The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-13 00:00:00

THE SUN,' LONDON THURSDAY,

federates as the standards of a conquered enemy,l
but it is difficult to see hoW the arrest of General
Buckner as a traitor can be justified without the in•
troduction of very strange anomalies in the policy
of the Government towards the Confederates. On
the same day in which Mr. Jefferson Davis delivered
his address (the copy of which will be found else-
where) the Northerns were celebrating their vic-
tories with some enthusiasm and much speech-
making. There were illuminations in New York on
Saturday, but they were by no means very general
or very good. Many people in the best streets con-
tented themselves by turning on the gas in all their
burners, opening the shutters, and drawing up the
blinds. There were numbers of flags and a fair dis-
play of Chinese lanterns; bnt the Americans who
have seen similar demonstrations in European cities
will not be offended by the assertion that the New
York illuminations had a very poor effect. There
is many a sad heart here, for the Federal losses are
known to exceed 1,200. The Confederates have
probably lost as many more. Some say their
losses amounted to not less than 4,000 killed and
wounded.

The complaint is made over and over again, by
journalists and personal friends whose opinion is
valuable, that England has evinced no " sympathy"
with the United States, and if it be remarked that
the tone of the press and the acts of the Government
of the United States have been generally charac-
terised by an unfriendly spirit, it is replied that the
great mass of the American people did not approve
either the one or the other. With no evidence of
real friendship, and with many signs the other way,
it is not unnatural if the old country should think
that the people who begin their separate existence
in rebellion should entertain the sentiments ex-
pressed in their press and in the acts of their Go-
vernment. The worst designs are constantly and
unblushingly attributed to Great Britain. At the
very moment when England was ',rejecting all the
counsels which might induce her to favour the
Confederacy she was represented to be plotting to
destroy the United States, and to be deterred only
by fear of the North from the overt acts necessary
for the accomplishment of her purpose. How in the
name of common sense or fair play can any people
be expected to regard with sympathy the struggles
of another people, of which the successful issue is
proclaimed to be the sure forerunner of a brutal and
causeless outrage on the territories which belong
to it ? The American gentry, the merchants and
great traders, may affect to consider such mani-
festations as of no consequence, to deny their in-
fluence, and deprecate the idea of receiving them
as the utterance of public opinion. It may be so
in their own case. But here is the fact, that at
the very first gleam of success the organs of the
New York people creep out of the shadow of
humility, and strut in the sun with the same offen-
sive swagger which seems their natural walk. The
old insolent threatenings are repeated—the imme-
diate result and uses of the victories at Donnelson
and elsewhere are to stimulate the journal which
boasts that it circulates more numbers than all the
other newspapers in the city put together, to an-
nounce the annexation of Canada, Cuba, and every
island of the West Indies ? And the people of Great
Britain forsooth are to "sympathise" with the
United States, and to hope for a success, the result
of which is thus, on this 24th of February, described
as follows:—" When the Union and peace are re-
stored, as they will be before the 4th of July, there
will be three-quarters of a million of Northern _and
more than a quarter of a million of Southern soldiers
—upwards of a million in all, of the finest troops in
the world. Most of these men will prefer to con-
tinue fighting rather than be disbanded." What for
we are told very plainly. " It will be necessary for
our own safety to sweep away from every part of
this continent and every island that belongs to it
every vestige of kingcraft and foreign domination."
Now, if Americans believe what they are most fond
of hearing and reading, there is danger of their try-
ing to carry out these lessons. It is melancholy to
observe such workings of a very "free" and very
"cheap press." The low price of the newspapers
compels the proprietors to seek a large circulation,
and appeal to the passions, ignorance, and preju-
dices of the multitude as the only means of doing
so. In face of the recent action and conduct of the
British Government the " popular" journals of New
York declare that the Ministry had " a salutary
dread of being involved in war with the United
States in consequence of the commission of some
act, underhand or overt, of active sympathy with
the Southern rebels, and determined to wheedle, to
prevaricate, and even to endeavour to intimidate
Mr. Lincoln from time to time, hoping that even-
tually the fortune of arms', would be with the
rebels, and then the Queen would and could re-
cognise them !" If these are not the sentiments
of the American people, it would be well that
they should be cleared from the charge in
some authoritative manner. With success we are
told will come our danger—how unprovoked let
the speeches and acts of our statesmen prove to the
world.

