d, 8,685 pounds of meat. The actual extent of the eva- ' sion of the blockade, and the amount of the rebel resources in England, can be more accurately determined, however, than by thirsc tig- j ures, from the Richmond papers. "The actual j receipts of American cotton in England, from January 1, 1844, to December 23d, the date of our latest report, have been 103,012 bales. ; Of | this quantity, not exceeding 24,000 bales were shipped from 80-tun and New York carlv in the ; year, leaving 189,000 bales from other ports— • j chiefly Wilmington, in 'the proportion of two- ! thirds, and Matamora - one-third. A small portion of the cotton from liatamoras is raised in Mexico, and cannot, therefore, be passed to the rebel credit ; but this is far more than onset by receipts of cotton in Nev? York from Nassau, Bermuda, Havana and other points, to which the cotton had been carried by blockade-run-ners. It i?, therefore, fair to pass the credit of j the Confederate Government, or its supporters, | the full gold value of 170,000 bales of cotton for the year 1864, which would be, at the average price in England, not far from forty-two million dollars in gold. In addition to this I have been informed by an English gentleman who can; from Mexico in July last, via Northern Texas and the Red river, that a large amount of Texas cotton was carried into Mexico on French account and shipped to France direct, and another considerable quantity spun in Mexico. In crossing the dry plains of Northwestern Texas he counted over two thousand bales in transit on one day's journey. The cotton as being moved in Mexican carts, drawn by cattle. The cattle thrive upon the leaves of the prickly pear, which are prepared by sineging off the* prickles by fire. These leaves, beside being nutritious, arc very succulent, and supply both food and drink. I was inclined to doubt these statements, but have since had them confirmed by a Texas refugee now residing in Mexico near Eagle Pass. The proportions of cotton from Matamoras and from other points have been ascertained in many ways, but I have lately found in the London Index detailed statements of the receipts of cotton and tobacco in v ngland, giving the names of vessels, ports of departure, names of consignees and amount of cargo, It may be safely assumed that cotton from Matamoras and Havana is chiefly Texas cotton, via Mexico, and also that all cotton from Nassau, Bermuda and Halifax is chiefly from Wilmington. Upon this assumption 1 find that there were received in England between the dates of July 23d and November 24, 1864: From Texas via Mexico 17,243 bales. From Wilmington via Nassau, Bermuda and Halifax 38,1651 ..1 . The Washington Republican states the captures of the blockading fleet from July 8, 1864, to the latest date (about January 1), to have been 7,834 bales in all. It is notjuiended to cast any imputation upon the efficiency of the navy. A very superficial knowledge of the coast would convince any one that a thorough blockade of Wilmington, outside the bar, is impracticable. In consequence of the restrictions upon the internal cotton trade, assumed to be a military necessity, we have imported from Liverpool Havana, Nassau, Matamoru and other foreign ports since September 1, 1864, over 40,000 bales of American and foreign cotton, requiring gold remittance at the rate" of $100,000 per day? ' How far the high prices involved in restrictions upon trade, by stimulating blockade running, enable the rebels to supply themselves with munitions of war, and whether they would get a larger or smaller supply from the North if restrictions were removed "and regulated free trade allowed (by which lower prices of cotton, and consequently of gold, exchange and all commodities would probably be attained at the North), are questions on which no individual can form a well-assured opinion. The problem has been one of the most difficult with which the President and Cabinet have had to deal and is still unsettled. It is to be hoped that an early return of the State of Georgia to her allegiance may give us a full solution of this and many other difficult questions.

CoMMrcaox with Spirits.— A lady in England 18 creating quite a sensation in the spiritual way, a«d promises to excel the Davenports in her dealings with the marvelous. She styles herself " Mrs. Duke Batmders," and claims to have the extraordinary gift of holding communion and conversation for any length of time, and anywhere, with the departed in the spirit world. She says : " I can communicate with the spirit nearly as soon as it has left the body. Time is no barrier, for no spirit can resist mv call." She then goes on to say that she has had communications from all sort? nnd conditions of persons, from Adam himself down to Thackeray. Her spiritual correspondents include Abraham, Noah, Moses. Pilate, Queen Elizabeth, Mary, Queen of Scots, Sir Isaac Newton i whom she asserts gives " philosophical explanations of medium writing""), John Bun van Shakspeare, Archbishop Whately, Sir John Franklin, and the late Prince Albert.

Coxsiderate.— A thoughtful donation by Benjamin Pnyn, of Albany, of six hundred and fifty papers of tobacco to the hospitals at NnshvillJ, Tennessee, has dieted an affecting letter of thanks, which indicate-, that the gift has been more serviceable than jellies and tracts in helping many v cailont fellow to bear up under the anguish of wounds and lopped limbs—antitobacconists to the contrary notwithstanding.