The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-20 00:00:00

AMERICA.

SOLITHAXPTON, Thursday.

The North German Lloyd screw steampship New
York, Captain K. von Oterendorp, from New York
on the 7th inst., arrived off Cowes this morning and
-went on to Bremen. She brings 55 passengers for
Southampton and Havre, and 151 for Bremen ; and
on freight $30,000 in specie for France, $lO,OOO
and 800 tons of cargo for Bremen. On the 9th
inst., in lat. 41 N., long. 66 50 W., the New York
spoke the American ship Pearl, steering east ; and
on the 16th, in lat. 50 N., long. 24 10 W., the Eng-
lish ship Lady Russell, steering east.
The following is a copy of Governor Holden's
message to the North Carolina Convention :
" Executive Department, North Carolina,
Raleigh, Oct. 3.

" Gentlemen of the Convention,—l do not deem
it my duty, under the circumstances, to address you
a formal and elaborate message in relation to public
affairs. Your duties are too plain to require sug-
gestions from me, and I entertain no doubt those
duties will be promptly and faithfully performed.
North Carolina attempted, in May, 1861, to separate
herself from the Federal Union. This attempt in-
volved her, with other slaveholding States, in a pro-
tracted and disastrous war, the result of which was
a vast expenditure of blood and treasure on her
part, and the practical abolition of domestic slavery.
She entered into the rebellion a slaveholding State,
and she emerged from it a-non-slaveholding State.
In other respects, so far as her existence as a State
and her rights as a State are concerned, she has
undergone no change. The President of the United
States wisely determined that her existence as a
State should not be extinguished, but that, under
the clause of the Federal Constitution which gua-
rantees to every State in the Union a Republican
form of government,' her people, in Convention
assembled, might so alter and amend their Consti-
tution, and adopt such measures as would restore
the State to her constitutional relations to the
Federal Government, and thus secure once more
to the people thereof the immeasurable benefits
and blessings of the Union. Allow me to congra-
tulate you, gentlemen, upon the favourable circum-
stances which surround you, while engaged in this
great work of restoring the State to her former and
natural position. It is my firm belief that the policy
of the President in this respect, which is as broad as
liberal, and as just as the Constitution itself, will be
approved by the great body of the people of the
United States, and that the period is not distant, if
we are true to ourselves, and properly regardful of
the reasonable expectations of our friends in other
States, when our senators and representatives will
resume their seats in Congress, and when our State
will enjoy, in common with the other States, the
protection of just laws under the constitution of our
fathers. In the touching language of your most
worthy presiding officer, 'We are going home. Let
painful memories of our early Union quicken our
footsteps towards the old mansion that we maygrasp
hard again the hand of friendship which stands at
door, and sheltered by the old homestead which was
built Upon a rock, and has weathered the storm, en-
joy together the long, bright future which awaits us.'
I take it forgranted, gentlemen, that you will insert
in the Constitution a provision for ever abolishing
slavery or involuntary servitude in North Carolina,
and that you will submit the Constitution, when al-
tered and amended, to the people of the State at the
ballot box for ratification or rejection. I do not
doubt that the Constitution thus altered and amended
will be ratified by an immense inajority of the people.
I send herewith the report of Jonathan Worth, Esq.,
Public Treasurer, setting forth the State debt, the
condition of the sinking fund, and also a general
view of the State finances at home and abroad; also
reports from the banks and railroad companies, show-
ing their condition, and reports from the superinten-
dent of the Insane Asylum and the principal of the
Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind, con-
taining statements of the condition of these institu-
tions. I also send herewith a report from the public
Treasurer in relation to State property, to which with
the other reports referred to I invite your careful at-
tention. It will afford me pleasure, gentlemen, to furnish
you with any information in my possession which
you may desire, and I beg you to be assured that I
will be ready at all times to co-operate with you in
such measures as may be deemed essential to promote
harmony among our people, and to restore the State
at the earliest practicable period to its constitutional
relations to the Federal Government.—l have the
honour to be, with much respect, your obedient

servant,
" W. W. HOLT/EN, Provisional Governor."
On the 6th inst. President Johnson received the
following despatch from Governor Holden :
" Raleigh, North Carolina, Oct. 6, 6.15 p.m.

Sir,—The Convention has just passed the fol-
lowing by a unanimous vote That the ordinance
of the Convention of the State of North Carolina,
ratified on the 21st day of November, 1789, which
adopted and ratified the Constitution of the United
States, and also all acts and parts of acts of the
General Assembly ratifying and adopting amend-
ments to the said Constitution, are now, and, at all
times since the adoption and ratification thereof,
have been in full force and effect, notwithstanding
the supposed ordinance of the 20th of May, 1861,
declaring the same to be repealed, rescinded, and
abrogated ; and the said supposed ordinance is now,
and at all times hath been, null and void.' The
Convention will dispose of the slavery question to-
morrow. The State election will be fixed on the
first Thursday of November.—Very respectfully,
" W. W. HOLDEN, Provisional Governor."

General Grant arrived in Washington at 6 o'clock
on the morning of the 6th inst., and during the
forenoon called on the President and Secretary
Stanton on business matters.

The correspondent of the New York Herald says:—
.
" The latest news from Mississippi indicates that
Judge Fisher, the nominee for Governor of the re-
construction convention of that State, has been de-
feated. His successful competitor is said to be Gen.
Benjamin G. Humphreys. This individual is not
merely one of the militia Generals of which Missis-
sippi and all the south-western States are so prolific,
but a bona fide rebel General. He tried to be a
regular United States' army officer, but while a cadet
at West Point in 1827 he was court-martialled and
dismissed for some offence. General Humphreys is
a resident of Sunflower county, ?Mississippi, but was
some years since a Senator in the State Legislature
from Claiborne county."
A telegraphic despatch from Nashville, the 6th
inst., reports a mass 0.
meetina of negroes in Ten-

nessee :

" Nashville, Oct. 6.

st A grigat mass meeting of negroes and freedmen
was held at Edgefield yesterday afternoon, 6,000
persons being present. An address was made by
Brigadier-General Fisk. He rejoiced that the ne-
groes of Tennesse were free, as God intended them
to be. He told them that they must prove themselves
entitled to freedom by industry, sobriety, and
disch d
in-
tegrity. His duty was to see that they discharged
their duties. lie would put the black man in the
jury box and on the witness stand. His remarks
were received with great enthusiasm. He was fol-
lowed by several other speakers, after which the
meeting adjourned. General Fisk states that during
the past week 600 or 700 negroes have been sent to
their former homes in different parts of the State, and
have contracted with their former owners to work for
wages. Within a month there will be a general clear-
ing out of negroes here, arrangements having been
effected to procure them labour in different parts of
the South."

A letter from Lexington, Virginia, dated the 2d
inst., gives the subjoined account of the installation
of of Gen. Lee as President of Washington College
" Gen. Robert E. Lee was to-day installed Presi-
dent of Washington College. There was no pomp of
parade. The exercises of installation were the simplest
possible—an exact and barren compliance with the
required formula of taking the oath by the new pre-
sident, and nothing more. This was 'in accordance
with the special recjnest. of Gen. Lee. It was pro-
posed to have the installation take place in the col-
ge chapel, to send invitations far and wide, to have
a band of
to play' enlivening airs, to have
young girls, robed in white and bearing chaplets of
flowers, to sing songs of welcome, to have congra-
tulatory speeches, to make it a grand holiday. That