The North is already disposing of all the Confe-
derate States as if it held them in the hollow of its
hand. A term varying from 30 to 90 days is as
signed by the more enthusiastic to the completion
of the work. A few think the conflict may go on
till next winter. There are still some faint, small
voices whispering from out the mouths of shaking
heads that the real question is now about to be de-
cided, and that it all depends on the existence of
a large amours of Union feeling in the Southern
States whether the successes gained will lead to
the restoration of the Union or to the ruin of both
North and South. The tribune in its peculiar
style, recommends the slaveoweers of the South to
emigrate en masse to Africa, where they can deve-
lop their domestic institu ion to any extent with-
out harm to their neighbours, and at the same time
cheers up the North-Eastern States by the assurance
of a speedy advance of the army of the Potomac,
which shall restore the balance in their favour
against the preponderance gained by the recent
victories of the men of the Western States. The
latter are, indeed, in a state of high delight and
exultation. As they alone are " saving the Re-
public," they may decline to pay anything towards
the expenses. A gentleman who had a good deal
of conversation with the Confederate prisoners at
Roanoke, says they spoke with unanimous bitter-
ness of the North, and that he could not detect a
trace of " Union sentiment," though they were in
captivity. Burnside's expedition has failed to
elicit any " Union sentiment" in North Carolina,
which was said to be bubbling up with it, and
sent a "Bogus senator" to represent it in Congress.
In Clarksville two-thirds of the inhabitants fled
on the approach of the Federals, and with rare
exceptions the flight of the people and the firing
of their property by their own hands, as at Eden-
ton, have been the usual modes of expressing
their joy at the sight of the stars and stripes.
Mr. Davis gives no sign of submission as yet,
though the news from England must be a heavy
blow to the Confederates, while it ought to shame
the Federal press into a retractation of its many
calumnies against the purity of our intentions. It
has, indeed, produced some effect already, and it
must convince the people who reflect that through-
out there was but one policy and one sentiment in
England as regarded the preservation of an honour-
able neutrality. It may not be out of place to ob-
serve that no foreshadowing of Federal victories
had been cast over the waters when Parliament
opened, for it is fashionable to attribute all the
moderation of Great Britain to fear of the Ameri-
can people or of somebody else. There is, in addi-
tion to the details of the victories in the west, much
interesting matter from the other States—the meet-
ing of the Confederate Congress, the address of Mr.
Davis, the various movements of troops, the settle-
ment of the Treasury note issue, preparations for
the increase of Burnside's force, which is intended,
asp I informed you long ago, to be directed against
New Berne, the Butler expedition against Mobile
or New Orleans, the operations of Commodore Foote
in the western rivers, the advance of Buell, the oc-
cupation of Nashville which seems pretty well con-
firmed, another defeat of the übiquitous and much
bewhipped but always rising Price, the lodgment
of the Federals in Arkansas, Landor's much praised
dash at Blooming Green, Halleck's rigid adminis-
tration
:in the west, the execution- of Gordon, the
slave captain, with its attendant horrors, each and

' all will attract attention. Although the infliction
of capital punishment on Gordon after so long an
interval had elapsed from the last instance in which
.the extreme sentence was enforced that it might
have been supposed to have been abrogated by non
user was deprecated by some persons, the cause of
their disapproval may have been the disgusting and
brutal accidents of the execution. Whatever may
be the merits of Mr. Lincoln's Government, if it be
to it the present most vigorous proceedings directed
against the slave trade be due, civilisation and hu-
manity will thank the men who dare to strike at
the heart of this abominable traffic, The United
States Circuit Court opened on Tuesday, and the
activity of the authorities has bretight the follow-
ing persons to trial for slave trading

