The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-07 00:00:00

when the success so-called has turned out to be
diametrically the reverse, that, even when the
success really does come once in a away, the
majority shrug their shoulders still to
the last (and no wonder) thoroughly incre-
dulous. In the body of "Manhattan's" letter—
of which letter we have here quoted merely the
closing paragragh—there are abundant indica-
tions, moreover, of the lower and yet lower
depths of unpopularity to which Mr. LINCOLN and
his colleagues in the Government have fallen under
the deadening weight of their own cross stupidity.
A crowning ignominy to which the unfortunate
President has been subjected, in the shape of a
most scurillous onslaught upon himself in the
New York Herald, is mentioned by is Manhattan "
who—after mentioning it—remarks, that if Mr.
LINCOLN and his supporters don't notice it, he
(that is, the President) will stand forth in EO de-
graded a plight before the whole city of New York,
that before another six months are gone, the entire
administrative fabric must inevitably collapse.
There is a touch of hyperbole, of courEe, in these
expressions, and a general extravagance in the mere
utterance of distinct predictions of this character.
But, when expressions of regret are openly uttered at
New York that JEFFERSON DAVIS and not ABRAHAM
LINCOLN had been elected to the Presidential chair
in 1860, some notion may be formed of the utter
failure of the latter as a statesman or as an adminis•
trator, since he unhappily assumed the headship
of the American Republic, immediately afterwards
dwindling (upon the disruption of the Union) from
being President of the United States to be Chief
of the Federal Government.

It has often been remarked by acute observers,
that the Government of England has at all times
been distinguished for the pertinacious neglect and
marked indifference with which it treats great men.
Except for political purposes, it is rarely that we
find any mark of favour, any emblem of distinction
conferred on those who nevertheless possess consi-
derable claims to public favour. There can hardly
be a greater mistake than this, and it must tend to
deteriorate the character of our country in the eyes
of foreign nations to find our rulers so ignorant, so
obuse, or so indifferent. A glaring instance of
this kind of proceeding was witnessed the other
evening in the House, when Lord PALMERSTON
made answer to Sir W. MILES respecting the ques•
tion as to whether the Government intended to
recognise the great services " of Captain F.PEKE in
opening Equatorial Africa to the knowledge of the
world." The tone of Lord PALMEESTON'S reply
was characterised by that damaging quality known
as faint praise. It is almost incomprehensible why
the noble lord should set himself to work thus to
disparage the services and disallow the merits of a
man who has won for himself so deserved a renown.
The fact is, the Government are too mean to
attempt any thing in the way of distribution of
honours or any particular badge of merit ; these
they greedily keep for the benefit of their own p ,rti-
eular partisans, hence they must perforce affect to
misunderstand the services and deny the merit of
those who have done their country good service out
of the arena of politics, and in a form that does not
come under the immediate cognisance of Cabinets.
It would be difficult to decide as to 'which of the
Premier's rea sons or objections are the most untenable
or the most inconsistent. In the first place,
he states that there is no immediate practical ad-
vantage to be derived from the discovery made by
Captain SPEKE. Allowing this for the sake of
argument, there are many attainments which ought
to be recognised and appreciated if they do not bear
immediately on a commercial view of the matter.
In foreign countries great composers, great artists,
receive honorary distinctions for efforts which Lord
PALMERSTON would certainly call non-essential to
the business of the world. It must be questioned,
however, how far this statement is founded on fact.
Many persons well calculated to give an opinion
have declared that Captain SPEKE has done great
service to mankind. He evidenced this himself the
other day in a speech, when he pointed out to the
Missionary Society in what direction their under-
takings should be made in order to effect the
greatest benefit in refining and humanising the
population. Lord PALMERSTON then enumerates
the list of those who have achieved equal if not
superior results to the discoverer of the sources of
the Nile. Dr. LIVINGSTONE, in particular, was
cited. It must appear, on reflection, that this is no
reason why a precedent of non-recognition should
be put forward. On the contrary, it is a disgrace •
to all concerned that these eminent men did not re-
ceive any recognition of the great benefits they con-
ferred on their country. According to thie 'idea, if
a mistake is ever made in any instance, the error is
never to be rectified. It seeds a great disgrace to
the rulers of the land that the chief of the Govern-
ment should acknowledge as a fact that nothing
had ben done to distinguish those men
Wlee. had worked hard under difficulties and ob-
tained results which had been " interesting and
advantageous to mankind." Had these adventurous
individuals confined the sphere of their exertions to
narrower limits, and performed services that were
interesting and advantageous to Ministers, we
should find greater perspicacity evinced in discover..
ing their merits, and greater zeal exhibited in re-
commending them as fit subjects to receive the
" favour of the Crown." Sir W. MILES said he
would on an early day move for papers and make a
motion on the subject. This is very satisfactory in-
telligence, and it is to be hoped that an opportunity
will thus bo afforded to other members of express.
ing their opinions on the subject. It cannot be in
accordance with the feeling of the country that
when men who have sacrificed so much time and
strength, who have incurred such great risks,
and encountered so many obstacles to carry
the name and fame of their native land to
the uttermost regions of the earth, return
to announce viva voce their successful explore.
tions into unknown regions, or their important die•
coveries of long hidden places, that they should be
geglected by the Government, and that neglect
should attempt to screen itself behind unworthy
disavowal of their services and paktry attempts at
justification,cn the plea that other deserving men
havebeenassed over. Captaintll
himSPEKEh
ta
that he
Was
require Lord PALMERSTON to tell
not alone in his position. There have been a goodly
number of those who swell the ranks of unrequited
merit. The poetess has truly remarked in some of
her beautiful verses—
" Wave does not foam nor wild wind sweep
Where rest not England's dead ;"
but of these gallant sons who have immortalised
their country's
glory to the remotest regions, and
braved perils of ©very class and kind in the further-
ance of their exploit, how
and passed by by the scornful 27 have been neglected
1"
session of power at home. ones who hold the poE-

