The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-23 00:00:00

SENATOR. FESSENDEN.

The late Senator Fessenden, whose death, following
closely upon that of General Rawlins, has excited universal
regret throughout the United States, was 63 years old.
He was originally a lawyer, and for many years he steadily
refused to exchange his professsion for the equally litigious
and less profitable one of politics. He was chosen senator
in 1854, his election forming an epoch in the history of the
Republican party in Maine, in whose State Legislature
he had sat for some time previously. His first speech
was on the Nebraska Bill, and he was a staunch
opponent of Mr. Buchanan's Kansas policy. During the
civil war he steadily upheld the Union, and in 1864 was
appointed Secretary to the Treasury on Mr. Chase's resig-
nation. At the time of his appointment the paper dollar
was worth only 34 cent‘. As a financier he was eminently
cm,eessful. and when vin..9 .7.1). 1005, +la
premium on gold was reduced about one half. Senatoi
Fessenden, towards the close of his career, offended the
Republicans by voting for the acquittal of President
Johnson, but he was respected by all parties as an & 1e and
honest statesman.

TILE WAR IN SOUTH AMERICA.

The latest accounts from the seat of war in South Am.
rica announced so decisive a victory on the part of the
Allies, that the immediate conclusion a. the war was ex-
pected. The last strongholds of Lopez at Pei ibibuy and
Ascurra have been forced; 1,500 of their Paraguayan de-
fenders have been put hors de combat, and Lopez himself is
said to have fled. The Brazilian account states that he
took flight in the direction of Caraguatay, and ordered
his army to evacuate Ascurra, and follow him. The Argen-
tines, who should have intercepted him, did not arrive in
time-, but the Count d'Eu, perceiving the enemy's move-
ments, hurried forward and met the troops eight miles
from Caraguatay, obtaining a second victory. A Brazilian
column was despatched in pursuit of the dictator.
The general belief is that this defeat must be the death
blow of Lopez ; but the Patrie, while furnishing a full
narrative of the allied successes, receives the news with
considerable doubt. It reminds its readers that this is by
no means the first time during the five years' war that the
Brazilians have announced a final victory. Lopez has
escaped, and the Patrie affirms that ho has already pre-
pared another fortress and another camp at San Jose, in
the recesses of the Cordilleras. The Switzerland of
America is so favourable to this kind of defensive
warfare that the allies may yet have to spend years in pur-
suing their antagonist from mountain to mountain. The
Times, in surveying the history of the war, thinks that
whatever his subsequent errors may be, Lopez was at the
outset more sinned against than sinning. When ho came
into power, seven years ago, he found a State in a flourishing
condition, which his father had reconciled to all his enemies,
and which he had restored to full independence and freely
opened to the trade of the world. The occupation of Urn •
guay by the Brazilians threatened the obstruction of the only
waterway which connected the State of Paraguay, hemmed
in as it is by its neighbours, with the outer world. The pro-
test of Lopez against this led to hostilities with Brazil
which were soon aggravated by a dispute with his natural
ally, the Argentine Republic. The Paraguayans fought
against desperate odds, having only a population of
1,300,000 against 10,000,000 Brazilians, 1,100,000 Argentines,
and 241,000 'Uruguayans. Their chief resources were their
unhesitating obedience to their stern Dictator and the
obstacles to an invading army offered by the natural
features of the country.

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
NEW Yong, Sept. 4.

