The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-14 00:00:00

THE RIVAL AMERICAN WAR VES-
SELS IN SOUTHAMPTON WATER.

SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY.
At two o'clock this morning the officer on watch
on board the Confederate war steamer Nashville,
lying in the docks, heard a noise like the getting
up of steam in the direction of where the Federal
man of war Tuscarora was lying, and as soon as it
was light it was found that the Tuscarora had
vanished. It is believed that she started at 4 a.m.
Large orders had been given to the Southampton
tradesmen from the ship, which therehad only been
time partly to execute, and her departure, there-
fore, excited the most intense curiosity. All kinds
of surmises were made. Some said she was gone
for a cruise on account of sickness on board ; others
that she had had intelligence of the Confederate
steamer Sumter, and that she was going out to
fight her. In a short time, however, she was dis-
covered at anchor between the eastern and western
channel of the Solent, where she could watch every-
thing coming into Spithead or through the Needles,
and have complete command of Southampton
Water. In this position she was also out of the
way of the Dauntless frigate. Just as people had
ceased wondering at her sudden disappearance she
was seen steaming away up Southampton Water
again, and brought up to her old moorings, just
opposite Southampton Docks and off Hythe, at
3.40 p.m. This movement is mysterious. If she
wished to draw the Nashville out of her hole,
the manoeuvre failed.

The Royal Mail packet Seine arrived this after-
noon from the West Indies. She reported the
sudden disappearance of the Sumter from the Carib-
bean Sea, and that it was not conjectured at St.
Thomas that she had started for Europe. The people
on board the Seine were amazed to hear that this
marvellously plucky privateer had been sweeping
over the British Channel and carrying prizes into
Cadiz. The Federal man-of-war Iroquois, which
suffered the Sumter to escape from the harbour of
Martinique, was also missing from the West Indies.
It is supposed that she was in pursuit of the Sumter.
A suspicious-looking ship has been seen off Belem,
on the coast of Portugal, and no ono has yet been
able to make her out. The only Federal man-of-war
at St. Thomas was the Quaker City. She has orders
to take the commander of the Iroquois out of his
ship, to be either, it is supposed, tried by court.
martial or to be superseded, for suffering the
Sumter to escape him ; and she has also orders to
pursue the Sumter wherever she has gone. If the
Sumter, therefore, does not re-cross the Atlantic,
she will probably be soon hemmed in in the British
Channel. She is manned by Southern gentlemen,
and her commander, Captain Semmes, is related to
Mr. Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confede-
rate States.
The law respecting belligerent ships in neutral
waters, as laid down by Captain Patey, the Admi-
ralty superintendent at this port, to the commanders
of the Nashville and the Tuscarora is that no fight-
ing must take place within gunshot of the English
coast. Formerly, it appears, this was considered to
be synonymous with three miles distance from the
coast, but improved gunnery has rendered it neces-
sary that this distance should be increased.

THE 21111Eld-CAN BLOCKADE.-
..ANOTHER SOURCE OF DANGER.

The Scotsman describes a new "American difficulty"
which is "now beginning to loom, not in the distance, but
quite at hand," Our contemporary says :7

" It is known that, several months ago, France urged the
British Government to join her in recognising the Southern
Confederacy, and disregarding the blockade. We hear
from good sources that the French Government has re-
newed that request, and is pushing it with much eagerness;
and it is considered certain that, when the French Cham-
bers meet on the 27th instant, there will be such expre-
sions of French opinion as will bring the question into at
least a critical position, and in all probability give much
offence to the Americans. There exists in London an
active and growing party, including many M.P.'s, having
for is object an immediate recognition of the Southern
Confederacy, on certain understood terms. This party
is in communication with the quasi representatives of the
South in London, and gives out that it sees its way to a de-
sirable arrangement. Our information is, that the South
acting through its London agents, is at least willing to have
it understood that, in consideration of immediate recogni-
tion and the disregard of the " paper blockade," it would
engage for these three things—a treaty of free trade; the
prohibition of all import of slaves ; and the freedom of all
blacks born hereafter. It will easily be seen that, if any
such terms were offered—but we hesitate to believe the last
of them—a pressure in favour of the South would come
upon the British Government from more than one formid-
able section of our public. The relentless and destructive
spirit in which the North conducts the civil war can-
not but have some direct influence on the feelings
of our Government ; but it operates more powerfully in an
indirect form, by giving stimulus and material to the par-
ties just mentioned as engaged in employing pressure from
without. Especially a great effect has been created by the
news of the last mail regarding the destruction of the har-
bour of Charleston by the sinking of the stone-laden hulks.
Besides the ordinary or general objections to such an act—
objections almost universally acknowledged in practice by
the European powers—there are two special objections in
the case of America. The Northern Government, which
resorts to this extreme and almost obsolete act of war, has
hitherto shown itself almost impotent in the ordinary ope-
rations of war, though having on the field about the largest
army the world ever saw. And, again, the peculiar object
of the war renders such an act peculiarly insensate—the
object being to bring ba, k as fellow-citizens under a demo-
cratic republic the people so barbarously and uselessly in-
jured, and to re-unite as part of one country the territory
thus sought to be destroyed. Already, as we are informed,
that act has given the French Emperor an opportunity of
again pressing upon our Cabinet his advice that Europe
should—at least to the extent of recognising as a fact the
Confederate Government, and not recognising as a fact the
Federal blockade—do something towards bringing to an
end a war whose barbarous acts and very nature are a dis-
credit to civilisation and humanity.