We aro not surprised that the House of Commons
should be anxious to gain some information relative
to the service of British subjects under the e
has
rial authorities of China. Of late auch
serviclmpe-
been anything but Satisfactory. The vessels built
and fitted out in this country under the command
of our able and experienced officer—Captain
SHERARD OSBORNE—had scarcely reached their

destination when dissensions arose. According to
the arrangements made by Mr. LtY, who had
receive
anCyaptain
n agent
not beenoszo
Rthe w chiefas
to
oent
be billountdhe m
to reactet
com-
mands except those of Prince KUNG, thus pre-
serving him from the necessity of joining the Impe-
perial Generals in any of those acts of treachery or
cruelty which are only too common among the
Chinese, however repugnant they may be to the
moral sense of Englishmen. Whether he was
really, unwilling to allow a foreigner so much lati-
tude, or whether the recent successes of the Impe-
rial arms rendered Captain OSBORN'S aid a matter
of indifference, Prince KUNG refused to fulfil his
part of the treaty, and accordingly negotiations
were broken off, and the war vessels remained
under English authority. Scarcely had the particu-
lars of this failure reached us when we were startled
to hear of a cowardly and treacherous proceeding
in which the good faith and honour of an English
officer had been made use of to entrap the victims
to their fate. The slaughter at Soochow excited
the warmest indignation among the European resi-
dents in China, and a meeting of Consuls took place
on the 16th of December at the British Consulate,
at which a resolution was unanimously passed,
denouncing, in strong terms, the act of the Futai,
declaring that such conduct must tend to alienate
the sympathies and prevent the further aid of
Western nations. To this resolution Col. SYKES
called attention, on Friday evening, with a view
of eliciting the intentions of the Government, in
the matter. Col. SYKES complained that the
British authorities in China had by no means ful-
filled the instructions of the Foreign office to be
strictly neutral, as by the disposal of their forces
they had left Major GORDON free to push on with
all his men to Soochow. The capture of Soochow
was believed to be essential to the tranquillity of
Shanghai, and there tlie British Consul and mili-
tary authorities were willing to go some lengths to
secure it. The hon. member reminded Lord PAL-
MERSTON that more than once he had told the
House that instructions had been issued to maintain
strict neutrality beyond the 30 mile limit from the
treaty ports. Lord, PALMERSTON, in his reply,
announced, amid cheers, that both orders in Council
had been revoked—the ono authorising Captain
OSBORN'S expedition, and the other giving a general
permission to British subjects to enter into the ser-
vice of the Chinese EMPEROR, The repeal of the
latter will not make so much actual difference to
the Imperialists, since, eccording to Lord PALMER-
STON, only two or three persons have availed them-
selves of it. The noble Premier expressed great
indignation and disgust at the proceedings at Son-
chow, and stigmatised the conduct of the Futai as
barbarous and abominable. With regard to the
great question of our interfering at all in the matter
Lord P ALNERSTON'S views are somewhat curious.
Possibly they may throw little light on the some•
what perplexing character of our political neu-
trality, and afford some explanation of those eccen-
tricities of foreign policy which harsh critics
have styled inconsistencies. It is for our in-
terest, says the noble lord, that the rebellion
should cease, and therefore, we are willing to
assist the Imperial Government in any way
we may think proper. "It cannot be for the ad-
vantage of those who trade with China that the
country should be in a state of war." If this is to
be accepted as a maxim of policy it will disarrange
a few of our preconceived notions. According to
this, if Ice had commercial dealings in Warsaw
which were affected by the revolution, we should
lend material aid to the Russians in subjugating the
Poles. If our interests were affected by a commie
tion in Venice or Hungary, we should be ready to
come forward to assist the Austrian troops. If we
accept the principle that we have no right to in-
terfere in the internal disturbances of other nations,
we must carry out that principle in Asia as well as
in Europe. It is not allowable for us to do among
uncivilised nations what we are unable or unwill-
ing to do in Europe. If the Poles, the Italians, the
Danes, are to fight their battles unaided, let the
Chinese do the same. Since we have not come for-
ward on behalf of right and freedom, on the side
of people whose long-suffering and fortitude have
evoked the admiration of the civilised world, let us
not be the primary agents in doing the work of a
Government whose faults in the words of the First
Minister of the Crown are cruelty and perfidy, If
it be true, as has been stated, that the rebels have
no desire to interfere with our commerce, nay, in
their attack on Shanghai we're scrupulously careful
to avoid injuring
there, tie British merchants residing
Par': is no reason or excuse for our active
07position to them. The Imperialists have cer-
tainly forfeited all claim to our regard. Let us see
what their unaided efforts will be worth. In the
meantime, are we to find a clue to our foreign
policy in Lord PALMERSTON'S answer ? Is it only
where " the interests of those who trade in foreign
parts is involved that the sword of England, which
neither right, justice, nor humanity can draw from
its sheath, is so readily thrown into the scale ?

