The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-14 00:00:00

Our Trade with the Confederate States,

(mom A CORRESPONDENT.)
"Manhattan," that humorous writer in the Herald, says
that iLdependence would give to London the great trade of
thq South, while re-union would again enrich New York
with it, and that to become the factors of the South is one
of the richest commercial prizes. England as well as New
York may lose, and Paris, with Havre, may gain what we
ought to have had, and which was freely and frankly
offered by the South, which the cowardice of Earl Russell
refused, but the statesmanship of the Emperor of the
French is likely to obtain.

The Northerns exclude our manufactures by It tariff of 40
to 50 per cent., endeavouring to starve and keep idle our
operatives, though Messrs. Cobden and Bright tell these
men they are their friends. The Northerns exclude our
shipping, though Mr. Bancroft, their Minister, promised
reciprocity when our Navigation Laws were repealed,
Opening our coasting, colonial, and inter-colonial ti ade to
them. The Southerns, on the contrary, offered us free
ports, free coasts, free rivers, and free trade; but as we
have unjustly repelled them, refusing recognition their due,
we cannot wonder if they favour the first of living states-
men—the Emperor of the French.

Why should Lord Palmerston, Mr. Gladstone, and others
of the Cabinet, yield to the "Cowering of Earl Russell to
the North, and his pandering to the Brights and Cobdens,"
RS stated by a correspondent of yours ? Looking on the
Emperor of the French, Lord Palmerston, and Jeff. Davis
al the greatest Statesmen of the day, the English people
wish to see them and their peoples allies and friends. How
Messrs. Bright and Cobden, as free traders, can support the
North is strange I

MERCATOR.

Farming in the Prairie States and England.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

The Duke of Argyll having referred in glowing terms to
the description of the Prairies by Mr. Trollope, showing
it was the El Dorado of farmers, before endorsing it his
grace should have read the practical remarks of Professor
Johnston and Mr. W. Chambers, on their tour through
British America and the States, the latter gentleman pre-
ferring New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for capitalist
farmers.

To farmers desirous of changing a certainty for an
uncertainty, we would merely state as facts that all the
farmers or landowners of Illinois, lowa, Indiana, and the
prairie States are poorer in 1863 than they were in 1856 ,
that most of their farms or estates are mortgaged; and that
the price they obtain at their doors for their produce pays
little more than the labour, as proved by the rates current
in 1861, 1862, and this year, viz., 4s. to ss, per quarter for
Indian corn, 15s. to 17s. for wheat, 11d. per lb. for beef, and
2d. per lb. for pork, with wages at ss. to 6s, per day. Any
farmer will know that such prices will not pay a man
who farms his own land here, and ttiatit would be better
to pay rent and get 20s. per quarter for oats, 355. to 40s.
for wheat, sd. to 6d. for beef, and sd. for pork. Hitherto
western farmers paid no Federal though they did ,State
taxes; hereafter they will have to pay heavier Federal
taxes than we pay. The prairies in Illinois are also very
subject to fever and ague, their produce great, but that
will cease as the land becomes worn out, as the lands on
the Atlantic coast have already been from overcropping
without manure.
We would advise our farmers to read Professor Johnston
and W. Chambers' (see his "American Tour" in Cham-
bers' 8 '7°411140 as well as Trollope, before deciding.
TRAVELLER.