The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-10 00:00:00

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politics, and the-political prospects of the two par--
ties have been' reversed with unusual:rapidity. - The!.
election of an Abolitionist to the Speakershipof the
Representatives, last winter, shoived a portentous
change in the mind of that department of Congress;
and the condition of Kansas sinee, and, latterly the•
countenance given by the South to the assault .on
freedom- of debate in the Senate, have stimulated
the Northern States, which have all the real power
in their own hands; if• they choose to exert it, to
oppOse- a policy of insult and injury to other _na-
tions, for. the sake of getting more easily through
domestic difficulties.. The -Northern Statd appear
at present to intend to elect Colonel Fremont: For
some time it was doubtful whether they would
prefer the new Speaker ,Banks or Fremont; but
their decision on behalf of Fremont appears to 'be
wise, for the obvioug reasons that he has already
manifested his distinctive character, and has the
'qualification of deeds achieved ; that he is a Seuth-
ern bred, whereas-Mr. Banks is from Massachu-
setts and that hiS political convictions are not the
result of local influences, but of extensive travel;
observation, and experience. Mr. Eanlia's charac-
ter is high, and his views thoroughly republican ;
but he is a comparatively unknown man, and may,,
and no doubt will, be content to earn the further
political distinction which may r'
, be in reserve -fo
him. One party has nominated him, but it ik a
small and. clearly ephemeral party, and he will no
doubt decline the nomination, and assist in Colonet:_,
Fremont's election. The new and remarkabli a
fervour 'manifested on this occasion is all t!Wi.
more enjoyed- on the spot for its
.decidedkrip,
betokening a rise in _ public sentiment
stronger courage and greater-
.purity than *for
rainy a long year. No doubt there will be
some disappointment_hereafter to men who are, so
,sanguine as to expect that the, election of an Anti-
Slavery President will 'restore the virtues and the
liberties of the Republic ; but the will and resolu-
tion to try the experiment is a great advance upon
the practice of .electing obscure and: untried men,
for the purpose of shirking hard questions.
Not only is 'the stand taken by the RePubl'can
party in the.Fremontaiomination higher than that
of any other considerable party, and therefore likely
to be more enduring, but there are other reasons for
its good profilist); not quite so gratifying to the pride
of patriotism, but not, on that account to be con-
cealed by the true friends of American libertieg.
President Pierce has so contrived agaftist the
wishes and the commands of the South; as to throw
the inducements of expediency into the scale of right
just when the'balance was trembling before the eyes
of-the North. He has so managed that the avowal
of an intention to restore the African slave trade,
and also of an existing illicit traffic in African
slaves, is made by the South, just when an Eaii-
grant Aid Society is formed at the North for 'peo-
pling Kansas and Nebraska with free labourers,
for the sake of a. new stock and mode of invest-
ment now, and of an extended trade. hereafter.
He has so contrived' as that the discontented
South is drawn into an annual confession of its
weaknessund poverty in a Southern Convention,
where planters condole with each other on
the prosperity of the North in' such a style
as this : " As'tta New York City_ (wti (Note .from
the Bichmond Enquirer), into whose lap the slave
States have poured the profits of their immense
trade without stint for half a century ; whom they
have trusted as' their factor and steward, and al-
lowed to fleece them to satiety ; whom they have
enriched by their unstinted patronage, and made .
to grow great from the produce of their lands; and
from the sweat of their brows ; it is the.old story
of Jeshurun waxing fat and kicking • forsaking the
benefactor that made him, and lightly esteeming
the rock of his salvation."' President Pierce has
so contrived-as that the conflict shall take place in
Kansas, and at the expense of the proteges of the
Emigrant Aid Society ; and thus ho himself has in-
stituted such a balance in the interests of Northern
citizens as . effectually separates them from himself
and from the South, whom he is provoking more
every day. President Pierce has so managed mat-
ters as to throw the whole force of these citizens,
at the most critical moment; into the Republican
ranks ; and his soldiers, wearing United States
belts and badges, armed from the federal arsenal,
and authenticated by GoVernor Shannon's procla-
mation, are burning the farmsteads and harrying
the stock of the emigrants, and trying to starve
out the protegee of the Northern merchants. Cer-
tain horrors of outrage which 'have driven the
women across the frontier, wherever they can find
refuge, have determiced the attitude of 'the Free-
State Settlers. They have left their fields and their
houses to ravage and destruction, and have
retired with their arms to the southern portion of
the territory, hoping to maintain themselves by the
wild game and fish till assistance can reach them
from their patrons in theuld States. The-United
States troops, Border Ruffians, and " mean-white"
marauders, aro cooping them up, hoping that the
fish. and game will not suffice, and at the same time
'threatening with their vengeance the forces-=now
amounting to a considerable army—expected by
way of lowa and Nebraska. It is President Pierce
who has brought matters to this issue, which is sure
to end ill for him, however it may turn out for
true reputtlicaniam, its rights and duties.
Meantime, Pierce's pearrst countrymen and
dearest foes are reaolving to have Fremont in hik
Colonel 'Fremont is a Carolinian by birth
and education, and married to a Southern lady ;
and yet he is, and has long been, a " fieesOiler,"
as his advocacy of freed-soil doctrine in the case of
California showed. He was first known as a man
of science (a mathematician and surveyor). His
first public achievements were his survey of the
Mississippi. Valley, -and the maps he made for the
sgceinenertaifile ggoevoegrnrampebnicta. l
eNxpexlotrehre,
whole Pacific territory of the United States was
obtained. -He Is recognised as the most "ad-
venturous of living travellers, and his having
survived the hardships of the wilderness and the
perils of Indian travel testifies to his physical and
moral strength. His remarkable • power over the
wildest Indians seems to indicate his fitness for
rule ; and his emerging with all clearness from a
cloud of disgrace inflicted on him by rival and fac-
tious commanders is regarded in America as a good
certificate of character. He is a known man, a
respected man, and a man likely to be anything
rather. than a tool : and if any fear of warfare
should arise from his being a high-spirited soldier
in the :vigour of his years (he is forty-three) it may
be remembered that military rulers are found in
practice less rash in going to war than civilians.
So we English are wont to say in regard to our
Indian empire. If the Americans are, once more,
to be governed by a man of eminence, it must be
by a soldier or sailer ;- for if they had-any states-
man of eminence, political par tieut_ould not permit
a successful choice. This feeling _considered, it
seems that, as far as can yet be 'known,' better
choice could hardly be made than of Colonel John
Charles Fremont.

