The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING-1 MARCH 12, 1854.

Forth. Monday, the 3(1 instant, arrives, how-
ever, in due course, and the joke-master is peni-
tent, even to the depth of a maudlin and lugu-
brious panegyric. Speaking of General
SIMPSON—the jeerer at hi 3 " obtuseness "
of intellect on Friday night, declares in
so many words on Monday evening, " I
have not the honour of his (General SlMP-
son's) acquaintance, but I never heard a syllable
to his disadvantage And so, too, with regard
to Colonel GORDON—another of the many indivi-
duals fleered at, flouted, scouted, and ridiculed
with so much licence of speech on the 29th ult.
by the honourable and gallant member for West-
minster—and a few hours afterwards, on the
3d instant, in the same place and before the same
audience, spoken of in terms of so much graceful and
delicate consideration. As a crowning illustration
of which monstrous, and wholesale, and most
brazen-faced inconsistency— there is the little
episode in each of these same notable harangues,
where Sir DE LACY Evears ventures to refer, now
directly and now indirectly, to H.R.H. the Duke
of CAMBRIDGE ! On Friday he is particularly sar-
castic at what he designates Col. GORDON'S " judi-
cious and courtier-like exception" in favour of his
Royal Highness. While on the Monday follow-
ing, he himself, not Colonel the Hon. ALEXANDER
GORDON, but General Sir DE LACY EVENS, is so
judiciously and even glaringly courtier-like in
his allusions to his Royal Highness, that he re-
minds us of nothing else more strongly than—
POLONIUS gazing open-mouthed into cloudland,
and OSRIC with his feathered cap fluttering off
and on, according to the fancied changes of the '
atmosphere. " Sir, it was my lot during the
campaign in the East to be generally either sup-
ported by, or co-operating with, his Royal High-
ness, and it is impossible for any man to be treated
with greater kindness and condescension than I,
&c., &c. Sir—Feeling for his Royal Highness so
deep a respect, and, if I may be allowed to say
so, so sincere a regard, it would afflict me much
if anything, &c., &c." Paugh ! and this was
General EVANS who, three nights before, had
scornfully alluded, with a curling lip and a flash-
ing eye, to the "judicious and courtier-like ex-
ception" made by Col. GORDON in favour of his
Royal Highness ! This—the hero of the sth of
November, who had hurried from his sick bed,
startled like the war-horse at the sound of the
trumpet, when the Russian guns were lumbering
up through the fog among the ruins of In-
kerman, and the Russian infantry were crushing
down in thousands and tens of thousands upon
the pass of our Crimean Thermopylae ! It is
difficult, in truth, to recognise the erect and
chivalric front of the brave old soldier in the
supple and obsequious advances of this exceed-
ingly " judicious and courtier-like" apologist who
remembers so very gratefully the ,"condescensioa"
of his Royal Highness. Again, we say, it is scarcely
possible to recognise in this unaccustomed attitude
of subserviency—the front, the form, the features,
, the identity, the individuality of the honourable,
and gallant, and ultra-liberal representative of the
citizens of Westminster. We close with what we
commenced—that it is most certainly somewhat
difficult to conjecture what on earth it may be
that Sir DE LACY EVANS has latterly been driv-
ing at!

Petersburg to Pawlo,:k, whtrt there is a very cel.-.l)raed
public dancing hall. The armaments in the north and.
west are going nil with great activity. Ti :e fleet at
Cronstadt ilaß just been considerably.inereased, and the
levies a eailora, recently made, have tilled up all the
blanks made by the war at Sebastopol, All the coast of
Finland is covered with troops, and most of the reserves
of the guard have been placed in garrison there. Gen.
Barassoff, one of the aides-de-camp to the Eeipror, has,
in company with an inspector-general of the artillery
and one of the engineers, visited all the fortresses, and
has gone as far as Helsingfors. The report made to the
Emperor is very favourable, and it mentions among
other points the good feelings of the inhabitants. The
laevaUde Busse of to-day completes the nomination of
the officers of the militia, which now represent a force
of 350,000 men. They are armed with muskets,
hatchets, and pikes."

Whatever ground for reasonable complaint may
have been furnished the United States by British
agents, it will hardly admit of question by this
time that ample amends have been offered, and
were offered promptly and without reluctance, by
the British Government on a complaint being pre-
ferred. No suggestion of falso pride appears for
a moment to have been listened to. The instant
it was discovered that an error had been com-
mitted an apology was tendered, which ought to
have been accepted frankly and deemed perfectly
satisfactory. It is to be regretted this was not
the case. The' American Government wore in
need of political capital ; and spying, as they
thought, an eligible opportunity to secure it, in-
sisted on such amends being made as the circum-
stances of the case did not authorise, and no
British Minister could submit to offer. The re-
sult, as intended, was, the state of peaco happily
existing between the two countries was seriously
endangered, and the prospect of war between them
became imminent.

