The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-30 00:00:00

THE SUN.
LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 30, 1862.

We should be sorry to exert the humblest mea-
sure of influence in a way which might lead men
into a losing course of action, but we must number
ourselves with those who would warn Manchester
of the danger of inaction in regard to the supply of
cotton. Some of the highest authorities among
their commerical men have already done so, and, on
looking at the working of things in America, every
month appears to us to call upon Manchester, with
increased reason, to be up and doing.

The present posture of the great cotton capital of
England is precisely that to check the development
of cotton cultivation all over the world, and in India
especially. Manchester acts, or rather is inactive,
on the ground that any day the war in America
may terminate, and fresh and abundant supplies
of slave cotton be again poured into her hungry
starving market. India will never exert itself while
this is the hope of Manchester. She remembers too
well former efforts, by which heavy losses were sus-
tained through being superseded by America; and
so long as Manchester shows that America, not
India, is the permanent hope, the latter will not
hazard being again kicked off for the slavehoider
and his production. We think both India and
Manchester are wrong; we have little doubt that a
vigorous Indian effort would never result like the
former one. India would not again lay herself open
to the complaint of careless collecting, cleaning and
packing the crop, In a year or two, if the Govern•
ment does its duty, or Sir C. WOOD will permit it to
do so, there will be no further complaints of the
cotton being spoiled and de:ayed by careless, slow,
and uncertain bullock conveyance, and thus the
worst objection to Indian cotton would be removed.
India can also, and will, improve the quality of her
staple by American seed and by irrigation. While,
on the other side, there is increasing improbability
of any early supplies from America.
We observe that a contemporary points to the
probable opening of the Mississippi traffic in cotton.
The river, except about the 300 miles which is the
very centre of cotton planting, is now in the hands
of the Federals. The remainder will be so imme-
diately, for nothing can withstand the combined
Federal fleets from the North and the South ; it is,
then, assumed that the planters will at once clear,
ship their cotton. We take this to be a
pack, and
mere imagination, all the facts pointing the other
way. Not A singleinstance of a cotton planter
friendly to the North has yet been mentioned.
Granted that the cotton already burned
has been
that accumulated in town warehouses, and that it
has been done :ender compulsion by the
retreating
Federal troops ; yet, all the evidence is against the
probability of the planters selling their cotton to
Federal traders, or to persons trading under Fede-
ral auspices. The planters and their sons have
been the officers and best soldiers in this war; they
have imbibed all the bitter spirit of hostility which
roortifications, sufferings, and defeat could add to
their previous contempt for the North, and who that
remembers the force of a public sentiment, can
suppose that these planters will at once
turn round, and enter on a trade which
would relieve the North of some of its worst diffi-
culties. We may be assured they will never do
this pending the war.
Is, then, the war likely to come soon to its ter-
mination ? The facts on which a correct opinion
on this point must rest are equally before us all;
they certainly do not warrant any such pleasant
anticipation. The very latest news, if in some re-
spects hopeful in the West, is altogether the other
way in Virginia. lIALLECK has not done with
BEAUREGARD yet, though the latter seems to be
sadly in want of that indispensable article, food;
but M'CLELLex seems to be quite incapable of
movement at present. Re has been twice surprised
on either flank; guerilla bands threaten his corn-
innicateees ; he is demanding, and cannot obtain,
large reinforments ; while from Some quarter—pro-
bably the men whom BEAUREGARD connot feed—
the Confederate army has received considerable