The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEAIBER 14, 1863.

which visits the political offences of the manager on
the printer; but the Americans had better take care
that their military despots do not go a step or two
further, and imitate the example of Prussia a little
more closely. In fact, Herr von EISMARK would not
be altogether out of place in the LINCOLN Cabinet.
The same obstinacy, the same dogged determination
to reduce his opponents to his will, the same over-
looking of popular rights, the same political short-
sightedness and suicidal policy are characteristic of
the administrators alike at Berlin and Washington,
although the " go-a-head" Yankees and the delibe-
rate Germans have otherwise little enough in
common. It is to be regretted that men in our own
country, whose position and antecedents entitle
them to respect, should persist in advocating the
excellence of American institutions, apparently
entirely oblivious of the fact, that men must draw
their own conclusions from such acts as these, and
that those conclusions are not likely to be favour-
able to the training which produces, not only such
readers, but the men who suffer them. In a brief
note, addressed to the Marquis of HARTINGTON,
referring to his recent speech at Haslingden, Mr.
COBDEN takes the opportunity of disputing the
accuracy of the observations made by the noble
lord as to the principles of American education, and
the defects in the national character which have
been exhibited in the great struggle. The substance
of these remarks expressed the views of a good
many sound Liberals in this country, and few
such will, we trust, be found to applaud the
barbarous and tyrannical spirit in which the
Northern States have carried on the war. America
is no doubt passing through a time of grievous trial.
A struggle of Titans is going on, whether for right
ends or for wrong, and the acts of both sides must
not be harshly judged. Still, with every disposition
to leniency, Englishmen have stood aghast at the
tales which have reached them of the doings of
their own kindred race. It is as if the war were
being waged in a spirit which dispensed alike with
the chivalry of ancient times and the humanity of
modern days, and the triumph of success or the
mortification of failure are alike darkened by harsh
disregard for the amenities of civilisation. If the
Union founded by WAsniNGTom and supported by
a host of great and liberal statesmen is to be sup
ported by means like this, then, whatever the suc-
cesses of the Federal arms, its glory has indeed
passed away. If the great Republic, the boasted
land where royal, ecclesiastical, and titled tyranny
were things unknown, is to owe its supremacy to
the gagging of the press and the invasion of the
rights of citizens, then let the patriots of America
cease to hope for the future of their country, for
the great strongholds of constitutional law, free
thought and free speech, will have been sacrificed
to a vain ambition.

Whatever our posterity may think of the pre-
sent age for the good it is doing, they must admit
that it is one of enterprise, and that, too, of a
gigantic character. We are running a race of
rivalry in the art of construction, and destruction to
match. We are building or inventing machines of
wonderful capacity for good, while our restless
genius is busy in forging engines to test their merits
with a heartiness of daring and ingenuity worthy
of a better purpose. The universal idea seems to be
that nothing old can any longer be worth caring
for, because in the pride of our might we can pro-
duce new models altogether beyond comparison. It
is so with our ships as with our guns. Our " hearts
of oak," that for ages have stood the battle and the
breeze and triumphed on the deep, must now give
place to another substance—long familiarly sup-
posed not likely to swim, far less to bear our thun-
ders over the stormy wave or battle with the foe.
But now all these things are undergoing a change,
and that a rapid one. How far it may prove for the
better, time alone can show, for it is idle to predi-
cate, however confident may be our belief. Then,
again, we are not even agreed upon the best mode
of carrying out our new ideas, for the manner is as
novel as the matter, so much have circumstances
changed the nature of enterprises. Some are for
capacity, others for strength, and all for speed, i❑
the construction of our ships. But the how and
the wherefore seem to puzzle even the expertest in
the multitude of our discordant genius. Invention
spurs on one party, while consideration moderates
the other. Everyone's idea is naturally the most
likely to answer, especially in his own opinion, but
the right 'course probably lies in the medium.
The difficulty is in the decision, so each rides on his
own hobby for better or worse. Perhaps one cause
of their diversity of opinion lies in the fact that they
are all more or less bewildered in the dilemma of
applying or endeavouring to work out the new

mprovements by running in the groove of their old

L ideas, from which they find it rather difficult to
disentangle themselves. Still it would be idle to
advise, for the very reason that any suggestion not
iu unison with the " dear novelty" would be scouted
as unworthy of notice, for a genius is as stub
born as he is inventive, and glories in carrying
out his own conception to the very letter. It is the
glory of his heart and idol of hiq ambition—he must
be all or nothing. If he fail he will persist, and if
he succeed all is right, but even then he will do
something better yet, and so he may, for progress
is the very nature of invention, and hence the won-
derful achievements of science now, in comparison
with former times. But there is another question
that enters into the progress of improvement, and
that is cost. We may buy gold too dear. Eco-
nomy is necessary, in large as in small undertak-
ings. It is an axiom founded in the very works of
nature, and the art of man can have no better au-
thority to guide hia course. Whether the immensity
of our present undertakings be in strict accordance
with our necessities remains to bo seen ; but "if we
can obtain our actual requirements at a lesser cost,
it behoves us to bo more careful in our expenditure,
for the loss or waste of the present may 193 no con-
solation for the future, however it may prove a
warning. Now in shipbuilding, whatever can be
saved is gain, provided the saving do not impair the
efficiency. The public have been scandalised for
some time back at the expense of our royal dock-
yards, as compared with the character of our great
private establishments. But even in the latter,
reforms may be made, not only for their own ad-
vantage, but also for that of the public. Now, it is
clear that if tiny private firm can accomplish any
saving in the management of their concerns, self-
interest will induce their ready acceptance of any
reasonable plan that may promise such benefit.

No doubt prejudice may operate partially to influ-
ence this judgment, but that, too, will yield to rea-
son and time, and the public will eventually pa-
tronise the cheapest because it is the best, and the
best is always the cheapest in the long run, as ex-
perience has ever provel. We will not pretend to
decide on one mode of building in preference to
another, but we like to give fair play to all comers
in the way of
i,chenages cit
us, deserving'rPse 11
publicity, and that as much for the
ti:napfro;l3sseeedial
public good as for the undoubted and worthy ad-
the inventor. Among the many
of
ff late, one has been sent to
much for its
ecomony,
c o consideration,mo n y,
as f
oars
freedom from prejudice.* It is
its impartiality

„ New Mode of Shipbuilding, Cotubining Stren.th
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Re-
vised,