The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-11 00:00:00

1- 1 path behind them. Whatever be the Federal

theory of the sin of treason, however the

winning party may choose to stigmatise the united
and long-continued efforts of several millions of
independent and educated people as a mere
rebellion against existing authority, we in Eng-
land cannot do otherwise than'regard both sides as
belligerents. As such, both. are entitled to the laws
of war both parties had when in active struggle—
a right to fair and equal dealing. The Federals
have conquered—they have achieVed an uncondi-
tional triumph, and, consequently, the prizes and
the trophies of success are indisputably theirs. But
the mere accident of success or failure cannot
transform a soldier into a brigand, or a naval officer
into a pirate ; and since Captain WADDELL has, on
his part, fulfilled his part of the obligation by
striking his colours when the news of peace actually
reached him, we can have no excuse for detaining
him in custody or interfering with the liberty of
his crew. Had he continued the work of destruc-
tion knowingly in time of peace and reunion, he
would certainly have sunk to the level of piracy ;
but his previous course was fully in obedience to
the laws of warfare, which have always authorised
the capture and destruction of the enemy's property
as an important means of crippling his resources.
Undoubtedly the first object of any Power
at war with England would be to waylay her
richly freighted vessels, to attack :and injure her
commerce in every possible way. American com-
merce offers a tempting prize to any foe, and
accordingly it was a very natural consequence of
the struggle that the Confederates should direct
their attacks upon the merchant vessels of the
enemy. The Federals, it must be remembered, acted
upon precisely the same principle. They did not,
indeed, send out ships to interfere with Southern
commerce, for the very simple reason that they
annihilated the commerce altogether. One of their
first acts was to blockade the ports of the South,
and this proved throughout the war one of their
most powerful weapons. It is true that blockade-
running was carried on to a great extent ; it is true
that the kind friends in Boston supplied the Con-
federates liberally, being by no means averse to
make a little money out of the enemy, even though
it were by helping instead of hindering him. But
all these casual and extraneous supplies were as
dust in the balance compared with the steady and
constant stream of men, arms, and ammunition, to
say nothing of the ordinary commercial products
which flowed into the Northern ports. At theppening
of the war the Confederates were almost without re-
sources, and had they displayed the same spirit and re-
sources in 1864 that they did in 1861-2 their fortunes
might have been very different. But had it not
been for the closing of the ports they would have
been in a very different position in fighting the
enemy from first to last. It was the natural
course for them to pursue to commit what
damage they could, to retaliate as far as
possible on the North. It is quite impos-
sible for a really neutral power to regard the
Confederate privateers as other than regular ser-
vants of an organised government, which, however
brief in its existence, has had for four years a govern-
ment de facto ruling over a population to be num-
bered by millions. There is, therefore, no excuse
or reason for treating the commander and crew
of the Shenandoah as infringers of the international
law, or still less as felons or traitors. At the worst,
accepting the doctrine of rebellion, which no Eng-
lishman can reasonably do, if he upholds the coun-
ter doctrine of the rights of nationalities, Captain
WADDELL is merely a political offender, and
we are not in the habit of visiting on
political offenders their sins against their
own Governments. Neither do the Americans
trouble themselves to capture all refractory
Fenians; and, we presume, that if any of the heroes
now under trial in the sister island were to escape
across the Atlantic, they would find a very secure
and comfortable asylum in Washington itself. The
surrender of the ship is equally a matter of course
with the liberation of the men. The spoils of
war belong in any case to the conqueror, but the
property on board the Shenandoah was originally
the property of Northern owners, and has therefore
a double obligation to be given into Northern hands.
It is clearly our duty to surrender it to the repre-
sentative of the existing American Government, to
whom, from henceforth, all communications on
American matters, whether North or South, must
be addressed.

It is to be hoped that the American people will
see the affair in this light, and that Mr. SEWARD
will be satisfied with the surrender of the ship
without introducing any angry controversy into the
matter. Some Americans pretend that England
favoured the Confederate privateers in order to pro-
fit by the consequent suspension of American com-
merce, as if any advantage English traders might
have derived from such a source could have compen-
sated for the losses we suffered by the cotton famine !
Had England been actuated by merely selfish
motives she would certainly have refused to recog-
nise the blockade, and have spared herself the Lan-
cashire distress and all its attendant evils. It is
satisfactory that the Government has actedpromptly
and decisively with regard to the Shenandoah and
in full accordance with constitutional law, and we
have no doubt that the general feeling of the public
will be fully in accordance with the course adopted.
The general news received from America by the
Scotia is unimportant. The trial of DAVIS and the
election of General WADE HAMPTON are both con-
tradicted. The rumour that Mr. CUSHING is to be
despatched for England on a mission with re-
gard to the claims for the Alabama damages
is still afloat, but there is no actual
notice of it. Mr. SEWARD has directed all
Federal officers to show liberal hospitality and cour-
tesy to the British nation, as all restrictions on
American vessels in British ports have now been
removed, so that we may hope that we are advanc-
ing towards a better state of feeling. The release
of JOHN MITCHELL at the solicitation of the Fenian
Congress is announced, and Mr. JOHNSON received
a Fenian delegation who came to thank him for the
favour. The President paid them an unnecessary
compliment by saying he had done it " as a mark of
respect" to a large body of his countrymen ! The
Fenians are still actively at work, and the State
Ceatro has declared tha.tnumerousFenian privateers
are being equipped at New York, and will shortly
be afloat. This is passing into active mischief, and
is something rather different from the building of
unarmed boats for a recognised belligerent.
Toronto papers assert that the Canadian Go-
vernment is organising a strong force to guard
the frontier. This is quite as well, since it may
guard against future trouble. The slavery question
is becoming gradually settled ; and the latest news
is that the Georgia Convention has unanimously
passed an ordinance abolishing it for ever. It is far
better and wiser to leave each State to deal in the
same way with the suffrage question as it shall come
before it than to attempt to coerce an unwilling
people.

Lord LYTTELTON made some very interesting re-
marks upon the Clubs of the Upper and the Working
Classes. This subject has of late come prominently
before the public, and engaged a considerable share
of attention, though not more than its importance