The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-23 00:00:00

TliE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENENG, JANUARY 23 1867.

judged :from the fact that a few days before Mr.
ASHLEY'S motion a rumour was circulated in Wall-
street, th at the PRESIDENT was to be impeached
immedia+xly, upon which gold went up in a quarter
of an h our from 132 to 135. The PRESDIENT'S
position. has, however, been strongly reinforced by
the action of the Supremo Court. The unanimous
decision of its members that the establishment of
military courts for the trial of civil offenders is
illegal, is a terrible blow to the Radicals. It is true
that four out of the nine judges composing the Court
admit that Congress may in a time of national peril
lawfully establish military courts. The other five
Judges deny this right, and thus the majority of the
Court refuse even this consolation to the ultra party.
Their dismay is very great, and this proceeding, in-
asmuch as they have never openly ranged them-
selves against the constitution, but merely ignore it,
is inconveniently opposed to them. The language
of the Court is clear and conclusive. " There is no
law for the Government, for the citizen, the armies,
or the navy of the United States within American
jurisdiction which is not contained in or derived
from the constitution ; and wherever our army
or navy go beyond our territorial limits,
neither can go beyond the authority of
the PRESIDENT or the Legislaticn of Congress.
This is sound law, and halt right and reason alike
on its side, but it does not commend itself the more
to the approval of the Radicals ; on the contrary,
they turn their arms against the Court itself. Its
decision, declared Mr. TIINDDEUS STEVENS in the
House of Representatives, had taken away all pro-
tection from every loyal man in the Southern States.
"It had unsheathed the dagger of the assassin and
the knife of the rebel against the throat of any
man who dared to proclaim himself now or
heretofore a loyal Union man." It was not
worth while to measure words upon so
momentous an occasion, and consequently Mr.
STEVENS, in the fervour of his grand eloquence, de-
clared that " the barbarians of the South were now
murdering the loyal whites and putting into secret
graves hundreds of thousands of coloured people."
The " secret graves," under these circumstances,
must be of pretty large extent. As for Mr. JOHN-
SON he was not likely to escape Mr. STEVENS'S de-
nunciations—" Although the PRESIDENT was Com-
mander-in-chief of the army and navy, Congress
was his commander, and he should be made to obey."
Negro Suffrage, he declared, was vital to the free-
dom and independence of the North ; without
it the people of the North would be the
vassals and slaves of the South. Whether Mr.
STEVENS reached that point at which frenzy be-
comes inspiration is uncertain, but in the midst
of his harangue he spoke wonderful truth. Slavery,
he said, bad been theoretically abolished, but the
Americans were no nearer a free Republic now than
they were twenty years ago. In Persia and in
Turkey the people were as free as the American
freedmen. "The despotism of many rulers was
always more atrocious and intolerable than the des-
potism of a single ruler." This fact, which many a
European nation has learned before now, is becoming
painfully impressed on the American people. Let us
hope that they will take the warning to heart in time.
Mr. STEVENS'S speech, it is fair to add, was too
strong for many of his Radical friends, and since he
was given to understand that he might damage
his chance for the Senatorship in Pennsylvania, his
eloquence had cooled down by the time the report
of his speech appeared in the Congressional Globe.

Mr. STEVENS received an amusing rebuff at the
beginning of the year from a Conservative member,
who resuscitated a resolution which Mr. STEVENS
himself had introduced on the 4th of Dec., 1862, of
course in the time of the war. It affirmed that "if any
person in the employment of the United States, in
either the legislative or executive branch, shall pro-
pose to make peace upon any other basis than the
integrity and entire unity of the United States and
their territories, he will be guilty of a high crime."
Tempera mutantur. An awkward fact this for the
leader of the movement for Territorial Governments
in the South ! All that the Congress could do for
its hero was to refuse to receive the resolution.

Among the more serious and important incidents
of the news it is amusing to learn that the Fenians
are disgusted with STEPHENS, have deposed him
from pis nominal dignity, and pronounced him
what most of the world discovered him to be some
time since—a humbug !

which is stored at the capacious ice-house on the
Bois de Boulogne, which establishment is 70 metres
long by 40 in width, and is capable of containing
20 millions English pounds of ice. It is now nearly
full.

