The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-30 00:00:00

his men. GRANT endorses the report of BUTLER, adding I
the questionable compliment that he never intended
BUTLER to accompany the expedition at all ! Civil
affairs in the South just now are in a more critical
position than the military. There is evidently a
good deal of secret influence at work set on foot by
Northern agents. The North would willingly re-
duce the South to submission by every means fair
or foul, and as they find it difficult to break the
spirit of the people they are trying to undermine their
patriotism. There are some suspicious circumstances
attending the proceedings of ex-representative FooTE
of the Confederate Congress. It is rumoured that
he has tried to get within the Federal lines, but was
arrested and taken back to Richmond. There are
two points about the affair which seem to indicate a
decided complicity between the disloyal representative
and the Washington. authorities. The first and
most open is that President LINCOLN has announced
that if DAVIS harms FOOTE he will retaliate, thereby
showing a singular degree of interest in the move-
ments of a Southerner. The second is, that FOOTE'S
wife is in Washington, having been escorted thither
from Alexandria by no less a person than Secretary
SEWARD ! It is obvious what a convenient channel
for treasonable communications is afforded by this
lady's presence in the Northern capital, and indeed
the whole affair is so transparent that it would be
almost harmless were it not for other circumstances.
The Richmond Examiner, always hostile to the Pre-
-1 sident, is now growing absolutely abusive. It
calls for the deposition of DAVIS, to save
the Confederacy from ruin. LEE'S army alone, it
says, is able to win Confederate independence. It
has been taking this tone for some time, but is now
growing more outspoken. President DAVIS must
have a high sense of the value of free discussion to
permit so much latitude. The idea of deposing the
steersman just as the vessel is drawing near the
shore is preposterous enough. The end of the
voyage demands, perhaps, greater skill than any ,
other part. Mistakes -and errors are inseparable
from all human administrations, and it is not
likely that a young untried State like the
Confederacy should escape them. It is only mar-
vellous that their affairs have been conducted, on
the main, so well and wisely. That they have been
is due to two things—first, the unanimity and pat-
riotism of the people, and, secondly, the wisdom and
administrative ability of their rulers. But, in truth,
it is not that the Enquirer loves LEE more, but
DAVIS less. It is not that it fears the downfall of
the Confederacy, but its success, and the present
crisis in Southern affairs is esteemed a favourable
opportunity for insinuating doubt, suspicion, and
discord. The rest of the Confederate press is bold
and straightforward, and speaks, we truly believe,
the sentiments of the main body of the people. The
Southerners have their course open before them. Let
them retain those men who have proved themselves
worthy of confidence, let them call out their negroes,
and by so doing, not only reinforce them to an ex-
tent which will render them most formidable to the
North, but they will take away all moral force from
their opponents and leave England no excuse for
delaying recognition. Let them preserve that unity
of sentiment and strength of purpose which have
hitherto distinguished them, and show no sign of
discord or disunion in camp or council, at least till
the crisis of the 4th of March has passed. The
North are busily circulating rumours of the Southern
anxiety for peace, of the eagerness of some parts of
the Southern States to re-enter the Union, but all this
coming from New York must be accepted with doubt.
In spite of any temporary discourpgement to the
Southern arms, we must remember two things, first
that almost all our news comes through New York,
ever the most accurate of reporters, and secondly
fiat the subjugation of so large and populous a
rritory would involve an amount of bloodshed arid
Dportation which, if it were possible, would ensure
xe final downfal of free America.

There seems little to envy in the lot of those

who have to do with Prussian affairs. Notwith•

standing all the parade that has been made, there is

nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit experi-
enced by those who have in reality to cope with

existing circumstances, and to decide upon what
plan shall be followed at this critical juncture. Now
that the opinion of the Chambers has called general
attention to matters that otherwise might have
been kept discreetly in the background, and perhaps
never have emerged from the shade, it must be
apparent to all observers that there is something
very wrong in the state of things. The Finance
Committee have indeed had an awkward task
before them, but they seem to all intents and
purposes to have discharged their onerous
duties with zeal and ability. There are few
things more perplexing than to undertake an in-
vidious affair of this kind in a country circumstanced
as Prussia now is, for what between seeking to per-
form their duties in a creditable manner, and
knowing the extreme probability that exists of no
attention being paid to their suggestions at head-
quarters, it might baffle the most astute to settle
what justice should demand, and what wisdoM
prompts to let alone: It will be seen that the
juste milieu have been chosen with great skill or
caution in the requirements made by the Committee,
and it is to be hoped that they will find their efforts'
so far crowned with success as.; being the best
adapted, and the most fitted for the emergency
that has arisen. In their report to the Chamber
of the general nature of the Budget, it is
proposed to take into consideration the grounds
that exist for the complaints of the people respecting
the " excessive nature of taxation," and also to re-
flect upon the best means of putting a period to the
grievance. It is a wise resolve which determines
the Committee to make no decided " proposition"
about the military budget, but to confine them-
selves to the expression of their opinion how the pub-
lic revenue should be expended. An important sug-
gestion is mentioned, which proposes to question
the Ministry as to the particulars of the expenses of
the Danish war, and how far it effected the sums at
the disposal of the Government previously to its
breaking out. An awkward inquiry is added,
namely, to note particularly whether any sums
have been taken from the Treasury, and to
what account. This, if carried out, will be a re-
solution of considerable importance, and well calcu-
lated to divest the people of Prussia of the glamour
which apparently has bewitched them in respect to
Danish affairs in general. It will now be a matter
of grave inquiry as to whether the war was worth
its cost, and whether they have not been squander-
ing any treasures that are easier to lose than to
gain, and still more difficult to recover if once spent
unwisely. The Ministry, to judge from their recent
acts, are not likely to accede to this guarded re-
quest, but will most probably incur fresh obloquy
by their dogged style and obstinate silence. It is
evident that some deep mystery is at the bottom
of this great outlay for the Danish affair, and
as yet there has been no decided effort
made on the part of the authorities to elucidate the
obscure in their policy and to shadow forth, however
faintly, the outlines of their efforts. This is a criti-
cal turn of affairs in Berlin, which now engages the
wise and the skilled in deliberation ; and it will be
an object of exciting interest to many to watch how
Herr yo BisußE will extricate himself from his