Commodore Vanderbilt has not only gone to
Canada and " been and got married" at the
ripe age of 76, but he has had a statue erected of
himself on the top of the Hudson River Railroad
depot at St. John's Park. It is an allegorical bas-
relief, a colossal bronze, 31 feet in height, weighs
100,0001b5.. and cost over half a million dollars.
The funds were privately subscribed by New York
gentlemen over a year ago. The whole upper arch
of the depot is covered with figures and emblems
representing the railroad and the commercial life of
Cornelius Vanderbilt. Some describe it as "hide-
ous," others as "so colossal in its proportions, so
magnificent in its execution, and so admirable in its
design as to challenge the wonder and the admira-
tion
_of the world ;" but your correspondent has
not a word to say on the subject, as be contem-
plates with too much awe the pedestal on which
stands the original—s6o,ooo,ooo ! Has not a man
like that the right to marry when and who he likes ?
to erect colossal statues to his honour, and gene-
rally to " do what he—pleases 2" In former days
statues were set up in memory of the individual who
had benefited the nation only after he had ceased to
exist. Soon it may be that any drunken scamp can
knock his brains out against his own statue. In
the case of Mr. Peabody, wbo is a singular instance
of giving away a fortune while yet alive, an excep-
tion might be made ; and I hear the Pope is about
to imitate the citizens of London in erecting a statue
to the philanthropist, who during his late visit to
Rome left with his Holiness £20,000 for purposes
of charity. The Caledonian Club has held its an-
nual festival at Jones Wood ; the members, many
from Canada, marching down Broadway in full
Highland costume, with music, attracted great at-
tention, and drew a large concourse to witness the
games. I may say that New York is really filling,
the cold weather driving thousands home. The
hot* are Oyerflowing With pefieengerfl WheereWd the

steal nem, and the express companies are trying to
do an. impossible business with the huge Saratoga
trunks. The weather is as cold now as it usually is
In No vernber, and besides filling town it is sending
up 4The price of woollens and flannels, the business
in • foreign goods of the finer descriptions having
st eadily and largely increased. General trade has
in Lproved, and is improving, the city being well filled
tth buyers, both from the South and West ; the
former pretty well supplied with means through the
returns of their heavy cotton crop. The auction
rooms are busy, and will be more so next week.
One of the articles most in demand is coal. An
announcement that work had been resumed at seve-
ra'. of the leading mines, and that all on strike would
sh ortly follow their example, called forth enthusias-
tic! cheers. In Wall-street the arrival of Commo-
da, .e Vanderbilt and other leading operators has
produced a favourable result. The sensation there
was the election of Mr. Alexander Mitchell, of Mil-
waukee and St. Paul and Western Union Railway
Companies, said to be the wealthiest man in Wis-
consin, to be President of the Chicago and North-
Western Railway Company, in place of the late
Henry Keep. Backed by Legrand Lockwood he de-
feated General Baxter, aided by Daniel Drew and
Vanderbilt, and his election is said to foreshadow
an amalgamation of the lines he now controls.
'The rivalry for Western traffic on the three grand
trunk roads continues very active, and will perhaps
end in a railway smash. The Erie and New York
Central run to Chicago in thirty hours, while the
Pennsylvania and Fort Wayne goes in twenty-nine,
and the talk is that the time will soon be reduced to
twenty-four hours, and the charge to $lO. This
will give a speed nearly equal to the mail trains of
England, while our lines, not being built in the
same substantial way, are not adapted for such wear
and tear. I cannot tell you what is going to happen,
but I can guess, as we are used to that sort of thing
here, a grand crash, with a general grinding of
bodies and bones, followed by a shower of hot coals
and a brilliant illumination, the remains being bits
of twisted iron and lumps of charcoal. The late
Cornelius Grinnell was buried on Tuesday, the fune-
ral service at 'Trinity Church being attended by
many merchants and bankers. His entire property,
valued at $70,000, is left in trust for his mother
durin life, and afterwards for his brothers and sis-
ters. 'The case of Sarah E. Brown is still under
investigation, but the husband is likely to prove in-
nocent, although it may be shown that she died
from poison administered by herself. One of two
robbers met his deserts in an attempt at the midnight
plunder on Wednesday of Roberts' store, Furman-
street, Brooklyn. The thieves had a cart outside
and were loading it with cotton,iwhen John 11.
Washington fell down a hatchway and was mor-
tally injured. Thomas W. Eaga'i has been com
mitted in the sum of $5,000 for defrauding the Go-
vernment while a weigher of the New York Custom
House by false pay rolls ; be was a General in the
army during the war. Miss Georgina Appleton was
married at Trinity Chapel on Thursday afternoon
to Captain Hunter, U.S.A. The bride is of a well-
known Maryland family, and she has been conspicu-
ous for her beauty.

WAsiir NGTON, Sept. 3.

