The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-09 00:00:00

AMERICA.

(Arrival of the Asia, via Crookhaven.)
NEw YORK, Sept. 26 (Evening).
The Alabama Convention has passed the ordi-
nance recognising the abolition of slavery, forbid-
ding its existence hereafter, and providing for its
abolition by the State Constitutional Amendment.
The ordinance directs also that the Legislature shall
enact laws to protect freedmen and guard them and
the whites against the evils of sudden emancipation.
An ordinance has been introduced permitting ne-
groes to testify in the courts and to hold property.
The Attorney-General has decided not to consider
applications for pardon from rebels residing abroad.
The Brazilian Minister has had an audience of the
President to deliver his credentials. Mr. Johnson,
in replying to his address, said—" America wishes
to promote civilisation in this hemisphere, develope
its material resources, improve commerce, and intro-
duce as fast as possible free and and intelligent
labour into the virgin fields of this continent. In-
stead of weakening new American States, we wish
to strengthen them by reposing in them a generous
confidence rather than indulge jealousies of their
prosperity or a querulous disposition regarding the
manner in which their Governments are adminis-
tered. All the nations of America if they would
continue to exist must aspire to absolute self-sus-
taining independence and perfect political equality
with other nations. If Brazil agrees to this policy
we shall not only be close friends, but practically
become firm and fast allies."
It is asserted that the Canadian authorities have
not refunded to St. Albans banks the whole amount
taken by the raiders, and that Mr. Seward has de-
manded the balance of the money from the British
Government.

The Panama Star announces that the commander
of the British war steamer Devastation, lying at
Acapulco, on receipt of information of the depre-
dation of the Shenandoah, immediately started in
pursuit of her, asserting that if he overhauled her,
he should treat her as a pirate.
The Moravian and New York have arrived out.
COMMERCIAL.
NEW YORK, Sept. 26 (Evening).
Money easy. Gold, 1431. Exchange on Lon-
don, 1571 ; do. on Paris, 3.584. Stocks slightly
firmer. New York Centrals, 94k. Five-Twenty
United Statee'Bonds, 108 k.
NEW YORK, Sept. 28 (Evening).
The South Carolina State Convention has resolved
to send a deputation to Washington to ask the
clemency of the Executive for Messrs. Davis and
Stephens.
Mr. Trenholrae. -MagraMif • Gev'enigt SOutlr
Carolina,-has-been directed to organise the militia
companies. They will act under the orders of the
Federal commanders.
Colonel Thomas reports that he fears a conflict
between the freedmen and the whites will ensue if
the organisation of the Mississippi militia is carried
out.

A gang of forty guerillas are committing murder
and robbery in the neighbourhood of Springfield, in
Tennessee.
Colonel Palmer and General Brisbin have been
indicted in Kentucky for abducting slaves, and in-
terfering with the slave law.
A large Fenian meeting has been held in New
York, at which speeches were made declaring that
an Irish Republican loan will shortly be announced.
The Alabama Convention hasunanimously passed
an ordinance annulling the Secession Ordinance,
and has also decided that the white population shall
alone form their representation.
The Courrier des Etats Unis states that an agent
of Juarez is actively engaged with a New York
banking firm in endeavouring to negotiate a loan.
Advices from Brownsville to the Bth state that
numerous Republican bands are reported to be still
threatening Matamoras.
The Cuba and Etna have arrived out.

