The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-11 00:00:00

SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 11, 1864.

and with the members of their suite discussing and
admiring the novel effects.
About half-past 8 o'clock a dinner party, to which
some 18 or 20 gentlemen were invited, principally
those who had come down in the special train from
Stockholm, either with the Prince of Wales or
Prince Oscar, was held on board the Royal yacht.
There were also present the Swedish and English
suites, and in addition the Swedish Governor of the
province and Mr Oscar Dixon. As the pilot would
not incur the responsibility of taking the ship
through the intricate navigation of the Gottenburg
approaches at night, though the buoys had all been
lighted, with a view to such an experiment, there
was no object to be gained by curtailing this enter.
tainment. Mr F. Hamilton and Mr Heneage, both
of the British Legation in Stockholm, were invited
guests, and before they went on shore his Royal
Highness took the opportun:ty of expressing to
these gentlemen his entire satisfaction with every-
thing that had occurred at Stockholm, the arrange-
ments concerning which visit devolved, in a great
measure, upon Mr Hamilton, who was acting as
Charge d'Affaires till the return of Mr Jerningham.
ELSINORE, Wednesday Night.
The Osborne, attended by the Salamis, left Got-
tenburg about five o'clock this morning, and had a
delightful passage to this port, not so much as a
ripple being visible. About eight miles from here
they were met by the Aurora, having exchanged
signals with which frigate the Salamis quitted the
Osborne, and made all speed to this part for the
unloading the baggage and getting out of the hare
bour again before the royal yacht was ready to
enter. In executing this task she flew through the
water; her rate of speed was something quite un•
paralleled--overtaking a very fast passenger boat,
the Exeelleman Tell, just off the port of Kronborg,
she regularly circled round her, and got first into
harbour by several minutes. The baggage was
landed in a space of time reflecting the utmost eres
dit on the smart handling of the crew, and the ship
had turned round in a berth of very small dimen-
sions, and was outside again, waiting fresh instruc-
tions, long before the Osborne was ready to take
her place.
The latter meanwhile had steamed up steadily
with the Aurora, and on her way met a Swedish
frigate which saluted the flag of his Royal High-
ness, floating jointly with that of Prince Oscar from
the mainmasthead. The Aurora answered the salute
and manned yards, and was afterwards called on to
repeat her excellent practice in answer to the double
compliment paid from the guns of the Danish Castle
of Kronborg and those of the Swedish battery on
the opposite side of the channel, not more than three
miles across at this point. The Osborne landed
Prince Oscar off Helsingborg, between whom and
the members of the English royal family there was
a very cordial leave taking. She then crossed over
direct to Elsinore, where the King, the Crown
Prince, and several Danish officers of distinction
were waiting on the pier head to meet and welcome
their royal highnesses. By some extraordinary
chance everyone on board was looking in a direction
exactly opposite for those whom they expected to
meet there—namely, to ihe place where the car-
riages were in waiting, and it was not till after the
yacht had actually passed the point where the royal
family were standing that their presence was ree
marked. The King then walked back the length of
the pier to the landing point, and as some time
elapsed while the process of swinging round the
yacht was going forward, embarked with the Crown
Prince in a small shore boat, which speedily enabled
him to gain the deck of the Osborne; as he did so
the Danish royal standard was hoisted, and after a
brief stay on board the King and Prince returned to
shore in one of the English royal barges, which
also carried the Prince and Princess of Wales, Lady
Spencer, the Hon. Mrs Grey, and other members of
the English suite. The spectators had assembled in
large numbers, and Elsinore made itself almost as
gaywith flags as on the occasion of the former ar-
rival. The King and the Prince and Princess were
very warmly cheered, and after a little difficulty as
to the question of places in the royal carriage had
been adjusted, caused by the Prince's habitual
modesty as to seats, the royal farcily left for Fredens-
berg, followed by the members of the suite as soon
as these could be landed from the yacht. The band
of the 15th Infantry Regiment was stationed upon
the jetty and performed a selection of appropriate
airs, from the time that the yacht came in sight till
the landing was completed.
A general subject of conversation at this moment,
after the excitement of the royal arrival had a
little subsided, was the gallant rescue of many
lives from a Swedish brigantine, happily effected
by Captain Sir L. M'Ciintock, of her Majesty's
ship Aurora, on her return passage from !Stock-
holm. The unfortunate ship, which was trading
to Copenhagen, was dismasted in a gale, and at the
time that she was met by the Aurora was almost in
a sinking state, laden with barley, to which the
water had penetrated, and which consequently was
beginning to swell. As long as there was a hope of
saving the ship the Aurora stayed by her, though
the gale was still a most severe one, and the Aurora
herself was exposed to great inconvenience, if not
danger. 'At last, after 26 hours had been passed in
this critical service, it became evident that there

