The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-15 00:00:00

Indeed, people here evince no trifling anxiety as te
" what is to become of the Confederate Debt." The
restoration of the Union, whenever it be achieved
by main force, will find the United States neither
a larger nor a mightier Power than it was before;
its liabilities will scarcely fall on conquered tribu-
tary nations. The Americans will have to settle
their accounts among themselves ; the expenses
not only of the greatest, but also of the most
lavish, extravagant, improvident war that ever
was waged will have to fall on the people ; the
people will have to familiarize themselves with
every variety of burdensome taxes. These taxes
are, as far as I can judge, cheerfully enough paid
at the present moment. In New York, city and
State, the collectors of the inland revenue find no
obstruction in the discharge of their irksome duties.
People lay down their bank notes in high glee, and
only wish they were called upon for greater sacri-
fiees." In the West, lam told, only those pay who
are inclined ; the system is new and imperfectly
applied; the burdens weigh upon the various classes
or individuals with nothing like justice or equality.
The fact is the Americans are as yet merely playing
at taxation, as they have hitherto been playing at
soldiering. When the game becomes earnest, when
all citizens have been made to bear the burden for
two or three years, they will think it high time to
get rid of it altogether, or greatly to lessen the load
of interest. In fact they will refuse to pay it.
When the greenbacks have done their utmost, when
there shall arise that natural reaction in every kind
of business consequent upon the cessation of the
war and the rapid depreciation oftheenowrmhoicuhs
amount of paper currency in circulation,
would then be without employment, then will be
the time to look out for the mighty crash. America
is, however, inured to such catastrophes ; the dis-
tress will be only temporary; the material well-
being occasioned by the war, and noticeable in the
extension of railways and the encouragement of all
other branches of commercial and industrial specu-
lation, will be solid and permanent.
Such are the views tamen by the persone I see
most frequently, with respect to the great financial
question of the country. Here in the West, a vast
majority, no doubt, wish for a speedy termination
of the war; but their wishes find no ready utter.
ance, their vote carries but little weight on the des-
tinies of the country, Illinois, like the greatest
number of the North Western States, was originally
colonized by New Englanders, who are, even at the
present moment, the cream and salt of the commu-
nity. Bankers, wealthy merchants, land specula-
tors, school teachers, lawyers, and doctors are for
the most part Yankees, and they, naturally enough,
monopolize social and political influence. Under
them are the masses, chiefly aliens, I • rish and Ger-
mans, at war with one another, and thus neutraliz-
ing each other, and lying at the mercy of that
Yankee minority whom they detest, but dread and
obey. The New Englanders here are Republicans,
Abolitionists to a man ; they insist upon the war
being pushed on, upon no quarter being given, upon
the extermination of the Southern race, confiscation
lof Southern property, &c. The war has done
nothing but good to themselves. Like the New
Yorkers they have been contractors, purveyors, &c.
Among the lowest :classes a different spirit is rife,
although, as I said, it makes itself nowhere audible.
The mere threat of the draught, for it will never
come to a reality here, created a vast amount of ill-
will and alarm. Up to the 31st of December, 1862,
Illinois has sent 130,000 men into the field, out of a
population of 1,711,951, outdoing all other Western
States by the zeal with which it responded to the
President's proclamation. This readiness for self-
sacrifice ought to spare the State the horrors of the
conscription ; and it is probable that no more may
be heard about it. The loss of the volunteers during
these two foregoing years was not so very seriously
felt in this part of the country, inasmuch as the Illi-
nois contingent, like all others, consisted of, to a
great extent, the riffraff the country could well
spare, and more especially of those foreign immi-
grants who were on their first arrival unable to
find profitable employment. It would be too much,
however, to assert, as some Republicans do, that
the agricultural interests of the country have not in
