The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 16, 18G1

His progress, by the way, from Genoa to Naples
being indicated, almost as pointedly as that of
NAPOLEON when he passed from his little' insular
empire of Elba to' Cannes, to Grenoble, to _Lyons,
and so on to the gates of Paris and to his palace of
the Tuileries—the Illooiteur chronicling the pro-
gress made by the great a dventurer from day to da3 -
after this crescendo or diminuendo fashion, accord.
ingly as we view the words with an eye to praise
or blame—" The Monster has left the Isle
of Elba "—" The Usurper has landed at Cannes"—
" BONAPARTE has entered Grenoble"—" 'The EM-
PEROR is at Lyons"—" his Imperial Majesty is ap-
proaching the capital." So also when first the news
was bruited about that General GARIBALDI had ell'
barked at Genoa with a little band of followers, bent
to all appearances upon winning freedom for the
Neapolitans at the point of the sword—many of
those who wished him well the most sincerely, were
fain to look upon his enterprise as the rash project
of a Desperado. The whole world soon saw reason
enough to think otherwise. We have
learnt now, long since, to appreciate
the heroism of GARIBALDI at its right
value. We cannot well exaggerate it. The
feats it has accomplished, in a manner defy exag-
geration. They are marvels wrought by a blend-
ing of supreme audacity with consummate pru-
dence. And the man himself is in his whole
genius and temperament so gentle as well as so
great that even his bitterest foes have
come to look upon him with respect. When
he speaks, we know that he speaks from the depths
of his own earnestness, from the fullness of his
own conscientious convictions. And latterly, has
he not spoken plainly enough? He has said, again
and yet again, within the last few weeks, that the
hour for action—and this time for final action—has
arrived. He speaks of this not as a probability,
but simply and explicitly, as of a thing actually
decided upon. In what direction it is proposed to
act—ah, well, that is a different manner ! In re-
gard to that, the event itself will show what it is
that has been determined on. But that the close
of the Italian War of Emancipation has been deter-
mined on, there cannot remain now any longer one
instant's doubt. Italian soIdiers—GARIBALDI will
nowhere now have to contend with. The
only forces that can be opposed to him are
foreigners. Here the French—there the Austrians.
Thos3 are his only r ossible antagonists in arms.
And if it be doubted that the great leader of the
Italians is now in his des;gns too rash and too
audacious—remember only for one moment the
rashness and audacity of his last astounding enter-
prise, and remember the perfect success with which
it was begun and ended.

The King of PRUSSIA cannot, even in a speech
from the Throne, conceal his chagrin at the result
of the late elections. Even such an occasion as the
opening of a Church was imprudently laid hold of
to let off a little of the Royal irritation in somewhat
explicit language. At the opening of the Cham-
bers the expression was somewhat more generalized
but not the less intelligible. He began by inform-
ing them that he remained true to his principles,
would keep steadily in view the development
of the constitution, and that the bills he should
introduce would shew this. Language, suggesting
the comment, that a Soy9reign ought not to need to
assure his people that he would not deceive them.
His actions might have been sufficient, The sore
point, increased votes for the army, which the
Liberals do not relish, unless the KING would take
the lead in more liberal measures for a united
Germany, is got over by telling the deputies that
the improved condition of the revenue will enable
him to compromise the matter, as he shall need less
than he had feared.
Having touched on that favourite topic with the

sailor-less fatherland—a German fleet, and on the
reforms he meant to introduce into the federal con-
stitution of Germany, and having dropped a tear
over Electoral Hesse, robbed by her right-divine
Sovereign of a right-diviner constitution, he comes to
what lies on his heart. Earlier in the speech he had
promised development of the constitution; whatever
that phrase may mean, lest however it should be
misunderstood he now tells them, that " the deve-
lopment of our institutions must be subordinate to

the strength and power of the country." And lest
even that should not strongly enough imply that
the strength of a monarchy was of more consequence

than the extension of popular freedom and power,
he adds—" I can never permit"—as if the Chambers
were entirely at his bidding and not a :co-ordinate
power—" that the progressive development of interior
political life should question or endanger the rights
of the crown and the power and security of Prussia."
That is, the Right Divine is, after all, that which
transcends in importance everything else: The
truly autocratic-minded man believes that the secu-
rity and power of a country depend not on its having
liberties, for which, as we now see in Canada, the peo-
ple would fight spontaneously, but on having a mo-
narch, the Elect of GOD, whose power to coerce to
military service shall be the safeguard of the State.
Prince ALBERT of late years began ito know better
than this. But there is no Prince ALBERT now to
suggest to these Continental wrongheads that, after
all, real constitutionalism does keep a Sovereign
very comfortable, save her much anxiety, makes
people very contented and a nation very strong—
makes them, in fact, a nation of soldiers and sailors,
ready at any moment to volunteer for the country
and the Sovereign they have such good reason to
love.

THE TESTIMONIAL TO PRINCE ALBERT.—This
national movement, inaugurated by the Right Hon. the
Lord Mayor, appears to be progressing favourably. In the
course of yesterday the committee, who sat at the Mansion-
house, received various amounts towards the fund, but at
present there has not been time to take an exact account of
what has already been received. It may be mentioned,
however, that Lord John Russell has contributed £lOO,
and the Lord Mayor also £lOO. No public announce-
ment of the various sums received will take place until
Monday next.

NEW COMET.—On the morning of the 9th inst. a

telescopic comet was discovered by Dr. Winneeke at the
Imperial Observatory of Poulkova, near St. Petersburg.
Its approximate position at 2h. 21m. a.m. was in Right
Ascension 14'. 35m., and north declination 25 deg. 22 min.;
the diurnal motion in R. A. appeared to be about 4m., and
that in declination about 4 deg., both increasing. M. Le-
verrier obtained a complete observation of the great comet
of June last on the night of December 27. lts distance
from the earth was then 313,000,000 miles. The first dis-
covery of this comet is due to Mr. Tebbutt, a young Aus •
tralian farmer and amateur astronomer, who saw it as early
as May 13.

The course of Exchange at New York on London
for bills at 60 days' sight is 112 to 113 per cent. According
to the usual calculations this rate would yield a large profit
on the importation of gold from the United States, but the
gain is considerably diminished by the premium at which
the gold would have to be purchased, which is now quoted
at fully 11 per cent.

OXFORD DRAMATIC CLUE.—The Grand full dress
ball, which took place on Wednesday night, at Willis's
Rooms, was a great success, and was attended by nearly
500 visitors. The list of stewards comprised the names of
no less than 25 gentlemen; of these three deserve especial
mention, Messrs. Purkiss, Morgan, and Mitchell, who by
their great exertions made it a most brilliant and pleasant
assembly. The music was performed by Jewell's band.
We read in the Post :—" Several of our contem-
poraries have stated that the expense of our preparations
for a possible war with America have cost four or five
millions sterling. We believe it will be found that the
amount is not likely to exceed two millions."
THE EXPORT TRADE OF LIVERPOOL.—An elabo-
rate table has been issued from the Custom-house, in which
it is shown that a decrease of £13,134,593 in the value of
the exports of British and Irish goods has taken place in
tke coarse of last par.