was nothing for it but to take off the crew and leave

,he vessel to her fate, which operation was accord

ingly performed in the faco of great difficulties.

formation of the spirit, not only of the border
peopie in Kentucky, Missouri, and 'Tennessee, but
of the cotton States, is current in Canada, which, if
it percolated through the New York, Philadelphia,
Washington, and Boston press, might cause the
Northern people to be less sanguine than they are,
at this moment of apparent v:ctory, of the ultimate
success of their cause, and more dubious of the final
triumph, which neither men who deserve, or men
who do not deserve it, are certain of obtaining.
The success of General Sherman at Atlanta, fol.
lowed so rapidly by that of General Sheridan in the
valley of the Shenandoah, has again inclined the
thoughts of the Americans towards peace. A month
ago, when the Chicago Convention was in session,
the peace party was in the ascendant. The people
were depressed and discouraged. They dreaded
that the war would be interminable. They
were alarmed at the rapid depreciation of Mr
Chase's paper currency. They had placed all their
hopes in Gem Grant, and Gen. Grant was as egre'
gious a failure as any other drill-sergeant or at-
torney a ho had ever been called upon to command
the brave but unfortunate Army of the Potomac.
He was squandering human lives as if they were of
no value, and moved to his work with the remorse.
lessness of a machine or the calculating murderous.
ness of a Cincinnati pig butcher. They saw no end
to his sacrifices of life, but they saw a too speedy
end to the supply of his human material. They
were weary of Mr Lincoln, of Mr Seward, of Mr
Stanton, and of Mr Gideon Welles ; and the New
York and other journals, catching the temper of a
multitude whom they sometimes represent, but never
lead, were all as ardent for an armistice as if they
had been members of the Peace Society, or the
" League of Universal Brotherhood." But General
Sherman took Atlanta, and with the celerity of
harlequin in a Christmas pantomime, who with one
stroke of his wand oan convert a Quaker into a
grenadier, he filled the American heart with a hope.
fulness as great as its previous despondency, opened
before the delighted eyes of Mr Lincoln a bright
prospect of re-election, and reinvigorated that love
for conquest and the Union which had slumbered
but had not died in the previous month of Federal
ill-fortune. The consequence has been a belief in
the minds of the easily excited crowd of American
politicians that the end of the war approaches ;
but in their estimation peace comes from a dif•
ferent direction than that in which it seemed
to be coming, when General Grant was vainly
hammering at the gates of Petersburg, and ap-
pealing to General Lee, who would not answer,
to come out and be defeated before Richmond. The
cry is now that the South is exhausted—that
it cannot maintain itself until next spring;
that it is only necessary for Grant or Sherman to
strike another blow to make an end of the Confede-
ration; and that the Southern leaders, aware of their
doom, are anxious to propose terms to their proxi-
mate conquerors,and to save life and honour, if not
property, on the inevitable day of reckoning on the
best terms they can extort. It is asserted from
Washington that General Sherman has made the
first step towards peace by inviting a conference with
any plenipotentiary who Mr. Jefferson Davis may
appoint, and that the Hon. Clement C. Clay and
the Hon. Jacob Thompson, the Confederate Com•
missioners in Canada—the one residing at St. Ca-
therine's, and the other at Toronto—have, on their
part, received instructions from Richmond to pro-
pose peace to the Washington Government, on the
basis of the restoration of the Union, the re-affirm-
ation of the doctrine of State rights—a general
amnesty—and the guarantee of slavery in all the
States where it legally and constitutionally existed
before the rebellion. lam not in a position either
to confirm or deny the statements made with re-
gard to General Sherman, though I have reason to
believe that his function as a peacemaker is limited
to such peace as he can make with the sword—but
I am able to state, on the highest authority, that
