The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-10 00:00:00

TUE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING-, NOVEMBER 10, 1865.

change of moment occurred until they reached the fence
into the plough, at which Acrobat blundered and came to
grief, and rolled over Boyce, and was seen no more in the
race. This left Pigeon with a decided lead as they came
along the canal side, which was duly recognised by loud
shouts from his backers on the stand, Flyfisher going on
second, Garus third, L. S. D. and Joe Maley next, and a
long way in their rear was Farnborough, the latter being
thrown out in his endeavour to avoid the fallen Acrobat
and rider. They ran thus to the fence by the Canal-bridge,
which Flyfisher cleared a length or so in advance of the
favourite, but soon after he dropped away beaten, leaving
Garus and L. S. D. in attendance upon Mr. Walker's colt,
who came on with the running to the flight of hurdles at
the distance, which he cleared in front, but tiring imme-
diately after he was headed at the Stand by Garus, who
won easily by three lengths. There were four lengths
between second and third, the others, as placed by the
judge, were widely separated.
Handicap Hurdle Plate of 30 sous. Two miles, over six

flights of hurdles. 6 subs.
Mr. Barker's Cutler, 6 yrs, lOst 41b (Mr. T. Price) 1
Mr. W. G. Craven's No Name, 4 yrs, lOst 71b (Knott) 2
Lord Paulett's Ace of Hearts, 5 yrs, list 71b.....(J. Page) 3
Mr. Weyman's Lemon Drop, 4 yrs, 9st 41b (Jarvis) 4
Mr. W. Topham's Goldbeck, aged, lOst (Jones) 5
Clairvoyant also ran.
Betting-2 to 1 each agst Ace of Hearts and Cutler, and
4 to 1 agst No Name.

Ace of Hearts made play to the last flight of hurdles,
which No Name and Cutler cleared nearly abreast a length
in advance of Lord Paulett's colt. On reaching the Stand,
Cutler chew slightly in advance, and won a good race by a
neck ; two lengths separated the second and third ; Lemon
Drop was fourth, a similar distance in their rear. Clair-
voyante did not pass the post.

The Croxteth Hunt Steeplechase of 100 sovs, subscription
of 5 sovs each, with 50 sovs added, for regular hunters
that have never won any Steeplechase, Hurdle Race, or
Flat Race value 20 sovs ; weight for age. To bo ridden
by gentlemen. About three miles ; starting at the Canal
Point. 10 subs.
Mr. S. J. Welfitt's ch g Commodore, 5 yrs, list 131 b _

(Captain Tempest) 1
Mr. T. Stanley's gr g Early Morn, 6 yrs, 12st 61b
(bar. T. Price) 0
- -

Betting-4 to lon Commodore.

Commodore, in consequence of Early Morn refusing the
first leap, was loft to canter over the course at his leisure.

AQUATICS.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACES.

The month of November does not seem exactly the sea-
son to strip for boat racing ; albeit the exercise is suffi-
ciently exhilarating to create any degree of warmth, as the
young gentlemen who contended yesterday at the Cam
evinced ample evidence. The day was cold, the sky gene-
rally covered with dark greasy-looking clouds, which
afforded an occasional diversity in the weather by dis-
charging ungenial showers of rain. However, both sides
of-the river from the lock to the railway bridge were lined
with students from the different Colleges, who certainly
did their utmost to create the usual amount of excitement
by running and shouting.

Only four boats were sent to the contest—viz., First
Trinity, Third Trinity, Trinity Hall, and St. John's. St.
John's held the challenge for two years, the third deciding
the permanent bolder.

In the first heat Trinity Hall led, followed by Third
Trinity, the heat resulting thus :

