The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-29 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OP THE SUN.

Sin,—Optimism is in the ascendant ! Redeunt Satur-
nia Reyna ! In this best of all possible countries of
this best of all possible worlds, under this best of all
possible Governments, it seems almost impossible to be
wrung or to do wrong. It is true we sometimes stumble
over melancholy and disgraceful effects, but somehow or
another these seem to have no corresponding causes-
If ignorant people, like myself, persist in looking for
them, they receive sore slaps and buffets in the face from
a flight of Good Intentions, which, emerging from the
old ruins of Routine, flutter and flap about our ears so
as utterly to blind and confuse ue.
Blessed, then, and happy are the ignorant ! Here,
on the Cotswold, we were bewildered by the war, which
has left us minus many " old familiar faces " of sons,
brothers, and husband's. We were more bewildered by
the peace, which has left 114 simply, plus the double
income tax and a rumour of fire scrk; and illuminations,
which we, the clod•compellers, Ehall never see, and, of
which, unless they are to represent the old custom of
corpse-candles, we cannot divine,the reason.
But, of course, all is for the best.
Oar time, Sir, is pretty wall occupied in the country.
13ays and old women will steal turnips, and hardened
suEfia.ns will frighten pheasants into apoplexies. Never-
theless a book sometimes finds its way into our hands,
and enables us to lay aside "Burns' Justice" for a brief
period.

I venture to quote a few passages from an author
(Captain Mayne Reid) who appears to have seen,
thought, and done as much as most men in this best of
all possible worlds. He says :
"A fondness for fireworks is a singular but sure charac-
teristic of a declining nation." _ . .

" Give me the statistics of pyrotechnic powder burnt by
a people, and I shall tell you the standard measure of their
souls and bodies. If the figura be a maximum, then the
physical and moral measure will be the minimum—for the
ratio is inverse."..

" I saw a whole nation, its rich and its poor, gazing on
one of these pitiful spectacles, got up for the purpJse of dup-
ing them into contentment. It was the price paid them for
parting with their liberty of opinion, as a child parts with
a valuable gem for a few sugarplums. They wore gazing
with a delight that seemed enthusiasm. I looked upon
eyes that gleamed with demoralised thought."
" These were the representatives of a once great people.
and who still deem themselves the first of mankind. I
felt sure that this was an illusion. The pyro•spectacle and
its reception convinced me that I 83. w before me a poople
who had passed the culminating point of their greatness,
and were now gliding rapidly down the declining slope
that leads to annihilation and nothingness."—Vide" The
White Chief," pp. 100-10.

Would not one imagine, sir, that all this bore date
about the Ist of June, 1856, and was written not a hun-
dred miles from St. James's ?

But in this best of all possible countries, the best of
all possib!e Governments, of course, knows best, and
the country ought to rejoice in being spared the trouble
of coming to a conclusion.
Of course before it was determined to spend thousands
on these coming illuminations, the aforesaid best of all
Governments has satisfied itself—

lat. That not a single soldier's widow or orphan is left
unprovided for.
That the Chancellor of the Exchequer is laboaring
under a plethora of revenue, an " emharras des riche,sses."
31. That the great majority of the country consider
the peace as safe, satisfactory, and honourable.
For unless these three points are beyond dispute, the
fireworks and illuminations seem to ue, ignorant country
people, very like a mockery, and almost like a crime.
But no doubt our best of all possible Governments can
give a satisfactory answer on all three heads.
So by all means let us have fireworks and illumina•
tions ! What next ? as my friend Richard Cobden has
it. Why, next, of course, the window breaking. ging
Mob must be allowed to rejoice in his own fashion—

Gin in pailfuls, beer in rivers !
Dash the window glass to shivers,

as sings a respectable character in one of Scott's novels.
Why not ? You have "achieved" (that is the phrase) a
belauded and illumined peace. Who can object to so
respectable an ancient right as window breaking, its in-
variable accompaniment ? What are glaziers bills com-
pared with time-honoured custom ! After all, your
broken windows are only a " prmlibatia," a foretaste, a
slight reminder of what might have happened if the Cos.
sack had got the upper hand. It is only the mustard
without the beef. It is only the thistle with which the
donkey chooses to excite its carrot-sated palate. Even
quiet Cowper could become enthusiastic upon it—

That man shall be my toast'
When breaking windows is the sport
Who bravely breaks the most.

Dut if you have shabby misgivings, how easy your safe.
guard. " Proximus ardet ucalegon"—your next-door
neighbour illuminates, but why should you ? Put but
your faith in placard 4, shelter yourself under the aegis of
Powys and you are secure, otherwise you may have
cause to lament that you are not—
Proximus, at longo proximus interballo.

Sir, in Llndon you are a wise, sensible, and consistent
race of people, but sometimes your proceedings are be.
yond the comprehension of
A COUNTRY SQUIRE.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT. -- Yesterilay, a man
named Charles Garner, a zinc-worker, was k►lled at the
London Bridge Terminus of the London and Brighton
Railway by endeavouring to enter a carriage whilst the
train was in motion.

ATEST NEWS.

PARIS, THURSDAY MORNING.
The baptism of the Imperial Prince is fixed for
,he 14th of June.

The Moniteur says that the work of Baron de
Bazancourt borrows no official character from the

fact that it is dedicated to the Emperor.

By the steamer Danube, which left Cmstanti-
nople on the 19th, and whose arrival at Marseilles
we announced yesterday, we learn that a serious
conflict has occurred at Philippoli, in Roumelia,
between the Chrigian and Mussulman populations.

The Austrian Internuncio has set out on an ex-
ploration
of the mouths of the Salina branch of
the Danube. The Presse d'Orient states that the
Porte has named four Christians and a Jew mem-
bers of the Imperial Council. Gen. MacMahon
will assume the command in the Crimea on the
departure of Marshal Pelissier.
A despatch from Odessa of the 14th states that
a quarantine of four days is imposed on all ves-
sels coming to that port. The price of wheat was
firm ; that of coals had fallen.
Great anger has been excited in Athens by the
articles in the English journals on the affairs of
Greece and Italy. Five brigands were executed
on May 21.