Messrs. Clay and Thompson have no such mission,
and have made and will make no such offer as that
imputed to them. Their " platform " is Southern in-
dependence, and that alone. All other questions
are subsidiary to this, the corner-stone of their edi-
fice. Short of independence the South will listen
to and propose no terms whatever. Come weal,
some woe, it will fight to the last man on this basis,
if it take fifty years. Recent reverses have grieved
but not discouraged it. The Southern exiles in
Canada—mesa who have sacrificed home and pro-
perty for the cause—assert that the spirit, not alone
of the South, but of the Border States was never so
high and determined as at this time of defeat. They
laugh at the idea that Southern resources are ex-
hausted, and maintain that the struggle, so far from
being at its close, is only at its beginning. They
boast at the same time that they will yet show the
world that what Washington and his slaveholding
compeers did against all the might and majesty of
England less than 90 years ago will be done against
all the might, without the majesty, of the North by
the slave.holding gentlemen and slave-approving
middle.classes of the South.
There is, however, a class among the Southern
exiles in Canada, the highest in the confidence of
the Confederate Government, who admit that the
day may come—though they hope it never will—
when the South, despairing of European intervene
tion, and weary of barren sympathy, may be driven
into a corner, unable to find help abroad or rein-
forcements at home, In such an emergency they
iusiet that the Southern leaders might bo induced
to propose terms to Mr. Lincoln, if he be re-elected,
or to General M'Cleilan if he should take Mr. Lin.
coin's place, to which either of those gentlemen and
the Northern people would be likely to accede.
They would represent to the Federal Government
that they would never lay down their arms until
they had secured their political independence and
separate nationality ; that the North would not dare
to attempt their extermination, and would not suc-
ceed in the attempt if it were wicked enough to set
the opinion of the world and the doctrines of
Christianity at defiance in pursuance of any such
project; and that, such being the case, it would be
for the interest of the North as well as of the
South to see if a compromise could not be effected.
The South, upon consideration of Federal recog-
nition of its independence, would be prepared to
enter into a commercial treaty with the North
upon the basis of free trade, and to place an ex-
port duty of 10c. per pound upon cotton, so f S
to give the manufacturers cf New
England and
other Federal States an advantage to that extent
over the manufacturers of Great Britain and France
and every other part of the world. Moreover, they
would agree to an alliance offensive and defensive
with the North in support of the Monroe dsetrine
leaving it to the North to decide whether the doc-
trine should first be vindicated in the expulsion of
the Emperor Maximilian and the French from
Mexico, or in the attempted annexation of Canada
to the Federal dominions. These ideas may seem
wild in Europe, but, wild or not, they are seriously
entertained by many Southern men of high in-
fluence and position. They
are not only disap•
pointed with the action of Great Britain and
France, but they are indignant at what they call the
stupidity or the heartlessness of those nations—
stupidity that did not see the interest of Europe to
aid in the disintegration of the American Republic,
which when united threatened to overshadow the
world with its greatness, and oppress it with its
power; or heartlessness that
would allow a gallant
people, fighting for their independence,
to be over-
whelmed by the mercenary Irish and Germans whom
the North has bribed to fight the battles which it
has not cared to fight with its own arms. These sen-
timents may be deprecated in Europe, but they
exist, and are not to be reasoned away ; and should
any great ill-fortune befal the South will probably
take larger dimensions than taey have yet assumed,
and form the basis of a peace between North and
South which will augur anything
but peace for the I
rest of the world.

