The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-18 00:00:00

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborouf,,,h.
THIS EVENING, THE LITTLE SAVAGE.
After which THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE.
WOOING IN JEST AND LOVING IN EARNIIST
Miss Swanborough.
And THE BONNIE FISH WIFE.
Commence at 7 o'clock.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.
Sole Lessee, Hr. William Cooke.
THIS EVENING the performances will commence with
the successful gorgeous Spectacle of THE REVOLT LN
THE EAST; •r, The Fugitives and their Faithful Steed;
concluding with a Grand National and Allegorical Tableaux.
After which SCENES IN THE ARENA, introducing Mr.
W. Cooke. and his beautiful horses, Mr. Runnels, Madame
Blanche. Miss Emily Cooke, Madame Fleurette, and the first
male and female equestrians in the world.
Dress Circle, 3s. ; Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, is, ; Galleries, 6d.
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.

CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.--
Proprietor -C. MORTON.
The public is most respectfully informed that the FINE
ARTS GALLERY, in connection with the above Hall, IS WOW
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT, from 11 o'clock a.m. until 12
o'clock p.m. The New Gallery contains an extensive Collec-
tion of Pictures, by Ancient and Modern Masters and is also
devoted to Art productions generally. The Proprietor feels
he may confidently assert that, viewed altogether, the exist-
ing Music Hall, the New Fine Arts Gallery, and the recently
added Ante-Hall, will present an attraction which, whether
as regards the architectural beauty of the structures them-
selves, or the varied and hitherto unattempted combinations
within, will be found to be wholly without parallel in the
Kingdom.
The MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT commences as usual at
Seven o'clock.
In addition to the usual entertainment, the SAUVLET
FAMILY, of Amsterdam, Eight in number, whose varied
instrumental performances have created so marked a sensa-
tion in the principal cities and towns of the Continent, will
perform every Evening at Nine and Eleven o'clock.

THE WEATHER.-SUN OFFICE, DEC. 18.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.

47—highest since noon yesterday.
47—lowest this morning and during the night.
49—this day at noon.
BAR omETEn-29.59—falling rapidly.
WIND, South-Westerly; fresh, with rain.

THE SUN.

SATURDAY. DECEMBER 18, 1858.

The President's Message has been received—not
quite so rapidly as it had been anticipated would
have been the case at the completion and satisfac-
tory working of the Atlantic Telegraph—but still,
thanks to the efficient management of the Atlantic
Steam Navigation Company, in about half the time
that would otherwise have been required. The
Prince Albert, which sailed from St. John's, New-
facmdland, on the night of the 10th instant, arrived
off Arran Island on Thursday, making the run from
the New World to the Old in five days sixteen hours
and a -half. We have now the important document
delivered at Washington on Monday week, and for
that -we are indebted to the enterprise of Mr.
LEVER and his coadjutors, and to the judicious
support afforded by the Government, through Mr.
G. A. HAMILTON, to the auspicious speculation.

The Message is of a more satisfactory character
than many of those by which it was preceded. It is
mainly directed to domestic matters, and there can
be no doubt that there is great room for improve-
ment, and that the gentle hints thrown out by Mr.
BUCHANAN may be turned to beneficial purpose.
That, however, will depend on the disposition and
feeling of the people. If they can be induced to
pull cordially together, to abolish the odious slave
system, or at least materially modify " the domestic
institution," so that such atrocities as some think
ore of too frequent occurrence may no longer be
possible, the Union may be maintained ; but if, on
the other hand, the small party in the South can
insult and outrage the feelings of those who are in
every respect their superiors, there will be a defective
link in the chain, and there must speedily be a
separation when such discordant elements are con-
nected together. The American law is favourable
to divorce. It allows it on mere incompatibility of
temper, and it will be the like between States as
between private persons. Mr. BUCHANAN foresees
the difficulty, and he has endeavoured to avert it,
but we fear that it will be beyond even his persua-
sive powers to accomplish the great desideratum.
Ile wishes that the whole country " may compose
one united nation, more populous, powerful, and
free than any other that has ever existed" (!)—but
hints that the federacy may be rent asunder and
divided into groups of hostile and jealous states,
* * * or may possibly have remained United,

and sought refuge under the shelter of one
great and overshadowing despotism !" These are
but too probable contingencies, and it has be-
came essential to warn the people against
Permitting the liberty which:l they enjoy to
degenerate into licentiousness, or to tolerate laws
unbecoming a nation of free men who have nobly
protested that " every man is equal in the sight of
the Deity."

We are, of course, deeply interested in the
manner in which great Britain is referred to
in the Message. it is quite as well as could
have been anticipated. There is a gentle
crow and a hearty chuckle at our definitive
abandonment of the " right of search,"—
in which, however, it had been ascertained that we
even by our own laws—and
were not justified,
also at the principle recognised at the Conference
of Paris—that " free ships made free goods." These
had been objects which the Government of the
United States had long; but fruitlessly, endeavoured
to accomplish, but which, having achieved, the
PRESIDENT recommends that the concessions of
England should be gracefully reciprocated, "by
placing the odious and barbarous system
of privateering under the ban of the law, and by
maintaining on the coast of Africa, and in the seas
around Cuba, squadrons sufficient to prevent the
American flag from being used, as it now fre:

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