The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-15 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

FIVE YEARS' RESIDENCE IN THE
WEST INDIES. By Charles W. Day, Author
,fette.' 2 Vols. CoLurn.,:-
of "Hints on .Etiq
In these volumes will be found very minute details-
of the general character of the inhabitants of Southr.
America. They are interesting, and appear to postieas
considerable merit as regards information. Great
pains have evidently been taken in Abair compositiore;
in order to arrive- at an exact 'regarding
these important-subjects," namelyi- the- state of the
West Indies as- they are at _ present. 116wever it
must be hoped that the author is in some degree
mistaken in his viows and exaggerated inlhis state-
ments, for a more disastrous condition can hardly be
imagined than that in which he depictS our pessepaienr
in the New World to be lying. A; for the negroes,.;'
he -considers them most despicable every relation,
and adduces several instances of their cunning,
treachery, and cruelty. Naone can help regretting
that such should be recorded of any part of our
empire, but the fairest way will be to give the
author
an opportunity of being judged by, his own
words. Indeed, they contain great common sense,
and assert many plausible reasons for his strictures.
The following is taken from the preface :--
" I should have dedicated this work to one of the
kindest men and best governors that the West Indies
ever had, as noble in mind as in name, but, that his t.l,x-1.
cellency was afraid of my truthful revelations. He had
seen and heard read parts of my MS., and had observed,
I am sorry to say that what you have written is but too
true, 3et at home they are not avrire of it, though it
deserves to be made known to all England, but there if
will not ba believed.' Why not believed?--beeause
policy, not truth, governs the world, and the West Indica,
in particular, so we have all but given up these magnifi-
cent islands to the barbarian to lapse onceamore, into a
mere lair for the negro—not to the aboriginal inkalltr,
tent, but to a savage ten times worse, brought four.
thousand miles to repress the civilization which otherwise
might by a possibility have flourished there. The Ethiop
cannot change his skin, nor the white man amalgamate
with the black.' Ni ture has forbidden it unless to the
utterly depraved. No one can judge of negroes but
those who h ive lived among them. Five 3-ears is time
enough in all conscience for any person of common intel-
ligence to see the truth. ,Must writers have given their
opinions—opinions after a cursory examination of a few.
weeks, nay, many of them after a sojourn of only a ,
few days in each of the island. The author never wrote:
many pages consecutively without submitting them to
some person in a position to judge of their truth, and
quite unconnected with partnership or trade some mem-
her, in fact, of the law, the Church, or the State; so that
if any serious error had crept into his remarks it might
at once be pointed out and rectified. The truths which
tho author tells maybe unacceptable to,West Indians, but
they cannot be impugned, simply because they are truths
and nothing else.'

AMERICAN NE WS.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPtL)
ARRIVAL OP THE PACIFIC.

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY, 7.30 A.m.
The United States mail steamship Pacific, Nye,
Commander, with advices from New York to the 3d
instant, bringing 102 passengers, and 200,000 in
specie o❑ freight, arrived in the Mersey shortly before
seven o'clock this morning.
The Crescent City had arrived at New York, with
advices fram California to the 2d ult., and 1,500,000
dolls. in gold dust.

The Panama Railroad was opened from Buoya
Solari() to Navy Bay.

The steam-ship North America, of Vanderbilt's
Line, was wrecked near Actpulco, on the night of the
28th February. She bad 750 passengers, who were
all saved, in a deplorable condition.
New diggings have been discovered at. Marysville,
and the miners were making from 15 dolls. to 20 dolls.
a day.

At Placerville a placer has been discovered which
realizes 120 dolls. to the pan.
The town of Downirville had been destroyed by
fire, loss estimated at 750,000 dolls.
The steam ships Independence, with 29,071 dolls.
in gold dust, and the Northerner with 1,400,000 dolls.,
had sailed from San Francisco for Panama and New
York.

The Crescent City, in addition to her specie list,
brought an immense amount in the hands of pas-
sengers.

Advices from Callao, to the 9th ult., state that
great excitement was manifest in consequence of two
vessels having sailed from that port with 400 armed
men on board, their intention being the invasion of
Guayaquil. They had, purchased one of the Pacific
Steam Navigation Company's steamers, and in-
tended to send her, together with other vessels and
men, on the same errand. Advices from St. Thomas
to the 20th ult. state that a slight shock of an earth-
quake had been felt there. The British steamer
Merlin was at St. Thomas, with her shaft broken,
having been ashore. St. Domingo advices of the 29th
February are devoid of interest. Advices from Ja-
maica to the 22d ult. state that the bench, the bar,
and the legal profession had agreed to petition Parlia-
ment on the present condition of its affairs. Antigua
papers mention the death of Mr. Musgrave, the public
treasurer of that island. The Dominica papers state
that a very general depression prevailed among the
planters in that island. In most of the West India
Islands strong efforts were makink to secure the
planters against any further reduction of duties on
sugar, the product of slave labour.
Government and State Stocks in good demand at
New York, and prices have an upward tendency.
Money without change. Foreign exchange -dull.
Bills on London, 109 to 1091 ; Paris, 5.20 to 5 184 ;
Amsterdam, 401 to 4q; Ltamburgh, 351 to 354 ;
Bremen, 77i to 771. Cotton in moderate demand,
with sales of 12,000 bales since the sailing
of last steamer. Ashes without alteration. The
flour market was firm, with a good demand.
No alteration in price of wheat. Holders
firm and stocks light, but demand moderate.
Indian corn was scarce, and wanted for shipment.
Southern sold at 66c. to 67c.; white and yellow, 68c.
to 69c. per bushel. Iron in good demand, and large
sales of Scotch pig made at a slight advance. 100
tons English lead sold at 4 dolls. to 4 dolls. sc. cash.
Freights to London—Flour, 2s. per barrel; naval
stores, 23. to 2s. ad. ; measurement goods, 255. to
303. per ton.
NEW ORLEANS, APRIL I.—Sales of Cotton to-day,
3,000 bales at 74c. to 'Tic. for middling.
CHARLESTOWN, APRIL I.—Sales of Cotton, 2,000
bales at a c, per lb. decline.—Times.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE in PATERNOSTER-

