The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-19 00:00:00

DOWNING-STREET, JAN. 18.

_
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Henry Ernest
Bulwer, Esq., C.M.G., to be Receiver-General for the
Island of Trinidad.

WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, JAN. 19.
3i Regiment of Hussars—Lieut.-Gen. Henry Aitchison
Hankey to ho Colonel, vice Gen. Peter A. Lautour, C. 8.,
deceased.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE--This Evening.

Amsterdam Short. 11 171 11 18}
Ditto 3 Months. 12 14 12 21
Rotterdam
Antwerp — 25 50 25 55
Brussels
25 55

Tianiburg
Paris Short 25 122 25 172
Ditto , 3 Months. 25 472 25 522
Marseilles
Frankfort on the Maine 120/ 121
Vienna — 10 822 10 872
Trieste — 10 821 . 10 871

I'etersburgh
Berlin

29j -29 i
6 28 6 281

Madrid — 4G' 4G
Cadiz
Leghorn
Milan - 25 72f
Genoa
Naples — 25 67 25 75

Mr. C. Buxton, M.P., on American Affairs.

Mr. C. Buxton, M.P., is in the habit of delivering an
annual address at the Reading-rooms at Cromer, Norfolk,
on the events of the preceding twelve months. He has
just reviewed 18&. Upon the American question the
hon. gentleman said the crowning event of the history of
the past year was the overthrow of the South. Having
remarked upon the futile nature of the prophecies indulged
in with respect to the late war, Mr. Buxton said :—Those
who took the side of the North at that time have a right
now to triumph over those who differed from them ; but I
confess that even at this day I for one look back with bit-
ter regret on the ruin and devastation that has befallen
that fair land, on the hundreds and thousands of homes
that have been filled with mourning, on the sufferings of
those who have perished on the ruin and waste of wealth,
and the heavy burdens tied round the neck of the American
people. However, we may indeed rejoice that the ter-
rible strife is at last over, and that the triumph of the
Northern arms has been attended by the great and glorious
achievement of the abolition of slavery. That is, indeed,
no slight consolation for all the miseries which this war
had entailed. Another result of the war cannot but be
gratifying to us as Engfishmen, and that is, that the
character of our American brethren, who aro bone of our
bone and Bosh of our flesh, has unfolded itself in such un-
expectedly brilliant colours. They have shown mar-
vellous vigour, endurance, and force of will. Except
at the first battle of Bull Run, the soldiers on both
sides have performed prodigies of valour. The two
governments, having everything to create on the
spur of the moment, made, of course, many blun-
ders, but altogether showed extraordinary power
of organisation, and the art of war probably was never
learnt so quickly by a previously untrained people. No
personal sacrifices of money, or of comfort, or of life, could
for one moment damp or deter them ; and last, but far from
least, with some exceptions, and especially in the infamous
treatment of Northern prisoners by the South, I must say
that this great civil war was conducted on both sides with
admirable humanity. Any one who is familiar with the
histories of other civil wars cannot but have noted with
heartfelt satisfaction the self-control displayed by the com-
batants in the greatest of all civil wars, and the conduct of
the Government of the re-United States towards the sub-
jugated South has been marked on the whole both by sin-
gular clemency and by statesmanlike wisdom. The prin-
ciple on which that Government acted has been that of
endeavouring rather to win back the South to take its
place once more as a partner in the Union than to deal
with it as a conquered enemy. The President and his col-
leagues have done all that mon could do to conciliate the
South, and enable her to return to the Union without any
bitter feelings of humiliation or disgust. If anything, this
policy, sound as it was in principle, was carried too far.
Many of us hero began to feel no little alarm lest Mr.
Johnson should virtually sacrifice the freedom of the
slaves by leaving them completely under the heel of their
former masters. I for one thought he was making a
grievous mistake in not insisting from the first on the essen-
tial stipulation that the evidence of negroes should be
taken in courts of law exactly like that of the whites. At
first, however, all seemed to go smoothly. The South,
astonished at this unexpected treatment, seemed willing
frank;y to embrace the offers made to her, and to be
ready to acquiesce in the facts of her position. But
during the last two months the aspect of affairs
has changed, and the old obstinacy and bitterness of
the South has revived. Most of the Southern States
have been showing of late a sullen determination to thwart
the will of the North, to repudiate her authority, and,
above all, to make the freedom of the negroes a mere nomi-
nal boon. Some are insisting on a recognition by the
Union of the debts they have incurred in rebelling against
it, and, generally, they have been adopting a variety of
measures of the most cruel character, by which the negro
would still be virtually almost as much as ever a slave.
They are especially determined not to allow his evidence
to be taken in a court of justice. Now this obviously is a
vital point. It is plain that if a negro cannot prosecute a
white man or bear evidence against him, there is no limit
to the violence or ill-usage which he may receive at the
white man's hands. Fortunately, however, the South
showed her head too soon. If she had waited with some-
what more patience, the Southern States would have been
brought into the Union, with their privileges and powers
as large as ever. But the violence of temper and malignity
of purpose which they had so incautiously displayed had
alarmed the North. Mr. Johnson himself appears to have
felt that his policy was somewhat too confiding, and ac-
cordingly loft it to Congress to decide on what conditions
the Southern States should be restored ; but I greatly re-
gret that the House of Representatives, instead of adopting
the wise and noble principles of policy on which Mr.
Johnson was inclined to act, seem now determined to
show their irritation against the South, and to treat her
not as a reconciled sister, but as a subjugated foe. I have
little doubt, however, that this is temporary, and that ere
long the Northern States will be content to restore the
South to full union ; but at the same time, enforcing those
definite and stringent stipulations for securing the freedom
of the negro which experience has already shown to be
essential.

The last official accounts from New Zealand are
very favourable. Four regiments of British troops are re-
turning home. Not only was commerce decidedly on the
increase, but progress was making in the gold discoveries,
and immigration was steadily advancing.
REPRESENTATION OF NOTTINGHAM.-011 Wed-

sesday evening a meeting of the Nottingham Inde-
pendent Society was held at the Black Boy Hotel. Reso-
lutions were passed pledging the members to give their
support, morally and pecuniarily, to Sir Robert Clifton, in
defending his seat as representative of the borough in
Parliament against the petition with which ho is threatened,
and also resolving to present a petition against the return
of Mr. Samuel Morley, as having been secured by bribery,
intimidation, corruption, and other unconstitutional means.
Further subscriptions to the amount of £6OO were received.
After the transaction of some business it was resolved to

hold a public mooting in the large room of the Durham Ox
Inn on Friday evening. Lady Clifton has consented to
preside over the Ladies' Central Committee.