The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-28 00:00:00

cess.

President JOHNSON'S difficulties appear to be
somewhat lessened, owing to a coalition of the
political parties of the Republicans and Conserva-
tives, who are both members of the Democratic
side. A change has been made in the post of Col-
lector of Customs for New York, by the substi-
tution of the Hon. PRESTON KING for Mr. DRAPER.
This alteration is said to have been made at the
suggestion of Mr. SEWARD and of Mr. THURLOW
WEED, and is regarded as a public aknowledgment
of the junction of the parties. The PRESIDENT'S
position, which had been weakened by the open
dissensions in his Cabinet, is now much stronger,
and it is to be hoped that he will turn his increased
power to good account in promoting the pacification
of the country. Fortunately, now that the first
fever of excitement is over, President JOHNSON
appears to be sensible that there is something more
to consider than the mere violent suppression of
outward disturbance, and that if he hopes to rule a
great and populous country he must exercise some
measure of temperance and conciliation. We may
judge of the temper of some American politicians
when, remembering the famous compensation
clause, we find that the objections raised to the
PRESIDENT'S policy by some members of his
Cabinet are that it is too lenient. The PRESIDENT
has, however, probably learned by this time
that the excessive vehemence of Northern
partisans is ill-calculated to give confidence or sta-
bility to his Government, or to restore the flagging
spirit of commercial enterprise and prosperity.
It is unfortunate that the interests of trade
should receive a severe shock at a crisis like the
present in the discovery of defalcations to an im-
mense amount committed by a banker in Wall-
street. The firm was a well-known one ; but so
great has been the amount of property abstracted
by the missing partner that it has been suspended.
The loss is variously estimated at from two and
a half to five millions, involving several other
bankers and brokers. The system of fraud must
have been going on for some time, since it has
been carried out by means of large issues of forged
gold certificates, as well as the abstraction of
funds and securities. Combined with the recent
embezzlements by bank officials, the effect of this
discovery on the share market has been serious.
The Americans are now reaping the conse-
quence of the low tone of commercial
morality which has for some time prevailed among
' them. So long as it is thought a fine thing for a
man to be heavily involved, and a large bankruptcy
is held to be more respectable than a small one, we
cannot be surprised if a man passes from a system
of credit without foundation to actual embezzlement
when the temptation is strong and the opportunity
favourable. To become heavily involved without
any hope of repayment of creditors is only another
form of appropriating other people's property, and
the great temptations which the expenses of the war
have put in the way of contractors, officials, and
others, have been too great to be resisted by men
who had not sound principles of commercial honour
and honesty to protect them. Such events as this
suspension are very much to be regretted at any time
from the vast amount of suffering which they entail,
and the injury they inflict on credit, but they are
especially lamentable when the heavy expenses of
the war have already pressed so heavily on the
country, and when the task of rebuilding the com-
mercial prosperity of the country is sufficiently
arduous.

We are sorry to find that in spite of the recent
changes the Mayor of Mobile has publicly declared
the testimony of blacks against whites to be invalid.
This is one of the worst features of the old slave
law, and it should certainly be forthwith abolished.
The Provisional Governor of Florida, in a speech
at Jacksonville, remarked that the extinction of
slavery by the operations of the war had given the
negro every privilege enjoyed by the whites except-
ing suffrage, and this he said would be a subject for
discussion in the convention which he proposed to
authorise for the re-organisation of the State, and
the revision of its constitution. The question of
negro suffrage will be one of the political features
of the time in America ; but while the principle is
sound enough, its application should be deferred
until the negro has emerged from the state of igno-
rance and subjection to which long oppresiion and
injustice have reduced him. Among the quick,
energetic people of the States, every reform must
be at once applied and carried out ; but they must
learn the wisdom of caution and moderation if they
would harmonise conflicting elements.

It seems as if we were never to hear the last of
the extraordinary affair of CONSTANCE KENT, and
whatever is told or elicited upon inquiry still leaves
something unsaid, and the mystery remains un-
ravelled in its completeness. The unhappy girl has
made a further confession, which will, no doubt, be
read with interest, and may serve to throw further
light upon the dark and dreadful deed. The most
inconsistent part of the affair is that she declares
that she was treated with the utmost kindness, and
thus whatever motive she might have had to commit
the atrocious act seems to be taken away. It might
be comprehensible
ofththaet
dseleied
iwnoarksedpirithoefrsreelvfenugpe
or a fit of jealousy ;
but why she should have
without
being actuated
mur-
dered the inoffensive child
by these feelings is, indeed, most
the same time, the particularswhic
which
she marvellous.giv es eoi A
ntt
time tide strangely with the events at theme of the
murder ; and in this last confession she is most
minute in her details and decided in her statements.
If she really acted in the manner she described she
must have possessed great ingenuity, and the other
inmates of the house were very destitute of pene-
tration or acuteness. It is impossible to peruse
these revelations without thinking that, the whole
of the inquiries which took ' place at the
time of the Road murder were conducted in an in-
complete form, and that greater vigilance from the
outset might have set the matter sooner at rest. In
many respects it would have been much more satis-
factory if a " judicial inquiry" had been instituted
at the recent trial of CONSTANCE KENT, for we
should have been able to gain a morn definite idea