The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-07 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 1867.

The death of Marshal O'DONNELL, which has
been expected for the last few days, occurred yes-
terday at Madrid. The Marshal, who was sixty-
three years of age, had played a somewhat con-
spicuous part on the stage of European politics.
As sometimes happens, although of Irish extraction,
and sharing in the Irish eagerness for liberty and
patriotism, he has during his lease of power proved
himself sufficiently tyrannical and intolerant. At
an early age he entered the Spanish service, and with
the gallantry characteristic of his countrymen he
fought bravely in the Carlist war on the QUEEN'S
side, and was at its close created Count of Lucena.
He afterwards espoused the cause of Queen CHRIS-
TINA, and went with her to France. ESPARTERO
allowed him to return to Spain—a boon for which
he showed little gratitude, since he organised a for-
midable insurrection. This was quelled, and he
again crossed the Pyrenees. HoWeyer, the fall of
ESPARTERO taking place not long after, brought
O'DONNELL again into favour. He was the pri-
mary agent in that fall, and was rewarded by the
Governorship of Cuba. Since then he has led a
busy life of intrigue, plot and counterplot,
with the QUEEN and NARVAEZ, and with
a few exceptions he has, generally, inclined to the
side of oppression and restraint. His life has been
a long turmoil of apparent success and brilliant
honours, but he has left little substantial evidence
of .his work or his services. The condition of Spain
at the present moment is not such as to afford much
gratification to any statesman who has had an active
share in her legislation for the last 30 years ; and
we must hope, though with little confidence, that
brighter days are at hand.

According to all accounts affairs seem to be pro-
gressing satisfactorily in Italy, and the French
appear to be calming down from their wild state o
excitement, and the news from Paris of last night
is sure to occasion universal satisfaction. It is said
that the " Italian difficulty" is over, so far as
France is concerned, and that the French troops
are expected to march back to Civita Vecchia,
while the Italian forces have been ordered to quit
the Roman territory. All the naval armaments
at Toulon, Lorient, Cherbourg, and other arsenals,
are superseded, as the official .Moniteur de la Flotte
has declared. When we consider the complications
which seemed certain to arise out of this Italian
imbroglio, we feel the more rejoiced that the event
has proved so much better than we anticipated
The French troops have handed over to the Italian
Government a thousand prisoners, who were cap-
tured at Montana by the Pontifical troops; and it
is also believed that those who have been made
captives in former engagements will also be restored.
This is as it should be, and speaks well for the
speedy arrangement of matters on a peaceful footing.
The sooner calm is restored the better for all parties'
and the event cannot be brought about except by
the adoption of conciliatory measures. A Staff
Colonel of the Italian army has waited on General
DE FAILLY for the purpose of enlisting his good
offices on behalf of those Papal subjects who have
been compromised in the late disturbances. The
General has promised to do his utmost in their cause
and we hope that his efforts will be crowned with
success. The best and most effectual way to quell
the angry feelings now in existence will be taken
away, so far as possible all irrascible feelings and
bitter remembrances. The Pontifical troops have
shown great valour and adroitness during the
stormy period they have just gone through, and

now- the next thing will be for consideration and
del nency to succeed to fortitude and daring. The
Fr ench journals seem rather uncertain what to say ;
tl le greater part of them, however, give the troops
o f the Pope the entire glory of the Montana
battle, and assert that the French had nothing to do
with it. As an exception to this the Etendard has a
published account of the affair, which states that
there were some French under the command of
General POLHES. Against this the Moniteur de
Soir only mentions the presence of the Pontifical
troops, of whose valour it discourses in the strongest
terms. A Garibaldian demonstration took place
at Milan on Tuesday, and some persons were
wounded, but it does not appear to have had any
serious consequences. On ali sides it seems under-
stood that diplomacy is the order of the day, and
persuaion is to succeed to force. No doubt much
anxious work lies before the French and Italian
Governments, but the worst has passed, and, owing
more to luck than to good management, the storm
has blown over without descending to fury and
leaving dismay and devastation in its course. We
would impress upon all whom it concerns that they
should use their utmost efforts to bring matters to a
solution with as little delay as possible. Now is the
accepted time, in the truest sense of the word, and
while all Europe looks on impatient to see a denoue-
ment of the startling incidents. Italy is in a state
that will brook a change that is swift, but will not
have patience to await a tardy issue. Our best hopes
and expectations all point to a quick transaction of
business, and surely some wisdom must have been
gained by the significant character of recent events.