Third Trinity
Won by 13 seconds.
SECOND HEAT.
St. John's 1 I First Trinity 2
Won by four seconds.
FINAL HEAT.
Third Trinity
Won by 12 seconds, easily.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The International Commission for in-
quiring into the origin and character, of epidemic
cholera will commence its researches at an opportune
time. Never was the capricious nature of the disease
more signally exemplified than in its course during
the present year,. and perhaps reason and science may
feel their way by the aid of incidents so exceptional.
We have ground for believing that on this occasion
the plague did not come to us from India, yet the
last intelligence from that country informs us that it
has now broken out in Rajpootana, and all reports
concur in representing that the disease, whether in
the Mediterranean or elsewhere, has been of the true
Asiatic type. Again, though its progress has been
slow as well as eccentric, it has been sure, and it has
not been checked so decidedly as usual by the fall of
temperature and the approach of, winter. Of its
fatality we can only say that its ravages in Con-
stantinople and Cairo were as terribir
-ueed more controllable than usual.
We have explaiued on former occasions the sin-
gular track of the epidemic ; how it commenced
apparently on the Arabian coast, then travelled to
Alexandria, thence to Constantinople, and thence
again to various ports in the Mediterranean. From
the Mediterranean it crept into the Black Sea, and
afterwards through the Straits of Gibraltar and
along the west coasts of Spain and Portugal. Yet
it did not make the circuit of the Mediterranean,
nor did it continuously ascend the Atlantic shore of
the Peninsula. Its visits were capricious and irre-
gular in the extreme. To this day it has left not
only Greece, but all the eastern coast of the Adriatic
untouched ; nor has it fallen upon the coasts of
Barbary. One coast of Italy was severely visited,
while the other, up to the close of last month, re-
mained completely exempt. Sicily escaped, nor do
we know that Sardinia or Corsica has been afflicted,
but Malta has suffered heavily. For a long time,
too, it seemed as if the disease could not penetrate
the interior of a country, or quit the seaboard for any
considerable distance, but that exception, as well as
some others previously visible, has now disappeared.
Cholera has been felt in inland towns, but still
under most eccentric conditions. After escaping
from the Mediterranean the pestilence first appeared
at Seville, and then, by a tremendous bound, at
Southampton, after which it visited Paris, and, later
still, Madrid. We learn, too, that from Odessa,
where it established itself in the autumn, it ad-
vanced, and is still advancing, northwards to the
Polish provinces of the Russian Empire. Rumour
also describes it as present in Leipsic, but rumour
also placed it, without much foundation, at Nurem-
burg and Hanover more than two months ago.
Nevertheless, it is plain upon the whole that the
plague is no longer confired to the basin of the
Mediterranean, but has been hovering over Central
and Western Europe. The effects of the visitation
have been as uncertain as its course. At some places
they havebeen comparatively light ; at others, very
severe. At Marseilles and Toulon the disease was
obstinate as well as fatal, and was only dislodged
after serious and prolonged mortality. In Madrid
and Paris, on the other hand, though the virulence
of the epidemic was considerable, its career was short,
both capitals being now regarded as free. In this
country we have indeed reason to be thankful for
our immunities. It is now upwards of six weeks
since the cholera showed itself at Southampton.
Its appearance was unmistakable ; its severity in
one or two cases equally marked. The. cases, too,
though certainly not numerous, occurred so far in
succession that the disease seemed established, and
one or two attacks were reported from the banks of
the Itchen. Yet this footing was not maintained,
nor did the malady spread. The account which we
published on Wednesday gave the place a clean bill
of health, while the rest of the country is absolutely
free. In London we have been without even the
symptom of an outbreak, though it is noticeable that
diarrhoea is somewhat more prevalent than is com-
mon at this particular time of the year. Usually
we have a considerable access of this complaint in
August and September, but very little of it in
November. We have not much now, but the
return is in excess of the average for the season.
On the question of contagion or communicability
the experience of this year will offer copious but
most conflicting evidence. It is asserted positively
that the disease was brought with a certain shipload
of passengers from Alexandria to Constantinople ;
it is undeniable that the ports attacked by cholera
are ports of call for Mediterranean steamers, our
own Southampton being an example ; it is said
that the disorder was brought to Leipsic by a par-
ticular passenger from the South, and it can be
argued that countries which established quarantine
were preserved, while countries which neglected the
precaution were attacked. Barbary, Sicily, and
Greece enforced a quarantine, and have had no
cholera ; Marseilles, Gibraltar, and Malta had no
quarantine, the cholera fell upon them. But the
exceptions to the rule are as numerous as its
examples. Many ports where there was no quaran-
tine escaped the plague ; many places where no
steamer touched or called were heavily visited.
Cholera reached Paris and it reached Madrid, but
not by any visible track from the sea-coast to the
capital. As far as we hear, indeed, there has been
no prevabnce of the disorder in France or Spain
generally. It has been observed, and, indeed, re-
cordedh
imvsntirsolitraattili9vi
visitation
enys t
lowaHl
fnaaii
cholera
hhl
that
less
euerl ssettsroraw,tahtthiahsoi
incennhsci
noape fr
same law
33eki
da2lnle,
vodhwaha
and
ba we nt hl
ea s
st ead ce
d.s
certainly
rnt
al
81i
BsBl4:9tphtralei
than
in the present year, though perhaps not uni-
formly. If the plague has exhausted itself, and if
its effects can be already measured, the visitation
has undoubtedly been light. This has been parti-
cularly evident in Madrid and Paris, where, although
the mortality for a number of days was high, it was
not lasting—indeed, it deserves special remark and
consideration that the disease was more easily con_
exhausted, in the great
quickly
The duration of the
tcapitalsroi ted, ohra nin the more
seaports.
epidemic was not half 130 long in Paris as in Malta.

