The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 22, MI

that, by whatever means, in some form or another
the country may reap that fruit from the long
and terrib'e sufferings inflicted on them by
this war, by slow degrees great good may work
out of the disastrous evil ; but the boasted
Emancipation Proclamation itself is a standing
proof of the insincerity of the President and his ad-
visers. If slavery is indeed regarded by the North
as so great a crime, so vast a national misfortune,
how is it that the slaves of the loyal States were
not emancipated by the same stroke of the pen ?
Were President DAVIS to propose reunion with the
North, on condition of the " domestic institution"
remaining in statu quo, who can doubt the ready
acceptance on the part of the Federal Government ?
But Mr. GIBSON is still sanguine of the future. He
does not consider the restoration of the Union im-
possible. The statistics he quotes in order to show
the flourishing condition of Northern fortunes are
some what curious. According to the report of the
Commissioner of Agriculture in the United States,
the crowds of emigrants who seek their shores are
attracted, not by the large bounty offered to recruits,
and the certainty of immediate employment in the
ranks, bat by the desire "to enjoy independence
and quiet, and to make happy the humble homes
for themselves and their children." Truly if inde-
pendence and quiet be their object, they would have
done more wisely to have remained at home.
People do not usually hurry into the midst of a
civil war to seek peace and quiet, nor is a land torn
by internal dissensions generally considered the
most favourable spot for the culture of domestic
happiness. Independence would very probably ter-
minate in a visit to Fort Lafayette. We suspect
that were the bounty now offered to recruits by the
Federal Government suddenly to collapse, the num-
bers who go "to fight sincerely the battles of free-
dom and equality," and to enjoy these marvellous
blessings of peace and quiet, would show a com-
mensurate diminishment. A country which calls
for a million volunteers is scarcely to be cited as
a specimen of the attractions of war ! With regard
to that aspect of the war which more nearly con-
cerns ourselves, Mr. GIBSON'S views befit the col-
league of Earl RUSSELL. He dilates upon the im-
mensity of our commerce, and then draws from it the
inference that we should be very careful with regard
to the laws respecting neutrals and belligerents.
His theory is that armed steamers like the Alabama
bear a sort of charmed life, and that it is perfect/y
impossible to capture or overtake them ; conse-
quently if we admit the right of neutrals to supply
such vessels to belligerents the tables may one day
be turned upon ourselves, and two or three such
predatory vessels supplied to an enemy by a neutral
power may play havoc with our shipping ? Some
persons might suggest that, seeing the Alabama
was launched from an English dockyard it might
not be altogether impossible to match her. It might
also be thought that the introduction of steam in-
stead of putting it " out of the power of navies" to
interfere with such vessels, just supplied the speed
necessary for overtaking them. But this excess of
prudence, according to Mr. MILNER GIBSON, has
been the cause of our Foreign Secretary's extreme
anxiety about the building of these ships. We doubt
whether such a reason will find much favour in the
eyes of a people who have generally proved tolera-
bly competent to protect themselves and their pro-
perty, without troubling themselves to twist inter-
national laws to suit their possible necessities. If
common sense tells Mr. GIBSON, as he says it does,
that the Confederate Government are the parties
who have, directly or indirectly,:caused these ships
to be built in this country, and that in so doing they
entered upo❑ a deliberate course of violating and
evading the laws of England," what does it tell
him about the large exports of arms and ammuni-
tion made from this country by the agents of the
Federal Government ?

Of the prospects of the cotton trade Mr. GIBSON
entertains the same views which we have always
advocated. From the information he can receive
he thinks we may look with confidence to a revival
of the prosperity of the cotton trade! " The in•
crease in the imports from India, from Egypt, and
other places show a tendency to make us almost,
if not altogether independent," and as time goes on
those most qualified to judge confirm the accuracy
of these anticipations. On the question of Reform
Mr. GIBSON's views are sounder than on the foreign
policy. He still upholds undaunted the principles
of which we have been the staunch adherents. The
ballot, he maintains, is indispensable to the expres-
sion of the pure and genuine opinion of an electoral
body. He says very justly, " There may be coun-
tries in which the classes are so equal in social
position—there may be circumstances in which the
ballot is rendered a question of no moment ; but I
balieve there was never a country of our social feel.
ings, our sense of caste, our aristocratic predilec-
tions, oar gradations of wealth and poverty—there
never was a country in the world which requires
for the eliciting of the genuine vote of a constituent
body the power of secret voting so much as Eng-
land." It is satisfactory to find that the President
of the Board of Trade still keeps such principles
unshaken and unchanged, though the benefit which
Reformers hoped to receive from his presence in
the Administration. has been more than counter-
balanced by the prevailing influence of the " Rest
and be Thankful" faction.

Are we to Reward Murder with a Com-
fortable Provision for ,Life ?