the least suffered from the removal of so many
hands from the sphere of their useful exertions. An
Illinois farmer, my fellow-traveller by railthe other
day, answered my question on that subject by
saying, "Look at me, stranger. Three years ago I
had 10 sons, all working with me at the farm; of
these seven have gone to the war, and three I know
will never return." The gaps left by these young
volunteers is not easily to be filled up, nor can the
three homekeeping sons do the work of the seven
who are off to the battle-field. In the like manner,
whatever may he stated to the contrary, there is no
doubt but a great many large estates in these dis-
tricts are falling out of cultivation from want of
labourers. It is true the tide of emigration comes
in at these times more actively than ever; but the
newcomers—Danes and Norwegians in vast num-
bers—push further; they seek their settlements in
the more northern latitudes of Wisconsin and Min-
nesota; this rich and deep soil of Illinois, which
would have such attractions for them, is mainly in
the hands of railway proprietors and land specula-
tors, harpies who by their absurdly high prices
scare away the new colonists, and burn their own
fingers, leaving behind vast tracts of unbroken
forest and unreclaimed prairie.
The ideas of a European as to the strength of
Government and the sacredness of the empire of the
law are liable to be as rudely upset by what here
occurs daily as his notions about paper money and
the real solid foundation of financial prosperity.
When, at the outbreak of the war, the State of Illi-
nois, anxious about the safety of Cairo, on the Al is-
sissippi, came to the resolution of occupying that
place with 300 volunteers, it was found that neither
in Chicago, nor in Milwaukie, nor in all Illinois and
Wisconsin, could be found muskets enough to arm
that little squad, so that half of them departed
hence with only double-barrelled shot guns in their
hands. Such was at that time the security of these
Western districts, that the law and its unarmed
officers had sufficed for more than six millions of
men. This is only another instance of the fact I
stated the other day about Boston in my times—that
is, a quarter of a century ago—being kept in perfect
order by only two old constables. But what do we
hear now ? At Vandalia, Fayette County, quite in
the centre of this State, Provost-Marshal Summer-
ville, while engaged in arresting deserters, was at-
tacked by a party of men who, swelling up to the
number of 400 or 500, overpowered the militia,
herse and foot, took possession of Vandalia, and
demanded the release of the father of one of the
deserters, threatening, in case of refusal, to burn
the houses and destroy the property of the Union
men in the town. The authorities, overawed by
the armed mob, were compelled to deliver the person
asked for. Facts like these speak volumes. A
people may well be left to take care of itself when
Government is under no necessity to interfere with
its movements, to curb its passions, or strain its
resources. Bat when it wants men or money, what
do we see now in New York ? It takes 41 regiments
and batteries to guard against riots, to say nothing
of the" sprightly little gunboats darting to and ft o
in the harbour and up and down both rivers with
clean, tasteful,' all ready' marines, quite prepared
for action." That free America should have come
to such a state of violence is sad enough ; but far
sadder that party run mad should exult at such a
national degradation, and should only see in it the
humiliation of the Copperheads, who now " roar as
gently as Sacking
Unless doves."
my inexperience of men and things on a
first arrival greatly deceive me, we shall soon re-
quire no less vast a display of force in the West. As
many as are willing are free to desert from the Fede-
ral fumy ; and the breaking up of h
force on the Mississippi h scatteredte Confederatema
thou-
sandny
desperate characters loose into the thinly
settled districts of this western world. The affsir of
Vandalia is perhaps only a first specimen of what
parties here may attempt with utter impunity.
Any strong measure adopted either to catch de-
serters or to enforce the draught can scarcely fail to
multiply similar scenes. But far more startling
tragedies are being played further south, ou the Mis-
souri and Kansas borders, countries long used to the
raids of Bushwhackers, Jayhawkers, Redlegs, and
malefactors of every description, by whatever strange
names they may be kno em. A leader of one of these
mereuding plaice, one Qeatr,rell, nothing bat a