Samuel B. Haynes, first mate of the Nightingale
indicted for the capital offence; Bradley Winslow,
second mate of the same vessel, is also indicted on
the capital charge; Williams H. Byrnes, master of
the barque W. L: Libby, indicted for the capital
offence ; Morgan Fredericks, first mate of the Cora,
indicted for the capital offence; Erastus H. Booth,
master of the Buckeye, indicted for the capital
offence ; George Garnett, first mate of the same
vessel, indicted for the capital offence ; Henry C.
Crawford, master of the ship City of Norfolk, in-
dicted for the capital offence; Wm. Warren, first
mate, and David Hall, second mate, of the Erie, un-
der command of the late Capt. Gordon, are also in-
dicted for the capital offence; Henry Connor, John
Williams, and John Morris, part of the crew of the
Triton, are indicted for the minor offence ; Albert
Horne, indicted for fitting out the City of Norfolk
as a slaver, and Joseph E, Turner, for fitting out the
barque Cora.
The condition of the negroes at Port Royal is the
subject of much complaint and discussion. It is in
no advocacy of slavery I express my belief that they
are much worse off in consequence of their change
of masters. They are described as in want of cloth-
ing, forced to work, kept under strict surveillance.
Still, they are free. Well may they ask, "If this
be freedom, what is slavery ?" There are some
2,000 of them inside the camp lines, and, according
to the Tribune correspondent, a large number of
them are exposed to outrage aSd robbery. " The
rooted contempt of the Anglo-Saxon for the
African race shows itself in hourly acts of fraudu•
lent oppression. The manner in which a portion
of this Northern army allows itself to act and
speak towards the negroes is a disgrace to the
civilisation it assumes to represent and defend."

The reported evacuation of Columbus by the Con-
federates is contradicted. They were still there in
strong force. Au expedition, composed of four iron-
clad gunboats and two mortar boats, with the 27th
Illinois and a battalion of the Bth Wisconsin regi-
ments, made a reconnaissance down the river on the
24th, and discovered that the Confederates bad
seized all the flat boats and skiffs as far up as they
dared. Also that there had been a movement among
the troops at Columbus. Whether reinforcements
had arrived was not learnt. The gunboats and
mortarboats were getting into position on the Mis-
souri side of the river, when a Confederate steamer
with a white flag made its appearance. Some Con-
federate officers went on board the Cincinnati, and
a consultation took place lasting over two hours,
with what result had not yet been made known,
bat the expedition had returned.
The Confederates under General Price had again
been unfortunate. On the 25th General Halleck
telegraphed from St. Louis as follows :
" General Price's army has been driven from his
stronghold at Cross-hollow. The enemy left his sick
and wounded, and such stores as he could not destroy.
He burnt his extensive barracks at that place, to
prevent our troops occupying them. General Cur-
tis says ,most of our provisions for the last few days
have been taken from the enemy."
In the absence of any more authentic information
respecting Nashville, we can only give the following
telegrams :

" Washington, Feb. 25.

" General M'Clellan received a despatch an hour
since from the West, confirming the report that
Nashville, Tennessee, is taken by General Buell's
army, and stating that the rebels have fallen back
on Murfreesboro, about thirty miles south of Nash-
ville."

"St. Louis, Feb. 25.

" The Republican's Cairo despatch says the occu-
pation of Nashville is confirmed. Our troops took
possession without opposition. Floyd fled as usual.
The report that Governor Harris had ordered all
the Tennessee troops to lay down their arms and go
home is confirmed. The Tennessee Legislature is
called for next Monday. No opposition to Union
movements is made anywhere on the Cumberland.
It is reported that white flags are flying at
Memphis."
" Cairo, Feb. 25.

" The following is a special to the Chicago Tri-
bune—' Nashville was yesterday occupied by 10,000
troops under General Buell. The National flag is
now flying over the State-house. The Tennessee
Legislature on Saturday week, to meet again at
Memphis. It is reported that commissioners have
been appointed to confer with the National autho-
rities at Washington to arrange terms for the trans-
fer of allegiance, and that Governor Harris offered
to turn the rebel forces over to the Union. A
gentleman who escaped from Columbus, arriving
here last night, represents a general Union senti-
ment in Tennessee, and thinks the Legislature will
acquiesce in the recommendation of Governor
Harris, because fearful of a rising Union sentiment.
When he left Columbus there were 30,000 rebel
troops there. Another gentleman who arrived from
Nashville reports that the rebels will make another
stand at Mursfreesboro. All the rebel troops had
left Nashville except a police force. When Governor
Harris fled with the Legislature to Memphis he
burnt the State library, and distributed a large
amount of commissary stores and provisions among
the citizens. Stores were closed and business en-
tirely suspended. The Secessionists were leaving
with their stock, and the negroes following the
Confederate army."