Mr. Peabody left White Sulphur Springs last
Monday, much improved in health, and is now at
Philadelphia on his way to Massachusetts. He is
treated with the greatest respect as he moves
slowly on his way home, and was the recipient of a
flattering ovation on his departure, General Lee
accompanying him some distance on his road.
The peculiarity of the attentions bestowed is that
they are national, not party, or from any race,
colour, or section. Nor are they a tribute to mere
wealth, or even to bountiful and ostentatious gifts,
but the response of • the national heart, to what
sympathy tells it, is a man of genuine philanthropic
feelings. lie is now stopping with Mr. Charles
Macalister at Torresdale near Philadelphia, and
will return to his nephew, Mr. George Peabody
Russell, at Salem, Massachusetts. Though his cough
has improved and his appetite is better, still he is
not as well as when he left England. 'The Presi-
dent returned and pet Wocluczday iu interviewg.
On the General's return for a day or two there
was a rush, more especially from Tennessee ; and
as luck would have it, the Senter delegation was
politely ushered into the waiting room occupied by
the Stokes' delegation, but Senter was not present.
The defeated candidate, Stokes, in disgust asked for,
and received, another interview. General Grant re-
commended both to harmonize and finish off there
and then their political and personal difficulties.
Ile informed Governor Senter that he regarded as
Republicans both him and the men who voted for
him, nor would he remove those among their number
who held Federal offices. The President told Mr.
Stokes that the fullest protection would be accorded
to the Republicans, white and black, and expressed
an earnest desire to have the Fifteenth Amendment
ratified. Colonel John B. Brownlow, who spoke
in center's absence, was assured by the President
that he would as soon see Andrew Johnson elected
to the Senate as any other Democrat, laughing at
the idea that it could cause him any annoyance;
but Colonel Brownlow does not think highly of
ex-President Johnson's chance. The whole line of
them, Governor Senter, General Mabray, Colonel
Nelson, and Colonel Brownlow, have left for Ten-
nessee, .but Judge Noah remains in Washington as
agent for the State.

The lion. Anson Burlingame has telegraphed to
the Government on the subject of the false report
received through England and now contradicted
by Mr. J. Ross Browne, that the Chinese Govern-
ment had rejected the treaty he had made with the
United States. Mr. Seward, with whom his official
business was transacted, was aware that it was not
to be ratified or any of his treaties acted on until
his return, and therefore it could not either have
been sanctioned or rejected. Arrangements had also
been made by him with American capitalists to
visit China returning with him; but he took pains
to impress on them that it would be useless sooner
to attempt any business speculations. Mr. Ross
Browne's course has been generally censured, and
is little likely to recommend itself to the present
Administration, but he denies that he ever de-
nounced Mr. Burlingame's policy. The Cabinet are
discussing his successor, Mr. Howard having decli n ed ,
and two names areproininently mentioned. The Mis -
sissippi election is exciting much interest, as Judge
Lewis Dent's connection with the President gives
his action an importance it would not otherwise
possess. Ile either has or will receive the Conser-
vative nomination for Governor, and he has gone
to Mississippi to consult his friends. Of course
there are rumours flying about, that his sister, Mrs.
Grant, takes a very strong stand in his favour,
denouncing Secretary Boutwell to his " master," as
her brother calls Gen. Grant. Stokes, the defeated
Tennesseean, had an interview on Tuesday, during
which he held a large magnifying glass to the Pre-
sidential eye for the examination of Senter's doings.
He denied that he intends to call the Republican
candidates for the Legislature together to take
charge of the State Government, or to complain to
Congress, which has no more control over the State
affairs than it has overMassachusetts,Tonnessee being
reconstructed. What he wanted was to have the
Senter men turned out of Federal offices, and his own
supporters installed. Senter has himself returned to
Washington from New York, and he also has a
magnifying glass, but not so powerful, for the in-
spection of the Stokes' doings. Among those who
had interviews with the President was Governor
Walker, of Virginia, and it is believed the Adminis-
tration has promised to support him ; ho, also, has
left Washington. Among the "interviewers" was
the attorney for the prisoners being tried by Court-
Martial for the murder of Dr. Maxwell, at Bryan,
Texas, who desired to have the execution of any sen-
tence arrived at delayed till after the decision of the
Supreme Court in the Verger case ; which will, of
course, be done, but the applicant was referred to
the Attorney-General. That gentleman is absent ;
but business pursues him home. The War Depart-
ment got his opinion ou Virginian affairs yesterday,
and transmitted it for the information and guid-
ance of General Canby. The Legislature must
submit the Constitution, and their action thereon
to Congress, and, if approved, the Legislature be-
comes that of the State, and the qualification of
members fixed by the Constitution provaiLi. Till

