The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-11 00:00:00

I,SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 11, 1863

'LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1863.

The advance of the Confederate army, if not
ma, at the pas de charge, has been made
at least en masse into Pennsylvania. There
it is, apparently, that General LEE has chosen his
new battle-ground. Swiftly and surely the line of
doom, seems to be drawing round the Northern
capital. Southern cavalry had been seen to pass
within fourteen miles of Washington. A portion,
this was, it is understood, of a considerable body of
the Confederate troops commanded by General
FITZHUGH LEE, then moving eastwards so close
to the north of the Federal metropolis—bending its
way seemingly in the direction of the Washington
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railway. Both
Washington and Baltimore—when these latest
advices left per the Scotia—were in hourly
expectation of attack, and no wonder, assuredly,
under the circumstances. Knowing that incident
just related, knowing it as an actual and undoubted
occurrence, so very recently and within so brief a
distance from the capital, it reads rather dubiously,
among these new telegrams brought freshly from
the seat of war—that vague and hesitating
announcement, to the effect that the Federal
army was supposed (!) to be on the north side
of the Potomac in a position to cover the
northern and western approaches to Washing-
ton ! If they had nothing better than that to
turn to by way of a new encouragement
to their fading hopes at New York at the
close of June—it may be certainly counted as little
more :than a hope holding on by the eyelashes.
Extraordinary excitement is reported as prevailing
in Philadephia, in point of fact through the whole
state of Pennsylvania. Excitement amounting
almost to a panic—undeniably to a manifest
sense of consternation. Appeals to the citizens
to arm themselves and to defend their
homes by a defensive war a routrance had been
made by the authorities. Tne immediate response
to which appeals had already been the pressing
northwards of thousands upon thousands of
fugitives, young and old, men, women, and
children, bearing with them in their flight
their household goods and chattels, their cattle and
their merchandise. New York itself, meanwhile,
in the midst of all these disastrous tokens of southern
triumphs and successes, contrasting vividly every-
where with Northern defeats and discomfitures—
New York, all the while, evidencing nothing more
remarkable than a Yankee version of a sort of Sir
CHARLES COLDSTREAM apathy, or a Lord DUN-
DREARY indifference. The meaning of all which is,
of course, that the Federal population'has by this
time lost all real heart in the contest. The Northerns
generally have no faith whatever in the capacity,
or even in the honesty of their rulers.
The
prestige of Mr. LINCOLN'S Presidency, if it ever
really and truly bad any worth speaking of, has
long and long ago melted into thin air, leaving not
a vestige of its ghostly self anywhere recognisable.
Mr. SEWARD and his colleague, while sharing in
the rapid increase of their Chief's unpopularity,
have, by their fatuous policy, shared also in the
flagrant discredit attaching to those who have by
their words, written and spoken, by their advice
and by their acts, tended so wilfully and appreciably
to precipitate his fall. Perfectly on a par with, if
not even materially surpassing by its magnitude
and intensity, the unpopularity of the Federal ad-
ministrators—there is the glaring and certainty
justifiable unpopularity attaching to these rapidly-
appointed Federal Commanders-in-Chief! Com
manders-in-Chief, in reality, who, throughout the
whole of this extraordinary war, may truly be said
only to succeed—each other'. General HOOKER,
following in this, consistently to the lest, in the
wake of his unhappy predecessors, has now, in
his own turn, disappeared from the command of the
Northern army. As the gingerly wording of one
of the telegrams has it, "he has been relieved, at
his own request"—General !MADE, an entirely
new man, assuming his vacated place as
Leader of the Federal Army of the Potomac.
So that all this increasing olamour recently
raised among certain infatuated believers (still !) in
that Brummagum BONAPARTE, the young NAPO-
LEON as he has been dubbed—General M'CLELLAN,
has proved, when all was st.id and done, of no avail.
Again General Iti'CLELLArt's name has been passed
ovevss-again the Cabinet at Washington, or rather
Ilkould be said, of course, the PRESIDENT at the

head of the Federal Government, has shrunk from
the perilous responsibility of venturing at this
crisis of the war upon the exceeding responsibility
that could not but inevitably attach to General
M'CLELLAN'S reinstalment. Rather than decide upon
which act of temerity, Mr. LINCOLN has preferred to
place the baton of commander within the grasp of
a general wholly unknown kitherto in any superior
authority whatever. An appointment, this,
under the circumstances, calculated obviously
in no way to rekindle the extinguished
hopes of the Northern population. Insomuch
that we are not in the least surprised to notice evi-
dences of an increase rather than of any diminution
in the panic in Pennsylvania, immediately upon
General M EADE'S "diffident " announement of his
own nomination to the command had made its ap-

pearance.

