The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-08 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, OCT. 8, 1864.

According to the prevailing rule, the discussion
of political questions is usually excluded from
agricultural aseemblies. The members of the As.
sociation and their guests examine the exhibition
celebrate their annual festival, and discourse upon
the prospects of the crops and the condition of
the labourer. When a foreigner is among the
company, however, it is natural there should be
seme little variation, and more especially when
that foreigner bears so distinguished a name as
Baron BUNSEN. Therefore, at the recent assembly
of the North Walsham Agricultural Society, in
Norfolk, at which the son of the late Prussian
Ambassador was a guest, it is not surprising to
find the vexed question of the dispute between
Denmark and the Duchies brought under conside.
ration. It is worthy of notice, however, that
although the Baron spoke at some length in favour
of his countrymen, no Englishmen followed suit.
Politeness fcrbade their contradicting their guest,
and the eubject was therefore prudently but
markedly avoided. It n ust really have required
all the patience which his audience could muster
to listen to the Baron's arguments without imme-
diate contradiction. It certainly needed some
moral courage to confiont a body of Englishmen
and gravely declare such sentiments; bat we give
Baron BUNSEN credit for their being his delibe-
rate convictions. lie started with the assertion
that " the Schleswig.liolstsiners had been at war
in the right, that the Danes were in the wrong, and
9 were bound by every consideration
that
of self respect and national duty to separate and
save the Schleswig-Hoisteiners from the oppression
of the Danes," In support of this theory, he
triumphantly declares he will ask a few home clues,.
liana, which are, let, How it is that during the

last 13 years of_undisturbed Danish rule in the
Duchies, a rule which was tolerably, some say in-
tolerably, strict, not one single newspaper in
Schleswig-Holstein advocated the Danish view ?
2dly, How it was that during that time the Duchies
had failed to obtain anything like a majority in
either Parliament ? and, 3dly, How it was that,
while the political refugees now returning from
Germany are everywhere welcomed by the inha-
bitants of the Duchies, the Danes bad at all times
met with a very bad reception ? Baron BUNSEN
did not perceive that the answer to some of these
queries have exactly the contrary effect to what
he intended. It is scarcely "an intolerably strict
rule' which permits the whole power of the press
to be directed against the Government. The Prose
sian journals of last year might tell a very difa
ferent story, but the first movement of a despot
is to curb the power of the press. Where that is
left free and unfettered there is little reason to
apprehend an oppressive administration. In the
second place, it is not very clear on what grounds
two provinces of a kingdom should expect
or wish for a majority in its united councils.
Englishmen would certainly not be well pleased
if the chief proportion of their representatives were
Scotch or Irish, not from any prejudice against
their fellow-subjects, but because such a Parlia-
ment would not fairly represent the nation. As for
the political refugees returning from Germany in a
time of excitement, when the Germans are masters
of the field, and when everything German is the
order of the day, it is not very likely that they
would meet with other than a favourable reception.
Baron BUNSEN tells us that the greater number of
the young Schleswig-Holsteiners are sent to the
German colleges—another fact which looks.oddly
enough, considering the severity of the Danish rule.
Baron BUNSEN is not much happier in his replies
than in his questions. He gave, he said, " the most
unqualified contradiction" to the charges, that the
object of the war had only been obtained by num-
bers, that the Danes had been treated with cruelty,
and the Schleswig-Holsteiners with harshness, and
that the King of PAUSSIA meant to keep the coun-
try for himself. The Baron frankly admitted that
he did not approve of the preponderance of Austria
and Prussia in the affair; but he was absolutely
certain that the King of PRUSSIA never entertained
for a moment such a shameful idea. Baron BUNSEN
is one of the members of the Prussian opposition.
If all his fellows were equally credulous, M. Von
BISMARK will have an easy time of it. Perhaps he
has not seen a significant paragraph which was
going the round of the journals, in reference to a
change in the advisers of the Duke of AUGUSTEN,
BURG, with a view to a close connection between
Prussia and the Dachies. There are more things
in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in Baron
BUNSEN'S philosophy, bat certainly his idea in some
points are novel and striking. He says of the extor-
tionate levies that the money was mostly spent in
the country it was taken from, so that the in•
habitants were better off than before. To what
school this aphorism belongs is not clearly apparent,
but it is as good an excuse as any other. "The in-
habitants of the DucLies think themselves very
cheaply delivered from their oppressors," but the
address to the Danish KING the other day did not
indicate much content. As for the charge of
cruelty, Baron BUNSEN is forced to turn the tables
upon England, and to rush wildly from Kagosima
in 1864, to NELSON at Copenhagen in 1807, to
prove either that the English are cruel, or that the
Germans are not ; but which is his meaning is not
very clear. He paid a tribute to the bravery and
readiness for war of the Prussian army, and hints
that after all the Germans would not be such a bad
match for the French. In fact, their superb
triumph over poor unaided little Denmark, who is
behiud the age, not in courage, but in military skill
and appliances, seems to turn the heads of the wise
Prussians, who seem to regard the subjection of
Sonderborg as another siege of Sebastopol—while
in the open field, S tlamanea and Vittoria were
nothings to their victories. We omit Waterloo,
because everybody knows the Prussiacs won it,
and the English only looked on. But Baron
BUNSEN, though doubtless he inherits many of
those talents that made his father's fame, has not
succeeded in the art of proving that black is white;
and we give hi n credit for believing a further ac-
quaintance with the intentions and
opinion
of
Prussia will considerably modify his
the case.

