The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY. EVENING, NOVEMBER 19, 1856.

ing, and on the other the wisest and best, of the
community—a struggle between light and dark-
ness, between liberty and slavery, between pro-
gress and retrogression in morals and in politics—
a struggle whose issue in the very nature of things
can be but temporary, and must lead to a pro-
longation of hostilities, in which the vanquished

will assuredly be the victors, and the victory
glorious and irreversible, even if circumscribed by

the secession of the Slave States.

The prospect may be too remote to influence
,he policy of many years to come ; but it must

not be forgotten that in the recent struggle ele-
ments have come into play previously dormant—
that while the advocates of slavery and piracy

have merely closed their ranks, the friends of
liberty and respect for international law have
enlisted on their side new and powerful
recruits. The sleeping respectability, so to

speak, of the Union, and the dreamy

students have issued from their retreats, if
not in imposing numbers, still in threat-
ening array. The brute carcass may weary, and
force be scattered, but the night of honesty and
the sovereignty of mind enlisted in a great cause
against superable odds never wearies, never sleeps,

and never is ultimately beaten. The brave men
and women of America, whose exertions in a holy
cause deserve the admiration of Europe, have no
cause for despondency. As surely as the sun rose
on the morrow following their defeat, so surely,
if they do not belie all reasonable promise, the
victory, and possibly sooner than is anticipated,
will be theirs. They have but to struggle on,
and the rays of the morning light will hail their
per severance from the mountain tops.
To descend, however, to a lower level, and deal
with matters of more immediate, if not universal,
concern--•det us at once say there is nothing for
us but to accept the choice of the Southerners as
the choice of the entire American people. We
do so without malice, if without any very plea-

curable anticipations for the future. Fear is
beneath the dignity and greatness of this coun-
try, and cannot be entertained preparation
is what is called for, and we trust such prepara-
tion will be made. Though the prospect be
gloomy it is not positively dark. In the Presi-
dent Elect, if we have a politician whose antece-
dents are calculated to excite a degree of appre-
hension, we have also a man of sagacity acquainted
with affairs, and by no means ignorant of the
spirit and resources of this country. He has
lived among us, and, if aware of our weakness, is
also aware of our strength. Ho knows our en-
gagements, and has but recently had the strongest
possible proof that the people as well as the
Minister are earnest and capable to fulfil them.
Knowing this, his cards may be difficult to play ;
but with Great Britain armed against the worst,
he may be disposed to find in such a spectacle one
of many colourable reasons for backing out of the
aggressive policy of the democratic platform to
which he is pledged. The probable selection of
Judge DOUGLAS as his principal adviser may be
an ugly feature of his presidency, that gentleman
being the repealer of the Missouri compromise,
and having shown himself the ablest and most
unscrupulous advocate of the extension of slavery.
But there will be time and opportunity for both
to turn round, and unscrupulosity is no pledge for
consistency. If a favourable occasion for the
seizure of Cuba, or for any other filibustering
exploit, arises, no doubt the President and his
Cabinet will be forward to embrace it. The just,
though iniquitous, expectations of the South will
not be disappointed without sufficient reason.
The fate of Cuba may, neverthless, be other than
the Southerners anticipate. They have no super-
abundant wealth—the North cannot be expected
to put forth its strength in aid of their policy
(its attitude will, in all probability, be menacing),
they have a dangerous slave population, and war
may even to them be made to appear too dangerous
a game to play at.
On the attitude of this country, backed by the
resources of her allies, may be said to depend the
foreign policy of the new President. He cannot
be anxious to earn the unenviable reputation of
a filibuster ; he cannot be expected to precipitate
events which must infallibly—if we do our duty
—.insult in throwing the States fifty years
back, or bringing about an immediate and final
separation of the North and South. He is a
disciple of the expedient, and we must do our
best to insure the expedient being on the side of
right. Giving him all reasonable credit for a
desire to serve his country in an enlightened
manner—it must not be forgotten that the South
is the victor in a life and death struggle, and that
lytis mainly by annexation its political predominance
can be perpetuated. To its promptings, eager and
insatiable let us oppose the expression of a firm
resolutiond a state of naval efficiency in palp-
able accordance with it. 13y doing so we may
prevent war, save the South from the commission
of grave crimes, rescue the President from a
serious dilemma, and lend a moral support to the
North of which it will not be slow to avail itself.
At all events such preparation is an incumbent
duty ; and should the worst anticipations be rea-
lised, and the newly-elected President's career be
marked by piracy and aggression, we shall retire
from the conflict, hurt it may be, but neither
vanquished nor disabled.
,se

CABINET COUNEIL.-A Cabinet Council was held yes-
terday afternoon at the official residence of the First
Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-street. It was
attended by Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor,
Earl Granville, the East of Harrowby, Sir George Grey,
the Earl of Clarendon, Lord Panmure, Mr. Secretary
Labouchere, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right
Ron. R. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and
the Right Ron. M. T. Baines.
His Excellency the Ambassador of France and the
Countess Persigny left town on Monday, on a visit to
the Earl and Countess of Derby, at Knowsley, Lanca-

shire.
The Duke and Duchess of Richmond and party are
expected to arrive at Goodwood, at the close of this
week, from Gordon Castle, Fochabers, N.B.
The Duchess of Grafton left town yesterday, for
Wakefield Lodge, near Stoney Stratford. The Earl of
Euston remains in London.
The Countess of Jersey and Lady Clementina Villiers
are staying at the Bedford Hotel, Brighton. The noble
earl still remains at Middleton Park, Bicester.
The Court of Belgium has gone; into mourning for
four weeks, from the 16th, on account of the death of
the Prince of Leiningen.
The Oorriere Italian announces that the Count de
Chambord will leave at the beginning of December for
Venice, where he will pass the winter.
The Russian Legation at Rome has issued a notice,
reminding those whom it may concern of the articles of
the Imperial.manifesto ef Aug. 26 last, relating to pass-
ports and to the amnesty granted to those who have left
Russia without permission.
We learn that yesterday there were some fresh tran-
sactions at Lloyd's in insurance on the James Baines, at
twelve guineas per cent. The impression in most quar-
ters seems to be that the delay in the arrival of this ves•
sel is accounted for by the recent easterly winds, which
have also kept out many other homeward-bound
vessels.
Mr. Pressly is now named as likely to succeed the late
Mr. Wood as Chairman of the Inland Revenue.
M r. foreman, according to letters received this morr-
ing, is fast recovering from the effects of his late acci-
dent.
We stated a few days ago that the body of an old man
named Stanley,
"the Gipsy King," had been fonud in
the river Dart. Circumstances have since transpired
which leave no doubt that the old man has been mine.
dered. Active exertions are being made by the police
to discover the ruffians.
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has been visiting his
Northumberland estates. His lordship dined a few days
, ago at Morpeth. The meeting was private.
A further sum of 21. 10a. par share is to be payable to
the shareholders of the British Colonial Bank and Loan
Company ou the 20th inst.