then the Legislature, as a provisional body, cannot
pass laws without its members taking the Test Oath,
as 'Virginia is not yet in all respects a State of the
Union. Thus, after approval by Congress, the
Test Oath is not required from members, as Vir-
ginia then, in all respects, becomes a State of the
Union. The Reconstruction Acts require the rati-
fication of the Fifteenth Amendment before the
State can be represented in Congress, and it will be
ratified by a large majority. I regret to inform
your readers that Secretary Rawlins is not only
ill, but very dangerously ill, so bad that his life
is almost despaired of. After his violent attack last
week he rallied so far as to attend to business,
and even to be pronounced convalescent. It was
only yesterday that Dr. Bliss authorised the state-
ment that he was out of present danger, and with
proper care he was likely to recover. Yet that night
he had a relapse, which rendered him insensible for
hours. Surgeon-General Barnes and other eminent
ph;'sicians consulted with Dr. Bliss, and a telegram
was despatched to the President and his relatives
stating the extremity of his danger, but though he
rallied towards morning there is little hope of his
recovery. An action has been brought by Andrew
Whiteley against S. S. Fisher, Commissioner of
Patents. lie obtained certain orders from Judge
Fisher, directing the commissioner to re-issue certain
patents and to ante-date some others; that through
lost time, employment of counsel, and other causes
he had been a heavy loser, which he must have been
if he is able even plausibly to make up his bill to a
million of dollars. The charges against Supervisor
Young, of Ohio, have ended in his full vindication,
and he has returned to Cincinnati to resume his
duties. On Wednesday the President left for Sara-
toga, where he is to remain a fortnight. Senor
Roberts, the Spanish Minister, called with Secretary
Fish at the Executive Mansion and handed the Pre-
sident his credentials. This being only a continua-
tion of authority under the change of Government
in Spain no formal speeches were made. The brief
conversation partook more of a social than a diplo-
matic character, though I must confess affairs with
Spain are assuming an unpleasant appearance.
There has been some trouble over the alleged inse-
curity of funds in the United States Treasury, which
Treasurer Spinner emphatically denies are, or
ever have been at all, unsafe. It was stated that
a Mr. Sargent had picked one of the Treasury
locks, but this has been found to be untrue. What
he does is to take off the dial and replace it after
putting a piece of sheet lead and an indicator on
the lock. Some one who knows the combination must
unlock and lock it, whereby is left an impression on
the sheet lead whence the calculation is made by
which the lock is unfastened. The Treasury vaults
are, however, secured by four different kinds of
locks, and Mr. Spinner considers that they are ab-
solutely safe. The peaches have been particularly
flUe, and have been brought in in large quantities
lately, but I hear that the fruit sent from Califor-
nia to New York over the Pacific Railroad has been
jolted so as to render the effort " fruitless" to trans-
port grapes at least. The jolting is said to be far
worse on this side of Omaha than on the other. The
proper means will be discovered, and New York, if
not all northern cities, will have all kinds of fruits
and vegetables at all times of the year.