(From the Morning Herald of this day.)
The Saturday's half-holiday -movement is der'
cidedly progressing. Yesterday evening a convey 7
sazione was held at the National Club, and was
very numerously attended, the subject of discus:
sion being the best means of providing recreation
for the " labouring classes." To-day, Lord titan
ley; and this evening Lord R. Grosvenor, will
preside at public meetings to be held for the pur-
pose of promoting the adoption of a half-holiday
on Saturday. This is as it should be.
In a nation so devoted to industry as the
English, and where the progress of arts and menu} :I
factures exhibits an ever-onward accelerated ca--,
reer, it becomes a subject of the utmost interest
and importance to inquire how legitimate relaxa-
tion may. be most effectually secured to the
labouring classes. It is obvious the physical and
moral necessities of the labourer require a certain
amount of relaxation.
How shall we determine its quality so as best to
suit the exigencies of the case ?—how mete its
quantity so as effectually to reconcile the well-
being of the labourer with the fair demands of the
employer ? These are grave questions, but ques-
tions which press.more imperiously for solution
year by year our' great commercial and manufac-
turing cities make rapid inroads on the green fields
of the circumjacent country.
We freely confess we regard with infinite satis-
faction a general revival of manly athletic games.
We feel some'of the exulting freshness and joyous-
ness of youth when we recall our own feats at
football. The playground rises in vivid perspec-
tive, we see again the eager, happy faces of noble
and dashing fellows with whom we struggled in
warm but generous rivalry ; how we loved the
more sedate and less-impassioned cricket. But
why recite the thousand and one games with which
joyous youth developes and braces its inherent
strength for the subsequent struggles of life
All have joined them—all, hav9, loved them ;all,
all recall with fond regret, that time when, intox4
cated with bounding joy and exuberant spirits,
we revelled in the manly sports of youth. Could
those games be revived so as to be joined in by the
great bulk and body of the people ? could they be
secured to the people of large cities ? We think

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