The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-18 00:00:00

HIE Shy, , LONDON, :MONDAY EVENING, JULY 18, 1864.

Lords or Commons, no reform of any kind, partial or
orymprehensive, good, bad, or indifferent. Supposing
t,ie man of men amongst the whole of you had con-
trived to persuade people of all parties.both in Parlia-
ment and out of it, that he at least,if no one else among
our public men, was staunch to the backbone, to
the core of his heart, through every fibre of his
being, as the greatest of all living Leaders as a
Reformer. Supposing this arch advocate among
the champions of Reform had himself been the
one to place your opponents as mere would.
be Reformers in a minority by moving a series
of cleverly contrived Abstract Resolutions. Let

him as the sequel to those Resolutions—on the ex.

pulsioa from ofßzeofyour before-mentioned worsted
predecessors—let him, this arch-Champion of Re-
form, the staunchest of all staunch Reformers, be
raised froni the Commons to the Lords, be re-
warded with a bran new Earldom, be invested
with the George of Diamonds and the blue-silk-
ribbon of the most noble Order of the Garter.
)•"'d then, when his own career has been
thus satisfactorily accomplished—let him dry
those eTes of his, for once and for all, those eyes
that were wont to shed tears at the failure of his
1, st abortive efforts as a Reformer. And let him
hush up the babble
probably follow steadily - his of all those who would fain
s footsteps (as a Re-
former) by that last charming
little axiom of his,
" Rest and be thankful,,' No matter what invi
dials constructions may be put upon such
pnceedings as tress by come vexatious mai.
o‘.)ntents—py no heed to them whatsoever. The
course you have chosen may be mean—hut it will
succeed. Thus much in regard to your rule of con-
duct, internally—that is, in respect to your wisest
vhems for carrying on safely the aff.;irs of the
Home Government. Now for the best plan among
all conceivable plans upon which to construct the
foreign policy of the country, Wel:, in regard
to ttat—start, first of all, upon the disk
tied understanding that you shall scrutinize
azd generally estimate all foreign questions from a
P'37015" commercial point of visw. Never mind
troubling yourself about the honour of the country
what will pay—and what wont. The honour
will tsk cire of itself—rest perfectly well satisfied