The Secretary of the Poor-law Board has made
some remarks which are sure to be read with in-
terest, as they refer to a matter which has just en-
grossed a great deal of public attention, namely,
the Farnham Workhouse. At the annual dinner of
the North-East Hants Agricultural Association
Mr. SCLATER-BOOTH took the opportunity of record-
ing these statements. Even had no allusion been
made to his connection with the Poor-law Board,
he said he should not have abstained from referring
to a circumstance that had engaged so much attention
of late in many directions. He said that he did
not wish to give an opinion about Farnham work-
house, but he desired to remind his audience that
workhouses had been altered from the purpose for
which they had been originally intended ; and that
the buildings originally constructed for the reception
of the able-bodied poor were changed into hospitals
for the sick, aged, and imbecile of the different
places. We are glad to find Mr. BOOTH say
that the public will assuredly desire that work-
houses be now adapted to the requirements of those
who are now to dwell in them, and that this is
under the " anxious consideration" of the Presi-
dent of the Poor-law Board. He also gives an ex-
planation for the delay which has taken place in
the inquiry to be held at Farnham Workhouse.
This has been entirely owing to the necessity that
existed for consulting the inspector of the district
and the guardians, and it would not have done for
the authorities to send down to order an inquiry
without acquainting the guardians and others
of their intention. The Secretary declared
that the inquiry was, however, now to be
held, with, he hoped, a satisfactory re-
sult. He entreated the forbearance of the public on
these grounds, that workhouses were not now being
used for the purpose for which they were first meant,
and hence drawbacks must occur. This is very
true in some respects, and we hope that it will be
borne in wind by those who should form an opinion
on the matter that many evils seem to arise from
matters that could be remedied, if not alto-
gether cured, by the personal care and caution
of those on the spot. In the Report of Farnham
Workhouse there were some startling details met
with which need never have arisen in the worst
constructed place. We hope, however, that this will
be an illustration of the saying—" It is never too
late to mend," and the public will be no more
shocked by such fearful recitals as, from time to
time, all workhouses, both of town and country,
have presented on strict inquiry. We have no
doubt that the best attention of the authorities will
now be given to the subject, and it is high time that
it should, for it is the subordinates who do so much
harm by the exercise of petty tyranny, and a total
disregard, in too many cases, of the comfort of
those whose age and infirmities furnish an irresist-
ible claim on the humanity of their fellow-
creat ures.

The intelligence which we continue to receive
from the United States, both by telegram and by
the mails, reports the steady advance of the Demo-
cratic party in public favour. By the Atlantic
Cable we learn yesterday's news from New York,
which is highly important so far as the relative
positions of political parties are concerned. The
Democrats have carried the whole of the New York
elections, and also those of New Jersey. The Re-
publicans have succeeded in Massachusetts, but
only by a reduced majority. New York is a most
important victory, and the fact of the Empire
State having gone over to the Democratic
party proves that some very influential and
intelligent classes of the people must have changed
their opinions on public affairs and Radical policy.
The returns of the State elections held in West
Virginia on the 21th alt, are as yet incomplete, but
it is known that the Democrats have gained largely,
and the full returns which have been received of
the California judicial election confirm the success
of the entire Democratic ticket. These changes are
significant in themselves, and still more so on
account of the effect which they will produce on
Congress. The gains of the Democrats are far
more important than the difference of twenty or
thirty in the relative strength of opposing parties
in our Parliament. The gains of the Democrats
will support the PRESIDENT, and make his veto no
longer a mere verbal protest. Hitherto the Radicals
have had such a sweeping majority that they were
absolutely certain to pass any measure they chose,
however extravagant or dangerous, through the
Legislature. The knowledge a'. this made them
reckless, and the very protests of the PRESIDENT
irritated them to more extreme measures. In this
way the already embarrased public funds were
lavished on bounties to the army. The Southern
States, which were gradually but surely re-
covering from the effects of the war, were
thrown anew into anarchy and confusion,
and the precious old landmarks of the
Constitution were contemptuously disregarded and
overstepped. If the Radicals had been less unfet-
tered in their actions, their tenure of power would
probably have been longer. As it is they can point
to no results of their long lease of power, but a
treasury still further impoverished, a population
divided and discontented, depressed trade, and
hampered commerce. They cannot claim even to
have settled the negro difficulty. They have excited
and deluded the blacks, it is true, by promises of
confiscation of the planters' estates, and of com-
plete political and social equality, but they them-
selves shrink from putting their pledges into practice.
It is no great wonder, then, if the body of the
people, wearied of the long-continued disorder of
the States, and hopeless of a change for the
better under Radical guidance, have determined ,