The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-29 00:00:00

BUCHANAN, unfortunately, be the successful can- auspicious event. Nothing but good can come of
didate—should the slave-owners triumph—there it, and it is the more to be rejoiced at because the
must necessarily benot merel. intestine commotion, difficulties which have been overcome were very
but foreign war will be added. The piratical filibus- great ; and the English shareholders, who con-
ters will receive Government support, and a sys- stitute the great majority, have now, after a long
tern of aggression will be inaugurated that must t
be steadfastly resisted. The Missouri compromise
will be repudiated by the executive, and new
Slave States introduced in the Union. The stars
will pale before the malign influence and " the
stripes " speedily pass into the ascendant. The
annexation of Cuba will be one of the first acts
of the leader at the Ostend Conference ; and it
requires no extraordinary amount of prescience to
foresee the consequences of such a proceeding.
Every European Power is, therefore, deeply
interested in the defeat of the Planters' nominee,
of the man who could occasion strife and commo-
tion, not only in the United States, but through-
out the civilised world. Should BUCHANAN be
chosen the Union cannot possibly be maintained.
although the Freesoilers hive hitherto been sin-
gularly apathetic, and "respectable parties " have
kept themselves aloof from the turmoil of politics,
the " policy of abstention " is no longer practica-
ble. There must be a decisive declaration for or
tgainst Slavery. Neutrality is simply impossible
—and if the mischievous energy of the
planters should triumph for a time, the
Northerns must be contented to sink into
political cyphers—to a condition but little beyond
that of the " coloured population," who have so
long been degraded to a position scarcely befitting
the lowest link in the human scale.
Mr. PRESTON S. BROOKS and his admirers have
threatened the dissolution of the Union should
FREMONT obtain a majority. Let it be tried !
They will themselves be the sufferers. Without
the Northerns they could not hold their ground
for a single week ; and yet they have the audacity
to threaten those who are really masters of the
position—the arbiters of their fate. We have
had many painful examples of oligarchies, but there
never have been any so mischievous as that of the
slaveowners in the United States. Up to this
time they have had everything their own way.
They have maintained a monopoly of every
official station, eves to a petty postmastership or
letter carrier's position. None but the advocates
)f the fortunate "platform" could aspire. The
most extensive system of bribery and corruption
ever known in any country was introduced. The
mere vulgar passage of the " almighty dollar "
formed but an insignificant portion of the influ-
ences in operation ; and even the most experienced
electioneering agent might advantageously have
taken a leaf out of the planters' book.
The 4th of November will now decide the fate
of the United States. For their own sake, and
for the interests of humanity, we trust that FRE-
sforr may be chosen. If not, we shall speedily
witness " the beginning of the end." The border
ruffians will not be content to remain in statu
quo. New aggressions will be attempted.
Slavery will no longer be restricted to the coloured
population. It will be extended to white emi-
grants, who, being involved in difficulties, are
compelled to go in debt to those who may desire
to obtain control over the persons of themselves
and the females of their families. Even their
Northern neighbours may not be exempted from
a lot which, considering their apathy and indif-
ference, cannot be considered altogether un
merited.

period of anxiety and doubt, a promising future
before them. In a political point of view
we recognise also a source of congratulation.
The prominent part taken by our fellow-
countrymen, and the capital they have invested
in the undertaking, irrespective of the legi-
timate results of railway communication, in
which we are not the last to participate, can
hardly fail to have a beneficial effect. As Mr.
HOLLAND remarked at the grand banquet at
Rotterdam, "in thus binding together the three
great countries of Germany, Holland, and Eng-
land by another chain, not an iron but'a golden
one, they (the shareholders) are further cement-
ing the relations of England with countries, one
of which has already claims upon her feelings
arising from domestic ties of an endearing kind,
and the other by historical sympathies and asso-
ciations." Waving remark on the first head, the
last we recognise as indisputable. In the history
of Holland we have the history of a people who,
like ourselves, have fought the good fight of
freedom, both in the civil and religious field. In
Holland the English patriots of the seventeenth
century found refuge from tyranny at home—a
refuge which might not have existed but for the
protection of the youthful republic accorded by
the English ELIZABETH. The history of Prussia
is of an inferior renown. The ardent love of
liberty which has signalised Holland finds no
record there. Still the aspirations of freemen
have not been wasting, and religious freedom
has, in a large measure, been secured.
Prussia and England have had no interne-
cine wars, and have fought side by side on more
than one bloody field. At the present time a
King unworthy of her sways her destinies ; and
Holland, unfortunately, is in the toils of a Rus-
sian connection. Let us, however, indulge the
hope that a bright future is in store for both
countries, and that a more stable and noble
alliance than dynasties can insure may hereafter
be established between three countries having so
much in common, and neither wholly unworthy
of cordial relations. It will be well for freedom
and civilisation if this hope be realised.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

