The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-04 00:00:00

GRAND SELECTIONS

FROM
13ELLINT'S NORMA AND FLOTOW'S MARTHA.

PRINCIPAL ARTISTES,
Miss RUSSELL MADAME MARIA
MISS TYRREL MISS WILKINSON
Mr. HENRY HERBERT•and Mr. BERNARD.
Conductor
JONGIIMANS.
The COMIC Department comprises Messrs. A. B. Hollings-
worth, W. T. Critchtiel J. Blanchard, G. W. Pell, Charley
Fox, and E. Marshall, in his transformation song, " TIIE
DOMESTIC DRAMA," personating; five different characters.

Ya WEATHER.,—SUN OFFIC)i, Dec. 4, 1860.

THEENCOMETER, IN THE RH &DE.

47 -highest since noon yesterday.
42 --?ow•est this rooming and during the night.
thk day at noon.

BAROMETER-29.38.

WlND—South-Easterly; light airs, with rain

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS T)Ar.—Morning, sh. 27m.—Afternoon, sh. 52(;)
ownow.-Monaing, 6h. 17m.—Afternoon, 6h. 437,.

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T RE SUN.
LONDON', TUESDAY, DEC. 4, 1860.

Already the disunion movement in the United

States begins to ebb, and the reason for the hot haste
of the Secessionists in Georgia and South Carolina
is becoming apparent to all. The agitators well
know that secession would not bear reflection, and
they were anxious to make what capital they
could out of the mortification of the hour. Hence
it was their object to hasten on a convention of
delegates from the Slave States at once, before men's
passions should have time to cool after their pro-
voking defeat. The South Carolina Secessionists
have prospered so far in their schemes that they
have succeeded in getting a Convention of the State
fixed for the 17th of this month instead of
January 13th, as at first proposed ;—even those
few weeks would, they feared, do much in
bringing men to reasonable counsels, a fact
which of itself shows their conscious weakness.
Had they been sure of a popular and a good cause,
they would have preferred rather to give it time
to gather irresistible strength. In some of the
counties of Georgia itself, immense "mass meetings"
have been held to oppose disunion. Similar meet
ings have been held in Virginia, the most influen-
tial of the Southern States. And though nothing
has or can be formally determined on yet, and a
onvention will be called probably of more than
ne state, yet all looks as if time and discussion
would 500 n calm down the excitement.
We have, moreover, by the last mail a letter of
Mr. DOUGLAS A
and a speech of Senator TRUMBULL
of Illinois, a friend
of Mr. LINCOLN'S, and pre-
sumed to know well his policy, both of which
arc equally adapted to bring to their senses
all who have not, lc* them for ever; also
a speech of thanks by Mr. LINCOLN himself
which, though very brief, and in
quite general
language, is yet entirely conciliatory. "In all our
rejoicings," he says, " let us neither express nor
cherish any harsh feelings toward any citizen who
by his vote has differed with us. Let us at all times
remembe r that all American citizens are brothers
of a common country, and should dwell together
in the bonds of fraternal feeling." The other
gentlemen, however, enter fully into the subject;
Mr. DOUGLAS, who acknowledges that no man can
regret Mr. LINCOLN'S election more than he does,
yet shows, for two reasons principally, that it is
impossible to make it a ground of secession.
Nothing, he observes, illegal or unconstituttomil
has been done. The Federal compact has been no
way violated; the election has been conducted in
all respects according to the law of the Union, and
there is therefore no shadow of a pretext at pres3nt
for separation on account of the election itself. As

a good citizAi and law-abiding man, he feels hpund
to declare that the mere election of any man to
the Presidency by the American people, in accord-
ance with the constitution and laws; does r of of
itself furnish any just or reasonable ground for
dissolving the Federal Union.

But the reason most satisfactory to himself, and
probably to his correspondents, is that by which he