The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-13 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN QUESTION.

The quotation of gold at New York brought by
the Great Eastern is but 34 per cent. premium. The
confidence of the American people in the future re-
demption in specie of the Government paper issues
is therefore still unshaken. This state of feeling
can exist only from a belief that all the laws which
regulate the movements of money in other parts of
the world are inoperative in the United States, or
from a dense ignorance, on the part of all classes of
the people, of even those elementary principles
which in England are familiar to most persons.
Happily, for their present comfort, the former solu-
tion is that which prevails among the Washington
politicians, and, as the recent creations of debt are
held almost entirely at home, foreign nations can
await the result without anxiety. A year ago, when
it was predicted that before the end of 1861 there
would be a suspension of specie payments, there was
the same reliance that America was elevated be-
yond the possibility of any such casualty, and the
outside world had for six months to bear heavy
reproaches for the malignity of the suggestion. It
must, however, be admitted that the delay of the
financial catastrophe which has now so long been
anticipated is such as to surprise all observers, and
to demonstrate either that reason is no longer to be
trusted in such matters, or that the infatuation
and absence of the most rudimentary knowledge
of financial rules in the Northern States is far
more complete than any one conversant with the
fact that most of the people can read and
write had at any time conceived to be pos-
sible. The fancy into which they have been
led regarding their currency seems in a great mea-
sure to have been assisted by the Morrill tariff, and
a remarkable instance has thus been furnished of
the way in which one delusion will help another
until they are both destined to be dispersed by a
storm of double force. If free trade had prevailed
in America, the first expansion of the currency
would have been followed by a proportionate in-
crease of importations, which would immediately
have exposed the impending danger, but the im-
mense bounty accorded by the protective tariff to
a:1 classes of home productions has caused capital
and labour to be concentrated upon them to an ex-
tent never previously witnessed. This concentration
of capital and labour upon domestic manufactures
must—unless we are to accept the preposterous
supposition that they have hitherto been previously
redundant in the United States—be followed by a
withdrawal from other branches of industry; and, as
the agricultural interest has of late years been the
mainstay of the North, we must assume that it is
in this direction we are henceforth to look for the
evil consequences of the prevailing policy. Of
course, it the Americans have enough labour at
command to create at home, not only all the food,
but all the clothing and other articles they require,
they can maintain a prohibitory,tariff without any
other danger than that which results to civilisa-
tion from the limitation of intercourse with the
rest of mankind, but if it be the fact that
labour is the material which is most scarce in
America and most abundant elsewhere, then the
consequences of such a system must eventually
prove more terrible to that country than to any
other. To most persons at this day it will seem
almost ludicrous to speak of the possibility of a
deficiency of food in America ; but it is only 25
years since the country was visited by that dele-
tion in consequence of the gambling mania which
for a few years previously attracted the population
to the great cities, and caused the extension of agri-
culture to be neglected. Every man was then
making his fortune by buying land, instead of
cultivating it. Are there no symptoms to indicate
that a recurrence of this state of affairs is possible;
and if such should be the case, will not the convul-
sion in consequence be such as has never yet been
witnessed P It is only three years since, owing to
an adverse season, the United States had no spare
supply of grain to send us, the annual crop being
little more than sufficient for home consumption,
and if even a moderately indifferent harvest should
now be witnessed, it is impossible to say to what
extent the evil might be aggravated by the diminu-
tion in the amount of cultivation that must have
taken place through the war. The 700,000 strong
and youthful men now serving in the army, and
consuming and wasting more than double their
ordinary quantity of food and drink, must pre-
viously have been oecupied in some profitable
manner, and it is idle to pretend that the re-
sults of the cessation of this source of wealth
will not soon make themselves visible. When
the North had a bad harvest three year back,
the United States found a compensation in the
extraordinary annual increase of the cotton
crop and its sale in Europe at advancing prices ;
but the country has now nothing to depend upon
but its grain. It has just realised, and is still
realising, the profits of the most extraordinary
harvests ever known, and which harvests occurred
at a time when Europe was suffering from a sad
deficiency. Yet, even although the quantities th
secured are still being shipped to us with all the
speed allowed by the available freight, it is not
enough to preserve the balance of the transactions
between the two countries, and to prevent the
necessity for specie being transmitted to us by each
steamer. When these grain shipments are dimi-
nished or altogether suspended, and when it is dis-
covered by the mass of the people that their Govern-
ment " demand notes," or " deposit notes," or
certificates of indebtedness" wily be of no avail to
send to Rio for coffee, to China for tea, to India for
saltpetre, or to France for wine, what will be the
rate at which they are likely to be exchanged for
specie ? The question has evidently never yet been
entertained among them, and even if it should arise,
the assurance of the Washington politicians that
Europe will soon send millions of gold across the