The shareholders in the Duteh and Rhenish
Junction who so far despaired of its accomplish-
ment as not merely to be willing to dispose of
their shares at any discount, but to remunerate
any one for taking them as a free gift, knew
' little of the Dutch character. KNIOKEB.NOCKER.,
it', 1,1. vßritablv 'History of New York," records
how his great grandfather, a substantial citizen
)f Rotterdam, undertook to build a new church
for the use of his fellow-citizens, and how he set
' about furnishing the architectural design. In the
irst place he ordered a boxful of pipes and a cask
of Virginia, and, these being supplied, smoked
away for three months. His next step,. on re-
covering his perpendicular position, was to make
a tour of inspection of the churches in the neigh-
bourhood and round about in the land which had
the honour to give him birth. This being com-
pleted he returned home after a three months'
absence. Being a Dutchman of good bottom he
was not the man to do things in a hurry. Three
months more were suffered to elapse, when his
admiring fellow-citizens were called together, and
the corner stone of the most wonderful church in
the world was laid. The wits of the ingenious
Dutchman, though apparently dormant, had not
been idle, as the sequel abundantly demonstrates.
The thought with which he had laboured was of
uncommon magnitude. So great that the enter-
prise or resources of his fellow-citizens proved
unequal to it. Only a wing of the church
was ever built, but as that served the purpose,
ove don't see there was much reason to couiplain.
When oue gets all one wants, how should one
repine at not getting more ? See the value of
historical reading ; for want of it the shareholders
to whom we have referred had well nigh lost, and
paid for losing, a good thing.
The Dutch and Rhenish Junction scheme was
neither dead nor asleep, as will be seen in a re-
port which appears in another part of our pre-
sent impression. It not only was conceived, but,
despite all apparent delay, was in due course of
development, and we are happy to record
is now enrolled in history as an accomplished
fact. The Dutch officials have not been
the idle drones impatient shareholders counted
them. They have done their duty, as Dutch-
men should, after the approved Dutch fashion.
Whether the design of the original planner is
carried out no further than in the case of the
ancestral KNICIERSOCKER or not we are unable
to say ; but we are quite sure the parallel will
fail in the last particular. If a wing—the term
is hardly applicable to a j unction—or but a sec-
tion of the scheme be complete, the whole will
assuredly be carried out. Railways make rail-
ways. What serves now will be inadequate to
the necessities of future times. As years roll on
a vastly increased population, an expanded and
fast expanding commerce, new wants, an in-
creased desire for social intercourse, and for
fastening the bonds of affection, too often broken
by distance, will insure the accomplishment of
the entire design, even if it includes a perfect
network of railway communication.
We sympathise, therefore, as much as possible
with the joy of our Dutch Rhenish friends on
the completion of the line. Had we been Ger-
mans or Dutchmen our sympathy might have
been clogged by regret at our inability to be
present at the remarkable festivities with which
the happy event has been celebrated at Rotter-
dam, Amsterdam, and Cologne. Being English-
men the case is different, and our sympathies are
rather increased than diminished by the report
we have received of lithe abounding good cheer—
the music and the dancing, and the illuminations,
of our phlegmatic friends. To us it is sufficient
to be assured that they understand the value of
railway intercommunication ; and of this the
e
character of the festivities divestseartily u;seojofice all doubt.
at
the
In sober seriousness we heartily

dinner.