The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-18 00:00:00

leaving the vessel without an attempt to scuttle her.
The fact is, that, as soon as the flumes began to
spread, a panic seems to have seized them, and all
presence of mind was lost. The captain was pro-
:)ably on shore, but surely some officer must
have been in charge of the vessel, besides
the pilot, who should have endeavoured to
control the crew. As rt there is no information
on this point, but it is at least certain that almost
immediately the ship took fire she continued to burn
for more than an hour afterwards. Again, the
Customs and dock authorities must have known of
what her cargo consisted, and, we think, that until
she left the river some person should have been left
in charge of her, with authority to sink her in case
of fire, for it is evident that the breadth of the river
was no protection to the town from the effects of
such a stupendous explosion. And, lastly, what
business had the steward to meddle with such a
combustible material as paraffin oil by candlelight,
and that, too, on a large scale, directly over a
slumbering volcano ? If this was not tempting fate,
it was something like it. Why should not the
cabinlampha veryvebee been trimmed in daylight and on
deck, or, at least, somewhere remote from the
magazine? While on this subj,2ct we may remark
that most of the accidents which occur with paraffin
and other lamps by the ignition of the spirit might
be avoided if householders or servants were to trim
their lamps in the morning, and not leave the task
until the lamp was about to be used. In waiting
for further information regarding this explosion, it
would be unfair to cast blame upon any one, further
than is warranted by the facts at present before us.
It is evident that all was confusion on board the
Lottie Sleigh from the moment the accident hap-
pened, which may be, to some extent, excused from
the ignorance of the men as to the precautions
which were taken to protect the powder from acci-
dent ; but we consider that the Deck or Customs
authorities should have taken measures to prevent
the possibility of an explosion in so crowded a river
as the Mersey. The matter will, of course, be
thoroughly investigated, and we trust this accident
may cause steps to be taken to prevent its recurrence,
for we cannot shut our eyes to the fact, that there
was ample time to scuttle the ill-fated ship before
the crew were taken off her by the Wasp.

How Long will the American War Last ?

TO TIIE EDITOR OF TILE SUN.

SIR,—It is an ennobling eight in the opinion of some to
see two athletes striving for the mastery—it is a sorry sight
in the opinion of all to see them grappling in the mud,
gouging, bitting, kicking, scratching, rolling over and over,
and trying to tear each other piecemeal. But this is what
the struggle between North and South in America is fast
coming to. Explosive bullets and General Butler,
Greek fire and German mercenaries, exchange of pri-
soners refused, and war made upon women, military
operations carried out in the spirit of Genghis Khan,
Tamerlane, and the "Scourge of God," " Secessiondom"
to ho made "as desolate as Hell," and a "region as big as
Europe" reduced to its original wilderness of swamps and
alligators. This is war after the gospel of Mr. Bright's
pacific friends, the model democracy under the Dictator of the
White House; and war to which we can see no limit and
no end. If in the spring the North are able to push on
further into the South the war will become universal over
half a continent. War here, there,'and everywhere, war to
the knife, the torch, the explosive bullet, the shell filled with
molten iron and Greek fire—perhaps even war with the
poisoned bayonet. War of this sort bids fair to become the
normal and natural state of things there, henceforth for
ever, and peace the exceptional unlikely state that may
never again be realised. In the time of the Roman Em-
pire, and the first French Empire, Europe was always at
war; and the resources for war in America are at least as
great as any that ever existed in Europe. Why not a" thirty
years' war" in the New World ; chiller is the historian of
such a war in the Old? And the worst is that Europe is
too far off to interfere to stop it without making bad worse.
I read in history that war in the Old World had only been
limited by the means of making war ; and if this is to hold
good in the Now, the present generation may die in it, and
the next be born, grow up, and die in it too, for the causes
and elements of antagonism, discord, and confusion are
greater than wore ever before concentrated in any one
quarrel.—Yours, &c., H Isrot-anus.

The New Movement for the Promotion of
Murder.