The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-31 00:00:00

THE UNITED STATES.

NEW YORK, AUG. 10.
The social atmosphere remains as it has been since
Thursday last, surcharged with electricity. Popular
conversation turns on nothing but the Atlantic tele-
graph. Preachers discourse of it in the pulpit ; its
prosperity is drunk in lager-bier saloons five
thousand editors are rhapsodising over it—separated

lovers grow hopeful when they reflect upon it—
speculators and stockjobbers burn for the arrival
of the moment when they will be able to make use
of it—and all the otherwise undesignated world is
delighted to hear of its safe arrival, and hopes it comes
prepared to make a perpetual stay. It was but an
hour or two after the despatch of my last that we
learned beyond a doubt (on Saturday afternoon,
7th instant), that the cable was safely landed in
Ireland as well as on the Newfoundland coast. Once
made certain of the fact, the excitable population of
the Union gave vent to its joy unrestrainedly ;
cannon were fired, bells set a pealing, flags hoisted,
cities illuminated, and bonfires lit. Each successive
edition of our newspapers is crowded with telegraphic
reports from various States and cities announcing the
manner in which the great intelligence was received,
and the following despatches, which I have selected
from among the shortest, will serve to give your
readers an idea of the impression made all over the

United States :
" NASHVILLE (TENESSEE), Saturday, Aug. 7.—Gene-
ral joyful feeling throughout the city. The printers cele-
brate the event to-night with fireworks and speeches.
" COLUMBUS (Ouio), Saturday, Aug. 7.—The citizens
here are very much excited. They have been deceived
once, and are awaiting certain confirmation before having a
great celebration.
" RUTLA.ND (VERMONT), Friday, Aug. 6.—There is.
great rejoicing here to-night, in appreciation of the greatest
event in the history of the world. All the bells are ringing a
merry peal, and bonfires are burning in the streets; the
Herald and Courier offices, the hotels, and all the stores,
and many of the dwelling-houses are illuminated, and the

people are full of enthusiasm.
" PROVIDENCE (RHODE ISLAND), Saturday, Aug. 7
This afternoon the church bells were rung, flags displayed,
and a salute of 100 guns fired in honour of the success-
ful layinktf the Atlantic cable."
The Vermonters, you wiii,notice, became even
grandiloquent in their enthui&sm. But the Cana-
dians are frantic. Their loyal voices are chanting
" God save the Queen " from the river Saguenay to
Lake Superior; nor are the blue noses of the pro-
vinces less enthusiastic. We learn from Halifax that
a great torchlight demonstration took place there on
Saturday, and that "many persons came in by rail-
road from the surrounding country to witness it.
Double royal salutes of 42 guns each were fired
from the citadel and flag-ship and by the Halifax
Artillery as Queen Victoria's message to President
Buchanan was passing through Nova Scotia."
Much speculation is naturally rife as to the effect
that will be had by this event on the transactions
of' speculators. Although it is the opinion of many
that speculation will be rendered impossible by the
continued arrival of instantaneous intelligence from
European markets, it would seem, to reason by ana-
logy, that all due scope for legitimate speculation
will remain. The shipper of American produce or
purchaser of European manufactures on this side,
and the cotton or flour buyers of Liverpool and the
rest of England, will stand certainly in no nearer
relation to each other than the merchants of New
York and New Orleans ; yet the existence of the
telegraph between these two cities has never repressed,
it has rather encouraged, commercial speculation.
It will still remain with the shrewdest to unravel
the purport of the electric tidings, to anticipate the
coming rise or fall, and to flash his orders through
the waves of the Atlantic, as hitherto he has
despatched them from Liverpool to London, or
from Boston to New York. There can be
no doubt that America has nine-tenths of the
advantage of the cable. All but an inconsiderable
amount of her foreign trade is with Europe, while
the pecuniary settlement of the remainder is gene-
rally made there ; whereas the interest of England,
and of the other commercial nations in the trade of
America is, after all, but fractional. It is natural,
therefore, that such rejoicings a 9 the present should
take place in the United States ; but it is very unrea-
sonable to expect, as many of our journalists do, that
similar exultation will be expressed on your side.
The advantage to England will no doubt be great ;
but many a long year will elapse before the Cr. side
in the national ledger balances the large expenditure
which has been made for this purpose.
A week's later intelligence from the Great Salt
Lake, dated precisely a month ago, brings us some
interesting particulars concerning the state of affairs
in Utah. In obedience to the commands of
Brigham Young, the Mormon population have
returned to their homes from their refuge at
Provo, and the condition of many of them
is described by correspondents as shockingly des-
titute. Means of transportation are scarce, and
the unfortunate females, who compose a majority of
the returning population, are seen plodding their
way along the road with faces and lips excoriated by
the alkaline dust, and frequently dressed in tattered
garments, which only a stretch of charity can admit
as modest. "Many," says a letter-writer "are en-
tirely without even a calico gown, wearing a coarse
petticoat, sometimes made out of a scant pattern of
old carpet, or a worn-out coverlet, and a calico or
muslin waist." Some of them are able only to wrap
a blanket about their persons, after the manner of
the Indian squaws. The harem of Brigham Young
has all been brought up to the city, but is kept
closely prisoned in his "palace," and no opportunity
is granted to the gentiles to converse with any of its
members. The attit ide of the general population
still remains sullen and defiant, and every obstacle is
thrown in the way of the military and judicial autho-
rities, who have nominally taken possession of the
territory. The governor alone, Mr. Cumming, is
halid-in-glove with Brigham, and he is consequently
accused of culpable connivance with the Mormon plans
for the purpose of ensuring an election as United
States senator for the prospective State of Utah ;
but it is impossible to accept this uncharitable con-
struction until more authentic intelligence is re-
ceived. The position of the military in Utah is,
however, exceedingly anomalous. On United States'
territory, and surrounded by natives of New Eng-
land and the remaining States, as well as of Great
Britain and Scandinavia, they are nevertheless
treated as if they were in an enemy's country, while