The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-21 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1865

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We have some reason to hope, from the brief
table of news brought by the Belgian from New
York that the Government of the United States
has seen fit to moderate a little of its violence and

rancour towards its Southern prisoners. There are
indications, too, that the good sense and right

feeling of the people could not be altogether per.

vented by official misstatements, and that some men
of character and position had found courage to stem
the stream, and boldly to declare that the course of
action announced as resolved upon was totally
inconsistent with national honour, as well as with
common humanity. Mr. GARRITT S3IITII, Who

delivered a speech at the Cooper Institute on the
9th, declared that it would be mean perfidy for the
North to punish a fallen foe for treason, after they
had fully admitted his right to the laws of war.
The spirit of slavery, added the speaker, dwelt in
the North as well as the South, and that the North
was equally bound to humble herself for the
common sin. Mr. HORACE . GREELY, whose
name is well known in this country, was equally
bold and equally honest. He declared on the same
occasion it would be a black breach of faith to try
LEE or his men after the terms agreed upon. The
arrest of General LEE seems to have been postponed
or abandoned, we may hope the latter, and the Go-
vernment apparently wishes to leave itself a loop-
hole in the case of DAVIS, for a Washington de-
spatch of the Bth June tells us that the indictment
against the Southern President and Secretary
BRECKENRIDGE by the Columbia grand jury was at
the individual instigation of the district attorney, and
" without the knowledge or:consent of the Admini-
stration." It is therefore uncertain, adds the de-
spatch, whether Mr. DAVIS will be tried before a
civil or military tribunal. We may believe as much
as we like about the Government leaving the
management of so important an affair to the inde-
pendent action of a district attorney, but at any rate
the announcement of the official ignorance provides
the authorities with a means of escape from the
political difficulty they have got themselves into re-
specting their illustrious and unfortunate prisoner.
Secretary BRECKENRIDGE, more lucky than his
leader, has succeeded in reaching a vessel which was
lying waiting for him off the coast of Florida, a fact
-which few will be disposed to regret. Whether
time and experience and the influence of European
opinion may succeed in modifying the rancour with
which Mr. JOHNSON and his associates have perse-
cuted JEFFERSON DAVIS, or whether the resignation
of Mr. STANTON may indicate the adoption of milder
counsels, are points that will excite nearly as much
interest among ourselves as across the Atlantic. It
is most sincerely to be hoped for the peace of the
world, as well as in the interests of that great and
intelligent people, that their recent victories will not
be chequered by the judicial murder of one of the
most eminent of their countrymen.

The difficulty in Texas does not appear to be
considered settled, as General WEITZEL sailed with
the last of his transports from -Fort Monroe on the
Bth, aid the expedition was to stop at Mobile for
additional supplies. There is little general news
save a terrible fire at Nashville, which is said to
have destroyed two years' supplies for 800,000 men,
and the loss to the Government is estimated at
from eight to ten million dollars. A court of . in-
quiry has been ordered to ascertain its origin, but,
according to the recent position in the North it will
probably be set down to the charge of the Confede-
rates. These random accusations, however, are
beginning to be proved false and extravagant. Mr.
CARROLL -writes that the testimony of two witnesses
against him for conspiracy is in every particular a
wilful perjury, while the Toronto Leader gives an
instance of " a glaring misstatement" made by
AIL RE ITT during the secret sitting.
The Poljulax excitement 311115 t by thin time have