This may be due perhaps in some degree to the ad-
vance of the year and the cold weather, of which the
later sufferers get the benefit, but it is still extraor-
dinary. If the result could be traced in any way
to the sanitary improvements which have recently
been accomplished in many great cities, it would
give us both assurance and encouragement. A
general assent has now been given to the propo-
sal of the French Government for comprehensive
inquiry and combined research. We have an
arduous but not a hopeless problem before us. It
does appear that at intervals a disease is generated,
if not in India, at any rate in the East, which
rapidly acquires the character of a formidable epi-
demic, and devastes Europe in its course. We have
also the advantage of knowing that the history of
this disease is comprised within narrow limits. It is
true that Sydenham describes the disorder, as exist-
ing in his time, without the occasion of a single
symptom; but though he speaks of it as an autumnal
epidemic, he does not call it a plague. Cholera may
have existed before 1817, but not with the powers
it possesses now. Fifty years ago it was not known
even in India. When it first broke oat at Jessore it
was regarded as a new disorder, and as the event
proved, with good reason. From that place it finally
reached Europe by a track only too plainly marked,
and twice afterwards it ran the same course. This
year its origin and track have been different, but it
has still shown all the veritable characteristics of
a moving pestilence. Now, is it unreasonable to
hope that we may do something or learn something
by studying this plague at its source? We know
that it is controllable in its effects ; may it not be
controllable in its origin ? Few people would ven-
ture to answer these questions confidently in the
affirmative, but few also, we imagine, would deny
that they may well be asked and becomingly studied.
POST.—It will be found that we have no reason
to complain of the comments to which the publica •
tion of the correspondence between Earl Russell and
Mr. Mains on the subject of the depredations com-
mitted by the Confederate cruisers has given rise in
the American press. Now that the heat and passion
occasioned by the late war have subsided, the organs
of public opinion in America find themselves enabled
to treat such questions as that discussed in the cor-
respondence referred to with calmness and modera-
tion. It must never be forgotten that, however
disentitled in strict law the American nation may
have been to saddle us with the responsibility for the
acts of the Alabama and her consorts, they had very
plausible grounds for considering themselves very
badly treated. Engaged as they were in suppress-
ing what they deemed a rebellion, and possessing
absolute control at sea, they saw, notwithstanding
the strictness with which they blockaded the insur-
gents' ports, ships appear in different parts of the
world, which, although they had never wet their
keels in their enemy's waters, nevertheless
sailed under the Confederate flag, inflicted con-
siderable damage on their mercantile marine,
and were permitted to enjoy all the privileges
of vessels of war in the harbours of every neu-
tral State. These ships, without a single excep-
tion, were British made, and the armaments with
which they were provided were of British manufac-
ture. Under these circumstances it would be puerile
to affect astonishment because the American people
were indignant and declaimed against a neutrality
which could nevertheless countenance such results.
Nor was it matter for surprise that whilst the Ame-
rican people were straining every nerve to maintain
the Republic in its entirety, and were incurring a
colossal debt, which in the space of a few years
threatened to exceed the debts which the nations of
the Old World had spent almost centuries in accu-
mulating, they should speak loudly of a day of re-
tribution, and resolve on enforcing from this country
compensation for the damage occasioned by vessels
which left its shores. Now, however, that success
has crowned their arms, and that the distinctive de-
signations of Federal and Confederate have merged
in the common title of American citizen, matters
can be regarded in a different light. The victim
of an unavoidable accident at first vents his indig-
nation on the innocent cause, and it is only on re-
flection that he admits that blame can properly be
attached to no one. After making due allowance
for the stilted tone in which every people speak of
