The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-10 00:00:00

to ,the violent and vindictive faction, whom an
unhappy accident has raised to supreme power,
but we should be glad to learn that the more re-
spectable portion of the people, the educated and
intelligent classes at least, had entered some pro-
test, had made some effort to influence, if
not control, the action of their Govern-
ment, and to free them from the dis-
grace which must inevitably attach to their na-
tion from such an abuse of strength and success.
The Cuba brings intelligence of the surrender of
General KIRBY SMITH, with all the military and
naval forces and war material in the trans-Missis-
sippi department, and on the receipt of this
news President JOHNSON ordered the imme-
diate release of all prisoners who had been
sentenced by military tribunals to imprisonment
during the war, and an amnesty was expected to
follow immediately. It made its appearance the
next day, and its provisions are now before us, with
such a list of conditions and exceptions that the
puzzled reader is fain to ask, who is to profit
by it? President JOHNSON issues a proclamation
of amnesty and restoration of property, except in
slaves, an exception that no Englishman, at least,
will quarrel with. First, we have the conditions,
and these are sufficiently embarrassing, seeing that
the favoured ones must take the oath to support
the Constitution, the Union, and all emancipation
laws and proclamations ; and when we remember
that it is the Constitution according to Mr. JOHN-
SON'S reading of it, the subscription is not a very
pleasant one. But next come the exceptions, and
these occupy 14 clauses. All civil, diplomatic,
judicial, and state officers; soldiers above the rank of
colonel, sailors above lieutenant, war prisoners, and
political prisoners, raiders from foreign territories,
members of the Federal Congress of '6l who have
aided rebellion, those implicated in the ill-treatment of
Federal prisoners, and above all, any person owning
property to the value of $20,000 who have aided the
rebellion. What is this but a wholesale system of
confiscation ? It will be noticed that some of the
definitions are most conveniently elastic, and afford
ample room and verge enough to take in any person
whose rank, wealth, or influence may be objection-
able to the authorities. But, like a lady's letter,
the real meaning comes out at the close, and the
property, so carefully rated, is probably the next
offence which will never be forgiven. Who
is protected by this amnesty but the most
insignificant and powerless classes, those, in
fact, who wanted no amnesty at all ? The
charge of aiding the rebellion may be brought
against almost every family in the Southern States,
and if only the inferior officers of both services are
to be included in the amnesty, then every large land-
owner, every influential politician, every man in
fact who has in any way distinguished himself from
his fellows, is to be carefully shut out. How, ab-
surd, too, is it to refuse an amnesty to prisoners of
war, who might naturally expect release on the con-
clusion of hostilities. But it is inconsistent to
apply the titles of prisoners of war to those who
are in other places denounced as rebels and traitors.
What can be more extravagant than the terms
in which the indictment against Mr. DAVIS
speaks of the gallant Southern armies as " false
traitors whose names are unknown." False
traitors ! We have heard of honour among
thieves, but truth among traitors is something
newer. But when we come to consider the treat-
ment of Mr. Davis himself, we reach the darkest
point in the story which, as fellow-kinsmen with
the Americans, Englishmen may well blush to read.
This gentleman, whose social position, no less than
his political abilities and high moral character, qua-
lified him to be the unanimously chosen leader of
five or six millions of his countrymen, whose only
offence is that, in a time of difficulty and peril, he
accepted the arduous task of government, is being
unheard, as we in England would shrink from
treating the worst of our condemned felons.
It can be with no other object than to
heap insult and degradation on the man who
was so long not only his powerful rival, but so
greatly his superior in authority and position, that
ANDREW JOHNSON resorts to such extremities. In
his violence and malignity he does not perceive that
the disgrace which he hopes to attach to his victim
he is really heaping on his own head, and that
while thus outraging every honourable and mag-
nanireous feeling he is really breaking the law as
well as insulting the fallen. To talk of trying such
a man as JEFFERSON DAVIS for treason is so pre-
posterous that it does not serve as an excuse for
petty malignity of which no honourable man would
be guilty, but the effect upon the future is likely
to be even more deplorable than the actual
state of things at present. The ex - PRESI-
DENT may but too probably fall a vic-
tim to the abuse of power, but he is not
likely to be the last sacrifice. When once the cry
of treason and traitor to the State is raised by un-
scrupulous authority no man's head is safe on his
shoulders. We have seen but too well how easily
public duty in such a case can be made to cover
envy, malignity, or covetousness. Death and con-
fiscation are dealt out so easily and quickly that no
one need remain poor if he can only select a victim.
It was to this point that the Reign of Terror
brought as great a nation as the United Statei ; it
is to this point that we fear the States are tending.
In the interests of freedom and unanimity of political
and popular liberty we bid them pause, for the great
destinies 'committed to their charge are in fearful
peril. England is not blameless for her inaction ;
but there are surely yet enough wise, and good, and
earnest men who will not suffer cruelty, murder,
and spoliation to assume uncontradicted the guise
of freedom, justice, and constitutional Government.

