The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-16 00:00:00

[TII E TIMES.

The acknowledgment of the independence-of
Si. Domingo by the French Government is an
incident of sufficient importance, both in the
commercial and political world, to justify our
recurring to the subject. We rejoice in it ;
though it may create, or at least infuse new life
into a rival ()lour own West India colonies : for
rivalry is- as frequently attended with the ad-
vancement of both parties, as with. The success
of one and the fall of the other. Where, in-
deed, there is only a single mistress to be won,
a single aspirant only can attain her; but one
great interest may be most successfully promot-
ed by rival operations. Had we, for -example,
been the sole manufacturers of Europe, many of
the mechanic arts, by which manufactures in ge-
neral have reached such perfection, would have
remained undiscovered. The necessity of over-
coming competitors has racked invention, and
forced her to obtain great results by com-
binations which were not originally in use.
The world at large reaps the benefit.—
Our West India planters, have, no doubt, suffered
severely enough of late years. A new and inde-
pendent realm of planters may either help them
to bear the burden, or teach the parent state the
means of alleviating its pressure. It is, indeed,
a remarkable fact, that sugars have become dearer
in Europe as the prospect became more cer-
tain that this free competitor would enter the
market. But it is, perhaps, in a political point
of view that the acknowledgment of the in-
dependence of St. Domingo is most striking.
" Time," says Lord Bacon, in his admirable
Essays, "is the great innovator." We are of
opinion, that more important changes are now
operating in the world by means compara-
tively peaceful and silent, than could have
been produced by Buonaparte, even had he
been successful in all his projects : for had
he triumphed over the old world, there is no
doubt that he would have wished to retain the
inhabitants of the new world in his chains.
Mexico free—the States of South America free—
St. Domingo free: a man naturally asks himself,
" Where will these things end %" and human
foresight can supply no answer to the question.
The document by which this last event is an-
nounced is -brief and frigid enough : neither
must we theoretically draw more important
inferences from it than the instrument will
allow. If the island in question has bought
it; inelependence, it is a sign that the old
supremacy de- jure was allowed. England bought
the sovereignty of the Isle of Man twice
over of . the Duke of Athol; if she should be
obliged to buy, it a third time, it would be a
proof that she allowed the Duke to have been
thrice' Ring in hiS own person—that is, to have
NvOrn'a triple crown—to have been Pope of the
If France has sold its independence to
St. Domingo, France no doubt *considers herself
as having had in her own hands that which she
has conveyed away for' money.

[BRITISH PRESS 4
By the Paris Papers which received last
night, it aPpears that the depression of the French
fonds continues.' The Five per Cent's. closed on
Satniday at 102 T. 20c.; the Three per Cents.
at 71 f. 60c. This-sudden and extraordinary de-
cline in the valun of French stock has given
rise to a multitude, of reports in the political
circles of Paris.. A. change of Ministry seeins
to be confidently expected. It is said that
M. de villele, anticipating the event, had
himself tendered • his resignation, and that his
phfee' •had bp-en offered to one of his prede..
cessors in the departnient of finance. No
artifice has been neglected to prevent the fail-
ure'of the plan for the-conversion of the Itentes ;
yet, in spite of all the power and influence used
to insure its success, never was any failure more
complete The arrival of the telegraphic dis.