The Southern exiles and sympathisers with the
North in Canada take but little interest in the Pre-
sidential contest. If they have a choice between
Lincoln and APClellan it inclines to the side of Mr.
Lincoln. They know that he has mismanaged the
war ; that ho is not a man of principle ; that he
shifts with the wind of popular opinion; that he
would maintain slavery if he :mild thereby preserve
the Union ; that he would abolish it if he had
the power, for the very same reason ; that he is a
cunning rather than a skilful politician; that he has

a thousand weak points and not two strong ones;
that as long as he shall remain President the cause
of Republican liberty in the North will be discredited
throughout the world ; that under his rule the public
debt must increase from :month to month till its
burden becomes intolerable; and that, all things
considered, " the man whose blundering administra-
tion has done so much to make the South a nation
is the best man to continue the work to its litigi-
mate completion." Gen, M'Clellan, on the other
hand, if elected, would give the Federal cause a
certai❑ amount of eclat in Europe—dispose Euro-
pean s!'atesmen to watch and wait to see what would
come of the new administrators, and in a variety of
other ways tend to prolong the war. These things
considered, they incline more to Mr Lincoln than to
his competitor. They have no love or respect for
either candidate ; but if they dislike one more than
the other it is Gen. M'Clellan, because, nominated
on a peace platform, he accepted the nomination as
a supporter of the war and had not sufficient sta-
bility of purpcse or character to refuse to be carried
away by popular clamour created by the transient
and resultless victory of Atlanta. In short, the
Southerners despise Mr Lincoln and hate General
M'Clellan. They consider the one a fool and the
other a knave, and think themselves quite able to
cope with either, I have already stated that they are
not discouraged by the recent unfavourable news
from the valley of the Shenandoah, and have only
to add that they believe that whichever of the two
candidates be elected, there will be a popular out.
break in the North-west, which will severely test
the power of the Federal blovernment, and operate
as a valuable diversion in favour of their cause.
Circumstances, small in themselves, but all con-
verging to one focus, show that this belief is not
ill-founded, and foreshadow a troublesome time in
that region prior to and subsequent to the day of
election.

Royal East Berks Agricultural Association.

This association, which is one of the most important of
the kind in the county, held its annual ploughing match on
Tuesday last. The ploughing match took place on land at
Hithe Farm, Cockham, in the occupation of Mr J. T. Mills,
Between 30 and 40 teams attended. The attendance on the
field on Tuesday was not so large as it has sometimes been
in former years.
In the evening there was a publio dinner in the Town-
Hall, Maidenhead. The attendance was not so large as on
some former occasions. The chair was taken by Mr John
Hercy, the vice-president being Mr Walter, M.P.
After the usual•loyal and constitutional toasts had been
drunk,
Mr HIBI3ERT proposed "Success to the Royal East Berko
Agricultural Association." (Cheers.) Their institution was
fortunate in obtaining not only the nominal, but the sub-
stantial patronage of the Crown. They had heard that the
Prince of Wales had promised them a noble annual sub-
scription. He thought, however, with all this that they
ought to have reform. He was not going to talk politics,
but he thought with regard to the association that. they
ought to make it of more practical advantage. They had
one of the most popular gentlemen in the neighbourhood ,
in the chair, one who was known to them as a good land-
lord and a kind friend, and in every way fitted for the post
he filled, and yet when they looked round the room they
could not but notice their diminished ranks, and that in
point of numbers they were not what they ought to be.
(Hear,) They ought not at present to be decrepit. They
had only been established 25 years, and they ought to be
flourishing. He would suggest that there must be some-
thing unsound in the formation of the society, else it would
hold a better position. He trusted that they would make
an effort to put the society on its legs again, (Hear.) He had
given a small prize for cottage husbandry, but he found that
there were only 10 competitors for six prizes. (Laughter.;
It was no honour to win a prize under such circumstances,
It was like coming in second in a race when only two started,
(Laughter.) He thought the society had done a great deal
of good, and that it was capable of doing still more good.
(Cheers.) He begged to propose " The Health of the Chair-
man." (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN briefly returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN proposed " The Health of the High
Sheriff," who, with the exception of the Lord-Lieutenant,
held the highest office in the county. The way in which
he had discharged the duties of his office had given the
greatest satisfaction to the Judges.
The HIGH SHERIFF (Mr Hall Say), in responding, said
he considered it as a compliment paid not so much to the
individual as to the office which he had the honour to fill.
Referring to the operations of the association, Mr Say said
he considered them to be beneficial ; ho believed that the
labourer who received a prizo went away a prouder and a
happier man, and that he was regarded as an example to
his parish. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said that the next toast would be sure to
be received with great pleasure; it was the health of their
county members. (Cheers.) They were pleased to see one
of them present. Mr Benyon had written to apologise for
his absence, but ho had accepted the chairmanship of a
dinner at Lamborne, and, as that engagement clashed with
the dinner at Maidenhead, ho could not be present at the
latter. The other member, Mr Bouverie, was not able to
attend, as he was not very well. With regard to the conduct
of their members in the House of Commons, they were
always present when anything of consequence was brought
before it. With regard to Mr Walter, he could say that he
had never absented himself when the interest of the county
or of the country requirel his presence. (Hear, hear.) In-
deed, ho thought that all of their members had acted their
parts very well, although ,they went into different lobbies.
They did the best they could for the interest of the county.
He begged to propose "The health of the County Mem-
bers." (Cheers )
Mr 'WALTER, who was received with cheers, said that
on behalf of himself and his hon. friends and colleagues,
who were unfortunately prevented from being present, he
begged to thank them for the kind manner in which they
had received the toast. It was one of those honours which
members of Parliament were accustomed to look forward
to at that time of the year, when labourers received
rewards for their services—(great laughter)—and members
of Parliament belonged to that useful class. And such was
the generosity of their employers that, as in the case men-
tioned by Mr Hibbert with regard to other branches of in-
dustry, there were more prizes than candidates—(laughter)
—for he (Mr Walter) was the solo recipient of the honour
paid to the county members, or rather he was the only mem-
ber present to acknowledge the compliment. lie was quite
aware that it was not to their political services that they
were indebted for the compliments pasred them on these
occasions, but rather from the circumstance that from the
position they occupied, they were able to discuss those ques-
tions in which they were all concerned, but with which
politics had but little to do. He need not tell them that of
late years, partly from internal and partly from external
causes, Parliament might almost be said to have abdicated
its political functions. As soon as the Budget had been dis-
posed of, and when they knew how much they had to pay,
and how they would be likely to stand for the coming year,
Parliament occupied itself with measures relating to the
education of young sinners and the reformation of c'd ones,
with questions of prison discipline, questions of local
taxation, the highway question, the turnpike question, and
many others, the objects of which were to make England a
country not only more wealthy, but more comfortable and
happy than it is at present. The Parliament sun sets in
August, but

