The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-06 00:00:00

THE SIIN, LONDON, THURSDAY 'EVENING, ItOVEMBER 6, 1862.

if it means anything—that the Constitution is to
be amended to suit the fancies of people who think
they can improve it. If you open this Pandora-
box, when will the evils end ? The Constitution is
full of compromises, adjusted by our fathers. If
you begin to undo, when will you stop P Read the
Constitution yourself, and see what would be the
result if all the questions settled there are to be
opened again for adjustment. God knows that I
want to serve my country. I count my life as
, nothing if I could serve the nation. Have we less
interest than you Radicals have in the country P
We, who governed this nation for 80 years, raising
it to the highest pinnacle of prosperity, do not pre-
tend to be better than you or wiser than you.
But we are not disposed to make rash experiments
—to deviate from the ways of the past, on which
the nation has marched on to its renown. I im-
plore you, before you listen to the teachings of men
who ask you to throw away this Constitution, that
you will think how many good things it guarantees
to you—among them the supremacy of the judiciary
over the Legislature. Look at these questions
for yourselves. You have more interest in the
Constitution than the whole South put together.
The speaker then referred to the higher law-men of
the South. They would have the bayonet and the
bullet. We must therefore settle with them by the
bayonet and the bullet. (Applause.) They elected
to finish the dispute in blood, and the sword must
be the arbiter. In our strong right arm it must
strike true blows for the country and the flag. I
would that my voice could be heard through the
Southern States. I would say—mistake not the
triumphs of the Conservatives at the North. We
battled for the real rights of the South years ago.
But that was because we loved the Constitution.
Therefore it is that we tell the South that this great
Conservative party will rebuild the shattered
columns of the Constitution, and from its summit
shall wave the nation's flag, with every stripe and
every star upon it. In conclusion, he said that he
would never consent to a dismemberment of the
Union as long as he had a voice to speak or a hand
to raise in behalf of the glorious Union."
The Hon. John Van Buren spoke as follows :

" The Democratic party demanded a vigorous
prosecution of the war. Let the army march forward
and take Richmond. That is a natural resting-place.
It is not necessary to conquer any man in the South.
To take Richmond will be to defeat the South. If
there are people who want to advance beyond that
let them go. For one, I should want to stop there
for a while. Let the Abolitionists go on if they
choose. I would say, Gadant Greeley, advance!'
(Laughter.) Forward the black brigade !' (Con-
tinued laughter.) Penetrate the country to South
Carolina, and stay there.' (Roars of laughter.) He
thought that a convention coming together now—
the South and North having learnt that each is a
Power worthy of its steel—would decide to live
under the Constitution as it is—or let us define
exactly what it is, and then let us agree that it shall
require a unanimous consent of all the States to
make any alteration on the subject of slavery. He
believed that the border States would adhere to the
19 free States. We should then have more than
double the number of States which entered upon the
war of the Revolution, It is possible that the cotton
raising States might stay out and set up a one-
horse republic. He depicted the hard time that
they would have of it. One week's calm reflection
would show any Southern citizen that its existence
depended on keeping with the North. If the ques-
tion was whether the war should be carried on by
arming the slaves—he for one would say No ! And
he believed that, in such a contingency, it would be
the duty of foreign nations to interfere, to prevent
such an outrage on humanity. (Cheers.) But, first,
last, and always, he was for his country, and against
her enemies. He reiterated his statement that the
present Republiean Government was the worst Go-
vernment on the face of the earth, and ex pressed
his readiness to go to Fort Lafayette for that opi-
nion."

From the Potomac we have the following ad-
vices :

" Headquarters, Army of the Potomac,
Thursday, Oct. 23.

time given, and also of the restrictions and precau-
tions to be observed by our squadrons and cruisers.
It is essential in the remarkable contest now waging,
that We should exercise great forbearance with
great firmness, and manifest to the world that it is
the intention of our Government, while asserting
and maintaining our own rights, to respect and
scrupulously regard the rights of others. It is in
this view that the following instructions are ex-
plicitly given

"1. That you will exercise constant vigilance
to prevent supplies of arms, munitions, and con-
traband of war front being conveyed to the insur-
gents ; but that under no circumstances will you
seize any vessel within the waters of a friendly
nation.

"2. That, while diligently exercising the right
of visitation on all suspected vessels, you are in no
case authorised to chase and fire at a foreign vessel
without showing your colours and giving her the
customary preliminary notice of a desire to speak
and visit her.

"3. That when that visit is made, the vessel is
not then to be seized without a search carefully
mr:de, so far as to render it reasonable to believe
that she is engaged in carrying contraband of war
for or to the insurgents, and to their ports directly,
or indirectly by transhipment, or otherwise violat-
ing the blockade; and that if after visitation and
search it shall appear to your satisfaction that she
is in good faith and without contraband, actually
bound and passing from one friendly or so.called
neutral port to another, and not bound or proceed-
ing to or from a port in the possession of the insur-
gents, then she cannot be lawfully seized.

"4. That to avoid difficulty and error in relation
to papers which strictly belong to the captured
vessel, and mails that are carried, or parcels under
official seals, you will, in the words of the law, pre-
serve all the papers and writings found on board,
and transmit the whole of the originals, unmuti-
lated, to the judge of the district to which such prize
is ordered to proceed.' But official seals, or locks, or
fastenings of foreign authorities are in no case, nor
on any preterit, to be broken, or parcels covered by
them read by any naval authorities ; but all bags or
other things covering such parcels, and duly sealed
or fastened by foreign authorities, will be, in the
discretion of the United States officer to whom
they may come, delivered to the Consul, com-
manding naval officer, or Legation of the foreign
Government, to be opened, upon the understanding
that whatever is contraband or important as evi-
dence concerning the character of a captured vessel
will be remitted to the Prize Court or to the Secre-
tary of State at Washington, or such sealed bags or
parcels may be at once forwarded to this Depart-
ment, to the end that the proper authorities of the
foreign Government may receive the same without
delay.

" You are specially informed that the fact that a
suspicious vessel has been indicated to you :la cruis-
ing in any limit which has been prescribed by the
Department does not in any way authorise you to
depart from the practice of the rues of visitation,
search, and capture prescribed by the law of na-
tions.--Very respectfully,
" GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy."
Richmond papers reported the presence there of
John Mitchell, two of whose sons were in the Con-
federate army.
On the 7th ult. a Federal steamer blew up at New
Orleans, and 12 persons lost their lives.
Key West advices of the 15th ult. state that
Admiral Dupont was about to attack Mobile and
Charleston. The mortar fleet at Pensacola had re-
ceived sailing orders.

On the 19th ult. a Federal cruiser captured the
British schooner Adelaide near Wilmington. The
captured vessel got aground, and was destroyed.

713 E COLLISION ON 7118 NORTH-

EASTERN JAIL WAY.

hitherto possessed solely by the iloatd of Trade,
was now vested in the court before which inquiries
like the present were held,

Henry William Sieball, the chief officer of the
Lima, was then called, and stated that the course
steered on the night preceding and morning of the
wreck was that laid down by the master.

Captain Peacock, who had commanded on the
same coast from 1840 to 1846, was also called and
examined as to the courses steered by him during
that period, and at the conclusion of his evidence it
was announced that the inquiry wou:d be adjourned
until Saturday.