The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-29 00:00:00

moment shut up, their valiant opponents being
everywhere victorious. Nay, even this is not all.
" Manhattan" for once seems fairly to have lost his
head, as the phrase is, meaning his judgment. He
has certainly, for once, cleared out of view all consi-
derations of decency. He is not only boastful to
the last degree, as to what the Federals are going to do
with those poor little emmets of antagonists, the
Confederates, but he is announcing how the Fede-
ral Power is going to swallow up half a million
Frenchmen at a gulp ! And while blustering and
boasting in this preposterous manner, he is out-
raging, to the utmost possible extent, the
few remaining ideas of decorum, of which
the reader might still have a hope on
his (the writer's) part, by profanely yelling his
thanks to the ALMIGHTY, that a bloody war with
France has at length become inevitable. We
will give "Manhattan's' own words—so that
it may be seen at once, from them, how it is,
literally, as we have here said ! In his very
first sentence, in this his latest communication,
he writes, " We have to thank GOD, among other of
Ills mercies, that we are to have a war with France !
And may He so direct events that it may result in
making us a united nation—a confederacy of States."
Again—" I have never hesitated to declare that a
foreign war was, of all things, the one thing needed
to restore us to our senses, and to make us a united
people. May GOD grant that it has come in the
shape of a war with France." Further on, yet again
—" We devoutly (!) thank GOD that we are prepared
for a contest at sea with France." Even then, he has
not done with this blasphemously prayerful exulta-
tion over the prospect of that sanguinary encounter.
He is still upon his knees, in irreverent rapture over
the bare idea of this new and more copious outpouring
of blood! "Let war come" he cries (he still speak-
ingiFrance)t greatest
and it will be
of the certainty of a w
war come, reacr with
t h
asghe re "Leta
ron us this year !" To de-
blessing GOD can confe
monstrate quite conclusively, however, bow
wholly MANHATTAN is beside himself at the pros-
pect of a war with France it is only necessary to
refer to his poor little foolish expression of regret
that it will be impossible for NAPOLEON himself
to go out there to America with those French
troops his Majesty would have to send thither
immediately upon the declaration of such a war t
MANHATTAN'S regret being that the defeat of the
French armies by the Federals cannot be thus ren-
dered the more signal and complete—by what ?
By NAPOLEON " playing the Monkey-General, and
smoking cigars"—as he did when opposed to the
Austrians in Italy ! Our Yankee JUNIUS being
quite oblivious, for the moment, of the perhaps
trivial circumstance, that that same " Monkey-
General smoking cigars" again and again defeated
the legions of Austria opposed to him at that time in
Lombardy upon a succession of memorable battle-
fields !

The Emperor of RUSSIA is trying a new plan.
It would seem as if, after exhausting the policy of
the fortiter in re, he was now endeavouring to
essay the effect of the suaviter in ?nada. This may
be all very fine, but the question is whether he will
succeed in taking in those who have been atten-
tively watching his proceedings of late. His doings
at Helsingfors have all been of the most affable
nature, and his speeches are all of the gracious
style. He was received by the students at the uni-
versity with great applause. He expressed his
great satisfaction at finding himself once more
within the walls of the university, of which for a
long time he had been Chancellor. He hoped that
for many long years to come it would still send
out young men who would remember their duties
to the fatherland, and that the Russian EMPEROR
was their liege lord. This was putting it in a very
ingenious hint, and improving the occasion by re-
minding his hearers of a fact he doubtless deemed
of immense importance. After this affair at the
university there followed a banquet to the officers,
and general illuminations in the evening. A grand
review took place the next day, and the number of
visitors was excessive. It would seem that the in-
flux was far too great indeed for the powers of
the inhabitants to accommodate; they were not
equal to the emergency, and some very extraordi-
nary incidents took place. It is said that seven
members of Parliament had to walk the streets
at night for lack of any accommodation.
This appears as if the resources of the community
were not very great, but doubtless such a demand
upon their extent of room and elasticity of arrange-
ments had never before occurred. One individual
who arrived, and asked for a refuge, was told that
there was not sufficient room for a mouse. It is
reported that it is intended shortly to take away
the division of the Grenadier Guards. This, if
accomplished, will greatly improve the state of
affairs, as the present combination is a very strange I
one, there being no less than 20,000 troops in a
place where there are scarcely so many inhabitants.
The people of Helsingfors will, for the most part,
be delighted with their removal. This step will
also augur a more peaceful state of things in regard
to Poland, as it will testify that so mach anxiety
does not prevail on that score in the minds of the
Russians. The summoning of the Chambers was
celebrated with much ceremony. It is more than
half a century since Finland was annexed to the
Russian Empire, and during all that long period
there has been no session of the Finnish Landtdag.
Of course it is natural that the greatest gratitude
should be entertained for the present boon, and that
hopes should run high in regard to the benefits that
will accrue from the event just inaugurated. It would
certainly appear to studious observers, however, as
if the gift were more substantial if the exercise of
its privileges were more free and unfettered. If a
constitutional assembly had been founded the posi-
tion would indeed have been altered for the better.
In that case there might have been more reliance
to be put upon a consecutive form of representa-
tion; as it is now, all depends upon the fancies
of the hour, and the fluctuations of policy
that take place in St. Petersburg are not the
most solid, sure, or safe foundations on which
to build the structure of a nation's liberties, or test
the hopes of a people's rights. If the Emperor of
RUSSIA had bestowed some privileges that were
ensured beyond the possibility of removal, and that
no subsequent casualty could affect or future ruler
disclaim or deny, then indeed would the most sus-
picious have confidence, and the most sanguine see
their expectations realised. But when calmly re•
viewing the state of things, and taking a retrospec-
tive glance at events, how can the present seem pro-
pitious or the future fortunate. To-day we may be
right, but
what may not to-morrow bring forth ?
in the chances and changes of the perplexing inci-
dents of
despotic Government, how soon is the
sunny prospect overcast, and the smiling hope
proveel quite illusory. It is not the way to ensure
the lasting respect or regard f
a
may profess atfirstoto
bepsetople, however
much they
ow upon them
a piecemeal reform, or a temporary amelioration.
Whet is not secure cannot be sterling in its value,
or satisfactory in its workings.
Reece the grand
doings in Finland may be quite as much in the long
run the herald of a failure as the advent of a success.
The liberty that depends upon the caprice, of
tyranny is hardly worth the nsme, and can never
attain to the reality of that blessing. Insomuch,
however, as the whole of the manoeuvres and ma-