Mr. ROEBUCK'S speeches are always worth listen-
ing to, for the hon. and learned member has some-
thing striking to say on most subjects, and the
very bitterness of his observations invests them
with a piquancy that attracts universal interest and
admiration. Sheffield is proud of him as its repre-
sentative, and he is not likely to be turned out of it
until he ceases to seek its suffrages. Yesterday Mr.
ROEBUCK and Mr. HADFIELD addressed their con-
stituents at an open-air meeting. The former made
a long speech, which was received with great ap-
plause, and the cross-questioning that afterwards
took place afforded great excitement and amuse-
ment. At the present juncture in American affairs
Mr. ROEBUCK may well point with satisfaction
to his previous remarks on America. He said on a
former occasion that the South ought to be recog-
nised, and now says that if it had-been " great good
would have been done.?' To those who offered
dissentient observations to this statement he truly
declared that they had not yet seen the play out.
There is no doubt that if the great Republic of
America had been split in two great advantage's
would have accrued to the great nations of the
world. Had the decision of the House of Com-
mons been in accordance with Mr. ROEBUCK'S
opinion, the honour of this country would not have
been tarnished as it now is by the unfair course
which our Government has pursued towards the
Confederate States. Mr. ROEBUCK'S speech was
full of home truths. lle dwelt upon the acci-
dent that had turned out the Derby Ministry,
and showed very plainly the mischievous conse-
quences that had been brought abo It by the selfish

At this season of the year when almost every one
is thinking of travelling in some direction or other,
it is sad to contemplate the numerous fatal railway
accidents that are continually taking place. During
the last week two most serious occurrences have
taken place, and it adds greatly to the horror of
such calamities to think that carelessness was the
cause of them. It seems an extraordinary thing
that nothing can guard against the recurrence of
such mischances, and that the frequency of these
sad events does not induce the railway officials to
use more care and caution. When the lives of
thousands are at stake, it is too bad that we should
witness such lamentable oversight. If one train
more than another could excite a greater degree of
interest, it would be the one to which this fatal
accident occurred yesterday. It was the tidal train
which left Folkstone on the arrival of passengers from
Boulogne. One hundred and ten passengers were
in it, and it proceeded on its way until it reached
Staplehurst, when the fearful accident occurred.
At this part the railway crosses a stream, and on
the bridge a plate was loosened by the platelayers,
and the engine which run over this was thrown off
the rails. In consequence the train broke into two
parts, and many of the carriages plunged into the
stream, which caused a fall of several feet. The scene
which followed was a frightful one, and the carriages
were so twisted and shattered that it was difficult
to decide what fate their occupants had met with,
whether they were killed by the shock or suffocated
in the water and mud. All that could be done by
the other passengers and those on the spot was
done, but 10 lives were lost, and at least 20 persons
were injured. Upon receipt of intelligence concerning
the accident in London, several of the officials went
down to the scene of the disaster, with as many
medical gentlemen as they could collect in a short
time. It is satisfactory to know that after this
casualty all was done in the most prompt and effi-
cient manner possible, and the sufferers who were
in a condition to travel were brought up to London
during the course of the evening. Many will be
interested to learn that Mr. CHARLES DICKENS
sustained no injuries, but he had a very narrow
escape, as he was in the train. It is supposed that
the accident would have been even more serious had
not there been an unusual amount of break-
power. This was a very fortunate occurrence,
and it will be well if this practice of incorporating
patent breaks be, and were, generally adopted on
other lines. It is satisfactory, for the cause of in-
vestigation, that none of the company's servants
have been seriously injured, so that there will not
be the drawback that so often presents itself,
of the chief witness or witnesses being killed,
and unfitted to appear by serious injuries. The
peculiar nature of this tidal train will excite public
interest to a great extent, and nothing but the most
searching inquiries will satisfy the community.
The particulars of the inquest will be eagerly
scanned, and all that concerns, nearly or remotely,
the sad affair will receive unusual attention.
It is surely not too much to expect that these two
fearful accidents, following on each other with such
startling rapidity, will prove a salutary warning,
and that this calamity of yesterday may be the last
that will shock the public for some time. It is quite
impossible to form anything like an adequate notion
of the alarm and distress which the dissemination
of the sad intelligence will cause throughout the
length and breadth of the land, and the only reflec-
tion that can mitigate the distress is that in all pro-
bability such measures will be adopted as will for
the future prevent the recurrence of similar cala-
mities, so that it will doubtless be safer to travel by
rail than it has been for some time past.

