The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-12 00:00:00

" To THE CORTES.

"In the old Spanish island, the first land of the Western
World which the great Christopher Columbus considered
worthy of an important establishment, in that great An-
tilles where, many years after its separation from the me-
tropolis, not a drop of Spanish blood was shed, now flows
that generous blood, and the rigours of a pestiferous
climate aiding the enemy, make terrible ravages in the
ranks of our valiant soldiers.

" This sanguinary struggle, which is. also attended by
the.disadvantage of uselessly and profitlessly expending
the public treasure, and consuming the abundant products
of our colonial possessions, was not provoked by the
attempts of anterior Cabinets to carry out an ambitious war
of conquest—so opposed to the rational, just, pacific, and
disinterested policy so long observed by Spain—neither
did it originate from the necessity of repelling foreign
aggressions, of opposing force to force at any cost, consi-
dering only the defence of insulted honour—such was not
the case : this cruel struggle commenced the day following
that on which her Majesty's Government of that day be-
lieved that all the inhabitants of the Dominican Republic
asked and solicited with impatient desire to be reincorpo-
rated with the Spanisk7ation., their ancient mother, and
to form one of its provinces, aspiring to the happiness-
enjoyed by those of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
" Such a desire might not be certain, but it was very
probable. The Government, actuated by these senti-
ments, had faith in that which appeared to inspire the
Dominicans, and, therefore, accepted their votes and COITer
selled her Majesty to effect the annexation which this State
professed so ardently to desire.

"On this account the Ministers in a solemn document
described this event as auspicious, highly honourable for
Spain, and one not often encountered in the annals of peo-
ples. For this also, after referring to the lamentable history
of Santo Domingo since the proclamation of its indepen-
dence in 1821, following the example of other provinces of
the American continent, after drawing the sad picture of
such prolonged misfortune, of a state of things in which
the sources of public and private wealth were exhausted,
independence completely lost for want of strength to main-
tain it, liberty no less lost through the insecurity felt. by the
citizens, and the continual agitation of the Republic ; the
Ministers invoked every sentiment of justice, humanity,
and honour in counselling the annexation of this unhappy
island. They believed such a measure all the more desi-
rable considering the circumstances and character of its
inhabitants, the fertility of its soil, and the strong attach-
ment which the people, after past excesses whereby they
had been terribly disabused, professed towards their
ancient metropolis.
"The annexation was thus founded upon two most noble,
just, and weighty reasons. The first was the right inhe-
rent in the unanimous will of a people, a right not disputed
and previously affirmed by the general assent of the na-
tions of Europe and America in a recent case. The second
was the duty of humanity, of compassion towards the un-
fortunate people who sought favour and mercy, over-
whelmed, as they were, by a sea of disaster and misfortune.
No other right supported nor supports the Spanish Go-
vernment in holding the Spanish portion of the island of,
Santo Domingo, neither the right of revindication nor the
right of conquest, both being opposed to the policy of the
Government, the interests of the people, and the friendly
relations which Spain has always endeavoured to maintain
with the independent States of America,which once formed
part of the immense territory protected by the tutelary
mantle of the Kings of Spain.

" But such flattering hopes soon disappeared ; fatal
symptoms very soon manifested themselves that the an-
nexation had not that spontaneous and unanimous support

upon which it was based. Nevertheless, it was the duty
of the Government to ascertain with certainty whether
those violent protests, several times repressed, did not pro-
ceed only from a discontented few, but were the expression
of the feeling of a people who rejected the legitimate power
they had invoked in a time of trouble and distresS. The
agitation increased, and gained towns and frontiers, extend-
ing over the whole of the territory, and at this day the
Spanish portion of the island of Santo Domingo presents to
the civilised world the Ispeetttele of an entire people in arms,
ungratefully resisting as tyrants those whom they called in
as preservers.

