The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LO.NIiON, WEDNESDAY EVEAING, DECEMBER 19, 1866.

News from America through the Atlantic
Cable.

The intelligence we receive from America by the
Atlantic Cable is almost wholly confined to a bare
record of the prices of gold, of 5-20 Bonds, of
Erie and Illinois Railway Shares, and of Middling
Upland Cotton. A few words of the PRESIDENT'S
Message to Congress were forwarded, and the start
of the yachts in their race for Cowes was tele-
graphed : the former, perhaps, due to the Govern-
ment ; and the latter, in all probability, the private
message of the owners of the boats. If the price of
gold were a true barometer, which rose and fell
only under the pressure of political events, we
might endeavour by a careful study of its readings
to obtain a clue to these events. But gold is not
such a barometer, for the market is influenced
by a strong clique of speculators, and may be car-
ried up and down by the combined action of this
body. With gold rises and falls the bonds which
represent the national debt. Even these prices are
not known to the public till after the intelligence
has been made the means of securing for speculators
a profit on their priority of news. It does not ap-
pear to be anybody's business to obtain for the

public early American intelligence. Not an effort

with this object has been made by the press.
When the excitement in Baltimore threatened to

assume almost the dimensions of a revolution, the
facts might have been guessed at from the
sudden rise in the price of gold. We knew
that the precious metal had gone up with so sudden
a bound that something must be wrong ; and we
were kept in a pleasing state of uncertainty what
that something could be. Whether Pennsylvania
had marched the militia of the State into Maryland,
or the PRESIDENT had occupied the city of Balti-
more in force, we were left to guess, although each
of those events were threatened, and either might
have been attended with consequences as mo-
mentous as the world could well conceive. In
strange contrast with our helpless ignorance
is the fulness of intelligence spread over
the Union by the American press. There the press
has formed an association and taxed itself, for the
purpose of obtaining news by telegraph in the ful-
lest detail. From all parts of the Union the news
is forwarded and simultaneously issued in all the
great cities of America. No sooner was the At-
lantic Cable completed than a negotiation was com-
menced by the representatives of this association for
a daily receipt of news from Europe, comprising a
given number of words. Nor were the leading
newspapers content with the information thus ob-
tained. The London correspondent of a great New
York " daily," forwarded through the cable for
his journal the entire speech of the King
of PRUSSIA when he opened the Chambers.
While the meteoric showers were falling in trains of
light that penetrated the gloom even of a London
sky, " Our own Correspondent" had forced his way
into the Greenwich Observatory, had there absorbed
all the scientific knowledge he could gather ; and
while the astronomers were still gazing at the
heavens, the compositors in New York were build-
ing up an account as accurate and complete as any
about to appear in the London morning papers.
The revenue of the Times is something so im-
perial that it cannot be compared to any one
journal, but to all the journals published in a
capital city put together. A newspaper of such
dimensions might at least follow the example set by
the leading newspapers of New York, and give to
the public, from whom it derives this royal revenue,
the benefit of an early knowledge of the most im-
portant events occurring in the States. Its New
York correspondent might surely be entrusted with
this duty. It may be said that Americans are more
deeply interested in the intelligence from Europe
than are Europeans in the intelligence from Ame-
rica. Against this can certainly be put
the fact that there is no one country on
earth whose news to us is of equal im-
portance. The truth is that we have no com-

bined system of action by which the expense could
be borne by the who:e body instead of by an indi-
vidual newspaper, awl even the Times shies at the
enormous cost that it would entail to receive through
so expmsive, a medium intelligence for its columns.

The Times has risen far above the level of competi
tion, and its revenue coU.d scarcely be increase(

though it might expend several thousands per
annum thus to benefit the public. However plea-
sant such a state of things may be for the leading

journal, the poiition is not conducive to the public
interest. But we may live in hopes, for early next
year the great influx will commence of Americans
to this side, and they will be scarcely content to re-

ceive such meagre news through the Atlantic Tele

graph from the country they have left. —Anglo
American Times.

Drunkenness Among Women.

-- ~--

Some months ago the Round Table, a leading
weekly review of the United States, published
an article on "Drunkenness Among Women," which
created a sensation all over the country. This ar-
ticle was copied into scores of papers in Europe as
well as in America ; it was translated into several
languages, and was commented on wherever the
English language is spoken, from the Hudson Bay
territories to the wild diggings on the western coast
of New Zealand. Considering that the article
brought grave charges against one-half of the human
family—at least as confined to the United States—
considering that these charges were made in the most
unqualified and sweeping manner, it is little wonder
that around the Round Table a furious battle should
have raged. It is not safe to attack women in any
country, but least of all in America, where the sex
assumes the most dignified position and exercises
the most control. The boldness of our contempo-
rary surprised us as much as his assertions. We
looked for little less than annihilation. But though
the storm raged furiously, the Round Table remained
unmoved. We were interested in observing in its
issue of the 24th November last another article
headed " Drunkenness Among Women." Although
the Round Table now qualifies and admits the too
sweeping nature of its former allegations, it still
maintains the substantial truth of its statements.
Perhaps a little startled by the effect produced, the
writer, aided by its staff, began to collect facts and
figures through various channels to support his as-
sertions. As the storm at one time threatened
serious results, the editors were induced to fortify
their position by securing overwhelming proof, not
necessarily for publication, which would bring
shame and misery upon innocent persons, but
to be ready, in case of necessity, to hold the
post they had taken up. When the facts had been
obtained, the result was calmly awaited ; but the
storm blew over, and the second article is evidently
written more with the object of qualifying the first
than with the intention of reviving a disagreeable
subject. "By careful inquiry and investigation,"
says our contemporary, " we.are now satisfied that
" it would be possible to print the names of a
" greater number of respectable females—that is,
" of reputable families—than would fill the space
" occupied by this article, who, within the last five
" years, in the city of New York, have fallen victims
"to drink." Considering that the article occupies
more space than a page of this newspaper, the num-
ber indicated must be enormous. " The Belmont
" Retreat, which is advertised so extensively and
" was opened in 1864, is only one of a large num-
" ber of private asylums, where women are received
" who are the victims of dipsomania. There are
" cases easily pointed out in this city where females
"6 arc habitually subjected to physical coercion by
" their families who feel unwilling to send them to
" asylums. Much of this unhappy state of things
" has been brought about by the war. The nervous
" excitement incident to Darting with fathers, bus-
" hands, brothers, and lovers, the horried anxiety
" as to their fate during the protracted cAmpaigns ;
" sometimes the freedom from restraint produced
" by their absence, all have combined to lead
" women astray, on this wise, who, under normal
" circumstances, would never even have felt tempta-
" tion." Undoubtedly in America the sex assumes
and maintains in society a higher position than
elsewhere. The " rights" of women are there more
fully asserted and more generally recognised. To
be admitted to the franchise, to stand as candidates
for Congress, to become members of the learned pro-