the dignity and independence of their own State, it
will, we think, be seen that the more respectable
and influential section of the American press have
received without irritation the refusal of the English
Government to comply with the demands made,
and have entirely abandoned that high ground
which they originally occupied when they assumed
as incontrovertible the justice of their claims.
The really important issue raised by the demands of
the A merin" TAMS COlT6aiio LI eiim;
departure of vessels similar to the Alabama from
neutral ports is to be considered as consistent with
the observance of strict neutrality. It is a matter
of comparatively little consequence whether the
loss occasioned by the Confederate cruisers should
be borne by the English or by the American na- '
tion ' • but it is of vital consequence to understand
whether, in the event of future wars, belligerents
shall be entitled to- equip vessels in neutral ports.
And it is from this point of view that the Tribune
-,7,ards the question when it says that, if England
sh .1d be engaged in a war before the arrangement
of the existing differences with the United States,
she would probably disown her present principles.
And this is certainly a very practical way of looking
at the matter. If such a war should unhappily
arise we could not with any show of reason complain
if vessels similar to the Alabama and Shenandoah
left the American ports, and, having like them
taken their armaments (supplied from American
workshops) on board as soon as they quitted neutral
waters, proceeded to capture, sink, or destroy the
merchant shipping which, sailing under our flag, may
be found on every- sea in the world. The Americans,
it is true, have a Foreign Enlistment Act, but
it is in almost every respect identical in its
provisions with our own, and we should there-
fore expect that it would be similarly construed.
According, however, to the construction put
upon our act, it is a dead letter ; and the
American statute would consequently be held to
be equally mischievous. The net result, therefore,
of the assumption, that this State did everything
which a belligerent has a right to expect from a
neutral, would be, that if we found ourselves en-
gaged in war with any European power, the rela-
tions subsisting between this country and America
would be just the same as if no Foreign Enlistment
Acts had ever been passed, and we would be com-
pelled to acknowledge the right of the United States
to allow their ports to be made centres of the most
destructive operations against our commerce. Un-
der such circumstances the Tribune is probably cor-
rect in saying that we should be anxious to abandon
the principles which we now maintain. Another of
the New York journals, the Herald, seizes the gist
of the present complications when it says that "the
trouble arises from the existing unsettled and unde-
termined state of international law," and suggests
that a congress of the principal powers should meet
with the view of establishing that law on a
basis which would prove satisfactory to all.
International law is the mere creature of the
comity of nations, since no power in particular
has jurisdiction to enforce obedience to its
precepts. The events which have taken place
in Europe during the past two years make this but
too plainly evident; but, notwithstanding the con-
tempt which Austria and Prussia have shown for
specific treaties, and for the plainest formulae of
natural justice, we may be permitted to hope that
agreements entered into between a large number of
independent States would be scrupulously observed.
And, for the reasons to which we have already al-
luded, it would be well if some more stringent code
could be agreed upon which would prevent such un-
questionable violations of neutrality as took place
in this kingdom during the past war. Of course,
in so far as the resolutions of a Congress would
affect the municipal law of any particular State,
such resolutions would be dependent on the sanction
given to them by the Legislature of such State ;
and as such sanction would not, more especially
under a constitutional Government, follow as a
matter of course, the success which would attend
the labours of any Congress convened for the pur-
pose of modifying the existing law might be pro-
blematical. But at all events the experiment would
be worth trying, for it must be confessed that the
law as. it at present stands is most unsatisfactory ;
and no State in the world is more keenly alive to
that fact than Great Britain.