" St. Louis, Missouri, Feb. 25.

" Two old citizens of St. Louis, who left Memphis
on Tuesday last, have arrived here. They report
that the day they left Memphis the Legislature ar-
rived there from Nashville. They were to meet on
the following day to discuss State affairs. They
state that people were rapidly arriving from Nash-
ville, and in large numbers. All the gold and silver
that could be got hold of had been moved to Mem-
phis. A panic of colossal dimensions had seized the
people of the State, and Confederate scrip was of no
value whatever. There were only 3,000 rebels troops
at New Madrid, under Colonel Gunter. Earthworks
were being erected at a short distance from New
Madrid. Jeff. Thompson held no command there.
Sunday evening last 13 steamboats landed a strong
force of National troops at Commerce, a few miles
above Cairo, whose destination is supposed to be
some point in Arkansas."

A despatch, dated Cairo, February 24, reports
that the Confederates had strong fortifications on
Pine Bluffs, 12 miles from Nashville, where they
intended making a stand.
Southern advices report that on the 20th seven
gunboats of General Burnside's expedition passed
up the C
'lowan River in the direction of the Sea-
board and Roanoke Railroad. The Federals de-
stroyed
freesboro.
Winton. The Confederates retired to Mur-

The capture of Fort Donnelson is commented upon
as follows by the Southern journals. The Richmond
Despatch, of the 19th ult., says :
" After three days of the most desperate fighting
ever witnessed on this continent (so declares a vete-
ran regular officer), the most desperate fighting
against the most tremendcus odds, in which day after
day the multittulinons host of invaders were driven
back past their own camps, ourglorious Spartan hand,
from sheer exhaustion, has been borne down by a new
avalanche of reinforcements piled upon the already
enormous weight against which they have hitherto
struggled with complete success and has suffered one
of those misfortunes which are common to war, but
which entail no dishonour on our cause, and which
will only animate to the most stern and undying
resistance every true Southern heart. If these
bloody barbarians,
whose hands are now soaked to
the elbows in the life-blood of men defending their
homes and firesides, dream that they are now one
inch nearer the subjugation of the South than when

they started on their infernal mission, they prove
themselves to be fools and madrneni as -well as
savages and murderers. They have taught tis a
lesson, we admit ; they have admonished us to be
more wary and circumspect, to husband with greater
care our limited resources, and not to underrate our
enemy. But they have also placed between them
and us a gulf that can never be crossed by their arts
or arms, and a universal determination to die, if die
we must, for our country, but never permit her to
be subjugated by the most malignant, the most mur-
derous, the meanest of mankind, whose name is at
this moment such a byeword of scorn and reproach
throughout Europe for their combined cruelty and
cowardice, that their own ambassadors eannot stand
the scorn of the world's contempt, and are all anions
to fly back to the -United States. Their success at
Fort Donnelson, gained only by vat superiority of
numbers, will only have the effect of converting the
whole population of the South—men,women,andchil-
dren—into an immense army, who will resist them at
every step, and eveiywhere ' welcome them with
bloody hands to hospitable graves.' The glorious
valour of our troops at Fort tionnelson is not
dimmed in the slightest degree by their inability
to hold their ground against overwhelming odds,
but, on the contrary, shines through the dark clouds
of disaster with a radiance which will kindle • the
whole South into a blaze, and surround their Own
names with a halo of imperishable venom."
The Columbia (South Carolina) Guardian of the
11th ult. publishes the following official advertise-
ment :

" Executive Council Chamber, Feb. 7.

" The following resolution has been this day
adopted in a meeting of the Governor and Council,
and ordered to be published
" ' Resolved,—That all owners of slaves removed
from the seaboard shall be, and they are hereby re-
quired, to place said slaves under the control of
some white men resident for the time in the imme-
diate neighbourhood of the slaves thus removed,
and that upon failure so to place them, the said
owner shall be liable to a penalty of 10 dole. per
head for every slave so situate, for every period of
one month that said slaves shall be left without
such control.

" (Extract from the 'minutes.)
" By order of the Governor and Council,
" F. J. MOSES, Jun., Secretary.' "

ASSIZE INTELLIGBA CB.