THE LATE SIR JOSEPH PAXTON AND THE DUKE
OF DEVONSHIRE.—The Liverpool Post says that it is
to Sir Joseph Paxton that the inhabitants of Birkenhead are
mainly indebted for the possession of the most beautiful
park in the kingdom, if not in the world ; and it occurs to
us to mention also in this place an incident illustrative of
the relations subsisting between him and the late Duke of
Devonshire. Shortly before the failure of the Strachan,
Paul, and Co.'s bank, Sir Joseph Paxton wont to his friend
the duke and asked him for the loan of some £70,000, with-
out stating the object for which he required it. The duke
at once granted him the apparent favour, and was over-
joyed to find, two or three days afterwards, when the bank
failed, and he for the moment dreaded that the balance he
had there was lost, that Sir Joseph Paxton had resorted to
this means of shielding his noble friend from the calamity.
On the morning of the failure Sir Joseph called upon him
with the £70,000 in bank notes untouched.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.—The weekly
meeting of this board was held yesterday, Sir J.
Thwaites in the chair. The cash statement showed a total
balance in the bands of the treasurer amounting to
£341,697 6s. Bd. The following tenders were received for
the covering and diverting of the Falcon-brook sewer :
Beeston, £39,400 ; Moxon, £35,400 ; Hill and Kettle,
£37,850 ; Dethick, £39,430 ; Wainwright, £36,000 ; and
Rixon, £36,857. The tenders having been opened, the
board considered them with closed doors. Upon the re-
admission of the public, the clerk announced that the
tender of Mr. Moxon for £35,400 was accepted. The
Falcon-brook sewer runs along Falcon-lane, Battersea,
near the London and South-Western Railway. In refer-
ence to the late accidents on the Thames embankment, the
chairman stated that, although the works were the con-
tractors, they really belonged to the board, and he was
surprised that they had no notice of the melancholy acci-
dents that luNl occurred. The matter was referred to the
Main Drainage Committee for report, &c. It was agreed,
upon the motion of Mr. Brookes, that, the Main Drainage
works being reported virtually completed, he would move
that the whole subj let, in reference to the reduction of the
staff employed on tl:ose works, be referred to the Main
Drainage Committee 1.9 r consideration and nport. The
Park-lane Improvement Question was referred to a com-
mittee for consideration.

WIIY ?-111r. Henne.;sy has elicited some humi-
liating admissions from. the Under-Secretary for
Foreign Affairs in the case of Lord Amberley. It appears
that the young nobleman wt:a travelling abroad for his own
pleasure, and that he took two passages on board British
men-of-war—one from Col inth to Ancona, and the other
from the Pireaus to KallimaAi. For the extra expense thus
occasioned to the captains of the ships by his lordship the
public were called upon on Thursday night to pay £42105.
Mr. Layard had no defence t<► make of this petty imposi-
tion ; he could not explain wh.v Lord Amberley did not pay
his own travelling expenses, oi why his noble father did
not pay them for him ; all he cc mld say was that there had
been no attempt on the part of ti to Foreign-office to conceal
the fact that Lord Amberley's travelling expenses hadbeen
charged to the public. The matter is very small, but it is
also very shabby. We wish the noble house of Russell
would take a lesson in disinterastedness from the plebeian
house of Cobden.—Pall-null @ma