By the last accounts the revolution in Madagascar
assumes a more intelligible form, and there is not so
much cause to cast indiscriminate Wants on the con-
spirators, as it at first appeared. It
King provoked his own untimelyend,
seams h
and,e although t a the
the
King
nothinge
rcsaanr
iee
stillotr justifyher
e ismtuheehviolentp
lconductn
oo
tf
palliate their actions.
Far from fulfilling the pro-
mise which he gave at the outset of his reign, we are
informed of King RADAMA, " that his views of the
duty of a ruler were exceedingly defective." He
persisted in a series of actions that, separate,
would have been sufficiently inimical to prosperity
or credit ; but, taken collectively, were more than
enough to shake the foundation of the strongest
throne, and lay low in the dust all the hopes of
the friends of the King. He persisted in taking
into his councils a set of degenerate young men, to
the exclusion of the old favourites of his father.
He also put aside the measures for the suppression
of crime, and constantly gave himself up to intem-
perance. As might have been expected from such
conduct great discontent arose, and the faction that
arose against such a ruler was headed by the Prime
Minister, and the Commander in-chief. The mis-
guided parties who had obtained so pernicious an
influence over the mind of the King, led him into
all kinds of extravagancies and fostered all sorts of
delusions. They endeavoured to influence him by
the revival of all the old superstitions of the coun-
try, and we are told in the account that
they succeeded to an extent which resulted
in his ruin. A set of fanatics, real or pretended,
sprung up, who declared that they saw visions,
and in one of these the ancestors of the KING
had appeared to them, and their voices from the
invisible world had signified what the KING ought
to do for the good of his country. A man who
could be so infatuated as to be guided by such ab-
surdities may be said to have called down his doom
on his own head. In spite of the entreaties of his
teal friends, the KING persisted in giving credence
to the movements of the fanatics, and declared that
he recognised the voice of truth in their warnings.
He gave every encouragement to the dancers, who
crowded around him, and even went so far as to
declare that the disease would not be checked until
the " praying" was stopped. It is reported, and
most probably with some foundation, that these
extravagant and extraordinary proceedings were
countenanced by the guardians of the idols, and that
they bribed large numbers of persons to come from
the country to uphold the delusion, and so carry
out their projects. The proposals that then were
made were so outrageous, that nothing short of a
revolution could be expected. For the purpose of
arresting the progress of Christianity it was sug
gested that a number of Christians should be assas-
sinated, and also that the chief nobles who were
inimical to the acticns of the KING should share the
same tragic end. The KING issued an order that
whoever met any of the so-called sick, as the fana-
tics chose to designate themselves, should take oft
their hats, and thus renew the tokens of respect
that had formerly attended the march of the nation
of idols when they were taken through the city;
also to shield the persons of those employed in the
murderous designs proposed. The KING issued a pro-
clamation, that whoever wished to fight should not be
prevented, and that the murderer should not be
molested. Of course such a notion alarmed the
community. The Prime Minister, with a large
detachment of nobles and influential parties, after
a day's deliberation, went to the KING and im-
plored him not to fulfil his desperate threat and
sanction murder. The KING remained inexorable,
he was deaf to their entreaties, and bent on having
his own way. The deputation returned and con-
sulted as to their course—they were resolved on
opposition to the Royal decree. The most complete
confusion then reigned paramount. The Rev. Mr.
ECUs, the agent at Madagascar to the London
Missionary Society, who communicates this infor-
mation, here mentions he narrowly escaped with
his life from the machinations that were set afoot
against him. Five of the "Mena maso," as thz,
confidential advisers of the KING were called, had
determined to take his life, in order to put some
check to the progress of Christianity. Fortunately
their evil designs were frustrated, and their cruel
wishes unfulfilled. In consequence of having re-
ceived a timely warning he went to the KING, and
had left eerier than usual, and on his return has-
tened to a place of safety. A great number of the
" Mena maso" were seized and killed, but twelve or
thirteen were with the KING. These it was in-
ldiTerhse
wtriotohptshsurrounded
shouladnbdethge few
given up.
the
eePatio fiace're on those outside. At last the KING
consented to give up the Mena maso if their lives
were spared, and they were confined in fetters for
life. But this did not allay the fury of the storm
that had
now burst
said in
his
sd
dwiseeulsesaironn
with
taht
the KING, having
the nobles that he was supernaturally pro-
tected, and would punish all opposers to his will,
the nobles resolved that he must not live, and he
died by their hands the next morning within the
palace. The QUEEN, who alone was with him, used
every effort to the last moment of his life to save
him, but in vain. His advisers, the Mena maso,
were afterwards put to death. Thus all the chief
actors in this strange undertaking, that was to con
yule() the country and subvert all existing forms,
were victims to their own absurdity and infatua-
tion. Judging from the tenour of this narrative of
events, it would seem as if the reports that gained
ground concerning the KING having lost hie reason
were in a great measure true. The conspirators
next deteremnoinnegdh
BBturat,l3g:dlYrnid ,o n
offeredt heir
tmodethe
ofthrone
o government,ne t
o the
Q EaEnNd
by past experience, they insisted on
making certain conditions with her previously to
assuming the reins of Government. After reading
the document, the QUEEN agreed to its conditions,
and the nobles then said, " We also bind ourselves
by this agreement. If we break it we shall be
guilty of treason, and if you break it we shall do as
we have den, now." The QUEEN and Prime Minis-
ter, on behalf of the heads of the people, then signed
the document. From some of the items here enu-
merated considerable improvements are to take
place in the conduct of affairs. The Sovereign will
not rule with despotic sway, but the laws are to be
made by the Sovereign, and the nobles, and heads
of the people. All foreigners who conform to the
customs of the country are to be pre ected and al-
lowed full liberty. Also freedom to worship is given

