The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-06 00:00:00

(viz., in 1854) by its ingenious projector, Colonel

SEAFFNER.

It was only as recently as last month (July)
that Colonel SHAFFNER restated succinctly the
whole of his very remarkable scheme in a lucid
and luminous paper laid by him, at Oxford,
before the British Association, for the advancement
of science. Step by step, the gallant and learned
projector of this northern route of the sub-Atlantic
Telegraph showed how the cable might, according
to his calculations, be trailed securely from Scot-
land to Quebec, via Feroe Isles, Iceland, Green-
land, and Labrador. Landed at Thorshaven, the
capital of the Faroe group, it is to be trailed
thence, Colonel SHAFFNER has explained, a short
distance overland to Westerman's haven ;
thence under the northern seas to Iceland,
which the cable will cross from Portland to Reik-
varik—and so on by way of Greenland, onward
still onward, until landed in Hamilton's Inlet
(lat. N. M deg. 30 sec.) upon the'coast of Labrador.
From that point it will be run further on, either
(to which of the two destinations apparently it has
not yet been decided) to the Gulf or to the River
St. Lawrence. Having once reached Quebec,
it will then be in instantaneous communication
with the various lines of telegraph radiating thence
to all parts of the North American continent. Now,
as to the six sections of the proposed telegraphic
route, Colonel SHAFFNER well observed to the
British Association that they are, everything con-
sidered, as well known to other nautical geographers
as to himself, saving and excepting only, perhaps,
the places sounded by the telegraphic expedition last
autumn between Iceland and Greenland, and, again
further on between Greenland and Labrador. In
regard to which two most important sections,
what is the evidence now given upon authority by
Col. SHAFFNER ? It is this :—" The bottoms of
those seas," he writes, " were found to be deep mud,
and a cable once laid thereon will lie undisturbed for
all time. Neither the heaving of the seas, nor the
spire-like iceberg will disturb the fiery cable re-
posing beneath their white-crested waves. Ice-
bergs float, and there will be no part of the
sea in which the cable will be laid that
the bergs will reach the bottom. It is easy for
those in rival interests, or for those unacquainted
with the physics of the seas, to imagine difficulties.
Artie navigators with whom I have bad the plea-
sure of conversing since my arrival from the voy-
age of last autumn, agree that if the cable can be
carried into deep fords on the respective coasts,
there will be no danger of interruptions arising
from icebergs. I have seen such fords on the coasts
of Labrador and Greenland, and therefore the
problem is solved !" Than this, assuredly, nothing
could be mere positive, more reliable, more empha-
tice, or more conclusive.
As to the land sections, Colonel SHAFFNER
writes quite as satisfactorily. And, in thus writing,
it ought to be remembered that he does so from
actual and prolonged experience. The difficulties
there (in the land sections) are not, he observes, of
serious importance. " A telegraph line can be
constructed on land wherever the foot of man can be
placed. I have built lines over hills and valleys
where neither waggon nor beast could go, and these
regions were in the great Mississippi valley, a coun-
try having great variety of soil, surface, and climate.
I have been in the service some sixteen years, and
have participated in the construction of several
thousand miles of lines, and have for years served
as President, and also in nearly every position
known to telegraphy." Everything in effect points
to the North American route encouragingly. Its
own feasibility both by land and by water, no less
than the total failire hitherto of the rival enter-
prize—trailed ineffectually by " second thoughts"
from Ireland to Newfoundland.

When Mr. HADFIELD suggested in the House
of Commons that the letter to "My dear PERSIGNY"
night enable Lord PALMERSTON to dispense with
fortifications, the response was a universal " laugh."
There was something very rich, certainly, in the
representative of the great hardware town being
satisfied with such very soft defences as that
" frank" and genial communication. Old COBBETT
was ready to pit " paper against gold ;" but Mr.
HADFIELD was ready to match it with rifled can-
non, and with all the " dread artillery of war."
" A magnificent and verbose letter comes," and
forthwith our Senate is to give up troubling itself
about national defences. The turf on Portsdown
Hill may lie undisturbed, and the costly stone which
should build the seaward batteries may slumber
in its cheap dormitory—the quarry. The letter
answers for all. We should not be surprised if
an address of congratulation to Her MAJESTY were
proposed—or if some " peace society" man should
suggest that the letter should be publicly read in
the Park, and honoured with a Royal salute.
However, Consols rise. So they ought. The letter
itself is one thing, and the professions it contains ano-
ther. That a letter has been sent breathing all sorts of
pacific assurances, offering the most plausible ex-
planations of ugly past deeds, and of quite as ugly
existing appearances, is a fact. The professions
will be taken to represent facts, or the contrary,
according as persons possess the faith in the
writer, which he attributes to Lord PALMERSTON or
not. We accept the fact, and we interpret it just as
the sellers and the buyers of Consols do. It looks
to us pacific Cult a neighbouring potentate is
alarmed to find his huge instruments of aggression
looked upon-by England's Premier, as well as by
continental Governments, as the evidence of un-
righteous intentions. Why this alarm ? Just
because that even with double his present
Army and Navy, Europe if combined would,
to use Mr. COBDEN'S phrase, " crumple up
France in six months," We have no doubt what-
ever that there is a vast deal of secret preparation,
as there always can be under the most unmitigated
despotism ; but what " crops out " has told its tale
at Toplitz, at Brussels, and now at last in the Bri-
tish House of Commons. The game is up. No more
Savoy and Nice treacheries and lies. The next
violent attempt to rectify a French boundary
will unite the fleets and armies of Europe to put
down for ever the imitator of his " uncle."
Unless Louis NAPOLEON cherish villainous pur-
poses at heart—we say it openly—he has no more
right to menace the repose of Europe with
400,000 soldiers, ready at a moment's warning,
and 200,000, and we know not how many more,
ready to follow them in a few weeks, than we
have. He has not a more extensive or more acces-
sible frontier than we have. Algeria is a trifle to
our vast colonies, including India ; and as to a navy,
he scarcely needs one, compared with us ; we have
shores that can hardly be measured, to watch ; he,
but his two sides of the square which contains not
many more inhabitants than our shapeless islands.
The right reply to this letter is to ask its
author for deeds. It is perfectly certain that
not a single neighbour has the slightest wish
to meddle with France, while she leaves
the geography of Europe as it is. While com-
paratively helpless no one moved a finger against
her. Latterly, however, not content with being at
the head of the polite civilisation of the Continent,
Ll.lis fickle nation, or its ambitious ruler, have de-
sired t; regain the ascendancy of brute force which
they enjoyed for a little we under thP first Em-
,.