The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-03 00:00:00

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or the sad death of the
pauper may terrify their
agitated minds, overshadowed with a gloom darker
than the night of the grave itself. It is always
better to take things in time. Half the labour
spent in inquiry as to the causes which led to the
. fatal results, half 029 energy employed in seeking
out who should bear the responsibility, would be
better expencial at first in preventing the cata-
strophe, and relieving the sufferers L" instead
of waiting till death has removed from us the op-
portunity and power of succour. Thus it is always
desirable for those able and willing to be of service
to the needy and help to the oppressed, to learn
how and in what manner they can best attain their
object. An institution of this class can be produc-
tive of nothing but benefit; and those who add to
its means are certain of increasing the opportunities
of lightening the load of labour and benefitting an
oppressed and deserving class of the community.

It seems manifest that the Federals are really
improving their position. They make no move yet
on the Potamac in front of Washington; they can-
not afford, even if March permits it, to hazard
another Bull's Run. But if Manassas be not theirs
Kentucky is, and over Roanoke and Albemarle
Sound they have " cast their shoe." We have little
doubt that Fort Donellson, on the Cumberland
River, has followed the fate of Fort Henry on
the larger and parallel stream of the Tennessee
River; and as the Confederates have evacuated
their more eastward positions in Kentucky that
whole State is now in the hands of the North.
Tennessee, itself, has been entered with the avowed
good': ill of many of the inhabitants, and there is,
we should think, but little doubt that it will soon
be, and all Missouri also, in the hands of the
Unionists. When the Mississippi States thus fall
one after another, and when the few large towns
on the coasts of Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia
fall also into the hands of the North, the Central
Southern army must either fall back southwards
or find itself gradually inclosed, more and more
tightly, by the Federal armies advancing from
the west and the east. Nothing but a successful
attack by BEATIREGARD on the Kentucky and
Tennessee armies, or of some other General on those
of the Atlantic coast, can save the Confederates
from being crushed and squeezed out of Virginia
and the Carolinas, as well as out of Kentucky,
Tennessee and Missouri.
But suppose the Federal successes to proceed with-
out check—what are we to look for from Mr.
LINCOLN P Will he offer to make peace with the
genuine Slave States—the cotton and sugar
States—and consent to a separation, on the
basis of making the North the larger, and
then, with funds or without, attempt the
conquest of the entire South P In their actual
temper, this seems by far the most likely. The
Northern contempt of the South will not be
satisfied without subjugation, and reunion ; but
reunion on what basis P At present we see no
indication on the part of the Government of any-
thing but reunion with Slave States. We imagine
that if the Federals succeed, their object
will be to keep the negroes whom they hate so, in
the South, but, at the same time, to make the free
States omnipotent in Congress. This they can
effect by making the border States free States, and
by repealing that clause in the constitution which
gives the slave States representatives in proportion
to three-fifths of their claims. This would at once
make. the free States masters in the House of Repre-
sentatives. In the Senate they would now have a
small majority, if the Free States all returned
Senators of anti-slavery sentiments, which is likely
obe the case in future. Mr. LINCOLN is such a
echnical lawyer, and so opposed to the abolition

policy, that some course like that we have indicated
seems most likely to be what he would prefer.
However, he has much to do yet. He has not yet
quite subjugated the South.

SIR ROBERT PEEL. AND SMITH

O'BRIBI4.

DUBLIN, SUNDAY.
Mr. Smith O'Brien has challenged Sir Robert Peel to
meet him in hostile combat in France or Belgium for his
reflections on the cabbage• garden traitors.