The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-10 00:00:00

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, SEPT. 2i.
One of the largest, if not the largest, and most
respectable political meetings ever held in the city
of New York came off the day before yesterday, in
front of the Merchants' Exchange. The street was
densely packed for nearly or quite the whole length
of the front of that massive building. Tile steps
and columns were overhung with listeners, every
window and balcony of the neighbouring houses
capable of affording a place for a hearer was occu-
pied, and every housetop within sight of the place
of meeting was planted with spectators. The occa-
sion for this great assemblage was that the Speaker
of the Rouse of Representatives, whose vigotir,
decision, and tact have piloted the Republicans
through the shoals of a long session, and to whom
more than any other man they owe their present
position, was announced to address the merchants
and citizens of New York on the topics of the day.
The speech was principally taken up with esta-
blishing that the Republican party is the Conser-
vative party, and entitled to the confidence of
merchants. On the question of annexation the
following explicit declarations of policy may not be
uninteresting to your readers :
Look at another question—look at the mean and
seal dalous policy declared in the Ostend Carlference---,
that p dicy reaffirmed, blindly and darkly, in the C:11-
cinnatt p;a,tform—which is to the extent, and goes at
least in the direction, that it is right for a people, if
they want a territory, to steal it, if they cannot get
it in any other or better way. We are against that
policy—not that we are against the acquisition of ter-
ritory that has taken place in times past, which was
necessary to the national defence, and which has oon-
tributed to that prosperity to which allusion has been
made heretofore, but I allude to those islands which
our Southern brethren speak of as our islands of the
Southern Seas. We want nothing of them so long as
they remain in the hands of nations at peace with as.
" They add to our interests as they are. If the
Sandwich Islands or the Islands of the South Sea—
excepting alone the Island of Cuba—were possessed by
the people of the United States, they would be held
either by the consent of other nations, or else we
should hold them only as tenants at will, and we should
be dependent on the support of other nations. Other-
wise you would have to send your steam marine for
their protection, and at any moment of difficulty or
doubt in reference to the relations existing between
them and other points of the confederacy you would
be always obliged to maintain a naval power in those
islands such as this country has never contemplated,
and which could not exist without danger to our
institutions.
" What we want is not to steal territory from other
nations. We have at present as much territory as we
want. But we have the right, and it is the duty of our
people, to cultivate amicable relations with the people
of those islands and with the people of the other por-
tions of the South American continent. From these
amicable relations may spring other evidences of tha t
commercial prosperity which has placed your city before
all the cities of the American continent. Look at the
Island of Cuba. It is within 130 miles of the commercial
ports of our own country. No man can estimate the ex-
tent of the commerce which well-directed and intelligent
industry may develope in the Island of Cuba. And yet
with the growing commerce of the Island of Cuba—lying
within the gulf of Mexico, and only 130 miles from
Florida, and at no considerable distance from New Or-
leans and the mouths of the Mississippi—it sends to the
American people not more than 25 per cent, of its whole
commerce, and sends the other three-fourths to the ports
of Europe and to Great Britain. And why ? Because
we have alarmed the people and the Government of the
island by threats of descent and annexation. It would
have been better for us to cultivate amicable relations
with them. Look again at the South American States.
What do we see in South America ? A territory ten times
as large as that of the United States. A country more
fertile than any portion of the United States, while we
give $4,500,000,000 annually of accumulated industry,
South America is capable of giving 4, 10, nay even 100
times more of accumulated industry. She has 20,000,000
of population, and 10,000,000 square miles. By reTect-
log treaties and observing amicable relations with that
country we can obtain the whole of that trade, vast as
it is and vast as it may hereafter be, without injuring to
the slightest possible extent anything produced in this
country, and we can give to them in return everything
produced here.
" too, with Central America. So, too, with the
country north. We have tried it with Canada, we
nave tried it with the British possessions, and certainly
no human experiment has ever proved more grand and
successful than the Reciprocity Treaty between the
United States and Canada passed in the year 1852-53.
Now, we propose, if our people of the North should con-
ceive and inaugurate a policy of their own, to substitute
this doctrine of reciprocal treaties, with the nations of
the Western World at least, in place of that doctrine of
theft of territory which has made the name of America
and of American Government a scandal throughout the
nations of the earth. We might extend the same system
of teetprocity to Japan and the other nations of the
Eastern hemisphere, whenever they shall choose to
change their national policy. We might thus recuperate
and reviviFy the honour onee attendant on the American
flag and on the American Government. Shall Ibe
allowed for a few moments to look at the question o
American commerce as connected with the Government ?
In forming the constitution of the United States it was
the desire of the American people to strengthen and
enlarge the commerce of the States. And it was the ,
refusal of such cities as the city of New York to treat
with us under the articles of confederacy that justified
and enabled men in the convention of 1787 to form the
constitution which is now recognised throughout the
world as the most perfect institution of government that
the mind of man ever conceived or formed."
As the canvass progresses people get warmer and
more abusive, but beyond that I do not see much
change. All wait now for the decisive results in
October. Each party profess confidence, but on
the whole I think the Republicans have the better
in the matter of enthusiasm, while the Democrats
beat them in organisation. The town presents a
gay appearance. Banners are streaming from the
political club-rooms in every section, and scarcely
a street of any size that has not one or more huge
pieces of canvass, nearly as large as the mainsail of
an Indiaman, stretched across, decorated with the
names of the candidates, inscribed in parti-colourad
letters, amid flourishes and mottoes, American
eagles, bucks'-heads, portraits of Fremont in a
flannel shirt and top-boots, standing on a peak of
the Rocky Mountains, grasping the stars and stripes
in one baud and the Declaration of Independence in
the other. One of the Democratic ward clubs puts
forth a buck drawing a cannon. The draymen in
the street all show the colours, putting a little flag
in the head of their horses inscribed with the names
of their favourites. Fillmore and Donelsou seem to
stand highest with these stanch Americans ; and
everybody, so far as I can see, is confident of suc-
cess, so that we have quite a political millennium,
in spite of Brooks, Keit, and other tire-eaters.
There is not much general news of interest. Of
course there is the usual burning of a steamer—this
time one of the Collingwood line upon the lakes.
The Niagara, bound from Chicago to Coiling, wood,
took fire when near Shcboyagan, and before any
assistance could be rendered had burned to the