...... ,
The deputation to Lord PALMERSTON from the
Society for obtaining the cessation of hostilities in
America is a satisfactory event, and may be regarded
as a significant sign of the times. It is not likely
that at this juncture any effort made on the part of
her MAJESTY'S Government could stay the course
of the war; but it seems strange that now, when
in all probability the termination of the unhappy
contest draws near, Lord PALMERSTON
I should speak in a somewhat different style
from what he has adopted on previous occasions,
when the question of the attitude this country
should assume in the affair has been broached. The
object of the deputation was not to discuss the mat-
ter politically, but to urge the plea of humanity,
and state their opinion that it was considered by
many that at present there was so much weariness
of the war existing is America, that something
might be done to put a period to its disastrous con-
tinuance. It was their belief that the Government
might do good service to the cause of peace by using
their influence with the Federal Government to pro•
mote the cessation of hostilities. It was further
added that the restoration of the Union being per-
fectly impracticable, the prolongation of the war
can only increase slaughter, and add to debt. It
would have saved an incredible amount of suffering
had the consciousness of this truth dawned upon
the minds of many at an earlier period, but there
are some lessons that can only be bought by expe•
rience, The details, of course, are but too well
known concerning the war in America, but still
the impressive manner in which some of the lead-
ing features of this most deplorable calamity are
put before us by the members of the deputation
must strike home to the minds of all who peruse
them. This strife between the rival States will
will stand out prominently in history, as among
the most fearful visitations that have ever befallen
humanity. It has been computed that the destruc-
tion to human life has been at the rate of ten
thousand a week, or half a million a year. There
was great force in the arguments used by Mr.
SPENCE as to the benefits which would accrue if
the termination of the war took place at the in-
stance of friendly mediation, instead of its termina-
tion through the exhaustion of either side of the
belligerents. Whichever succumbs the worst
effects will be produced, and a state of uni•
versal peace can not be hoped for. The worst
casnalty would be if the South succumbed, because
all the tyranny of the North would ride rampant
over the subjugated soil, and it would, in all pro-
bability, prove that the Confederate States would
he in a worse position than ever. There would also
be great inconveniences if the North were compelled
to devant in thuxt attempts to bring tea heiltgPr ant
States into submission. They would become dis-
, united among themselves, and future efforts at
legislation would be rendered difficult by the re-
criminations that would ensue, and the discontented
spirit that would gain ground. It is impossible to
study this subject in its details, and not arrive at
tee conclusion that great blame rests upon the
Government for not doing something to stay the
slaughter at an earlier stage, and to avert the dread-
ful sacrifice that has been made of life, and the irre-
trievable injuries done to commerce. It is not at all
consistent with the position that we ought to hold
among nations, to be told that an attempt at me-
diation would be fruitless, and our efforts to avert
the evils that are so conspicuously apparent in this
civil war would be of no avail. Lord PALMER.
STON in his reply gave his hearers a reasonable
ground for supposing that the opinions of the
Government had undergone some modifica-
tion on this subject, but he very carefully
abstained from mentioning any precise time at
which it might be expected that they would realise
the long-wished-for attempt at a settlement of the
difficulties that now distract the American conti-
nent. He gave as his chief reason that they might
exasperate the North by so doing, and that " pre-
mature efforts" wonld do more harm than good. It
is really strange that the noble lord should charac-
terise any efforts that have yet to be made as "pre-
mature." The term is not at all an appropriate one,
and it is quite inconsistent to employ it. Still it
must have been considered by the deputation as
something gained that the noble lord did not reject
their proposition as perfectly untenable. There is
another circumstance which corroborates the notion
that the tactics of Ministers are undergoing a change,
and that is the fact of Mr. MASON having had an
" unofficial interview" with Lord PALMERSTON the
other day, introduced by Mr. LINDSAY. Nothing
definite took place in consequence, but still it is a
move in the right direction, and it is not likely that
the noble Premier would compromise himself by
thus expressing himself if he did not intend to fulfil
his promise. It will b© a fortunate occurrence if
the hopes of the deputation are realised, and some
definite attempt is at last made to avert a calamity
that seems almost too great to realise from its
extent and magnitude, as well as from its pro-

,ongation.

The progress which has been made in agriculture
is one of the most ramarkable of the many changes
of our times. It is, indeed, less conspicuous in its
action, and less astonishing in its results than many
of the changes by which other trades or professions
have been influenced. But if the adaptation of
steam to farm implements produces less startling
consequences than the rapid transmission of hun-
dreds of persons over land and sea against all
I opposing influences, the work which the giant does

a the one case is no less useful than in the other.

If the discoveries in agricultural chemistry aro at
first sight less wonderful than the electric tele-
graph, tfipy may possibly prove to be eventually
even more beneficial. The dying out of prejudice,
under the influence of increasing and extending
knowledge,
has been one of the great victories
generation ; and, although it
of the present
may be more
indispensable to the welfare
of a country that
political, religious, and moral
intolerance should be extinguished than that
farmers should be induced to follow the
most profitable method of working their farms, yet
the importance of that improvement is not to be
questioned. However valuable may be the rapid
transmission of intelligence, or the increased foci-
lities for locomotion, yet the vocation of the farmer
is aftsr all of primary impottaue, ~!...11 the Achieve'

ments of skill and discoveries of human intelligence
are use less unless those who design and those who

profi,,, by their labours are alike supplied with
pro visions of mother each, Agricultural chemistry
may be less attractive as a study than the deeper
and more imposing sciences of geology and astro•
nomy, or chemistry itself in its more enlarged ap-
plication, but the rapid advance made of late
years in the production of food proves that it is at
least a profitable study. For many a long day it