robber, but pretending to have a commission from the
Confederate Government, fell suddenly upon the town
of Lawrence, in Kansas, beyond Leavensworth, and
slew nearly the whole male population in cold blood,
plundering their habitations, and setting fire to
them. I shall enter into no particulars about that
awful butchery, as it was already an old story by
the time I arrived in this part of the country, and
more than one account of it will have reached you
from other quarters. What is important to note is
merely that there was, naturally enough, a raising of
bucklers throughout Kansas ; that a large body of
the " boys" of the country instantly set out on the
traces of the Missouri:robbers and murderers, and
that they have been slaughtering more than 80
persons, three or four of whom were known as
Que.ntrull's followers, the others being only sup-
posed to be sympathisers with his cause. The Kan-
sas boys declare they will have no rest till they
have laid the four border counties of Missouri, from
which the marauding party took its start, into a
howling and smoking wilderness. The reprisals
may be just, and vengeance may be a sacred duty,
but it is awful to think that this country, in which
three years ago 500 =slats could not be mustered,
should now betake itself to the practice of private
war; that it should set up the maxim of "an eye for
an eye, a tooth for a tooth," and that Government
should look on while the avenger visits on four
counties the sin of a few hundred ruffians.

A meeting of Kansas boys was held on Friday
evening last, the 28tb, in which it was resolved that
" :oyal men" should meet at Paola on the Bth of
September, all armed and fully equipped and orga-
nised, under the command of General Lane, who
trust he shall by that time have assembled 5,000
men ready for an onslaught into Missouri. At the
same meeting the commander of the department,
General Scholefield, was denounced as imbecile and
inefficient, and his removal demanded. General
Ewing, who also commanded in the name of the
Government, telegraphed Lane, saying " that he
will defend Lawrence and Kansas, and requesting
Lane to use his influence to prevent unauthorised
raids into Missouri." Lane answers that "he will,
on the Bth inst., assemble 5,000 men at Paolo, and
tender his services to him (Ewing), and, if rejected,
he will appeal to a higher power." General Ewing
has placed two companies at Platte city to protect
the borders against avengers from Kansas. The
"loyal men" cause hardly less trouble and anxiety
than the "Bushwhackers."

From all these crude items of information it ap-
pears clearly that the worst passions of that fierce
border population are strongly excited, that Go•
vernment has lost all influence or control over them,
and is in as great fear of its friends as of its adver-
saries. Nothing seems more likely than we shall
have a long internecine struggle between the lawless
marauders on either side. Guerillas are also very
active throughout the region of Kentucky and Ten-
nessee.

THE HOMBURG GAMING HOUSES.

(From Me Aihenceum.)

About 10 miles north of Frankfort-on-the-Maine lies
Homburg on the hill, nestling amid the forest-clad spurs of
the Taunus range. This well-built little town has the honour
of being the capital of a land a few square miles in size, and
combines with the advantages which its quality as a resi-
dency gives it the further merit of being possessed of excel-
lent curative springs. Pergolas with diseased livers and de-
ranged stomachs who visit these waters find, in addition to
the pleasant landscape, a chateau with an extensive garden,
promenades in the vicinity of the Kursaal, a pretty street
called the Luisenstrasse, and a first •rate band, which plays
the march from " Tannhauser" or the overture to "Der
Freischutz," while the guests imbibe the waters. But it is
not to these sources of amusement, or even to the waters,
that Homburg owes its reputation. The thing that attracts
thousands on thousands to a town which is as quiet as death
except during the watering season is the board of green cloth
hospitably spread in the Kur• ital. M. Blanc has converted
the capital of the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg into the
capital of hazard. Baden-Baben, in spite of M. Bens zet, is
but a star of the second magnitude, and Homburg outshines
all the other gambling dens of Germany.
The bank is held by a company whose manager is the

