The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-08 00:00:00

P.RrN',CE NAPOLEON AT WA SH/NG T ON.

(From the Revue des Deux Mondes.)
Our first reception at the White House Was by
Mr. Set yard, Secretary of State, who, dressed in a
yellow d rill paletot and a broad-brimmed straw hat,
resemblt .d, but only on the first impression, some
small fie. 11-to-do landed proprietor. Mr. Seward is
a man of high intellect, the personification of the
Republic an party in Congress. His views have
always made him the determined opponent of the
Slave ma jority i❑ Congress. Thus in the South he
is burnt in effigy, which does him honour. You
are aware that he had a great chance of the Presi-
dency when Mr. Lincoln was elected in a very un-
expected manner. However, the Government has
not suffered much by it, as this distinguished man
maintains a great preponderance there, and the
Slave faction style the Government the Seward
party. If you wish to form an idea of Mr. Seward's
appearance, fancy the head of Hector Berlioz, with
a delicate Roman profile, combined with an indi-
cation of great energy.
After waiting a few minutes, a small door opens
and admits a very tall man, six feet high, thin,
dressed in a complete suit of black, and holding in
his large, hairy hands a pair of white gloves, which
he has never put on, and which never can be put
on ; a long nose, wide mouth, small agreeable eyes,
hollow cheeks, his beard cut in the American fashion
—a fashion which would make Jupiter himself look
vulgar—a toupet of long hair raised up on his fore-
head and falling back like a weeping-willow, a kinei
expression of countenance not devoid of shrewdnessi
—such is "honest Abraham" (the nick-name given,
to President Lincoln).
You know his history. The grandson of one of
the first pioneers in Illinois, who was killed by th.e
Indians, the son of a pioneer, and a pioneer himself,
he received six months' elementary instruction 'at
school, was a cowkeeper, a rail-splitter, a bargemtan
for conveying timber on the Mississippi, work/mire
on a railway, and, finally, a day labourer in a fame
at Springfield, where he instructed himself suffi..
ciently to enter as clerk into a warehouse. He the3a
joined the mid' ia, where he was elected captain,
and two years afterwards ws.s returned a member,
for Congress. He was there in 1846. In 1849 tae
voluntarily resigned his seat to live with his fami'ty;
but the popular suffrage took him from his pbagh
in 1859 to oppose Mr. Douglas, who represetated
the feelings of the South. He made successful
harangues all through Illinois, and defeated his
adversary. Mr. Seward, with a spirit of concilia-
tion and modesty, of which examples are not rare
in the policy of the Union, gave his own votes in
favour of the man of the West—the honest, wise,
obscure Abraham. He hoped by sacrificing his
personality to obviate the rupture between South
and North ; but that had been decreed.
You also know that Mr. Lincoln's nomination
was hailed with enthusiasm by the working classes,
who saw in his rustic origin, in his probity, as well
as in his moderation, a guarantee for labour and the
labouring classes. If I give you all Mr. Lincoln's
claims to public respect, you will allow me a smile
at his whimsical appearance, and at that pair of
kid gloves which seem astonished at finding them-
selves in the hands of a rail-splitter.
He advanced in a shy, awkward manner, shook
hands with the Prince, then with each of us, and
attempted to enter into a friendly conversation.
" How many days did sou take from Europe ? Ia
it to the son of Lucien Bonaparte that I have the
honour of speaking? What do you think of Ame-
rica ? It is very hot!"
Evidently the worthy man was most kindly dis-
posed, but the representative freedom had none
whatever in his speech or manners. He had no diffi-
culty in expressing himself (he gained his position
by his speeches), and the Prince speaks English
perfectly. I should have preferred seeing a jolly,
blunt, blustering farmer, proud of his position as
a parvenu. He was so awkward that I felt quite
disappointed. I should have liked to conjure up
my jolly farmer.
We separated with more shaking of hands; we
followed the Prince to the ( apitol. Mr. Seward.,
who accompanied the Prince, introduced to him the
high functionaries of the political machine, the
wheels of which continued to creak in the person
of a very noisy orator. This individual, in a yellow
cotton paletot, his hat firmly fixed on his head—
which does not offend me, but which can never be
picturesque until we change our style cf head dress
—hurls out a speech, listened to with the greatest
sang froid, or rather not listened to at all. This
"Pere Duchesne" seems in a mighty state of exas-
peration, but does not disturb in the slightest de-
gree the occupations of the senators. One is
absorbed reading his newspaper, another is whit-

tling a small piece of wood, another is asleep with
his legs up in the air. The President is yawning.
Every member speaks from his seat—there is no
tribune.