The death of M. Ingres has brought to light a
fact not generally known, that the first Napoleon,
the renowned leader in war, was also a great patron
of art. A letter is published, dated Nov. 10, 1800,
in which he expresses his intention to exempt vari-
ous artists from military service. Among the names
of these artists is that of M. Ingres, who was the
last survivor in the list of artists allowed to stay at
home to cultivate the arts instead of being forced
away to the battle field.
Skating is the order of the day in the lakes of the
Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes, and
the spectacle is at once novel and interesting.
Ladies form a large majority. There are some
artistica' skaters, and ladies seated in arm chairs are
drawn about on the ice. Sxn?titnes the Emperor,
Empress, and the young Prince skate in public, the
latter under the care of an experienced skater. The
amusement is at its zenith when there happens to
be a collision on the ice, or when an unskilful prac-
titioner encounters a heavy fall. From all parts
of France accounts come of the intense cold and
the abundance of snow. The cold is much more
severe in the provinces than in Paris. Here, how-
ever, it begins to be felt with rigour and unusual
intensity.

To-day it has been dull and foggy, with slight
snow occasionally, and it still freezes. The masses
of ice in the Seine are very thick and numerous.
There is much ice in the Loire.

The two soldiers, Antoine Ciosi and Jean Agos-
tini, condemned to death for the murders at the inn
at Champerret on the 2d Nov. last, of which I gave
you the particulars at the time of the trial, were
executed at Vincennes yesterday. They were to be
shot at the same moment. Ciosi did not fail in
courage up to the last, but Agostini fainted when
his eyes were bandaged, and it was necessary to tie
him to the post. His companion reproached him for
being a coward. When the two platoons of execu-
tion fired Ciosi fell dead instantly, but as Agostini
moved a sub-officer put the barrel of his gun to his
head and blew out his brains.

A marriage is about to take place between Baron
des Michels, Secretary of Embassy, and Mdlle.
Ofresie de La Cases, daughter of Count La Cases,
deputy. The marriage contract has just been
signed by the Emperor.
Miss Menken, the American equestrian, who was
recently thrown from her horse while personating
Mazeppa, has been again thrown, and this time her
injuries are rather serious. One of her ears was
much cut, and she was severely bruised on the legs
and arms. She was so much hurt that she could
not continue the performance.
The new Minister of War, Marshal Adolphe
Niel, was born on the 4th of October, 1802, and
left the Polytechnic School in 1823. He was
lieutenant of artillery in 1827, and captain in 1831.
He attained his superior rank by his services in
Algeria, Rome, Russia, and Italy.
The new Minister of Marine, Vice-Admiral
Rigault de Genouilly, is a great favourite with the
navy. He served very courageously and effectively
in the expeditions to the Crimea and in China.

M. Forcade de la Roquette, the new Minister of
Commerce, is a man of considerable commercial
and general knowledge, and has often besides dis-
tinguished himself as an orator in the Legislative
Body.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS.

ALEXANDRIA, Jan. 21.
The China left at 7 a.m. to-day for Marseilles,
where she may be expected on the 27th inst.
The Tanjore left at 5 p.m. yesterday for South-
ampton, where she may be expected about the 2d
February.

BOMBAY (HEAVY) MAIL.
GIBRALTAR, Jan. 20.

The Ripon leaves at 5 p.m. to-day for South-
ampton, where she may be expected on the 25th
instant.

FINLAND.

lIELSINGFORS, Jan. 22.

The Diet of Finland was declared open to-day
by a proclamation in the Swedi.h and Fiuniah
language. The names of the deputies elected will
be registered by the Secretary of the Diet. The
Marshal, the Archbishop, the President of the
Citizens, and the Peasantry will take their oaths of
allegiance, and on Saturday next the formal open-
ing of the Diet will take place by a speech from the
throne.

LISBON, Jan. 22.
The King and Queen of Portugal and suite are
on a shooting excursion at Villa Vicoza.
A fire occurred to-day in the Ministry of the
Interior, but little damage was done.
Excessive rains have caused the Tagus to over-
flow its banks.