The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-04 00:00:00

THE ►S UN.
LONDON, SATURDAY, JAN. 4, 1862.

At present, all is informal, but all pacific. Up
to the 21st we find that Lord LYONS had not for-
mally presented his demands, but had had several
unofficial, and it is said perfectly friendly inter-
views with Mr. SEWARD. The latter it is well
known allowed Mr. CHASE, who was in chase of
money at New York, to announce to the moneyed
reten there, that there was to be no war with Eng-
land:; but as that was merely a bid for money, it
was of course open to some doubts. The friendly
,coMmunications between our Ambassador and the
,Foreign Secretary are much less so. The main fact
ipt however, certain that the press,which represents
the populace, has quite changed its tone, and seems
now as desirous to find excuses for giving up the
Commissioners as it was before bold in asserting
that they should be on no account surrendered. The
,mad .New York Herald, to be sure, in making the
concession, advertises us of an intention to wind
up this war successfully w. th the rebels, and then
with a million of men, and a vast fleet created
by the war, to settle its accounts with Great Bri-
tain, and with all Europe toe. The Herald re-
minds us of the zebra in the bands of Mr. RAREY,
which, after the great horsebreaker had compelled
it to submission, as it was being led out gave a
scream and a kick, as much as to say, " my old
temper in me yet."
The private commercial information is of the
same tendency as that in nearly all the papers.
The letter of NEILL Brothers adverts to the " salu-
tary and extraordinary change in public sentiment
in New York and throughout the country. It was
now everywhere thought that "the prisoners were
not worth fighting for." The letter states that ali
classes have the fullest conviction of the power of
the North to re-annex the South ; hence it is
argued that the idea of the Government get-
ting out of vt ar with the South by going to
war with England, is simply absurd. On the
contrary they see that were the South aided by
England its independence would be certain, while
they could not cecomplish the object to which they
believed themselves fully equal. Our peace men
here will do well to notice one point in this bus

ness circular. Messrs. NEILL believe that the
chance of a war with England is now more remote
than ever. And for what reason ? Just because,
they say, the Americans have got the leseon they
so much needed. The American Government has,
they say, for some time past acted on the presunap-

tion "that Englatcl's interest in the preservation oi

peace was so great, that she weu:d bear any num

ber of paltry indignities rather than make them a
cause of war," but that this idea will now be moth-

We, as politicians, are cenfidint that otir Go.

vernment has acted in the interests of peace. The
one thing needful for Americans to know, al-
though it alight cost the sending out a
few regiments and ships, was, that the
day for England to put up with endless -violence
and insults was now over—and the prospect of

peace is therefore deuhtic&s better than ever—when

it is understood that if we show Moderation iu our

own behaviour we expect reciprocity.
We rather wonder at the confidence of final vic-
tory and reunion ascribed by Messrs. NEILL to the
respeeta.ble classes with whom their association
must be. To us, on this side the water,
the rounds
are not very obvious. The military victories are
g
certainly small enouh. By this mail we receive
information, indeed, of a small success of the Fede-
rals in Missouri. If late accounts d 3 not dimini::ll
totals in the way they have hitherto done, without
bloodshed, it would seem the Federals captured
1,300 men, three colours, seventeen captains,
other officers in proportion, a thousand
stand of arms, as many horses, with tents
age. This little well•managed feat may
and bagg