This evening, dinner at the President's. I meet
with various surprises. First, an agreeable surprise.
I find myself seated next to Senator Sumner, our
former travelling companion in Switzerland, and
brother of your friend ; he is a most agreeable, in-
telligent man. Opposite to me sits Gen. 11I•Clellan,
a man of an energetic and intelligent cast of coun-
tenance, of simple, modest manners, 35 years of
age. He is a distinguished pupil of the military
school at West Point. During the Crimean war
he went there on a tour of military instruction.
" But why," whispers one man into my ear, " does
he take a different view of affairs from every ono
present ?" and another whispers inR) my other ear,
" That is our future First Consul. Is everything to
be changed ?" I express some doubts on the subject.
The rejoinder is, " He has a fine game, if he knows
how to play it."

I shall not give you a word picked; up by
chance as a very serious symptom, but I follow up
the idea expressed in my 1a s t —ble
o become
seriouse t Americaiai
inevitable
remevaoidhtdyaai
bfisfleeetal to
maintain and reconquer her unity by war, good-bye
to her actual system of liberty.
Is
tiineebigehf
hpeorlitiincastlitquutaiorntesrswtihlalt a
But the nation is there, which will probably make
peace at all price.

Another personage at this meeting was Lieute-
nant. General Scott, a tall, hale veteran of 76 years
of age, who won laurels at Vera Cruz and in Mexico
in 1847. I was asked if I did not think he bore a
strong resemblance to Napoleon I. With the best
goodwill in the world, I cannot discover anything
in Lis appearance except the strongly-marked Eng-
lish type of countenance.

THE HoN. CAPTAIN DRUMMOND.—We (Scots-
has
nn) areo tvgelna do
ft cis
ol es,iti,
riothat
zit haet u
raec c dse
wasn t to
rtehpi
os r
tgentle.ed Cm an
tain Drummond has returned to Inchbrakie, and is nearly
convalesce
SntHE.
THE DDON CASE.—With respect to the ap-
plication for reviving this the Judge-Ordinary, yesterday,
said he should require certain affidavits relative to the prac-
tice of the House of Lords before he took a further step in
the case.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO A SPORTSMAN.—We re-
gret to say that a serious accident occurred to Mr. Smith,
while joining the chase on Wednesday. The meet was at
Ulley, near Aston, and in crossing a fence,
Mr. Smith's
horse turned a somersault, pitching its rider to a consider-
able distance. Mr. Smith fell heavily on his left shoulder,
and unfortunately broke his collar bone. Every assistance
was immediately rendered, and Mr. Smith, in the course of
the evening, was removed to his home at Norton Lees,
where the fracture was attended to by Mr. Geo. Booker,
surgeon. We are glad to report that the patient passed a
good night, and that the symptoms were favourable on
Thursday morning.—Shejield Independent.
REDUCTION OF THE IRISH CONVICT ESTABLISH-
mENt.—The entire convict establishment at Philipstown,
in the R ing's county, is about to be closed, the officers be-
longing to it disposed of by gratuities or superannuation,
and its cost struck off the estimates for the ensuing finan-
cial year. This is a very strong proof of 'he complete sue.•
cess of Captain Crofton's system, and will leave the Irish
Convict Directors only three prisons under their superin
tendence—namely, Mcuntjoy Prison, in Dubi n; Spi
Island Public 'Works Prison; and the intermediate est
blishment at Smithfield, Dublin, with its
appendage
Lusk Farm. When the directors first undertookthe chaig
of the Irish prisons there were 4,000 Irish cos ii
convicts in the
home establishments, besides several hundred n Bermmi
and Gibraltar. There are now not 1,500 at home and non
undergoing transportation. The prison at Philipstown
capable of
teby convicts,
i partly m a moveable iro
Captain Crofton to meet the grea
buildingerhecod lding 6
thereoo
demand for accommodation which he at first experienced,
but its actual population has gradually decreased until it
ha G
has
justifiedoveni
rrithis very prudent total abandonment of it by
the ent.— Vit'S Gaza te.