Fortunately the consent of Russia to treat for
peace intervened, and the more sober and en-
lightened of the American people, for awhile
overcome by the unscrupulous clamours of the
filibustering genus, were enabled to make head.
Instead of having to contend with a country,
whose materiel and whose energies were m3re or
less largely taxed in carrying on hostilities against
a rival European power, it became palpable to
the most short-sighted that, in case of war, the
odds would be decidedly against America, and she
would have to confront an unembarrassed foe,
whose mighty fleets would sweep her navy from
Vie seas, and ravage with impunity her coasts.
A. modification of tone was speedily noticeable,
and at the present time there is every reason to
believe the matter in question, with others in
dispute, will before long be .arranged to the satis-
faction of the wisest and best of the population of
both countries.

A more gratifying prospect it would be diffi-
cult to conceive. As Mr. Buchanan, the Ameri-
can Minister, who may fairly be taken to repre-
sent the intelligence and worth of the United
States, remarked last night at the Mansion Rouse,
the occurrence of hostilities between this country
and the United States would be " a dreadful
misfortune to the human race," " an unfortunate
blow to the cause of civilisation and human
liberty," and a source of unqualified delight to
" the despots of the earth." The value of a
possession may to some extent be appreciated by
the results of its loss, and that such would be the
results of a war between the two countries is
beyond dispute. England and America are the
two greatest pioneers of civilisation, and it is of
the last moment to its spread that both
should pursue their course without interruption.
To both also is committed the sacred cause of
liberty, and in the track of each are to be found
modifications of those great Anglo-Saxon institu-
Hotta by which it is best promoted and established.
The grandest portion of our history and of our
literatur© is theirs also, and bound together as we
are by the ties of a common origin nothing more
disastrous than hostilities between us can well be
imigined. The struggle would, as Mr. BUCHANAN
justly remarks, be " fratricidal." No expression
of sober satisfaction can therefore be too strong at
the prospect presented of " the cloud now hover-
ing over us being speedily dissipated, and the
sunshine of peace and friendship becoming more
bright between the two countries, until all dis-
sensions pass away."

The Lady Charlotte Montgomery gave birth to a
daughter on Saturday last, at Grey Abbey. Her lady-
ship and the infant are progressing favourably.
DIE NEW LOAN.—The next instalment (25 per cent.)
on the New Loan falls due on Thursday, the 13th.
On .tbe last occasion many of the holders neglected it
until the following day, and were required to pay a fine
at the Bank.

The accounts from the continent indicate a continu-
ance of the speculative mania in almost all the principal
cities, new banks being constantly introduced. The
rates of exchange remain favourable for this coftntry,
aud some further mall parcels of gold have arriyed.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, TUESDAY MORNING.

THE BOROUGH OF SLIGO.

The following notable passages are extracted
from the hustings address of the defeated candidate,
Mr. Patrick Somers :

" My party—the party to which I have given an
uniform support for the last 19 years—are now in
office. My fi iends, lam proud—perhaps it is
vanity in me to say se, but I am'proud to acknow-
ledge that I am honoured with the friendship of
the greatest of living statesmen—the greatest man
in Europe—Lord Palmerston. Ho is my bosom
friend. I acknowledge that I am here as his candi-
date, I may say his nominee. I admit ; I will not
disguise the fact ; I will admit it. I htd a claim
upon his Government for my honourable support
for 16 long years. I say I can be of more use to
this town than the ' man who is too consistent a
Conservative to ask a favour from that Govern-
ment. I can be of more service individually and
collectively to the people of Sligo than Mr. Wynne
can possibly be in his present position. Mr. Wynne
could not ask a favour of the present Government.
I know his high honour. I know he would not
sacrifice principle to ask a favour. lamin a diffe-
rent position. - I am placed in the position, not to
ask, but to command favours from the Govern-
ment."
What follows is still more remarkable. Mr.
Somers is alluding to the two petitions presented
against the return of the late John Sadleir, and
here is the way one of them was attempted to be
settled:—

" Mr. Henry Lyons, Mr. John Lyons, and Dr.
Wood were base enough to accuse me of selling that
petition. They accused the humble individual who
repudiated the offer of 10,0001.—a sum, I tell you
frankly, -that would have been important to me. I
repudiated the notion. I refused the offer ten
times over. I was asked to write down what I
would have, and I would have nothing. (Loud
cheers.) Mr. Townley's agent, Mr. Coppock, said
to me ' Write what sum you will have.' I did
write, and said I will have the seat, the whole
seat, and nothing but the seat.' (Cheers.) Here
I am maligned, because I was fool enough—many
of my friends said to me I was a fool—to refuse an
offer of 10,0001. to sell you. (Continued cheering.)"