The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-04 00:00:00

Miscellaneous American News.

The following is from the New York correspon-
dent of the Standard, dated Nov. 17 :—" The
President is busily at work upon his annual Mes-
sage to Congress. It will be a very important
document, and is anxiously looked for. Mr. John-
son is collecting all the information possible with
regard to the condition of the South and the senti-
ments of the people ; his subordinates in the
Southern States are sending in their reports ; his
Message will, with regard to these particulars,
present a very interesting body of facts. It is
understood that Mr. Johnson advocates the holding
of a great National Convention of the States to
deliberate upon the best means of reconciliation ;
he may say something about this in his Message.
With regard to our foreign relations his expressions
of opinion will be very clear and decided. The
Mexican question, and the causes that have led to
the recent important motions by the Government
in this regard, will be treated at length. The Pre-
sident will probably have very little to say about
Fenianism ; he will of course recommend such
friendly action by Congress as shall operate with
the British Government to the benefit of the con-
demned Fenians; in short, he will say all that he
can consistently to please the Irish at home, with-
out giving offence to Great Britain. He will re-
commend material changes in the neutrality laws.
He will also- recommend such action by Congress
as shall hasten the resumption of specie payments.
Although a Free-trader, he will probably have very
little to say against a high tariff, knowing that his
opinions would be scouted, and that their expres-
sion would probably prove injurious to the cause he
desires to befriend. He will probably ask for a
special appropriation for the relief of the suffering
poor of the South. On the whole, this Message
will be one of the most important state papers ever
produced by an American President. The several
Secretaries are also pushing their reports to com-
pletion. The most interesting of these will be
that of the Secretary of the Treasury. The
amount of legal tender currency now in circula-
tion is about $386,000,000. Mr. M'Culloch has,
within the past two months' retired the fund of
$50,000 authorised to be issued for the redemption
of temporary loans; $10,000,000 permitted by act of
Congress to be retired at the expiration of six
months from the Ist April, 1866, and $4,000,000
the sum allowed to be retired each mouth after the
expiration of that half year—in all $64,000,000.
To this contraction we owe the sudden decline in
prices in the provision, produce, and other markets.
Nothing more has transpired with regard to
General Sherman's mission to Mexico. The general
will touch at Ilra,vanna.h, and will possibly be joined
there by General Sheridan. A report from Mexico
to the effect .that Bazaine was about to pro-
nounce himself Emperor is current ; but such a
story is to be expected. Extraordinary rumours
are afloat at New Orleans, touching a military oc-
cupation of Mexico by the United States ; one
statement is that large numbers of troops are being
pushed to the Rio Grande. Those who are in
danger of being deceived by such reports should
remember that our President can take no such step
as that above indicated without the consent of the
Congress."
The following letter has been addressed to Secre-
tary Seward by Sir Frederick Bruce :

" Washington, Nov. 15, 1866.

" Sir—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your note of the 27th ultimo, relating to the sentence of
death passed on J. Lynch and J. M.Malion, in Canada, and
stating the views entertained by the Government of the
United States, and the various considerations of law,
policy, and humanity which might be expected to arise in
the course of the trials of the individuals concerned in the
raid committed on Canada last spring. _

"Immediately on the receipt of that noto I transmitted a
copy of it to her Majesty's Government, and I await their
instructions before entering at length upon the several
and weighty subjects contained in it. . .

" The course pursued by the Canadian Government in
bringing these cases before the regular tribunals of justice,
thus securing to the persons the full protection the law
affords to the accused, and the readiness shown by them to
communicate all such documents to the consul of the
United States as may throw light on the justice of the
sentence and the regularity of the proceedings,will, I trust,
satisfy the Government of the United States that, while
vindicating the majesty of the law, the authorities do not
conduct the prosecution in any vindictive or harsh spirit.
"I am, moreover, authorised to state that the whole ques-
tion of the disposal of such of the prisoners as may he con-
victed been referred for decision to her Majesty's Go-
vernment, who will certainly be animated by the desire so
to:deal with it as to secure peace and harmony between
the populations living in such immediate proximity, and
separated by a long frontier so easily traversed.
" I have the honour to be, with the highest considera-
tions, sir, your most humble and obedient servant,

"FREDERICK W. BRUCE.

"Hon. Win. H. Seward, &c."

Horse-racing has been taken up in New York
with all the energy of the American people, and the
course in Jerome Park is a decided success. A
" Jockey Club" has been established, and racers
are now bred and trained for the turf with a success
which bids fair to rival the horses of England. The
Grand Stand of the Jerome Park course can with
ease accommodate 8,000 persons. The beauty of
the site and the taste with which all the arrange-
ments have been worked out is a general subject of
commendation, and has much tended to secure
popular support for the spirited proprietor, and an
interest in the undertaking he has inaugurated. Mr.
Jerome's name is likely long to be associated with
the great national races of the United States.