Oswald Hastings; or, the Adventures of a Queen's
Aide-de- Camp . By Captain W. W. Knollys,
93d Sutherland Highlanders. Three Vols. Hurst
and Blackett.
Captain Knollys has wisely chosen for the theme
of his first novel a subject with which he is per-
fectly familiar. The details of army life, the
peculiarities of different commanders, the gossip
of the mess-room, and the various trials of different
degree that beset the upward path of the friendless
but ambitious soldier, are here portrayed with a
wonderful fidelity, which imparts to the work, as a
military novel, a particular and unusual interest and
importance. So much we are glad to be able to
say of the first three-volume work of a young
author. Regarding " Oswald Hastings " as
a novel, however, it lacks one of the
most important qualifications of a good
story, concentrated interest. The organ of con-
structiveness is all important to the novel-writer.
Other qualities may delight the reader for a time, as
in the instance of Thackeray, the author of one
famous " novel without a hero," and of so many
others without any organised plot or story. It
mattered little to his readers, however, like the
charming, lady of whom it was said " she gossiped
whenever she pleased, and pleased whenever she
gossiped." The delightful pen of Mr. Roundabout
could always fascinate our attention But the ex-
ample is not a safe one for ordinary writers. Every
reader is not obliged (like the critic) to follow a
story to the end if no particular interest or curiosity
be excited. " Oswald Hastings," we must confess
after his earlierdifficulties in the first volume, creates
little anxiety in our minds as to his ultimate for-
tunes. His early love for Ellen Kirkhan does not
exercise a very enduring influence on his affections.
Even his partial biographer is obliged to apologise
for his fickle fancies. W e consider he is very rightly
served by the faithless Euphemia, whose marriage,
by the way, bears a striking similarity to a recent
run-away match in high life. We will not reveal
any further the incidents of the tale, slight as they
are, but content ourselves with some extraets that
may evidence Capt. Knollys's graphic power in de-
scribing scenes of gallantry and adventure. Here,
for example, is—