'• THE ANGLO - AMERICAN TIMES" ON THE
SHENANDOAH PIRATES.—The arrival of the no-
torious Shenandoah at an English port and her
surrender into the hands of the British autho-
rities are of themselves very grave events, but
their gravity is enhanced when we consider that
they will probably be the means of re-opening
the whole discussion concerning the attitude of
England with regard to the late rebellion, and
her responsibility or non-responsibility for the de-
predations of those piratical cruisers which sailed
from her ports to prey upon the commerce of a
nation with which she was on terms of peace and
amity. It is not our purpose, however, to forestall
the angry discussion which is now inevitable upon
these subjects. These are side issues, and have already
passed beyond the domain of individual opinion,
into the hands of the official representatives of the
two nations. We propose now to consider, in the
light of the facts before us, what is the proper and
probable course to be pursued with reference to the
officers of the piratical craft who have just surren-
dered themselves to the authorities of Great Britain.
And in order to arrive at a just conclusion on this
point, we must review the course of the Shenandoah
and the conduct of her officers since she commenced
her cruise. The Sea King was a British ship, manned ,

by British seamen, and partly officered by English-
men. She left an English port professedly for China,
but was followed to sea by another vessel, which
supplied her with an armament and munitions of
war, after receiving which she changed her name to
the Shenandoah, hoisted the Confederate flag, and
started on her work of destruction. Her com-
mander, Captain Waddell, is a renegade North-
erner, formerly of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
New Bedford is a small and poor town, the inhabi-
tants of which are engaged almost exclusively in
the whale fishery. Very few of the forty or fifty
whalers sailing from the port were owned by large
and wealthy firms, but they were generally held in
shares by the humble citizens of the little maritime
town, many of whom were the widows and orphans
of adventurous sailors who had lost their lives in the
prosecution of their dangerous and precarious avo-
zation. They were manned by their owners, and
the poor Jack-tars who composed their crews
received no wages, but depended solely for
their pay upon their success in the whale fishery.
The Shenandoah, with her New Bedford com-
mander, called at Melbourne, and, by permission of
the British authorities of the port, received her
supplies, after which she proceeded to the North
Pacific to prey upon these peaceful whalers. Had
Captain Waddell limited his piratical work
to attacks upon the American gold steamers
which weekly traverse those seas, and to
the merchantmen engaged in trade between the
South American ports and San Francisco, he would
have reaped a richer harvest, and inflicted far
greater injury upon the United States. But he
chose to fight poor widows and orphans—to inflict
wanton destruction upon the little all of peaceful
citizens, who were in no way responsible for the
war, and who had no share in the direction of public
affairs. And with fiendish cruelty he sought out
and destroyed the property not merely of his coun-
trymen, but of the inhabitants of his own native
town—those whom he had known in childhood—
those with whom he had played at school—those
whose: struggles and trials from youth up were
familiar to him. We have no desire to prejudice
public opinion against this man—but we stigmatise
his acts as those of a monster, and deliberately
express our conviction that he has placed himself
outside the pale of humanity, and forfeited all
claims upon that consideration which the law
extends to ordinary criminals. If the Southern
Confederacy had not failed, there would still
have been no excuse for these proceedings
of the Shenandoah. But the Confederacy col-
lapsed nearly eight months ago, and from that
period down to the end of August this pirate ship
has continued her work of devastation, destroying,
it is stated, in the interval no less than thirty-seven
whalers. And now she sails into a British port,
surrenders herself to a British officer, and Captain
Waddell gives his " parole of honor" not to run
away, but to abide the decision of the British autho-
rities. Her origin was British, and doubtless her
commander considered it eminently fitting and
proper that she should return home to be dealt with
by the authorities of that nation whose people
equipped her and sent her to sea. And now
comes the question with which we com-
menced this article—What shall we do with these
pirates ? The contemporary press is loaded with
suggestions and speculations on the subject. It is
agreed on all hands that if Captain Waddell de-
stroyed a single vessel after he was informed of the
collapse of the Confederacy, the act was an act of
piracy, and nothing less; and we have not yet seen
any journal willing to credit the extraordinary
statement made by him, that his work of destruction
was so long pursued in ignorance of the downfall of
the Confederacy. The proper course, then, is—
not to deliver the officers of the Shenandoah to the
American authorities, and thus shirk the responsi-
bility of their trial and punishment by a British
court—but to place them on their trial here for the
crimes of which they are accused, and if found
guilty, mete out to them that measure of punish-
ment which the law prescribes for their offence.
Captain Waddell and the crew of the Shenan-
doah were on Wednesday evening last paroled, by
order of the Government; but it does not follow
from this proceeding, extraordinary as it appears,
that these men are to be permitted to escape. Great
Britain has always regarded piracy on the high seas
as a capital crime. She will not change her position
now. In every instance in which pirates have been
captured by her gunboats in the Eastern Archi-
pelago' she has brought them to trial and to exec v.-
tion. And if her laws are competent to punish
Chinese pirates, they are equally competent to
punish the pirates of the Shenandoah. Several
Americans in London with whom we have
.1...1. rears that Captain
Waddell :will-rbe protected by the British au-
thorities, and thus escape the penalty of his
crimes. There is not the slightest cause for
apprehension of such a thing. If Great Britain
were to afford an asylum to this man and permit
him to go untried and unpunished, she would forfeit
her place among civilised nations, and the United
&aces would au iniee WI4IUIaw ail kiipiv maw.; -
course from a nation which sheltered pirates and
robbers. But to suppose such a thing is to insult
the British Government and the British people.
Great Britain is a civilised and Christian power, as
well as a commercial power; and not only her
national interests, but her moral instircts, will lead
her to the discharge of her duty in this matter.