The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-05 00:00:00

be possible to coerce States that have noonger the
heart or strength for resistance. But the policy that
compelled obedience and enforced loyalty would in-
evitably militate against the reconciliation on which
alone the Union can be permanently restored. On
the other hand, there are no doubt some grounds
for hesitating to make peace with the South on con-
ditions admitting of the redevelopment of its re-
sources. The revision of the Federal constitution is
at once an experiment and a precedent. That which
is now done by one partymight hereafter be undone
by another party. There is, therefore, hard, solid
reason in the argument that reconstruction on the
basis determined upon can only be secured by mea-
sures which, it is assumed, the desired end would jus-
tify. The Southern spirit is not dead, and sleeping it
may still be dangerous. But the political difficulties,
formidable as they are, might possibly be reduced
to manageable proportions if they were not
so terribly aggravated by social evils. It has been
truly remarked that slavery is a curse which pursues
those who trade upon it from generation to genera-
tion, and in point of fact the emancipated negroes
constitute the great obstacle to the consolidation of
the national unity. Their corpses are said to en-
cumber the woods of the famine-stricken State of
Georgia ; and in Richmond they are being driven to
work with the bayonet. These poor wretches are
now told that they are " men and brothers," not to
be kept and cared for as the personal property of
planters, who had an interest in their material well-
being ; but to them the change has brought un-
speakable misery. Although it is improbable that
the negro question was considered in the festivities
of the Fourth of July, it is the primary question to
be answered. Somebody must feed, and clothe,
and govern the wild black men who are swarming
over the face of the land. Philanthropy should look
to it, or the abolition of slavery will be anything but
a boon to the emancipated slaves. To starve them,
into crime, and to hang them out of the way, is a
mode of provision scarcely compatible with the pro-
fessions of the Abolitionists. That, however, is
what idleness and license are leading to. To give
them small estates, and to admit them to the elective
franchise, is a proposition which may approve itself
to charitable people on this side of the Atlantic ;
but the Americans may not unreasonably entertain
objection to the suggestion on the score of race
and property. It is exceedingly probable that,
similarly situated, we should be equally intolerant.
One of the organs of the Abolition party has, in-
deed, intimated that for some time past we have
been fixed on the horns of this dilemma in Ireland,
and amiably menaces the Southern gentry with the
fate of the Irish. All we can say is that we sin-
cerely hope it will not be worse. But one thing
would appear to be evident, even upon the showing
of the Abolitionists themselves--the negroes must
be provided for, and specially protected by the Go-
vernment, or they must remain in a condition of
semi-slavery. It is very well for their so-called
friends to affirm that they should be received in
society on a footing of equality, and it may be com-
petent for Congress to pass a law regulating the rate
of wages to be paid to them ; but the rest clearly
depends on public opinion and the state of the
labour market. Now, the weight of public opinion,
in the North as well as in the South, is indisputably
averse from the logical consequences of the abolition
of slavery. It is not a party question. There is
generally an irrepressible repugnance to associating
with the negroes. This may not be right, but it is
natural. According to the theory of the Aboli-
tionists an emancipated slave shouM be eligible to
sit in Congress, and to become President of the
United States. But as it is, a person with negro
blood in his veins is shunned. Of course in time
the feeling might be modified, but its modification
would necessarily to some extent change the
national character, and that is also not an imma-
terial consideration. Without going into any phy-
siological argument, there is prudence as well as
delicacy in the aversion that is manifested. It is
not a mere prejudice, but a deep-rooted conviction
which is susceptible of a rational explanation.
In truth, therefore, the reconstruction of the Union
has been complicated by the revision of the
Constitution. It is plain, too, that the secession of
the Southern States, and the course of the war,
enabled a comparatively small minority of the popu-
lation to take measures the tendency of which was
to re-establish the republic on purely democratic
principles, and consequently with a more centralised
system of administration. So that while the negro
element presents the main obstacle to be overcome,
or rather perhaps the point from which the majority
of the people may endeavour to defend the institu-
tions that date from the Declaration of Independence,
the reconstruction of the Union as proposed would
be an entirely new achievement. It may be agree-
able to observe the Fourth of July as a holiday, but
under a revised constitution, the Republic Wash-
ington declared independent will have entered into
another phase of its existence. For more than 80
years it controverted scepticism, standing firmly on
the ground its great Founder took up, and it has
now come victorious out of a gigantic conflict. The
future, however, is beyond the scan of ordinary po-
litical prescience.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

L IVERP 0 OL-T GESDAY.

At our market to-day the demand for wheat was not so
active as on Friday, and only a moderate business was
effected at the currency of that day, being 2d per cental ad-
vance on the week. Oats scarce, and id per bushel dearer.
There was a fair inquiry for flour at Friday's advance of
6d per sack. American flour also more saleable. Indian
corn in fair demand at late rates. Oatmeal 6d per load
higher.

SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY.
Red wheat, per load of 3 imp. bushels 15s Od to 'es Od
White do do l6s Od 18s Od
New red do do l6s 6d 17s 6d
New white do do l7s Od 18s 6d
Beans do do l5B (Id re Gd
Peas, per qr.
Grinding ba ley, per qr 30s Od 32s Od
Malting barley, ,•o 32s Od 3Ss Od
Oats, do 23s Od 27s Od.
F10nr....1s 6d to is 9cl per 111 b.