"So strange a political phenomenon has been examined
by the Ministers undersigned with delicate attention and
deep study. They have thoroughly sifted the sad history
of the annexation of Santo Domingo, and have considered
the question from every point of view imaginable, commenc-
ing by those of justice and right, and last regarding those
of expediency. They have well taken into account the rea-
sons that might be alleged on the ground of the national
honour and respect, and have considered the event of the
most brilliant future possible, a triumph obtainedat the cost
of immense sacrifices ; they have weighed the arguments
for and against, that may be based upon considerations of
national and foreign policy, and finally have carefully made
the sad calculation of the numerous and precious lives that
Spain loses every day that this sterile contest is prolonged,
and of the great amount of treasure it consumes.
"As a result of this laborious examination, the Ministers
are impressed with the conviction that the question of
Santo Domingo has reached a point which will allow us to
make the following deductions :

" That it was a delusion to believe that the Dominican
people, as a whole, or in. the great majority, desired, and
above all demanded their annexation to Spain. That the
struggle having become general, it does not now bear the
character of a measure taken to subject a few discontented
rebels, but a war of conquest completely foreign to the
spirit of Spanish policy. That, even by concentrating our
efforts and sacrifices in order to obtain a triumph, we
should place ourselves in the sad position of holding the
island entirely by a military occupation full of difficulties,
and not exempt from dangerous complications. That, even
under the most favourable hypothesis that a portion of the
population may show themselves devoted to us after vic-
tory, the governmental system that would have to be esta-
blished in those dominions must either he little suitable to
the usages and customs of the inhabitants or very dissi-
milai to that of the other colonial provinces. -
" Upon all these and other considerations which the
superior intelligence of the
Cortes will supply, the Ministers,
anxious to put an end to the useless sacrifices in men and
money which the war in Santo Domingo imposes upon the
nation, have the honour to propose, being duly authorised
by her Majesty, the following-project of law :
"Art. 1. The royal decree of the 19th May, 1861, declar-
ing the territory of the Dominican Republic reincorporated
with the monarchy, is repealed.
" Art. 2. The Government is authorised to take the ne-
cessary measures for the execution of this law, giving ac-
count of the same to the Cortes.
" Duke of VALENCIA, President of the Council.
ANTONIO BENAVIDES, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
LORENZO ARRAZOLA, Grace and Justice.
BARZANALLANA, It Finance.
CounovA, 17 War.
ARIKERO, It Marine.
LUIS GONZALEZ BRABO, Interior.
GALIANO, It Public Works.
SEIJAS Low.), Colonies."

A RECOMMENDATION TO MERCY.—At the West
Kent Quarter Sessions, just held, before Mr. Ga-
thorn Hardy, chairman, Richard Hawkins, aged 49, a
watchmaker, was indicted for unlawfully selling, in a public
place, a certain obscene print called Peter Spy, published in
London, on the 19th of December, at Tunbridge-wells. Mr.
Russell appeared for the prosecution, and evidence of the
sale of the publication named having been given, Mr. Em-
bery, the superintendent of the local police at Tunbridge-
wells, stated that for a small pecuniary consideration the
prisoner had been accustomed to libel the character of indi-
viduals, and in this manner had caused much unhappiness
in Tunbridge-wellS. In one instance a man and wife had
been separated through his agency. At another place in
the neighbourhood a man had been set at variance with his
wife by the prisoner, whose course of action was to charge
persons with some immoral act. By leaving out only one
or two letters of the name, and stating " that they lived
not 100 miles from such and such a place" (naming the
locality where the person resided), he pointed so closely
to them that it was impossible to mistake who was meant.
The jury found the prisoner guilty, but, to the surprise of
nearly everybody in the court, recommended him to mercy
on the ground " that they (the jury) saw so much in public
life characterised in these prints." The chairman, in sen-
tencing the prisoner, said the engravings of the paper were
not merely satires on the dress or manners of the people,
but were filthy in conception and design, executed for the
purpose of producing debauchery and immorality among
those who read them. If he could suppose, as he fancied
the jury did, from their recommendation, that they were
mere satires upon the dress and the crinolines of the pre-
sent age, it would not be an offence he should have thought
of placing before the jury ; but this was an offence of the
worst character. The paper was also full of passages in-
tended to Wound the honour and insult the feelings of pri-
vate families. With all respect to the jury, therefore, and
desiring always to carry out their wishes as far as he could
he could not pass a less sentence than six months' hard
labour, and the prisoner must then be bound over in the
SUM of 20/. not to repeat the offence.