ROW.

Last night, at a few minutes past nine o'clock, the
various booksellers and others carrying on business in
Paternoster-row, were thrown into a state of consi-
derable confusion in consequence of a fire of a very
threatening character breaking out in the premises be-
longing to Mr, John Weldon, a bookseller, situated at
No. 4in the row, at the side of Panier-alley. The dis-
covery was not made until the flames broke through the
second-floor windows, and extended half-way across the
thoroughfare, so that at onelime strong fears were appre-
hended for the safety of the opposite houses. Without
a moment's delay messergers were dispatched to the
Watling-street and Farringdon-street stations for the
aid of the firemen. In a very brief period the fire-escapes
of the Royal Society, from Cheapside and New
Bridge-street, 13Iackfriars, arrived, followed by
numerous engines of the London Brigade and
West of England office. The fire plugs of the New
River Company having been drawn, a plentiful supply
of water was procured, and the engines were forth-
with set to work, but not till the two upper warehouses
were in a complete blaze. The firemen, however, stuck
to their work in an admirable manner, and by ten o'clock
they succeeded in getting the mastery over the fire. Not-
withstanding the short time the fire was burning, the
PeniloiotlePieollflyr
ttauuln:dei.egesioaturto:ect is very considerable, both floors being
stocked with costly books, which have been totally con-
gaeunrci efdr.epanfrc:ismthe contents of the lower floors are also very
sdamfg;eed
sbmyefireand water. The origin of the
not be ascertained. The premises were
o'clock,ll
th when they appeared perfectly safe
of any thing burning. Fortu-
nately
perished in the Owing to nowotldon was insured in the Sun Fire Office.
was given* it vinaesi;'aki" an appearauce after the alarm
feared that the owners of the premises
factor ly eicertisined that4mes; but it was afterwards satis-
no one slept in the building.
abfire happened at the Salute-
About two hours previou
lion Tavern, almost at thseback of Paternoster row, but
the damage done was triflin
ever, fell through a trap dot onc_ of the waiters, how-
an was much hurt.

Tilliee regret to an-
DEATH OP LORD PANISIUR.
melancholy event
took Place at Br r
~ esday. the L •
reached the great age 0 B_,
nounce the deatheoohfinLcor,idstPlea,innonure;ru
Lordship
had Lord Pa
13 of late years g nerous patron,
and a kind frien he avoided r
sterling qualities, and —*tlon,
throughout life adn. unflinching Liberal, a ~ "mire was
be remembered in this n'," his high
thebeg over-estimated to his ettropolis,
and his loss can hardlyß
death, _ r
_, tenantry
d. .5' his 2,1 . Fox Mitute
and retainers in Scotland. convivial recollection
po powers,
rosf, hiswil will
oann y
An alarming fire
GREAT FIRE IN MANCHE',
will succeed to his title and
half past eleven o'clock, on
broke out on Tuesday night, at
great estates.
the premises of Messrs. Cooper,
Salford, by which an extensive factory
were totally des'royed. The fire then caught. the adjoining;
Brothers,
anda dCwhe
laipi
nelg,-.siti
or eueste,
tbeuriakalyingnslo,
morning.
AN as not extinguished until three o'clock yea-
o the
AN AMERICAN CRICFITON —Some time ag
editor of the Jonesborough 117hig (Tennessee) announced
~his
.
intention of starting a new religious periodical :—" We feel
competent," he says, "to the task of editing and publishing
a work on politics, one on religion, one on science, and
another on anything else, all at the same time. Our genius
is bounded on the east by the rising sun, on the west by the
horizon, on the south by the shores of time, and on the north
by the farthest limits of astronomical imagination."
THE SALMON FISIFERIES•—The almost unprece-
dently long tract of dry weather has, says the Inverness
Courier, reduced the northern rivers to the dimensions of
scanty burns. In these circumstances it is not to be ex-
pected that the anglers canjiave: done anything worth re-
Porting. In the Ness the nets have captured a few fish from
seven to fourteen pounds weight, all in beautiful condition,
and showing that rain would probably be' hollowed by Au in-
spiring run civic lordly Atli from the set. - - .