SP °BEING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALLS'—YESTERDAY.
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
4to 1 agst Old Calabar (take 9 to 2)
11 to 1 agst Caterer (taken)
11 to 1 agst Alvediston (taken)
12 to 1 agst Athleta (taken)
100 to 8 agst Cellarius (taken)
20 to 1 agst Clarissa colt (taken)
20 to 1 agst Nottingham (taken)
25 to 1 agst Ellengowan (taken)
THE DERBY.
Bto 1 agst Buckstone (take 9to 1)
11 to 1 agst Old Calabar (taken)
13 to 1 agst Marquis (taken)
22 to 1 agst Catcrer (taken)
25 to 1 agst Typee colt (taken)
30 to 1 agst Athleto. (taken)
33 to 1 agst The Knave (taken)
40 to 1 agst Nottingham (taken)
1000 to 15 agst Master Fenton (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Maharajah (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Berkeley (taken)

TRIS DAY'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, Jan. 14.—Wind this day at neon—N.E.
moderate breeze and cloudy with rain.

(lIY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
SOUTHAMPTON, Tuesday Morning.
Arrived—Southampton, from Havre.
Sailed—Rose, and Black-eyed Susan, for Newport ; Rain-
bow, for Seaharn ; Charlotte for Guernsey.
The Tuscarora has returned to her first moorings at the
mouth of the Itchen Creek.
A Government despatch boat is at present lying off the
dook entrance.

(BY SUBMARINE .A ND MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Tuesday Morning.
Arrived, Jan. 13—Montrose, for St. Vincent; Assyrian,
for Shanghai ; Tronke, for Randers.
Arrived, Jan. 14—Excelsior, for Genoa.
Sailed—Edward Hawkins, screw steamer, for Jamaica.
DEAL, Tuesday Morning.
Passed—Siloam, from Chatham, for Bristol.

The Court ball at the Tuileries on Thursday night
was extremely animated. The varied display of richly-
laced uniforms, aided by the glitter of jewels and sumptuous
toilettes worn by the ladies, threw an indescribable chaim
over the scene. The Empress is described by those who
were present as looking more charming than ever. Her
Majesty wore a white satin dress, with a parure of ame.
thysts of surpassing splendour. The Emperor was remark-
ably gay and animated. He was observed to converse for
a long time with M. Chevron, the Prefect of the Loire-
Inferieure, a circumstance whi .h has given rise to the ru-
mour that the gentleman thus honoured may shortly be
called to the councils of his Sovereign. The frequent re-
currence of these rumours is mainly occasioned by the im-
practicability attributed to Count Persigny in dealing with
his colleagues. The hi eof his P.P imosity, which has been
hitherto concentrated upon Count \Valewski, now extends
to M. Fould.—A

ACCIDENT AT THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.
At about ten o'clock on Sunday evening considerable ex-
citement was occasioned in the neighbourhood of Euston-
square, by a report that a large poTti3n of the newly formed
branch of the Underground Railway, commencing at Sey-
mour-street, and extending to Melton-street, Euston-road,
had fallen in, and that some of the workmen were buried
in the debris. On inquiry it was ascertained that about
100 yards of the archway had given way, carrying with it
an immense quautity of the superincumbent soil, but pro-
videntially the bricklayers and excavators were all absent,
the hour appointed for resuming work being twelve o'clock
on Sunday n'ght.