The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-12 00:00:00

Germany. It is hardly fair to pass a judgment
upon this distinguished man, since he was put in
such a false position, but those who conducted the
affair generally were much to blame for their indis-
cretion and ill-advised acts. In point of fact it has
been a series of contradictions from beginning to
end has this Peace Congress, and it is pretty evi-
dent to all that those who figured most promi-
nently in the matter set out to represent one
set of ideas, and ended by promulgating
another totally dissimilar. M. LEMON.NIER,
at Tuesday's sittings, declared that the only
way to put a stop to war was to establish
Republican Government. Besides the inconsistency
of such an assertion, it was most ill-judged to make it
at a meeting which had for its avowed object the
preservation of peace ; but the worst part of the
affair was that GARIBALDI went out of his way to
show his approval of these sentiments. Such a
thing was most extraordinary, and showed the folly
of inviting the General to an assembly of this nature.
It is not to be wondered at that so unsuitable an
exhibition as GARIBALDI embracing LEMONNIER
at the conclusion of his speech should have been
rebuked, and M. CAMPERIE, a Genevan Councillor
of State,was perfectly justified in protesting against
these appeals to a revolutionary spirit, as being quite
inconsistent with Swiss neutrality. Another incon-
sistency to be noticed is that General PRIM was at
this Congress, and his name alone is enough to show
that the assembly was not composed of proper mem-
bers.

We regret that GARIBALDI should have shown
himself in such an unfavourable light ; but, at the
same time, the chief blame lies at the door of those
who were so ill advised and inconsiderate as to in-
vite him to such an affair, and it is to be hoped that
for the future he will haie more sense than
to comply with their requests. Peace Con-
gresses at the best are awkward subjects
to enter upon, and very often do much more
harm than good, so far as promoting the objects
they profess to serve. What end, we may well ask,
has been answered by this exhibition at Geneva ?
Vague ideas have been sent afloat, most impossible
plans have been promulgated, and altogether the
affair has been a failure ; and, worse than that, it
has sunk to the ridiculous after aiming at the sub-
lime. A more incongruous set of individuals could
hardly have met together to effect a difficult task
than those who figured at Geneva, and, as usual
with reformers, they were too busy quarrelling with
each other to enlighten the world at large very much
about their meaning, or to state by what means the
desired end should be attained. France and Ger-
many were invited to come to a good understanding
on the question of internal liberty, which is a wide
subject of contemplation certainly, but not one very
likely to be settled iu a satisfactory manner. It
would be difficult to say what has been done by this
Congress, except to show that these Utopian schemes
are quite impracticable, and generally make them
worse instead of better, besides confusing persons
by their misrepresentations.

The news from Australia is always read with
interest, and just now i❑ the dull season of the year
it is refreshing to turn from the reiteration of the
old subjects of debate among ourselves to the poli-
tics and perplexities of the other side of the world.
The difference between the interest taken in Eng-
land in Australian and in Indian affairs has always
been very marked. India, thanks partly to the
monopolising and exclusive system of John Com-
pany, is looked upon as a world apart, something to
be studied under different aspects, governed by dif-
ferent theories, and peopled by another race. There
are all the perplexities incident to the traditions,
and religions, and prejudices of Brahmin, Hindoo,
and Mabometan. Australia, on the contrary, is
nothing more nor less than an English colony, or '
rather group of colonies. A continent peopled
mainly by ourselves, rising rapidly in importance,
governed by English laws, without any drawbacks
of alien habits and customs, speaking the good old
English tongue, and cherishing English sympathies.
No doubt there are political deadlocks occasionally
and endless matters of dispute, but so there are
among ourselves, and they are such as Englishmen
can more readily sympathise with and understand.
Added to this the continual tide of emigration has
linked together so many Australian and English
homes that they seem to form a common country.
The greater vicinity of the United States, together
with the same advantage of language, have indeed
rendered them in some degree more popular than
our own colonies across the Pacific, but we may
hope to see matters change in this respect. To
healthy and active men, willing to work and anxious to
maintain their families in comfort and respectability,
Australia offers manifest attractions. What can be
more encouraging to the struggling mechanic or
artisan, weighed down by want of work and high
prices, than the accounts from Melbourne, where
mutton of the best quality is 2d. per pound, bread
sd. and 6d. the four-pound loaf, and so plentiful a
supply of these necessaries that large quantities of
wheat are being exported to England, and squatters
are busy calculating the highest profit to be ob-
tained by boiling down ? It is simply impos-
sible for the population of Victoria to consume
their own flocks and herds. How can they
when they reckon less than a million, and
the increase of lambs this season on the
plains of Riverina is estimated at 2,000,000 ! The
United States have passed through all these stages
of superfluity, and their progress has been so rapid
that while their years as a nation are yet young,
they find themselves involved in all the perplexities
of older countries. The labour question, which is
distracting England, is gaining prominence in
America, and the workmen out there are alarmed at
the prospect of workmen from here trenching upon
their domains. It is a favourite cry with demagogues
and agitators among ourselves that in America the
working man is secure of his rights, and the States
are represented as a workman's paradise. The
disaffected are constantly advised to go to America,
where they will get rid of all their troubles and find
no new ones. However, if we are to judge from
the Americans themselves, the paradise is not
perfect. A National Labour Congress has been
held at Chicago to discuss the Eight Hour
Law and other matters of the kind. The
prospect of increased emigration from England
was viewed with great alarm, as being calculated
to impoverish the working men of England and
America alike. So uneasy were the Chicago men
on this subject that they resolved to send a delegate
to Europe to make arrangements to prevent the im-
portation of labourers. How they can hope to do
this it is difficult to understand. The delegate
must be a very eloquent one, the arrangements
must be of a curious nature that can stop the tide '
of emigration between two continents. But we
hope the effect desired by the Chicago Congress
will be attained in another way. Our working
men are evidently not wanted in the States.
They will find there all the old difficul-
ties of strikes, and jealousies, and rivalries,
and all the mischievous machinery of Trades
Unionism and secret plotting. Men who wish to
get free of all such fetters, and to have a fair field
for their unchecked energies, had better turn their
eyes another way. Our North American colonies
have much to recommend them, bat at the same .