above-mentioned M. Blanc. In spite of the large sums
which are expended in beautifying Homburg and its vici-
nity—in spite of the very high rent which the Bath Com-
missioners claim, and in spite of the heavy salaries of the
directors, croupiers and servants—the dividend is rarely
less than 40 per cent. This enormous profit has a very natural
cause. With a few rare exceptions every player loses. Hence
the croupiers do not find their equanimity disturbed, even
should the bank be broken twice or thrice in the evening.
On an occasion of this sort, M. Blanc remarked about the
fortunate winner, "He belongs to us, as they all do; he
will bring back what he has won, and will leave his skin in
the bargain." When a gambler asked him whether he had
better back the red or the black, the worthy humorist re-
plied, "Back red or black, it is all the same; white
(Blanc) ale ays wins."
In addition to M. Blanc, who has the chief management
as Directeur Gerant du Conseil d'Administration, there
are a sub-manager and two other directors. One of the
latter was formerly cook, and then for a long time a simple
crcupier. His colleague died a short time back, and left a
fortune of £20,000 behind him. The substitute of the
managing director commenced his interesting career as an
actor, and took a company to the East Indies, with whom
he opened a French theatre, To his surprise his perform-
ances did not meet with the necessary recognition either in
Calcutta, Bombay, or Pondicherry ; and hence he was com-
pelled to bid farewell to the Land of Palms. He took back
with him a number of monkeys and other animals, and
opened on the Boulevard de Temple in Paris a cafe, in the
principal apartment of which room was made for a large
cage with the Indian monkeys. The animals played their
antics, while a pretended negro wench waited on the guests ;
and these novelties attracted numerous customers. When
the public curiosity began to pall, the proprietor established
a small lansquent table, which, however, soon assumed such
a character that the police interfered and shut up the house.
M. N-- crossed the frontier after this cross in Paris,
joined M. Blanc, and became his right-hand man.
Of greater importance even than these important em-
ployes is a shareholder intrusted with confidential duties.
He manages and looks after the professors and tempters,
What the latter are their name explains; they are pretty,
reckless women, generally Parisian lorettes, whose business
it is to seduce young men and old men to the gaming-table.
The most notorious of these ladies is a retired French actress,
Wnile employed at a minor theatre, she was taken by one
of her numerous gentlemen-friends to Homburg. Here she
made the acquaintance of a Frankfort Crcasus, who, sur-
prised by her boldness in punting, intrusted her with 30,000
francs, and she won 400,000. Trusting to her star, and deaf
to sensible advice, she went on playing for the highest
stakes and was rained in a fow days. She then entered
the service of the bank, and has since become one of the
cleverest seducers of gamblers.
"The " professor " is always a respectable-looking man,
dressed after the last fashion, and has a title. He calls him-
self marquis or count, or, at the least, a baron. He drives
his phaeton, scatters gold around, and contrives to slip into
high society. He has common sense enough to recognise at
a glance those whom he can attract to the table by decen-
rive calculations and falsehoods. The professor is in the
regular pay of the bank, and receives special encouragement
when he delivers up a rich victim. He is not merely a pro-
fessor, but also a Greek, and is a first-rate hand at the trick
known in the swindling language as the "snuff box." He
persuades unsuspecting pleyers to let him stake for them, as
down
is
umwi sn,
hldwue, coh
iskr
eicgieh.
arl
tdtchheheaeunce
no
htidhni
esersynlh.
iedi
eselksVc
oeihnavettenorcyoha
nelbaoahrwg. a se andp i
tl
he
eonf goldand before
mHadeereinh et
hhea
isinaint ;beef,
his coat.
Ou r extractse
of
mr o
ime
atnheee
dveo
tl
euemaeh
ohne ftograemuhs l hadere,
fboert t
thee r btragicre-
stricted
ones are too ghastly for the present season. For several
years a Countess li_..._ carried on very high play at Hom-
burg. She remained at the roulette-table all day through,
covered nearly ;all the numbers with louie-d'or, and con-
stantly lost. It is said that she annually sacrificed to the
bank the sum of £B,OOO, On one occasion she was left so
high and dry that she was compelled to sell her carriage
and horses; After losing for three years, her religious feel-
ings were enkindled, and she hastened to Rome to obtain
forgiveness of her sins. She received absolution, but on
condition that she would give up play. To promise is easy,
but the difficulty lies in keeping the promise. The gambling
mania gained the victory over the piety of the countess.
She returned to Homburg, and seated herself once more at
the roulette table. " I will no longer play for myself," was
her mental apology, " but for the poor."
The gambling chronicles tells us of two brothers, poor
Prussians, who played upon a calculation, and, as an ex-
ceptional
surely
th than
case, a
ywon.ing nAas
sayteielilm. The
e,not
hingleads to ruin more
two Prussians, how-
ever, had screething more in their favour than a mere cal
culation of recurring numbers and so on. They earned a
livelihood at Frankfort by giving lessens ;
of languages, while the other imparted instructiononewasilia teachermathe-
matics. While the first was paying his court to a young
lady, the mathematician was watching the play at Homburg.
At length the lover gained his ends; bis lady love gave him
her hand, and brought him a for tune of 10,0009. At this
moment the mathematician brought forward the experiences
he had acquired at Homburg. " Every morning," he said,
"an attendant cleans the roulette machine with whiting,
and is contently obliged to press heavily on certain parts
which take a polish with difficulty. Through this some
spots on the brass are depressed in a manner imperceptible
to the eye but palpable in its results. The rolling ball is