water's edge, with the loss of nearly or quite a hun-
dred lives. We have not yet received the full de-
tails, but there is too much reason to believe, from
past experience, that everybody will b© exonerated
from blame. This is the third steamer that has

been destroyed by fire upon the lakes this season,
to say nothing of railway accidents of every possible
variety, and of an explosion upon one of the New
York Sound steamers. The recklessness with

which human life is perilled is only equalled by the
indifference manifested at its destruction.

Mr. Geo►ge Steers, the builder of the yacht
America, was thrown from his waggon on Long
Island the day before yesterday, and has since died
of the injuries. He was engaged at the time of his
death iu superintending the completion of the new
Collin's steamer Adriatic and the new screw man-.

of-war Niagara, both vessels of nearly 5,000 tons
burden.

MANCHESTER GOING TO LIVERPOOL—In an article
thus headed, the Liverpool Courier of Wednesday states
that a number of Manchester manufacturers have enter. d
into negotiations for the purchase of land adjoining Tran-
mere Ferry, and near the Cheshire Junction Railway,
with the view of erecting mills.
CUSTOM-ROUSE ROBBERY.—HARTLEPOOL, Wednesday,
October B.—During last night a robbery was effected at
the Custom-house here under circumstances which have
giVen rise to suspicion, but as yet no clue has been ob-
tained as to the perpetrators. It appears that the pre-
mises were securely fastened, as usual, in the evening
when the officers left. This morning it was discovered
that an entrance had been effected by removing the
shutters of the tide-surveyor's office (which is situated
on the ground floor), and removing the inside fastening
of the window by breaking a pane of glass. Having
gained au entrance here, the whole range of the pre-
mises was open to the thieves, after forcing the slight
lock with which this office door was fastened. The
thieves found in this room a small bag full of implements
including a small crowbar, used by the officers in rum
maging vessels. These they made use of in their for
thtr operations. The thieves visited in succession the
several offices in the building. From the searcher's
room the sum of 7p. 6d. was taken ; from a drawer in
the long room, 9s. 3d. ; from the locker's room, a spirit
measure arid a book of calculations. In the collector's
room, which was the last place visited, a small drawer
was forced open and a cashbox, containing 431. in notes
and gold, was removed, the box being left behind.
The whole of the collector's papers were strewn
about the floor, and the implements used by the
thieves left there also, together with an old chisel
and an iron punch, such as ate Used by ship car-
penters. The "Queen's chest," an iron box which re•
mains in ,the collector's room, and which contained
it
a
sum of money, was not attempted apparently, though
was standing in a conspicuous position. It is evidentby
beyond a doubt, that the robbery has been committed
some persons intimately acquainted with the internal
arrangements of the place ; for, with one exception,
every drawer of which the lock was forced, was the
usual receptacle for money kept in the charge do the
different officers.