to the native Christians, and liberty
is guaran-
teed to those who are not Christians. It seems
the intention of those reformers to establish trial
by jury, for we hear that—" No person is to be
put to death for any offence by the word of the
Sovereign alone, and no one is to be sentenced to
death till twelve men have declared such person
guilty of death." Certainly, regarding the peace-
ful termination of this strife it may be said that
it could have led to many worse results and occa-
sioned much more suffering. There is no secu-
rityhtieornesd will l l be kept,
considerableb u but
advanceif they
are even
nt
partiallyt h
se e°
n adhered
will have been made by Madagascar in the pro-
gress of civilisation and commerce. Indeed many
e
more favoured States might with advantage adopt
some of these rules, and endorse the opinions of
this new regime. There was not the angry spirit
attending this affair that so often disfigures the
conduct of those conducting emeutee and presiding
over revolutions. The instigators of the revolu-
tionary movement worked for a definite end ; when
this was obtained, order was restored and peace
was fully maintained. So far, then, this dark epi-
sode in the history of Madagascar may not be with-
out its good effects, It may serve as a warning to
future Sovereigns not to adopt pernicious sugges-
tions that may be made to them by timeservers,
and it may also serve to establish a precedent, as
it were, that in any future disturbances in the
State that may arise from an untimely concur-
rence of events prudence and moderation can gain
their end more effectually than violence and un-
bridled rage.

