The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-19 00:00:00

THE DUBLIA PROSECUTIONS.

In dolineciion With the prosecution at Dublin of Mr.
John Martin and Messrs. Waters, Scanlan, and Lalor,
for taking part in the funeral procession, some unexpected
incidents occurred. Before witnesses were call:d Mr.
Martin offered to facilitate.the Crown in proving his con-
duct upon the day in question, and at a subsequent stage
tendered himself for examination, but his assistance was
declined. Mr. A. M. Sullivan, who had been summoned by
the police, took advantage of this circumstance to deliver a
characteristic address, which the magistrates but feebly
endeavoured to prevent. He denounced it as a personal
indignity to the editor of a national journal—the
gyration—to summon him as a Crown witness, and
declared that he would refuse to be sworn. He avowed
that he openly and deliberately took part in the proces-
sion ; and.althongh Mr. Murphy informed him that he did
not intend to examine him, he proceeded to charge the
Government with a cowardly attempt .to get him im-
prisoned for contempt when they dared not to prosecute
him as a Fenian, knowing that they would not get a jury
to convict him. After this display, which called forth
some applause in court, the business was proceeded with.
Superintendent Hawe was examined as to the character
of the procession. He proved the wearing of crape, green
ribands, and. rosettes. At one point he estimated the
numbers at 25,000, including 2,000 or 3,000 women. He
deposed to the speechmaking by Mr. Martin at the ceme-
tery. On cross-examination he admitted that every-
thing was orderly so far as he saw. Inspector O'Connor,
the next witness, estimated the numbers at 20,000.
Another epic incident occurred. - Sir J. Gray. following
the example of Mr. Sullivan, addressed the..bench, as he
itated, under unpleasant circumstances. At an advanced
hour on Saturday he heard that the Crown "intended to
.summon" some of the gentlemen connected with his
establishment, and not wishing to subject them to the con-
sequences of a refusal, as he knew they would refuse to be
examined, he called upon the Crown prosecutor, and said,
" Summon me, and deal with me." He added that he
attended to show his respect fer the court, but he wished
" to state most distinctly that he would never consent to be
examined as a Crown witness." He informed the bench
that he was going to England to spend the Christmas,
and would not attend, and he was generous enough to add
that he did not blame the police or the Crown prosecutor,but
simply desired to state " with the most profound respect
for the bench and the court, I will not be a witness "
a declaration which evoked loud applause in the court.
Mr. Sullivan thereupon exclaimed, "It is an infamous
conspiracy," and with this highly-effective situation the
first act in the prosecution closed. The case was con-
cluded yesterday. The magistrates reserved judgment.

OUTRAGE ON A Doy.—On Mondayevening, while
a little boy about seven years of age, named Warrington,
was playing along with some companions at a game which
they called " Fenians," two Irishmen came up and laid
hold of the little fellow. Then, whilst one of them held
him, the other put some powder or a similar subStauce
into his trousers. A light was then applied, and the poor
child was very much burned. Information war given to
t'ae police, but the miscreants have not yet been captured.
—Yorkshire Post.

GREAT JEWEL ROBBERY AT MR. CR A.CE9S.—
A most audacious burglary and robbery of jewellery, to
the value of more than £5OO, has just been committed at
the family residence of Mr. J. C. Crace, the well-known art
decorator, of Wigmore-street, Cavendish-square. From the
most authentic informationthat can be procured on the spot,
and which agrees with what has been forwarded to the
various stations of the City and Metropolitan police,
f(,11..e.-7ng particulars may be relied on : On Monday even-
ing, between seven and nine o'clock, Mr. and Mrs. Crace
and family were at dinner, according to the- usual custom
of the house, and all the in-door servants were engaged in
their ordinary duties, Mr. Frederick Crace, in consequence
of a very severe cold, being confined to his room. During
the progress of the dinner one of the female servants had
occasion to speak to Mrs. Crace, and thinking that lady
had retired to her room, went there and knocked. No
answer being given, the servant knocked a second time,
and then tried the door, when she found it fastened.
Thinking probably that her mistress did not wish to be dis-
turbed at thet hour, the servant came away. On mentioning
the matter down stairs to her fellowsery ants, that her mistress
was not to be interrupted at that time, she was surprised to
hear that Mrs. Crace was still in the dining-room, and had
never left during the whole of the dinner-time. Mrs. Crace
was at once. made acquainted with the circumstance, and
Mr. Frederick immediately hastened to test the alarm of the
servant maid. He, too, discovered the room door fastened,
inside—in fact, locked ; and without more ado he forced it,:;
open. On entering the room a most deplorable scene of
confusion presented itself. All the drawers, dressing.
cases, desks, &c., and other depositories had been vio-
lently forced open and rifled of their contents, and the
floor literally strewed knee-deep with articles of weal-in;
apparel, &c., which were either deemed too bulky, or which
the thieves, probably disturbed by the servant, as already
mentioned,had not time to pack up and carry off. On look-
ing round, an open window, which had incautiously been
left unfastened after dark, pointed to the faclity which had
enabled the robbery to be so audaciously effected. Further
search led to the discovery that jewellery of various kinds,
to the extent of .upwards of £5OO worth, had been carried
away. The name of Mr. Crate's private residence is Spring-
field, Dulwich, and it is about five minutes' walk from
the railway station. It stands in its own grounds, and it is
quite evident that the robbery was planned and carried
out by some person or persons who knew the ways of the
house and the family well. It has not been openly stated
in • what direction suspicion at present points, but the
public at large, to whom Mr. Crace is, so well and widely
known, will deeply sympathise with him on this vexations
loss. _