THE PRETENDED INSURRECTION IN GALICIA.—
The Cologne Gazette publishes the following inte-
resting notice from the Polish National Government :--
"Department of the National Government for Austrian
Poland. The national government has clearly defined the
position of Galicia as a province giving aid in the war against
Russia. The dilatoriness and terrors of some and the follies
of others have facilitated the spread of reports of an armed
iusurrection against Austria. An insurrection against
Austria under present circumstances could only be wished
for by Russia, or by the partisans of anarchy, and by the
latter only because they act in opposition to the will of the
national government. The evocation of these bugbears
comes opportunely to justify the canards of the Austrian
organs. The indifference, credulousness, and cowardice of
a few inhabitants strengthen the party which only inspires
them with terror. The above-named department of the na-
tional government, strong enough not to deviate by a single
step from the course laid down for it both by the national
government and its own conviction, declares all efforts tend-
ing to provoke an armed insurrection against Austria to be
acts of high treason, and that it will proceed against the
offenders with all the severity of the law, February 14,
IS6 1."

CAPTURE OP THE TOWN OP OPATOW BY THE
POLES.—The Ost Deutsche Zeitung publishes the
following report of the Polish General Basalt on this sub-
ject :—" I have the honour to announce, pending the arrival
of more detailed reports, that the town of Opatow has been
taken by our men under Colonel Toper, commandant of the
Cracow division. The Russians were driven back at all
points. After our men had remained six hours in the town,
they evacuated it in perfect order, taking with them all
their wounded and upwards of 100 rifles, with two waggons
full of ammunition and linen,--The Chief of the 2d Corps
d'Armee, General 13013 AX. AIVETEA Adjutant.—Feb.
23, 1864."
TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS.--" Manhattan" says
—ln Philadelphia they have a paper devoted to
typography, called the drlver'iser. It is the only one in the
United States. Contains typefounders advertisements. It
contains the following ingenious list of typographical sym-
bols, and I send it to your exoollent printers. They can
keep it for private use or publish it :
The type of a Glazier should bo Diamond.
The type of an Oyster should be Pearl.
The type of a Jeweller should be Jtgate.
The type of an Honest Man should be Nonpareil.
The typo of a Citizen should be Bourgeois.
The type of a Schoolmaster should be Primer.
The type of a Bull should be English.
Tho typo of Freedom should be Columbian.
The type of a Maiden should be Paragon.
The type of a mother should be Double Paragon.
The type of a soldier should be Canon.
The type of an Author should be Script.
The type of a Preacher should be Text.
The type of Aristocracy should be Title.
IT.hhee ttyyTpae
ao a
ff a Baby be bo Smallldbeßald Boldface.
The type of an Alderman should be Extended.
The type of a Drunkard should be Baekslope,
The type of a Barber should be Hairline.
The type of our Foundry should be Excelsior.