The speech of Lord PALMERSTON on Thursday
night was a triumphant vindication of the policy
pursued by the Government with respect to our
system of national defence. The noble Premier
said very justly that, in following that course, the
Government had only gone in the wake of public
opinion, for the mind and the heart of the country
were set upon the defence of the naval arsenals and
dockyards. We have had enough of panics. They
are undignified, unsatisfactory, and quite out of
keeping with our power and position. The question
arises, "How are they to be avoided? " Certainly
not by the assertions of hon. gentlemen, who alter-
nately ridicule the idea of invasion as preposterous
and denounce its very mention as insulting to
friendly powers. "If hon. members," said Lord
PALMERSTON, " could, by saying broadly that in-
vasion is impossible, render it so, why, well and
good ; but they are like the people of the Northern
States, who have been for two years saying posi-
tively that the rebellion would be put down in three
months, in 90 days, which were always beginning,
and never ending, whereas now, instead of being at
Richmond, they are anxiously expecting the possi-
bility of the enemy attacking them at Washington
or Baltimore." Such unreasoning self-confidence
is the weakest defence which a nation can have,
and if we wait until the enemy are actually in sight
before we begin to make our preparations for re-
ceiving them, we are likely to play a somewhat
undignified part. Lord PALMERSTON ridiculed
the notion that a man could be made into a general
by putting on a cocked hat, but the task of properly
fortifying a defenceless spot of great national im-
portance is a longer one than that of finding an
efficient military leader. Lord PALMERSTON showed
the House very clearly how, by constructing the
proposed fortifications at Portsmouth and Spithead,
the dockyards instead of offering easy access to an
invading force, could only be entered after a regular
siege, and the invader would have no choice but to
attack London. The noble Premier showed the
malcontents how greatly this reduced the chances
of invasion, since it would require a very different
army to advance to the English capital from the
force that would be requisite for running into de-
fenceless dockyards and destroying all before them.
Such a force, said the Premier, might well be spared
or surrendered when its work was done by a country
who wished to rival us at sea, and called upon those
gentlemen who wished to rest upon the navy as the
great defence of the country to protect those dock-
yards, without which we cannot have a navy at all.
The opinions of the most able professional men,
military, naval, and scientific, are all in favour of
the proposed scheme, and those gentlemen who, for
the sake of the expense, would alter the plan and
omit considerable portions, should remember that by
so doing they will weaken the whole design. As
in a skilfully played game of chess each piece sup-
ports the other, so every fortification depends in
some degree on its fellow, and by leaving out a
part the value of the real will be very much les-
sened. The Duke of WELLINGTON is known to
have expressed his opinion that our south coast
was open to invasion. He considered that Ports-
mouth, Dover, and Aldershott, properly equipped,
formed a triangle, which would make it very'diffi-
cult for any enemy to find his way to London. In
the face of such an authority Mr. COBDEN'S pro-
tests dererve about as much respect as he would pay
to a military critic on the factories of Lancashire.
The Iron Duke was at least as capable of consi-
dering the national honour as the hon. member for
Rochdale, and if he did not consider that it was any
sign of sense or spirit for a country to remain un-
defended any more than for a soldier to go to battle
unarmed, Mr. COBDEN may set aside his new and
inconvenient scruples. Sir J. FERGTJSSON com-
pletely answered the arguments, if such they can
be called, of the member for Rochdale. He replied
to his deprecation of the outlay upon these works
by saying that the public felt persuaded that they
were likely to effect a great raving of public money,
especially in times of emergency. Sir DE LACY
EVANS also expressed his warm support of the
measure, and recapitulated the recommendations
of the committee who considered this question.
Among these was the defence of Woolwich, and
the erection of a grand central arsenal in the in-
terior of the country. This is an excellent project,
and one which we hope to see carried out before
long. Such a reservoir would render us indepen-
dent of sudden surprises, and would, indeed, lessen
the inducements to seize on our more exposed
depots. Forewarned is forearmed. All these
schemes do not indicate that Englishmen are grow-
ing weak or cowardly, or that they anticipate that
their country would fall an easy prey to an invader.
But the wisest men do not want to learn wisdom
by experience. They foresee danger, and prepare
for it, so that when the evil day comes they are
equal to the emergency, instead of being overcome
by it. The part which England should take in
European politics should be played without fear of
consequences, and only a proper system of national
defence and fully efficient services can qualify her
for it. Whatever may be the opposition from the
advocates of peculiar crotchets within the walls of
St. Stephen's, the sense of the country is with the
movement, and Lord PALMERSTON may rest
assured of the national support and approval pro-
vided the works are well and wisely carried out.

Mr. R. Vaughan Williams has been appointed
Judge of the County Court of Circuit No. 9, in the
place of Mr. Richards. The name of this gentleman is fami-
liar to the readers of the law Times, as he was for some
years one of its reporters in the Common Pleas. The list
of judges and law officers in high places who have been
taken from the ranks of our reporters and contributors will
be as gratifying to our readers as it is to ourselves. Doubt-
less, it is because it has proved a help to honour, that this
journal has been enabled to enlist so Many able men in its
iterViCe.—Law Times a to-day—just published.

rioters were dispersed by the arrival of the

military."

FRANCE.

SURRENDER OF THE CITY OF MEXICO

TO THE FRENCH.
PARIS, JULY 11.

The Government have received a telegram, dated
Ist July, from the French Consul at New York,
announcing that news had been received, via San
Francisco, of the surrender of the City of Mexico.
The following official statement has been published
:—" Certain foreign journals have published
a letter purporting to have been addressed by the
Emperor to the Countess Platen. This letter was
not written by the Emperor."
BOURSE, July 9.—The market has been heavy,
and the limited amount of business doing shows
rather lower prices. Threes, for the Account, are
now at 68f. 50c. Mobilier Shares have been
offered, and are now at 1,182 fr. 50c. Railway
Shares also show a decline, but with little business.
The market closed as follows :-
4t per Cents .. 97 Italian Loan 7l 75
Do. end month.... Do. end month —
3 per Cents
Do. end month.... 68 55 Do, end month —
Credit Mobilier.... 1185 Russian
Do. end m0nth....1180 Austrian
Bank Shares 3410 Spanish Threes....
Credit koncier 1320 Rome Debt