ELECTION NEWS.—The following telegram not
only appeared in tho London morning papers where it
could be excused, but it was also faithfully copied into all
the evening papers : " Mr. Nicholls, Democrat, has been
elected Congressional delegate for the Voyoming terri-
tory." There is no such person as Mr. Nicholls, and no
such Territory as Voyoming. The Democrat elected was
S. F. Nuckolls, and the Territory, we need scarcely say,
is Wyoming. On Monday the elections in Maine re-
turned Mr. Chamberlin governor by a majority of about
6,000. Tho Republican majority last year was 19,000.
The Democrats have succeeded in. returning several
members of the Legislature, w:iich is, however,
largely Republican. The success of the Democrats in
California tends to imperil the Fifteenth Amendment,
which we discuss more fully below. The election was
for the judges of the Supreme Court, county officers, and
members of the legislature. There was little excitement
in the canvass in Vermont, and the light vote actually
ast was fully anticipated. Governor Lucius Fairchild has
been re-nominated by the Republicans of Wisconsin
agnin qt. ecilon.l Robinson, the Democratic candidate. In
New Mexico the canvass between Chavez and Romero for
delegate to Congress waxes wartn. There is a split among
the Republicans of Maryland for the leadership, ono faction
backing Judge Bond and the other Postmaster-General
Creswell. There is a split also in the Democratic camp,
and strangely enough in this Democratic State that split
is on the Fifteenth Amendment, no small portion of the
Democrats of Maryland favouring it. General Canby has
ordered the Virginia Legislature to be assembled on
the sth of October. Mr. Walker will be installed Go-
vernor on the 21st inst. The official nturu of the re-
cent Tennessee election is—Senter, 120,201; Stokes,
54,874 ; a majority for Seater of 65,330 in a total vote
of 175,078. Last year the total vote at the Presidential
election was only 83,068, showing the great interest taken
in the recent election for Governor. The following poli-
tical conventions are to be held during September:

Date of
Convention. State

Politics.

Location.

Sept. I.—Wisconsin. Republican.
Sept. I.—National. Temperance. Chicago.
Sept. B.—Mississippi. Conservative. Jackson.
Sept. B.—Wisconsin. Democratic. Milwaukee.
Sept. 9.—Mintles9ta, Republican. St. Paul.
2 Sept. 21.—Mississippi. Democratic. Jackson.
Sept. 22.—Massa'setts. Republican. Worcester.
Sept. 23.—Minnesota. Democratic. St. Paul.
Sept. 29.—New York. Republican. Syracuse.
The Fifteenth Amendment, which all took for granted was
as good as adopted, is now in danger, and may add perhaps
the most conspicuous of all illustrations which verify the
wisdom of the proverb "not to count your chickens before
they are hatched." The World reckons from the present
signs that it will not bo ratified by the requisite number of
States. It says that had the amendment been submitted
to a direct vote of the people of New York it would have
been defeated by a majority of 50,000, and adds signifi-
cantly, " if we can carry the Legislature this year, the Re-
publican ratification will fall still-born." The meaning is
that though the amendment was passed by the New York
Legislature the vote was never officially certified, and it
cannot be counted till thus received'at Washington. If
the next Legislature be Democratic it never will be, and as
the Sham Democracy, as the Tribune calls the party, are
wonderfully clever in the manufacture of sham votes, the
chances are they will be successful in the Empire State.
What Sentor is going to do, and what he can do, with the
Legislature of Tennessee has become an interesting ques-
tion. He is asked to convene the old Legislature to pass
he amendment but it is by no means certain that he will,
even if there be time. The:newly-elected Representatives
were to meet on the Ist Oct., and it is hinted that Senter
seeks a seat in the United States Senate. 4.fter the as-
sembly of the newly- elected Legislature there will be little
chance of getting the amendment passed, though Seater
professes to think that there is. The World asserts that
Republican zeal in its favour has perceptibly slackened in
view of the large number of negroes who have been found
to vote the Conservative ticket, and should the elections in
Mississippi and Texas show the same result as in Virginia
the party will b 3 content, the World thinks, to let the Fif-
teenth Amendment slide. The Tribune, however, sounds the
bugle-call to action, and shows no intention whatever of
letting it slide. In fifteen States the ratification is complete,
though certificates from them all have not yet been re-
ceived. In two States the ratification is incomplete, and
in three it has been rejected. In Indiana the Democrats
left the House and resigned their seats, so that there
should be no quorum ; but on the second attempt thus to
defeat Legislative action the Republicans passed the
Amendment, and, backed by legal opinion, it has been
counted as a good vote. Taking all the incomplete Legis-
lative votes, as well as those whose certificates of ratifica-
tion have not, and never may be, transmitted, and adding
Texas, Mississippi, and Virginia, which must vote the
Amendment to get into the Union, 22 will be the count,
leaving six to be obtained before the adoption is secured
from Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, lowa, Ken-
tucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio,
Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont, of which
three have already rejected it.