The Peninsular and Ofiental Company's steam:
ship Euxine, Captain Roskell, with the heavy Bom-
bay and Mauritius mails, arrived this evening. She
brings 50 passengers, 9 boxes specie (value 4,2361.
16s. 9d.), and 2,044 packages cargo, of which 1,859
bales are raw silk.

GIBRALTAR, Jan. 6.

Letters from the Canary Islands report that the
Infante Don Enrique had been making a.tour, in
the course of which he had visited the towns of
Laguna, Oratava, and Sauzal. He had been re-
ceived with the enthusiasm and consideration due
to the first member of the royal family of Spain
who had ever landed in the Canaries.

Letters from Mazagan announce that the British
schooner Eduardo, at anchor in that port, was
driven ashore during a gale, and became a total
wreck.

A heavy gale passed over Valencia on the 26th
ult. It rained heavily for 24 hours, during which
vessels could not leave the port. The mail from
Madrid was detained at Manuel and at Jativa from
the swollen state of the rivers. The railway trains
were stopped by the snow.
Heavy snow storms fell at Corunna on the 31st
ult,_on which date four mails from the capital were
overdue.

A letter from Tangier states that a caravan from
Fez to Tangier with flour and dates was lost in
crossing one of the rivers, and that some of the
people were drowned.
The Austrian gunboat Wall has put in here. Her
commander reports that he passed on the 28th,
twenty miles off Cape Espichel, the Swedish ship
Else, water-logged and abandoned.
The British schooner Express put into Cadiz on
the 28th, with loss of bowsprit.
The Russian steamer Ahnaz, three guns, from
Rio, arrived at Cadiz on the 30th.
The Prussian war-steamer Mosquito saluted the
garrison on the 2d, which compliment was returned
from the battery.

The British brigantine Norfolk Hero, on her way
to London, put in here on the 3d, with loss of
figure-head and head-rails, bowsprit sprung, &c.,
having been run into by a foreign bark coming into
the Bay.
The Gibraltar Chronicle of the 6th says The
Spanish papers report that the British steamer
Macedon had encountered a severe storm on her
way from Gibraltar to Italy, and was considered in
danger of foundering. It appears from the Spanish
papers that the Spanish steamer Valencia took ten
of the sailors from the Macedon and landed them at
the Grao of Valencia. It is said, also, that it
.was
not known what had become of the Macedon, her
captain, and four seamen—from which we infer
that the captain did not consider the danger so im-
minent as to justify the abandonment of his ship,
and that four of his crew stood by him. The
steamer Regina put to sea, to look for the Macedon,
and returned again to Valencia, having foUnd the
steamer in charge of the captain and part of his
crew. A coasting vessel reported seeing a steamer
answering to the Macedon steering for Los
Alfaques."
The following British ships have arrived here since
the departure of the last mail—steamer, Livorno, 13
days from Glasgow ; schooner, Mary, 19 days from
London ; steamer, lkander 6/ days from Liverpool ;
brig, Henry, 11 days from Cardiff ; steamer, Cadiz,
6k days] from London; steamer, Crimean, 6/-
days from Liverpool; brig, Lively, 14 days from
Fahnouth ; brig, Amphion, 21 days from Cardiff ;
steamer, Genoa, 14 days from Glasgow; brig,
Packside, 13 days from Glasgow ; brig Prairie
Flower, 12 days from Newport ; bark, Keepsake,
33 days from Newport ; brig, Triton, 13 days from
Milford ; steamer, Engel, 6 days from Liverpool ;
bark, Nereid, 8 days from Milford ; brig, Fassfern,
14 days from Liverpool ; bark, Ocean Child, 8 days
from Cardiff ; bark, William Wilson, 10 days, from
Liverpool ; schooner, Volant, 14 days from Belfast ;
brig, Marmion, 15 days from Cardiff ; bark,
Warlock, 11 days from Cardiff ; steamer, Olympus,
6 days from Liverpool ; and steamer, Mavrocordatos,
7/ days from Liverpool. -
The latest Gibraltar Exchanges are quoted, on
London, 90 days' date, 494 ; Marseilles, 8 days'
sight, sf. 15c. ; Madrid, 1i to 2 dis. ; Cadiz, 3 to
31 dis. ; Seville, k dis ; Malaga, / dis. ; Valencia,
par. Premium 'on Five Franc pieces 3s. 4d. per
cent.
•