s(ion as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale"
(laughter)—the moon being represente,l by various societies
for the advancement of social science and other objects, and
these questions were being taken up by such a number of
Parliaments that it was difficult to say who was in Parlia-
ment and who was not. (Laughter.) These societies were
becoming one of the greatest features of the age. He would
not go so far as to say, as did Mr Disraeli, that these social
congresses would enable them to got out of the sulky silence
which characterised their forefathers (laughter), and make
them fit to live in merry England, but ho thought that the
more they met and discussed these questions, the more likely
they were to promote those reforms which would render the
people better and happier. (Cheers.) But these meetings
were of but little value if the talk was always on one side,
and if persons were not at liberty to point out in what way
these societies were capable of being improved. Mrllibbert,
as an old friend of the institution, had made some remarks
in which he entirely concurred, but he (Mr Walter) had for
years contended that there was something not sound in
these societies. Ho should not now enter into the subject;
ho should have another opportunity next year, when he
understood ho was to have thg honour of being their presi-
dent, to show some material points in which these societies
might ba improved. The sum and substance of the objections
he had were that the societies did too much or too little. If
they attempted so much they ought to do it more thoroughly
and to have a number of prizes of such a value that it would be
worthwhile to compete for them ; or if they could not do
this they ought not to give prizes for such a variety of
things. He knew that there were many who agreed with
him in his opinions upon this subject, though they might
not say so openly. The hon. gentleman again thanked them
for drinking his health, and resumed his seat amid cheers.
Mr BULSTICODE, the secretary, then read the list of prizes.
Thy CHAIRMAN proposed "The Health of Mr Mills,"
thanking him for the use of his laud.

Mr MILLS responded, and said that they had helped him
forward with his work, and he said that he ought of the
two to be obliged to them rather than they to him. He was
happy to let them have the use of the land, though some
persons objected to their land being ploughed by a society
because the work was so badly done. (Laughter.)
Mr F. Pococx proposed "The Health of the Judges."
Mr TRUMPER, in responding, said they would all lament
with Mr Hibbort the decline of the society, but he hoped
that there would be a great revival. He thought the socie •
ties were of great benefit ; they certainly improved the
ploughing, and they also promoted good fellowship. (Cheers.)
Ho hoped, if through any feeling of jealousy any persons