The reports which continue to be received from
various quarters respecting the progress of the
cotton cultivation give us every reason to anticipate
its steady advancement. Tho success has, of course,
varied in the different places in which the experi-
ment has been made, having in some instances far
exceeded expectation, and in others from unfavour-
able weather, parasitical insects, deficiency of la-
bour, and other drawbacks, it has by no means
fulfilled the hopes of the sowers. Altogether the
prospect is satisfactory, and it is gratifying that
in many quarters they are preparing themselves
for a possible competition with American cotton,
so that there will be less likelihood of future dis-
appointment and abandonment of the scheme. It
has been proved by the researches made in conse-
quence of the present demand for the raw material
that cotton is indigenous in many places. At the
recent meeting of the Cotton Supply Association
a letter was read from Buenos Ayres, stating that
in the province of Corrientes and in the Grau
Chaco wild cotton grows in the greatest abundance.
Millions of pounds could, it is said, be gathered
with very little trouble or expense, but no one
takes the trouble to do so. This is surely worth
further inquiry, since if the account received is but
half true, it promises a most valuable source of
supply. That it is not entirely illusionary is proved
by the fact of a quilt and a sample of the cotton
of which it is made being forwarded to
the Association. We shall probably learn
from a future meeting what is thought
of this production, and what ie the estimated value
of the cotton. At all events a soil which grows
cotton of any sort spontaneously can hardly be
otherwise than favourable to the cultivation of the
better kinds, so that we may hope a valuable field
will be opened in this quarter. The success of
the experiment in the Bahamas has been very
striking. Long Island is said to be covered with
cotton fields, 900 or 1,000 acres being now planted
with it, instead of only 130 as was the case when
the last report was sent. One man, who planted
some cotton in the spring of last year, had no
assistance but that given by his own children, ex-
cepting on one day when he hired a man for 2s.
This planter has since sold his cotton for £125. The
only difficulty arises from want of labour, but it is
thought something might be done to remedy this
evil, in this and the neighbouring islands, by assist
ing the poor white population of Barbadoes to
emigrate thither. In Syria the cotton crop has been
much damaged by a caterpillar which has, it is said,
destroyed 30 per cent. of the plants, but about
80,000 bales will still be left. In Salonica a strong
wind had proved unfavourable, bat the crop hag, in
the opinion of competent observers doubled since
last year. In other parts of the Turkish empire
great efforts are being made, but the tax gatherers
often hamper the progress of the experiment. At
all events there is no lack of exertion and enter-

prise in the matter, and we ought before long to
reap the fruits of all these endeavours in the re•
clued prices of this useful material.

Thursday morning witnessed un interesting and
in some degree a novel spectacle in the venerable
old city of London. The first railway train that
has entered its ancient precincts passed over the
new Bridge at Blackfriars to the new Ludgate
Station, and returned thence to the station in the
Blackfriars-road, from whence it had started on its
eventful journey. The Fenchurch-street station
and the Farringdon terminus of the Metropolitan
Railway are not, strictly speaking, within the limits
of the City proper, although they are commonly
regarded as City stations, and therefore we may
look upon Thursday's adventure as the pioneer of
those fiery horses which are about to transform our
traditionary City, making its confusion worse con-
founded, and tearing breathless through its few
quiet and secluded spots. Anyone who has not
visited the City for six or eight months, may well
pause amazed at the alterations. Ever the grave
old Charterhonse, though spared itself, must look
round upon the devastation and commotion. The
whistle of the guard, the shriek of the engine,
will accord but ill with its sombre grey walls ;
but it cannot expect to be exempt from the general
transformation. Bat the railways are working
changes in every quarter; and Charing-cross itself,
with its iron bridge in place of the Hungerford Sus-
pension, and the monster hotel rising confronting old
St. Martin's, is scarcely recognisable. The citizens
for the most part look with some suspicion on the
innovation, whose advantages they will be the first
to recognise and to profit by when the limes are
fairly at work. The wise supervision of the Houses
of Parliament has restricted the reckless folly of
speculators, who only thought of turning the tide
of the time to suit their own fortunes, with little
regard to the public safety or requirements. If

schemes are good and practical they will not suffer
by a year or two's delay. On the contrary, the
public will be better able to appreciate their utility,
and will be less inclined to offer unreasoning oppo-
sition to them. Should it, however, prove that the
lines already in course of construction are amply
sufficient for the wants of the day, there will be no
need to cut the City up further, destrojing property
and occasioning inconvenience. At any rate, the
managers of that enterprising company of the Lon-
don, Chatham, and liaver Railway, whose opera-
tions Punch has warned us will i❑ due time require
the appropriation of Windsor Castle and the Crystal
Palace, have reason to congratulate themselves on
the successful progress of their arduous undertaking.
The new bridge over which the train passed on
Thursday was a work of no slight labour, 300 men
and boys having been constantly employed on it from
the close of January to the last day of September.
It consists of four lines of railway, the whole of
which are not yet completed. Telegraph wires, of
course, run overhead, and they ere arranged in a
new fashion, which adds to the beauty of the struc-
ture. Some of the directors, the managers, the en-
gineers, and contractors, and other gentlemen
interested in the progress of the line were in the
train, which, like the bridge, was gaily decorated
with flags, and the assembled workmen, whose
strong hands had carried out the designs of the
others, looked on with satisfaction, and cheered
heartily as the carriages moved across the river.
The first City line was, therefore, inaugurated with
every prospect of success without a single draw.
back. We trust its public opening will prove
equally satisfactory, and that when it and its
competitors come into play they may serve they
may serve to relieve, in some measure, the ex3es-
bive traffic of cur streets, which is now not only
productive of great inconvenience and delay, but is
becoming fraught with absolute danger,