REFUSING TO HEAR AN ATTORNEY. —At the
City Police-court, on Tuesday morning, during the hear-
ing of a case of robbery from a dwelling-house, in which
Mr. Ward, attorney, appeared for the prisoners, Mr. Fow-
ler, the stipendiary magistrate, said—" Mr. Ward, until
you condescend to give me in writing a reply to the matter
about which I have sent to you several times, I decline to
hear you in this court. You promised to do so, and upon
your promise I refused to issue a warrant against you."
The case was adjourned at the request of the police-officer
in charge of it.—Manchester Courier.

IHE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

THE COST OF CONGRESSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION.

I would not put considerations of money in com-
petition with justice and right, but the expenses
incident to " reconstruction" under the system
adopted by Congress aggravate what 1 regard as
the intrinsic wrong of the measure itself. It has
cost uncounted millions already, and, if persisted
in, v.ill add largely to the weight of taxation, al-
ready too oppressive to be borne without just com-
plaint, and may finally reduce the Treasury of the
nation to a condition of bankruptcy. We must not
delude ourselves. It will require a strong standing
army and probably more than two hundred millions
of dollars per annum to maintain the supremacy of
negro governments after they are established. The
sums thus thrown away would, if properly used,
form a sinking fund large enough to pay the whole
national debt in LF33 than fifteen years. It is vain
to hope that negroes will maintain their ascendancy
themse!ves. Witho.:t military power they are
wholly incapable of holding in subjection the white
people of the South. I submit to the judgment
of Congress whether public credit mty not be
injuriously affected by a system of measures like
this. With our debt and vast private interests, which,
are complicated with it, we cannot be too cautious
of a policy which might by possibility impair the
confidence of the world in our Government. That
confidence can only be retained by carefully incul-
cating the principles of justice and honour on the
popular mind, and by the most scrupulous fidelity
to all our engagements of every sort. Any serious
breach of organic law persisted in for a considerable
time cannot but create fears for the stability of our
institutions. Habitual violation of prescribed rules,
which we bind ourselves to observe, must demoralise
the people. Our only standard of civil duty being
set at nought, the sheet anchor of our political
morality is lost, public confidence swings from its
moorings, and yields to every impulse of passion
and interest. If we repudiate the Constitution we
may well not be expected to care much for mere
pecuniary obligations. The violation of, such a
pledge as we made on the 221 or July, 18G1, will
assuredly diminish the market value of our other
promises. Besides, if. we now acknowledge that
the national debt was created not to hold States
in the Union as taxpayers were led to suppose,
but to expel them from it, and hand them over
to be governed by negroes, moral duty to pay
it may seem much less clear. I say it may seem
so, for I do not admit that this or any other
argument in favour of repudiation can. be enter-
tained as sound, but its influence on some classes
of minds may well be apprehended. The financial
honour of a great commercial nation largely in-
debted, and with a Republican form of govern-
ment, administered by the agents of popular choice,
is a thing of such delicate texture, the destrudtion
of it would be followed by such unspeakable cala-
mity, that every true patriot must desire to avoid
whatever might expose it to the slightest danger.
The great interests of the country require imme-
diate relief from these enactments. Business in the
South is paralysed by a sense of general insecurity,
by tenor of confiscation, and dread of negro supre-
macy. Southern trade, from which the North would
have derived so great a profit under a government
of law, still languishes, and can never be revived
until it ceases to be fettered by arbitrary power
which makes all its operations unsafe. That rich
country, the richest in natural resources the world
ever saw, is worse than lost if it be not soon placed
under the protection of a free constitution. Instead
of being, as it ought to be, a source of wealth and
power, it will become an intolerable burden upon
the rest of the nation.