The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-18 00:00:00

TtIE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 18, 1862.

and sharp practice, which compelled us, for the
honour of the nation, to incur the enormous expense
which Mr. BRIGHT ani every one else will have to
pay this year for the outrage of his pets. It is we, not
Americans, who have cause for heartburning, if at
least a gratuitous raid ipon our pockets should pro-
duce such a feeling. Of one thing, however, the
Government feels assured, that there is no man of
any party in England, be he Radical, Whig, or
Tory, who does net feel indebted to the Government
for both its diplomacy and its naval and military
measures in the case of the Trent.

The American telegrams continue to try our
patience. They come from the North, yet they
have nothing to tell of successful movements either
military or financial. The success in Kentucky is
not followed up, or, if it be, we hear nothing of
it. And, as to money, we hear of nothing what-
ever done to get it : the actual finance measures
appear to be summed up in the issue of irredeem-
able paper. We do learn that at last the New
York merchants and bankers are losing faith in
the plans and calculations of Mr. CHASE-but
Congress takes no steps to replenish the trea-
sury. One statement is, that after the 10th of
this month there would not be a dollar
in the Treasury. Another, that the contractors and
army jobbers were deserting Washington, and run-
ning away from payment in inconvertible paper.
It seems the people of Maine are displeased with
Mr. SEWARD for permitting the British troops to
use the railroad to Canada which British capital
constructed through their province. Mr. SEWARD
replies by pointing to the habitual magnanimity of
the American Government.
The accounts from the South show the Seces-
sionists to be as determined as ever, come
what may, to fight for independence as long
as the North chooses to fight them. They deny
that their privations are severe in the more im-
portant comforts of life. A few luxuries which
they can well do without are dear—coffee, for
instance, three shillings a pound. But beef,
mutton, ham, flour, and poultry • are said to be
plentiful and cheap. On such fare the Southerners
are not likely to suffer much ; and they tell
us, incredible as it may seem, that their
own manufacturers are supplying them
rapidly, not only with arms and munitions
of war, but with textile fabrics also.
They own that their expenses are great, but they
calculate on the sale of their accumulation of cotton,
tobacco, sugar, and rice, when the war is over,
to reinstate them in a better pecuniary position ;
and as to patriotism, they assure us that never
were the negroes more content, and that If 100,000
men are sacrificed in the war, a second 100,000 will
promptly supply their place.

All will depend on the feeling of the South. If
it can hold out, by simply standing on the defen-
sive, if it can endure privation of luxuries, for some
years, all the efforts of the North will be in ♦ain.
The country, its extent and character Will defend
itself. Nothing can be done by the military occupa-
tion of swamps and wildernesses, and forests ; and
not much by the possession of a few towns, sur-
rounded by a hostile country. The small unforti-
fied towns of the South will not be like those of the
Quadrilateral; while, if the accounts of the
Southerners be correct, their hatred will be
as bitter towards the Northern armies as
that of the Venetians towards the Austrians.
If want of money do not bring the North to terms
there seems to be no reason why we should not be
destined to witness, as the Messrs. NEILL predict,
a weary and barbarous struggle for years, between
love of independence on one side, and of supremacy
on the other.