The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-03 00:00:00

in the south-west corner of the American continent
a State whose rights are in danger of being tam-
pered with by a European Power, it proposes, with
that instinctive love of freedom and independence
of foreign control which is so characteristic of the
Federal Legislature, to throw its protecting eogis
over the threatened State. Mexico is in danger of
being subjugated by France, and the North, the
vindicator of freedom and independence, imme-
diately rushes to the rescue. It is scarcely possible,
and it is certainly not worth while, to consider se-
riously the resolutions which have been introduced
in the Federal Congress respecting the French in-
tervention in Mexico. If in the expedition de-
spached to Mexico, the Federal Government de-
tects any threatened hostility to the American
Union, it might, notwithstanding its present unen-
viable position, find it expedient to take part in the
quarrel against the European Power; but when
the ground alleged for interference is the attack
directed by the French Emperor against " free in-
stitutions," it is impossible to believe that this pre-
text can seriously be advanced by those who are
sparing no efforts to crush " free institutions" within
their own territories. The Federal Congress will
not, however, content itself with expressing its
disapproval of the course taken by France in re-
gard to Mexico; it is suggested that the Govern-
ment should be called upon to requite the with-
drawal of the French troops, and, in the event
of refusal on the part of France, to enter into a
treaty with Mexico to enforce its demand. The
debate on these resolutions had not taken place
when the mail left, but it is by no means improba-
ble that they may meet with the approval of the
Legislature. The opportunity for indulging in brag
will not he lightly thrown away by those senators
who passed a vote of thanks in favour of Com-
modore Wilkes. The American press approves of
the resolutions, but doubts if the moment selected
for their introduction is opportune; and, with an
unusual amount of candour, admits that it would be
found impossible to give them effect. It is not easy
to understand how the French intervention in
Mexico can endanger a Republic which is already
in progress of dissolution ; but, on the other hand,
if the cause of liberty and of " free institutions" is
the motive agent in the proposed interference, some
candid friends may possibly be found to tell the
Federal Congress that the cause of " free institu-
tions" would derivamore support by the withdrawal
of its armies from the Potomac and the Mississippi
than by the establishment of an additional force in
the State of Mexico. The general news brought by
this mail possesses but little interest. Respecting
the movements of Burnside's army, though sta-
tioned only 60 miles from Washington, nothing
certain is known. One telegram iuforms us that
he has crossed the Rappahannock and fought a
bloody battle, in which one of his best generals
was mortally wounded. Another says he is still
at Acquia Creek. An advance of the Federal army
has been daily expected, so that it is not improbable
that Burnside has onoe more ventured to make a
forward movement. The Federal Government do
not yet despair of forcing their way into the Con-
federate capital. It was supposed at Washington
that the Southern Commander-in-Chief, confident
that his adversary would not again attempt to
advance on Richmond, had despatched a consider-
able portion of his troops into Tennessee. This,
however, turns out to be another of the many
errors into which the Federal Government has
fallen regarding the movements of its foes. General
Lee's army remain intact blocking up the route
from Fredericksburg to Richmond. If Burnside
has in truth crossed the Rappahannock, he must
be careful not again to encounter a defeat like
that of the 13th of December. It is awkward to
have a deep and rapid river crossing the line of
retreat, and he might not be so lucky as a second
time to transport his army across it under cover
of night. Military men will be astonished to
hear that Gen. Fitzjohn Porter has been found
guilty of the charges preferred against him by Gen.
Pope, and dismissed the service. We may assume
that the charges were satisfactorily proved ; but,
nevertheless, his punishment at this late period is
contrary to the fundamental principles not only of
military but of civil law. It will be in the recol-
lection of our readers that, notwithstanding the
charges advanced by Gen. Pope after his signal de-
feat at Bull Run, in the month of August, Porter
still continued on active service, and commanded
the reserves at the battle of Antietam Creek on
Sept. 17. However guilty he may have been, his
offence had been condoned by his subsequent em-
ployment. The Federal Government has done many
strange things since the commencement of the war;
but amongst them the dismission with disgrace of
a general officer for an offence which had been con-
doned by retaining him in an important command,
will occupy a conspicuous place. Civilians have been
made to suffer no little hardship through the dis-
regard of the authorities for the laws they were
pledged to administer ; perhaps it is only equitable
that soldiers should equally experience some of the
consequences of a purely despotic rule.

THE COLLIERY ACCIDENT AT BILSTON.

Yesterday the inquest was opened upon the bodies
of the three men who were killed on Friday morn-
ing in a pit-shaft, 75 yards deep, at the Pagett's
Croft Colliery, Bradley, near Bilston, by the wind-
ing rope of the pit having been cut, before Mr. T. M
Phillips, coroner for the Wolverhampton district.
Mr. Arthur Wright, the proprietor of the pit,
was represented by a solicitor, who put questions
to the witnesses with a view to the tracing home
of the crime to the party who is suspected of hav-
ing cut the rope.
A portion of the rope, about two yards in length,
was produced at the inquest. It was. in two por-
tions, and showed the breakage. The circumference
of the rope was 41 inches, and it was constructed of
three strands. Two of the strands had been cut
through apparently with either a chisel or an axe,
and the damage having been occasioned where the
rope was spliced, and at the most vulnerable part of
the splicing, the third strand had, by the severance
of the other two, been liberated, and the men
and the skip were suspended only by two or
three threads of the otherwise completely
severed strands. These threads had been of
strength sufficient to bear the weight of the skips
when it was sent down to test the soundness of the
machinery and the rope, but it broke when the
weight of the three deceased was added. The rope
was perfectly sound on Thursday evening, when the
pit was ceased to be worked ; and during Thursday
night the point at which the severance took place
hung about a foot from the pulley over the pit's
mouth. To reach it in that position, some steps
which were upon the frame which was surmounted
by the pulley would have to be climbed. The per-
son suspected usually descended with the first de-
tachment of miners, but upon this occasion he ab-
stained from going down so early, ani going to
some of the boys, he said that " they would be fools
l if they went down, for the rope was not safe."
Previously no complaints had been made of the un-
soundness of the rope, and every witness expressed
his satisfaction with its condition.

The Jury were unanimously of opinion that the
rope had been cut; but the Coroner thought that
the matter ought to be further investigated before
they came to a decision.

The inquiry, which had lasted five hours, was
then adjourned for a fortnight.

As we near Blackburn, and look out upon some
60 slender chimneys, with no pennons of smoke
floating over the battle of life in the streets beneath, the too
clear atmosphere, and the absence of the din and hum of
machinery, give an aspect of Sabbath leisure, without the
Sabbath cheerfulness : while groups of compelled idlers,
who have had no blessed refuge of labour to fly to from
their gloomy thoughts for these months past, loiter about
the station and the streets. It is market day in Blackburn,
but we do not discover it for ourselves until we are told that
it is se—there are a few stalls and booths erected in the mar-
ket square, but there is no profuse display of produce, no
busy crowd of chaffering housewives. The streets are free
from the throng of business and the rattling of many
wheels; and there is hush enough for us to hear every
where the sharp click and clatter of the Lancashire wooden
clogs upon the pavement—a sound which will ever be as-
sociated in my memory with our day's melancholy wander.
ings through the famine stricken streets of Blackburn.—
Temple Bar.