was the fashion to regard farmers and ag,ricultu-

rists generally as men behind the age, who obsti-
nately refused to move from the beaton track. But
it is not so very long since the application of steam
and other advantages were recommended, and
already they are becoming popular. Agricultu•

rists of this day ara no longer a class by theme
selves, shut out from the general progress of en-
lightenment. As the rest of the world has
advanced in knowledge and intelligence,

they have advanced too, until there is
no reason to fear that any scheme for
the improvement of farms or farming stock
will not obtain as fair a hearing as in any other
profession. Mach of this beneficial change has pro-
bably been due to the influence of agricultural shows
and societies, which have brought men together
from distant parts, to exchange opinions and expe•
rience, and to see with their own eyes practical

Africa,

proof of the advantages recommended to them
The meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society
which has been held during the past week, is one
of these occasions, and it was in this instance pecu-
liarly interesting from the fact that it had not been
held in that town for nearly twenty years. The
meetings of the lie)yallAgricultural Society are held
yearly at different large towns throughout the
country, and it is thus often a good many years be-
t ween the celebrations at any particular spot. In
1946 the first meeting of the society was held in
the very town where they have been now assem-
bling, and the eighteen years that have elapsed
since then have witnessed a degree of progress
which would then have been scarcely credible.
Some of the theories then in their infancy have now
become the recognised practice of the day, such as
the theory of deep drainage then just becoming
known, which is now an established principle.
Since 1846, too, the use of artificial manures has
become general, and this has undoubtedly much
to do with the improvement in our crops. The
effect of steam-ploughing is as yet hardly to be
seen, but there can be no question of its beneficial
result upon heavy clay land, and when it gets into
more general use its influence will soon be apparent.
At the trial last week some of the engines tried
produced en astonishing effect, moving the soil to
a great depth with wonderful rapidity, and leaving
it thoroughly pulverised. No horse-power could
have accomplished the same work. The special
peculiarity of the steam-plough is the great depth
to which it turns up the soil, a result of considerable
importance hardly to be attained by other means.
Altogether the trial, so far as as it went, has tended
to strengthen the favourable estimation in which
these ploughs are already held, and will probably
do much to remove the prejudice yet lingering in
the minds of some against their use. This is one of
the advantages of such a gathering, and its members
can look back with pride to the work accomplished
since their meeting.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

LT.EIITER'S TELEGRAMS.]

AMERICA.

CROOKHAVEN, JULY 18.

The extra steamer Siion, which left New York
on tha afternoon of the 6th inst., was intercepted

hero this morning.
Her news has been fully anticipated by the

CALCUTTA AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, JULY 18.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Poonah, with the above mails, has arrived here.

She brings 75 passengers, £220 in specie, and
precious stones to the value of 3,500r5. ; jewellery,
2,570r5.; musk, 1,500; coral, 1,000. She brings
also a general cargo, including 1,204 bales of silk,
which latter are estimated at the value of £115,000.
On the 13th inst. the Poonah spoke the ship
Patrician, of Newcastle ; on the 14th inst. the
schooner Pride of the Isles ; and on the 16th
the steamer Peninsular.

Exchange on London, 90 days, 50i; exchange
on Paris, of 31c; Marseilles, Of 32c; Madrid, at
eight days, pare

bag, owing to some rumour on board, he called the
officer who gave it to him to examine it before send-
ing it on shore, when it was ascertained that it had
been opened, the despatches taken out, blank paper
substituted, and the bag reserved. The bag
originally contained the despatches from Admiral
Pinzon to his Government and the private letters of
the fleet. It has not transpired yet who the per-
petrators of the robbery are, but we presume an
official investigation will:lead to an exposure of the
guilty persons. For so far the purser is the re-
sponsible party, he having been entrusted with the
' bag, but his responsibility is merely to the company,
and ho may be able to show that be is entirely
innocent of blame; but the company being respon-
sidle for the acts of their employes, will be held
answerable by the parties directly interested, and
no doubt the whole effAir will prove a very dis-
agreeable one to them.