The arrangements for the festival are now com-
plete. The engagements have been made with the
entire band and chorus ; and the committee of the
Sacred Harmonic Society—whose experience in
large meetings of this character is well known---
state that on no former occasion has so large or so
talented an assemblage of amateurs and professors
ever been gathered together. The instrumentalists
comprise stringed instruments, of whom no less than
138 are violoncellos and double basses. Considerably
over 100 wind instruments are employed, and this
with the great organ of Messrs. Gray and Davison,
which is now receiving large additions, will pro-
duce an instrumental combination without prece-
dent. The chorus will bring up the aggregate num-
ber of performers to about 4,000; and as the emana-
tions of the giant composer will now be heard for
the first time on anything approaching this scale,
in a completed and properly prepared acoustically
constructed roofed orchestra, the effect must be far
beyond what has ever been witnessed.
It would occupy too much space to specify each
district or town from which the component parts of
this great orchestra have been assembled. Leeds,
Bradford, York, Huddersfield, Halifax, &c., contri-
bute a large quota of voices,whose sonorous qualities
and perfect training are well known. Birmingham,
Norwich, Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford,
towns whose regularly trained choral bodies are
kept up for the service of their respective festivals,
send efficient aid. Manchester, Liverpool, and other
Lancashire districts, help with their most efficient
singers to swell the contingent ; the Universities,
Oxford and Cambridge, and the Royal choirs and
chapels, each send a selection of their best vocalists,
while the cathedral towns, through the kind per•
mission of the ecclesiastical authorities, are re-
presented scarcely without any exception.
It is a marked evidence of the growth of feeling
in favour of these great musical undertakings, that
both from manufacturers and others the most
liberal permission has been granted to attend the
coming Handel Festival. This is doubtless owing
to the International Exhibition being held at the
same time; but whatever the cause, the most bene-
ficial effect will be produced on the general musical
excellence of the Handel Festival. The provincial
chorus will arrive in London on the afternoon of
Friday, the 20th inst., and a great choral rehearsal
will be held in Exeter Hall the same evening.
Large, however, as the great hall is, it is doubtful
if it will, with the aid of the orchestra and galleries
hold the large force of chorus singers who will then
be brought together. The great full rehearsal will
take place at the Crystal Palace on the following
day. It will begin at 11 o'clock, and is expected
to last some hours, as the most important pieces in
the programme of the three days, both for princi-
pal singers as well as full orchestra, will be gone
through. After the rehearsal a display of the
great fountains will bo given. The price of '
rehearsal tickets is Is. 6d., if purchased on or be-
fore Thursday next ; after that day half-a-guinea
will be charged. As all the guinea seats on the
floor of the palace are open on the rehearsal day to
the holders of these tickets, such unusual advan-
tages are offered that there is certain to be a very
large attendance at the rehearsal day particularly
as the season ticket holders at the Crystal Palace
have also the right of entry on this day. It has
been advertised that these tickets as well as the ss.
tickets for each day of the festival, are on sale at
many of W. H. Smith and Mr. Colling's bookstalls
at the various railway stations, a facility which
doubtless many visitors to the metropolis during
the next week will profit by. Special trains will
also be run for the rehearsal day from many places,
particularly on the Brighton and South Coast lines.
The great roof over the orchestra is now complete
in its decorations. Its imposing span must be seen to
be fully appreciated. It is a sight in itself. The
most gratifying marks of approbation on the con-
struction have within the last week been conveyed
to the chairman of the Crystal Palace Company on
this great work. One of the eminent contractors
of the International Exhibition has described
it as one of the most ingenious pieces of carpentry
ever constructed. M. Costa, who has spent much
time in carefully noting its acoustical properties,
writes that he is " delighted with the effect pro-
duced by the organ as well as by a single instrument
played in the orchestra." Also, " Much as I had
anticipated from the roof, it has far exceeded my
most sanguine anticipations. The least sound is not
only audible, but travels everywhere, and the effect
that the immense orchestra will produce at the
coming festival must really be wonderful."
The success which has attended the erection of this
great roof has enabled the directors to offer a very
much larger number of really good stalls to
It th.e
irs
public on this than at any former festival.
for
now clearly ascertained that the best places
hose at
The pns of the
hearing the music at this festival will be
ta
some distance from the orchestra.
this regarded as the
eligible positions. So much is
galleries, which have just been issued, afford most
has been reserved for the press,
true state of the case that oneaomfotrheetsheangaulsluerailelys
eoeftceodrittoinheentparlesaenndt. provincial repor-
tlaerrsgebeniunnig beserp
One of the most noticeable features at this festival
be
will be the large number of foreigners who will
present. To them it will be peculiarly striking,
because, however much more highly musically
educated they may be than the generality of English
visitors to the festival, it is yet certain that in no
andcon-
tinental part of the Continent—great and
a s manyanyt ofanything
n the gr ea t
t h e meetings
musical festivals are--in
same no place abroad
complete musi-
cal can
gapproaching
organisation, the same astounding combination
of really effective musical executive art, be heard as
at the Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace.
Preparations for the Royal and distinguished
visitors expected at the Festival have begun by the
erection of a large Royal box in the centre of the
gallery ; two small boxes on either side of the
orchestra have also been prepared with the same
object.
The official book of words will be issued this day;
it will be of considerable bulk, and in addition to
the words of the oratorios and the selection, will
contain the names of all the performers, and police
instruction, &e., respecting entrances.
On the rehearsal day the performance will com•
mence at 11, on each day of the festival at 1 o'clock.
us I

As to forgery by photography, the watermark is
the most effectual safeguard which can be conveniently
employed, and this appears to be the opinion of the Bank
au: horities, who, for some time past used a paper water-
marked to a considerably greater extent than formerly.
The fact that this art has not hitherto been employed, so far
as known, in the multiplication of those valuable sheets
that
of
paper bearing the superscription of J. Gattie, is a proo
there are obstacles in the way of so abusing it, which
become evident in practice. In the first place, the lens
must be a large and good one, and such a lens costs a con-
f only
siderable sum of money ; and. to this must be added a few
pounds more for the machine requisite to produce the water..
mark. Then ihe pulp of which banknote paper is made, is
of a peculiar manufacture, and can only be obtained, if
obtained at all, surreptitiously. As to anybody getting a
blank note, that is almost impossible, in consequence of the
precautions taken in the mills where they are manufae-
I tured,—Once a IRO,