The Newcastle Daily Chronicle has one of the
most able articles we have seen of the many lately
put forth by the press on our militaiy system. The
Chronicle points out the defects, but proposes no
remedies. It is 50 years since the pay of a British
soldier was fixed at the present magnificent figure.
While the soldier's allowance has remained station-
ary, the wages of the class from which the army is
recruited have increased from 50 to 100 per cent.
The time was when a depression of trade scut
thousands into the ranks, but dull trade has no such
effect now. The workman knows the markets of
the world are open to his industry, and if labour is
a drug in one district, it is a necessity in another.
" The artisan who in honourable toil can earn from
four to eight shillings a day, is not inclined to take
the chance of being shot for a shilling." The fact
is omitted that, though the soldier's pay is not
directly increased, it is so indirectly. Good-con-
duct badges, each carrying one penny a day, are
now obtained at shorter periods, while the comforts
of the soldier have been greatly added to. These
efforts, however, have not equalised his position
with the industrious artisan ; but it should be borne
in mind that the skilled artisan is of a higher class
than the men who generally enter the ranks of our
army. The Times is hammering the nail on the head.
The defence of England can be entrusted only to
our constitutional force, the militia of the United
Kingdom. Drop the regular army, and properly
organise the militia, and England is secure.
The Paris correspondent of the Telegraph sends
the following despatch, dated Monday night:—
"The United States Minister at this Court has, I
am informed, just received a long telegram in cipher
from his Government, occupying ten hours in trans-
mission. This is supposed to relate to the Mexican
question, and is probably to convey to the Emperor
Napoleon a definite solution of it. It is considered
here that the Emperor Maximilian's Mexican career
has closed."

DR. MARY WALKER.

(From Dr. R. 7'. Trail's Serrald of Health, published in NO

York.)
In 1862, the United States Congress passed all
act giving to the soldiers of the United States aril
a medal of honour for special meritorious services,
and the President of the United States decided vib°
were to receive such honours. We are glad to notice
that " a testimonial and 'medal of honour" is to be
conferred on this " Lady Doctor," who has achieved
a distinction in the annals not only of military PIP
gery but of military service, never before accorded
to one of her sex. The Washington Republican
says :
of
" President Johnson, carrying out the purpose 0
his predecessor, President Lincoln, and acting 111)e
the recommendations of such high military author a
as Major-Generals Sherman, General Thomas, e'l3ll
M'Cook, has been pleased to issue the order belo
in favour of Doctor Mary E. Walker. This orde
is handsomely inscribed upon parchment, and is the
.
only compensation under the law that the Frew
dent is empowered to bestow upon the doctor, be"
cause she happens to be a lady. Much of the serf
vice rendered by her to the Government could ne,
have been accomplished by a man. She risked he'
life many times, and nearly sacrificed her health,
in her efforts of patriotism, as time will harem!'
tell. Until Congress can do Dr. Walker soine
gree of pecuniary justice, she must be content with
the noble parchment testimonial of the preside
so justly bestowed, and all that he has the polder
legally to give."

Here is the President's order :
" Executive Offices.
" Whereas it appears from official reports that
Dr. Mary E. Walker, a graduate of medicine,
rendered valuable service to the Government, an
her efforts have been earnest and untiring in a I°.
riety of ways,' and that she was assigned to duty
s
and served as an assistant-surgeon, in charge to
female prisoners at Louisville, Kentucky, upon t'a
recommendation of Major-Generals Sherman so
Thomas, and faithfully served as Contract-Sur'g'eon
in the service of the United States, and has devote°,
herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick s'l,"
wounded soldiers, both in the field and hospitals/ 'll
the detriment of her own health, and has also es:
dured hardships as a prisoner of war four mond°
in a Southern prison while acting as a Contract'
Surgeon ; and
"Whereas, by reason of her not being a comma"
sioned officer in the military service, a brevet or
honorary rank can not, under existing laws, '
conferred upon her ; and
" Whereas, in the opinion of the President °
honourable recognition of her services and suffer'
ings should be made,
"It is ordered that a testimonial therefor shall
be hereby made, and given to the said Doctor IVUI,
E. Walker, and that the usual medal of honour
meritorious services be given her.
" Given under my hand, in the city of Washil
ton, D.C., this eleventh day of November, A.
1865. "ANDREW JOHNSON, President'
" By the President.
" Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War."
Dr. Walker intends writing a history of het
doings and sufferings so soon as she regains her ill')
health and strength. Her strange adventures'
thrilling experiences, important services, and OW
vellous achievements exceed anything that mode°,
romance or fiction has produced. Throughout lir
whole war-life of four years she has persisted 1°
wearing the " short dress," and by the indonlit3l3l°l
energy of her will, and inexhaustible resources
her " strategy," she has not only won the admir°;
tion of the military authorities of the country, 1)°,
compelled, as it were, a recognition of womano
rights to dress as she pleases, and to fill any statio,.o;
public or private, which capacity and inclination °
her for. In this sense she has been one of the
greatest benefactors of her sex and of the hulas
race.