The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-08 00:00:00

THEILMOMETEIL.

This morning
This day at Two o'clock 6B
Barometer-29.80.
Wind—South-West; moderate, and cloudy.

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LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPT. 8, 1863,

The announcement contained in our third edition
of last night, the brief but fearfully significant in-
timation by telegram that President JEFFERSON
DAVIS has decided upon calling out 500,000 black
troops, we cannot but take to be the most ominous
intelligence that has for a long while past come to
us from the American seat of war. When North
meets South, thus armed—then asNAT LEE'S famous
line in the old forgotten tragedy has said, of Greek
meeting Greek, will, in very deed come in terrible
earnest " the tug of war." • President DAVIS'S de-
termination, it will be seen, liar been arrived
at only after most mature and cautions
deliberation. Upon President LINCOLN—as may
be said in regard to the source of very nearly all
the horrors of this dreadful war, with scarcely one
exception—upon President LINCOLN devolves the
hideous responsibility of having added the miseries
of a servile war to those of a civil war. President
DAVIS, in coming to this last horrid resolution
above particularised, has only taken up the gauntlet
already some time back flung down scornfully and
in fierce disdain to the South, by the insensate
chief of the Federal Government at Washington.
Five hundred thousand negroes—to be called out
at once by JEFF. DAVIS, to swell the ranks
of the armies of the Confederates ! But—it may be
added, like a taunt, in referenee to this announce -
ment—President Davis may, quite as confi-
deEtly as OWEN GLENDOWER, or as Pnos-
pato, or as any one else so minded, call even
spirits from the vasty deep, but—will they come ?
The probability as to such a summons as this to
the negro population of the south, being answered,
however, the telegram itself would seem plainly
enough to indicate. For what is the temptation to
be held out to these black recruits ? The announce-
ment itself indicates it before the close of that ene
sentence. For each negro who shall enlist at the
summons of the Southern President—Freedom is
offered, and with Freedom fifty acres of land at the
end of the war. Imagine the temptation of that to
the Slave! And then look at the probabilities of
President DAVIS rapidly completing, to the num.
ber of 500,000, his proposed scheme of negro eru
listment.

The abundance and excellence of the harvest are
matters of general conversation and thankfulness.
At this period last year, there was little reason to
anticipate a good harvest, although the state of
trade, and the prevalent distreis in the manu-
facturing districts made every one eager to hope
the best. The season went on, however, and the
cheerless prognostications were only too well
confirmed. The low estimate formed of the crops
was too high for the actual result, and the crop
of 1862 is ranked among the least profitable sea-
BIM on record. We can bear, however, to recall
such cheerless times when the fullness and quality
of the crops are matters of universal comment. The
good fortune which has befallen us this year was
not at first expected. The absence of frosts filled
tha farmers with apprehensions. The ground, it
thought, would not be properly prepared for
seed
sowing, the insect tribe, so fatal to the growth
of the young plant, would be left to increase un-
checked, Whi •
le baneful weeds would spread rapidly
in the
fields, their growth favoured by the
unusual mildness of the season. A proof that the
mournful fetehaai
oga of the downhearted are no
more worthy of etedence than the visionary hopes
of the over-sanguine
this
current
afforded us in the fact that
the crops of
year are as decidedly
favourable as the harye t
of lest year was below the
ordinary average, A.
..gentleman has recently
informed the public that he
travelled over the greatest
inspected England
rart
has of
and the south of Scotland, a
crops growing in very different localities,
as
well
as on dissimilar soils.
The result of his
observations is extremely satisfactor
y, and although
a certain inequality exists, owing to some farmersr
having been fortunate enough to have in their crop
before the breakup of the weather, there seems :o
reason to fear that any locality will fall short, The
county of Norfolk, which rejoicesgenerally in cerap,_
ratively an early season,has been the most fortunate.,
Its farmers set to work with promptitude and
✓igour, acting on the old time-honoured maxim,
uhich bids us "make hay while the sun shines,'"
and consequently in the short p.:Tiod of dire° weeks
most of them brought their reaping and gather-
ing to a triumphant conclusion. In Berkshire, on
the contrary, due advantage has not been taken of
the early season, and too much dependence was un-
fortunately placed on the fair promise of the wea- j
ther. Promises, however, are made to be broken,
and the smiles of an English sky are certainly no
exception to the rule. There is consequently a

good deal of barley 3till standing, and in some of
the northern counties half the crops remain uncut.

In Scotland there is still much to be done, but hap-
pily little damage has as yet been caused by the

heavy rains. If we can secure another month of
fine weather there will be little mom for even the

proyerbial complaints of farmers. The fickleness