The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-01 00:00:00

THE 81J.&, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 1, 1863

part of the authorities at Washington to take the
execution of the Presidential order upon themselves.
Phe independence of the State of New York is thus
seriously endangered for tt e present; and the
Union party in the city and State are eagerly and
truculently hounding on the Washington Govern-
ment to crush every vestige of local jurisdiction.
The draught is to be enforced, and it is the Presi-
dent alone who has the right and the might to en-
force it. The attacks of the Republicans upon
Governor Seymour are violent, even beyond the
limits of American abuse. Seymour himself and
his Democratic party are traduced as the authors of
all this last week's rioting. Their sympathies are
said to be with the slaveowners in the South, and
with the cutthroats and robbers of the North. They
are banded as the enemies of the Union and the
country, men to be closely watched and held in
check with a strong hand.

To give you an idea of the instability of public
opinion in this country, I may as well tell you that
no later than Tuesday last, when about landing, I
was assured by the unanimous assertion of all my
American fellow-citizens, most of whom were the
blackest of Republicans, that no man had a better
chance of being the successful candidate for the next
Presidential election than Governor Seymour, and
that no man better deserved it.

But Governor Seymour is now thought to be
lukewarm in the cause of the war and indifferent to
the interests of the Union ; therefore the conscrip-
tio❑ must be furthered in spite of him, and power
is to be taken from his hand lest he should show
remissness or tenderness in its enforcement,

Yet a man need be neither a rebel nor a traitor
to think that a law of conscription in America was
an unwise measure in itself, and the 300 dol. clause
an iniquitous disposition. A man need be no enemy of
his country for hiding that an army of one million
combatants ought to be equal to any task, and that
it were better to thilik of rendering' it efficient by
discipline than of enfeebling it by the introduction
of raw and reluctant recruits. That the law, how-
ever improvident and impolitic, must be executed,
may be true, but a man may be the very best of
patriots, and yet be glad of any means by which
the enforcement of the law may be effected with
forbearance and humanity.
American party spirit, however, is not amenable
to such considerations. The Republicans wish to
" go the whole hog' in this matter of the draught,
and the New Yorkers of that hue do not hesitate to
crush their hitherto popular Governor in the attain-
ment of their object. Seymour can at this present
moment reckon on no very extensive support. The
City Council, almost to a man, and the wealthiest
people are with him ; but nearly the whole State
Legislature, the public functionaries, and the middle
classes would sell their very birthright for the
Union, and for anything they may fancy conducive
to its maintenance.

It will not do, however, for the prevailing party
to rely too sanguinely on their success. There is
disaffection among the soldiers, I am told; the
Militia regiments which were summoned in haste
from Pennsylvania were ready and eager enough to
put down a mere thieves' riot ; but they protest
they will not fight for the draught, and will not be
brought into collision with their countrymen on
that score.