The United States war steamer, Sacramento,
arrived at Cadiz on the 3d.

The British yacht schooner Avalanche, also
arrived at Cadiz on the 3d.

Mr. Lincoln and the Emancipation Society.

The following is Mr. Lincoln's reply to the ad•
dress of the Emancipation Society, Manchester :
Legation of the United States, London,
Jan. 9, 1865.

Sir,—By direction of Mr. Adams, I have, the honour to
transmit herewith a letter from the President, in answer to
the resolutions adopted by the Union and Emancipation
Society of Manchester, with reference to his re-election,
which Mr. Adams had the pleasure to receive from you on
the Ist of December last.

I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
BENJ. MoRAN, Secretary of Legation.
Thomas B. Potter, Esq., &c., Manchester.

3 To the Union and Emancipation Society, Manchester,
England.

" Gentlemen,—l have received from Mr. Adams, and have
submitted to the President of the United States, your ad-
dress of congratulation upon the result of our late national
election.

" I am charged by him to say that the ascertaining of the
suffrages and the declaration of the choice of the electors
yet remain to be performed by Congress. It would, of
course, be presumptuous on his part to anticipate that final
declaration by a reply to your felicitations. Nevertheless,
the President feels himself at liberty, and under many obli-
gations to thank you for the favourable opinion of his past
administration which you have been pleased to express, and
for your entire and hearty devotion to the best interests of
our country, and the best hopes of mankind.

" I have the honour to be, gentlemen,
"Your obedient servant,
• " WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
"Department of State, Washington, Dec. 22, 1864."

THE MEMBERS FOR BIRMINGHAM AND THEIR
CONSTITUENTS.-It is now considered probable that Messrs.
Scholelield and Bright will address their constituents in
the Birmingham Town-hall, on Wednesday next.
The criminal sessions were held at Southampton
on Monday, In the evening, Mr. Samuel, the high
sheriff of the town, entertained the Recorder and the bar
at a superb banquet at the Victoria-rooms. Upwards of
200 of the elite of the town and neighbourhood, consisting
of members of Parliament, clergymen, magistrates, and
military and naval men of high rank, were invited and were
present. Mr. Emmanuel, who is a strict Jew, expressed
the utmost loyalty to the throne, and in proposing the
health of the bishop of the diocese and the clergy eulogised
the Christian priesthood of the present day. The toast
was replied to by the Rev. Dr. Bradshaw, of the established
church, the Rev. Dr. Adkins, an independent minister, and
Father Mount, a catholic priest. Sir Josiah Cloete and
Admiral Tinling spoke for the army and navy respectively.
The gallery of the Victoria-rooms was occupied by a num-
ber of elegantly dressed Jewish matrons and maidens.
Several Turkish naval officers were present.

AN ENRAGED ORGAN GRINDER.—On Tuesday
last an amusing incident occurred opposite Ro-
chester-place, Bromley. An organ-grinder was observed
grinding away at his instrument, but all in vain, for no
sound could he get from it. At length he put his instru-
ment upon the ground, and, amidst the roars of a largo
crowd, hammered his organ to pieces. He next deliberately
carried the fragments to the opposite side of the road and
set them on fire. The flames having attracted the atten-
tion of the police, police-constable Austen, 49 R, came upon
the scene and took the unfortunate musician to the station
house. After a little time, however, Sergeant Gray all. owed
him to depart, being satisfied that the organ was his own
property. It appears that the man went through the Ita-
lian war under Garibaldi, and that he received three severe
wounds upon his head, which doubtless fully accounted for
,this extraordinary freak—South-Eastent Gazette.