THE TROOP-SHIP ON FIRE.
The monotony of the voyage was now for some time un-
broken by anything but the appearance of a solitary whale,
an event which was celebrated by the men with "three
cheers," given with as much good will as if they had eap-
tured a fortress. When within 200 miles of their destina-
tion, an event took place which very near brought the voy-
age to a tragical termination. One night about twelve
o'clock, the sentry near the hold summoned the sergeant
of the guard and informed him that there was a strong
smell of fire. The Adjutant and commanding officer were
immediately called, but by the time they arrived on the
spot flames had burst out and the whole ship was alarmed.
The bugle at once sounded for the mon to repair to fire
quarters, and though at first there was a slight rush and
some little confusion, yet the Colonel's voice soon restored
order. The ship was immediately placed before the wind,
to prevent the flames from being driven aft in the direction
of the magazine. The pumps were rigged and brought to
bear on the fire, and an attempt was made to smother it
with wet blankets. The magazine was also drowned. In
spite of all the efforts of the men and officers the flames
could not bo subdued, and it became probable that if no
ship came to the rescue, the crew and passengers of the
Typhoon would soon have to choose between three al-
ternatives, namely, a watery grave, a fiery death, or the
chance of life in boats and on rafts on a tossing sea. In-
deed, we doubt whether the soldier's courage is ever ex-
posed to such a severe trial as in tho case of a fire at sea.
Yet for all that, how seldom do they falter, how nobly do
they perform their duty !
Fire seems to exercise a refining and purifying influence
on them, to bring out their better qualities, and to cause
those of a grosser nature to evaporate. The wonderful
power of discipline was in this instance most wonderfully
exemplified. On the brink of eternity, with apparently
little to hope or fear from man, with the roaring of the
flames and the fury of the waves holding up to scorn the
weak power of their earthly masters, the soldiers of the
155th showed themselves as obedient to orders as if in the
barrack yard. Discipline had become with them so fixed
an instinct, that it was, so to speak, a second nature, cap-
able of ,resisting .even • the influence which the fear of
Ipfitlc7aching death might have been supposed to exer-
cise over them. With some a sense of duty produced this
marvellous effect, with others a natural insensibility to dan-
ger, but with the majority it was the second instinct wo
have alluded to which suddenly transformed them into
heroes. Oswald .vas surprised to find how little time for
thought was left him by the necessity for exertion, the ex-
citement of facing the present danger and of attaining
the absorbing aim of all, that of extinguishing the fire.
In the following extract the bravery, and, also,
let us add, the fickle nature of our hero, is made
manifest. The scene is now in the land of the
Kaffirs, and the chapter is entitled—.
OSWALD SUPS FULL OF HORRORS.
We closed our last chapter just as Oswald was aroused
from sleep by the fearful sound of the Kaffir yell. Alert
as becomes a soldier, he sprang from his bed, and in an
instant had slipped on his boots and trowsers, and hurried
into the next room. Quick, however, as he had been, Cap-
tain Childers, fortunately an early riser, had already bar-
red the door, and with his double-barrelled gun shot down
the two foremost savages, who, after butchering the farm
servants in the out-buildings, were hurrying up to com-
plete their work at the house. On seeing their compa-
nions fall, they paused in their rush, which gave Oswald
time to fire his pistols with effect amongst them, and to
Mary Childers to close the shutters. Seeing the inmates
prepared, the wily savages had recourse to their usual mode
of fighting, and speedily got under cover, from whence they
kept up a smart fire of musketry and assegais on whatever
part of the wooden walls they considered thinnest.
The house consisted of four rooms, and the little g arri-
sion were obliged to fire from each in succession' in order
to give the appearance of numbers, and to prevent the
enemy from approaching unobserved by some-unwatched
point.
Fortunately there were three guns besides Oswald's
double-barrelled pistols in the house, and these wore fired
through loop-holes, which had been made for that purpose,
in the door and shutters. The old man looked sad but
determined. His first words to Oswald were, " I'm afraid
it's all up with us, but we must make the best fight we can
and trust to God's mercy for deliverance. I felt certain
that some misfortune was going to happen, and my fore-
bodings were too true. I'm sure I shall never leave this
place alive, but if you escape, you will take care of Mary ;
won't you? She's engaged to a settler, about fifty miles
off from here, it's true, but I distrust that man."
Oswald promised to obey his injunctions, and tried to
inspire him with a little of the hope he was very far from
feeling himself. As to the girl, notwithstanding their cri-
tical position, ho could not help glancing at her with ad-
miration. Suddenly awoke from sleep, with nothing over
her night dress but a loose wrapper, her hair hanging in
massy waves about her shoulders, her little, white feet
thrust into a pair of slippers, her cheek flushed, and her
eyes gleaming with excitement, she reminded him of Me-
dora, "in all the wildness of dishevelled charms." At an-
other time, she would have blushed at being seen in such
a plight by any one save her own father; but then she was
totally absorbed by the danger and the means of facing it.
Feminine as the daintiest damsel in Belgravia, she, like a
true woman, showed herself equal to the circumstances in
which she was placed, displaying an amount of courage
and presence of mind which would not have disgraced the
most gallant soldier who ever wielded sword. She was of
immense use to Oswald and her father.
As fast as they could fire she loaded for them, and when
not so occupied, ran from window to window to see what
the Kaffirs were about. Oswald, brave and sanguine by
temperament as he was, made up his mind that his last
hour was approaching, and only grimly determined to take
with him to the other world as many of the enemy as pos-
sible. He had little time for thought, yet he did think of
Ellen, and wondered whether she would hear of his death,
and would ever marry any one else. He blamed him-
self too as a traitor to love, for having
even given
one look of admiration at the lovely girl—for pretty
at all times, she was positively lovely then—who was
so bravely aiding them. The yells, the sounds of
muskets, and the whistling of bullets, thowever, soon
drove away all thoughts of love, all power of reflection.
He lived but in the moment, and in the fierce struggle in
which he was engaged. An Englishman at bay becomes
very ferocious, and the taste of blood intoxicates him like
a draught of strong wino. Oswald positively exulted when
once or twice ho saw a Kaffir fall beneath his aim, and
couldwith difficulty restrain himself from terminating the
maddening suspense by rushing out and ending the tragedy
at once.
The feelings of a young soldier on his first battle-
field have been described before now, but we must
quote an evidently truthful description of the emo-
tions of Oswald Hastings
THE FIRST TIME UNDER FIRE.
The company sent to the right was commanded by Cap-
tain Frankland, and was that to which Oswald belonged.
The latter, though a brave man, yet felt somewhat excited,
and was was conscious of a certain rapid beating of the
heart which few men are without on the occasion of their
first going into action. It was not that he was afraid, but
still any moment might be his last, and moreover he was
nervously anxious as to how he should behave in this his
maiden field. He was afraid of being afraid. The com-
pany proceeded with one sub-division extended as skir-
mishers and the other in reserve. Oswald was with the
skirmishers, who had not gone far before they were