The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-16 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOV. 16, 1867.

The news brought by the Atlantic Telegraph this
morning is of a startling and painful nature. The
island of Tortola has been submerged, and 10,000
lives lost in the catastrophe. The hurricanes which
rage in those parts are proverbially violent and ter-
rible, but this year they seem to be assuming an
exceptionally dangerous character. Only the other
day we recorded the loss of life and property at St.
Thomas's and in its immediate vicinity, and now,
while the recollection of that disaster is fresh in our
minds, comes this awful intelligence. Of the details
we know, of course, nothing, but we may conclude
that the force of the hurricane raised the sea to an
extent that the low lying island was unable to resist.
Life in the tropics is always more or less uncertain,
but it is not often that such wholesale destruction
visits any region of the globe.
Congress is to meet in December, and the session
is to be opened by a PRESIDENT'S Message in the
regular form. Mr. JOHNSON has no reason to sup-
pose that the new members will be bis open enemies,
and, consequently, he wishes to begin with due
courtesy. The opening of the session will be looked
for with great interest throughout the country, and
it is to be hoped that it may prove the inauguration
of a new and better state of things.

The world appears never likely to be without

tidings of Prussia and her doings, for the rapidity
with which one Royal Speech succeeds another is
really surprising, and must puzzle those who are
wont to rely more upon actions than words. It suits,
however, with the tactics of Prussian policy that
there should be a constant coming forward on the
part of the authorities, and that over and over again
the Prussian people should be informed through
their representatives that they are the freest, the
happiest, and the most powerful nation in the world.
Fortunately for him, King WILLIAM found some-
thing fresh to say in his speech of yesterday, and
IN as enabled to declare that he for the first time
saluted the representatives of the new territories,
which have been united to his kingdom by " the
events of a great epoch." This is certainly an in-
genious description of the mingled force and fraud
by which the Berlin Government contrived to gain
possession of several provinces which would much ra-
ther have been left alone, and foregone the question-
able benefits and blessings that accrue from the sway
of Prussia. A change has come over the spirit of
their dream, however, and the KING whom fate has
put over them, desires in a tone that must be in-
terpreted as a command, that they should devote
themselves with honourable fidelity to himself and
to their extended fatherland. The full power
which was conferred upon the Government to pre-
pare the new provinces for their entry into the con-
stitution of Prussia has been seized upon to estab-
lish a " preliminary equilibrium" in those states,
where it seemed necessary. In plain English, this
means that those provinces which refused their free-
dom have had it forced upon them by the en-

ightened and beneficent rulers who are in future

to be their masters, and introduce them to a new
era of peace and prosperity, under the influence of

free institutions. A rather awkward admission
creeps in iu one passage of this speech, where the
KING mentions that distinct and provincial consti-

tutions have been called into existence in the new
territories, and that their object will be calculated

to " revive the interests of the inhabitants in the
regulation of their economical affairs." No wonder,
indeed, that that interest should have faded away
in the oppressive atmosphere in which they lan-
guish, but it was surely through inadvertency that
any mention was made of it.
The best proof of the absolute manner in which

the new Government in the annexed provinces is to
be carritd on, is alluded to by the fact that the
laws on their liability to military service has been

established on the same bases as those of the Prus-
sian institutions, for this shows plainly enough that
there will be no lenity shown, and that there will be
no appeals made but to force in the event of any ill-
will or disappointment being manifested by the in-
habitants. Tl,e Prussians will find that they will
have to pay pretty-dearly for their whistle before they
have done with it, and one of the first symptoms
of the matter have already appeared before them,
for the KING has declared that, under the altered
circumstances which have arisen, he considers
himself called upon to maintain the dignity of the
Crown by increased expenditure; and he hopes that
a willing assent will be given to this proposition by

the Houses of the Diet. It is curious to observe
the course of Prussian policy. First of all the Go-
vernment insist upon carrying out a particular
point of their own devising, and then turn round
and expect that they shall be supported by those
who never wished them to pea form the task which
has brought to much confusion upon all con-
cerned. We never heard that the KING, or hi 4