The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-28 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1865.

Saturday last was a sad anniversary, and many
must have felt for the QUEEN in her sorrowful isola-
tion. A more striking instance has never been
afforded of the uncertainty of life, and the insecu-
rity of earthly happiness, than was given by the
premature death of the late Prince Consort. He
was in the enjoyment of all that can make life use-
ful and happy, pleasant and prosperous, with many
duties to fulfil and many social ties to impart interest
to his career. Yet he was not destined to reach
even the meridian of his days, but was suddenly
called away from the cares and pleasures, the gran-
deurs and excitements of this transitory state. It
is not for him, however, that mourning need be
made, for he was not an unprofitable steward,
and though to our comprehension he seemed cut
down prematurely he could not be said to have left
much of his work undone. His name will long be
associated in the minds of the people of this his
adopted country with the spread and cultivation of
the arts and sciences among us, and distant genera-
tions will identify him with the inauguration of
refining and elevating entertainments in the mate-
rial and commercial community of England. It is
therefore appropriate that the anniversary of Prince
ALBERT'S birth should be duly honoured in this
land, and a fitting mode of celebrating it is the
throwing open of the gardens of the Royal Horti-
cultural Society. On Saturday one hundred and
thirty thousand persons enjoyed this privilege, and
it is satisfactory to find that the greatest order and
decorum were preserved. This reflects the greatest
credit upon those who made the arrangements and
those who profited by them. The classes whom the
exertions of the Prince Consort chiefly benefited
were specially those who are the most likely to
avail themselves of such an opportunity of free
admission to these places, and therefore it is an
appropriate arrangement that bids them enter.
Another record of the career of the Prince
was furnished on the same day at the
place of his birth, and the immediate
members of his family, and his most intimate friends
and connections assisted at the ceremony. Her
MAJESTY must have felt a mournful pleasure in this
tribute to the memory of the loss, and this homage
to the worth, of him who left his native land to
occupy a trying position in a foreign sphere. The
uncovering of the statue in Coburg is the most ap-
propriate effort that has yet been made to do honour
to the Prince Consort, and it is satisfactory that
such an undertaking should be carried out. It is,
however, worthy of reflection that, in all probabi-
lity, the best recollection of the departed is to be
foUnd in the effects of their example, and the in-
fluence of their lives. It is not too much to hope
that, now this crowning act of graceful recognition
hai been made, the friends of the departed Prince
will consider that such tributes have been offered in
abundance, and that to dwell too much on this
melancholy theme is to lose sight of the example so
earnestly set by the departed himself, that " life is
real, life is earnest, and the grave is not its goal."
The hope of the future should outweigh the effect
of even the recollections of the past, and it is only
natural to suppose, judging from the bent of his
life, that Prince ALBERT himself would have said so.

The notice which was, on Saturday, posted at
Lloyd's respecting the Atlantic Cable can scarcely
have taken any one by surprise. ,
The lateness of the
season and the near approach of the equinox in-
duced many persons to suppose that no further
attempt to recover the cable would be made this
year, although such delay is manifestly very much
to be regretted. The Great Eastern will, however,
immediately commence her refitment, with the view
of taking out a new cable next spring, as well as
of endeavouring to recover the present one. No
doubt, on this occasion, better mechanical appliances
will be provided and everything done that skill and
science can do to recover the lost treasure ; but the
success of the attempt is, at best, very doubtful.
The immense strain of hauling up the cable from
such a depth will increase more and more, in pro-
portion with every turn of the wheel, so that, BUD-
posing the cable to be hauled up within half a mile
of the surface, the chances will be very great against
the last half mile. Again, there can be no cer-
tainty of securing the exact end of the line, and
supposing it to be hooked at some dis-
tance from the end, there will be the
double strain on the part hooked, the weight on
both sides pulling downwards while the grapnel
pulls up. The true way to recover the lost line
would be to take it up from Valentia, where the
ead is certain to be forthcoming, and to haul it up
carefully and gradually as far as possible, J3y this A