The trial of Lieut. Young and the other recap-
tured raiders commenced on Tuesday, the 27th of
December, in the Superior Court at Montreal, be-
fore Mr. Justice Smith. It was stated that there
were several charges against the prisoners, but it
was contended on behalf of the prisoners that the
only question to be raised before that Court was the
extradition of the accused, whose conviction on six
charges would be no better than conviction on one.
A commitment on one would answer all the pur-
purposes of the counsel for the United States.
Judge Smith said there were but two warrants
before him, and the case of Brecks stood first for
examination. So far as both were concerned, the
choice lay between them.
It was then decided to proceed*with the case of
Brecks. •

Cyrus N. Bishop, teller of the St. Alban's Bank,
was sworn,—He related the facts with regard to the
robbery of the bank by Collins, Spurr, and three
other raiders on the day of the St. Alban's raid.
While the parties were in the bank a merchant,
named Samuel Brecks, came to the door, rapped,
and was admitted by the raiders. They then seized
him and demanded his money, which he stated was
private property. Witness told Brecks it was better
for him to give up his money, which he did. Wit-
ness learnt that it was $4OO United States' currency.
The parties threatened that if Brecks gave any alarm
they would shoot him.

In re-examination Bishop stated that the ra",i'.
were dressed in plain clothes.
On Thursday Joseph F. Butterworth, a Confe-
derate soldier, of Kentucky, was examined. He said
he knew several of the prisoners, Young and Spurr
particularly. His evidence was to the effect that
the prisoners had admitted to him that they went
to St. Alban's for the purpose of taking the money
from the banks and burning the town. lie also said :

" When I saw Spurr and Young in Chicago
during the time of the Convention I understood that
they were there for the purpose of releasing the
Confederate soldiers at Camp Douglas. There was
an organisation then going on for that purpose. I
was told by some of my friends whom I knew to be
Confederate soldiers, and also by Young and Spurr,
that they were in the Confederate army. I was
informed during the time I was in Chicago that a
raid or raids were being organised there for the
purpose of plundering and burning Northern frontier
towns. I was aware that Young and Spurr were
then engaged in organising such raid or raids."
The trial was proceeding with the greatest
despatch.
At the opening ofthe Assizes at Toronto, Judge
Morrison, in the course of his charge, characterised
the way in which the raiders had been discharged
as " very extraordinary and precipitate," and allud-
ing to the plea that the doings of the raiders were
acts of war he said—

" Without admitting for an instant that, even if
they were, it would form a ground for their dis-
charge, I fail to see that, while the actual seat of
war is several hundred miles distant from our fron-
tier, a mere incursion of a few men, secretly con-
trived and without the ordinary features or emblems
of a warlike expedition, resulting in an inroad upon
the territory of a neighbouring country, and the
taking of the lives of non-belligerent and unoffend-
ing citizens and the plundering them of their pro-
perty, and escaping into this country with their
plunder,—l say I fail to see that such acts are en-
titled to be treated as acts of war. If it were other-
wise, the most monstrous and revolting crimes
might be perpetrated under such pretexts, and being
committed on the borders of friendly and contiguous
States, as in the present instance, the offenders
would escape the punishment that such crimes
deserve. War, as understood and carried on among
civilised nations, has enough evils and calamities
without extending its horrors to murder and
robbery, such as I refer to. As well might it have
been argued during the Crimean War that if a few
desperate men entered any part of our province
from the United States and murdered and robbed
our people, and immediately fled thereafter within
the American frontier, they were, under the pretext
that their crimes were acts of wax. in aid of Russia,
entitled to protection, and not within the treaty.
One's common sense revolts at any law, interna-
tional or otherwise, being invoked to protect the
perpetrators of such atrocities and crimes from being
amenable to the laws of the outraged country."