The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-24 00:00:00

Agricultural Prospects.

Last week opened ;with a hot day, thick and
threatening at times, but with no rain. Monday
was fine, with a cool breeze from the north-east ;
thermometer 68 deg. in the forenoon, but later in
the day it touched 75 deg. ; barometer 30.10 inches.
Our advices from Surrey stated : " Such has been
the heat of the weather the last 10 days that the
crops have progressed to maturity as quickly as I ever
remember." Sussex and Hampshire says :—" Our
farmers are hacking (cutting) their peas and mowing
their winter oats. Next week they will be reaping
their Talavera wheat and mowing their early pieces
of barley. My nearest neighbour has cut, carried,
and thrashed his trifolium seed, and very fine it is."
Tuesday was again a favourable day, and hay-mak-
.

ing progresses as fast as hands can be secured. Our
advices bearing that date from Suffolk furnish the
following information : "Many complaints were
made to-day of the wheat crops, especially off the
heavy-land farms, and many of those gentlemen are
greatly discouraged as to the yield as well as the
quality, as much of the crop is what they call nickled
down, the straw broken by the storms, and the ear
downwards." From another part of thesame county:
" The weather is wonderfully forcing, and with a
continuance we shall have wheat cutting in three
weeks. Wednesday was a fine day, with rather more
sun than on the previous two days." From the
West Riding of Yorkshire our advices state : " The
weather continues all that could be desired for the
growing crops, and generally they look healthy and
good. Hay-making is progressing favourably, the
crops various, but moderately good on the
whole, and got up comparatively with little
expense. Turnips vary much, and are not yet
out of danger." From the east coast of Scot-
land on that day our advices remarked : " The
weather is still all that can be desired for the grow-
ing corn ; rain, however, is still wanted." On the

est coast it was remarked—" The weather has been
hot and forcing." Thursday was a fine day, with oc-
casional clouds, but no rain, and hay went up well
in all directions, The 40
ices from ,Berkshire stated

" We shall be reaping winter oats in the course of
next week. The wheat will not be ready for the
sickle for another fortnight ; the crop is variously
spoken of, but I am certain it will be below an ave-
rage in our neighbourhood." From Suffolk, near the
coast, our information stated—" We continue to
have favourable weather for our crops, which are
coming on nicely for harvest, the cool atmosphere of
the past few days having checked any tendency to
premature ripeness. The barometer falls slightly,
a little rain now would not be unacceptable." From
the interior of the same county it was written—
" With a week of fine summer weather all our crops
are progressing rapidly, and wheat cutting in all
probability will commence within a fortnight." From
Essex, in the neighbourhood of Saffron Walden, our
advices stated—" A large crop of hay, well secured.
Corn promises well, but many plots are ripening
prematurely." From Warwickshire the same day it
was remarked—" Weatherhas been uninterruptedly
fine, and excessively hot during the week. _Hay har-
vest, though somewhat later than usual, is now pro-
gressing rapidly, crops being generally larger than
was anticipated. The corn is changing colour, and
we may look for harvest to commence in about three
weeks." From Surrey on the same day it was writ-
ten—" The crops have ripened in Surrey, Sussex,
and Hants even more rapidly than I anticipated in
my last. The Talavera wheat that I then spoke of
the farmer commenced reaping on Monday last,
the 16th inst., and, if he could have got hands
enough, would perhaps have got some of it thrashed
and sent to Guildford market on Saturday next.
It was his intention to have done so, but he
could not spare enough hands for the work, having
so much to do ; in fact, our farmers are in a
fix to get labourers enough just now." Friday was
a dry day, colder in the morning, but warm again in
the afternoon. Our advices from the West Riding
stated :—" The crops are all progressing favourably;"
and from the East Riding--" The weather is very
fine and dry, and harvest now makes rapid progress."
From Devonshire it was stated—" Weather con
tinues very hot; some pieces of corn have been cut
and new oats and barley showing in the market
many will cut wheat next week if the weather con
tinues fine." From Lincolnshire it was remarked

" The weather of late has been excessively hot, and
corn comes on fast and promisingly. Rain would,
however, do good, especially to barley, which on
thin soils is changing colours too rapidly—that is to
say, iu one field you have two colours, part green
and part ripening prematurely. By all these ac-
counts people appear agreed that general harvest
will be in full swing in about three weeks, with a
continuance of favourable weather ; meantime early
patches will go on of 'Talavera wheat, winter oats,
and barley, with peas, and samples of these may
be seen at market during the next week."—Mark-
lane Express.

The Riots at Memphis.

The accounts from the Southern States are 89
contradictory that it is not easy to tell what the ex-
act position is of the lately enfranchised freedmen.
Enough, however, transpires to show that through..
out the far South, and in many of the large cities,
a system of intolerable persecution is being inaugu-
rated—a system so atrocious that no measures how-
ever strong the Abolitionist can press on the Repub-
lican party, tending to crush the monstrous cruelty,
will be considered by Christendom too severe. It
is the impunity which attends these outrages on
the negro race that make the scenes so black, and
encourages' massacres which shock humanity. The
Governor of a great British Dependency may con-
sider himself lucky if he escapes being hanged for
having, under a form of trial, illegally executed a
coloured subject of great Britain. This nation rose
indignantly, and Exeter-hall thundered denuncia-
tions against public officers who went far beyond
the bounds of justice and moderation in suppressing
a thug° conspiracy against their lives and property
on the part of their negro fellow-subjects. English
people forget that the same feelings which actuate
them move their descendants in the New England
States, and other Northern communities, to express
in unmeasured terms their detestation of cowardly
cruelty and oppression—to legislate with a strong
hand for their suppression—and to force on the Exe-
cutive adequate measures for the object. It is im-
possible to read the Report of the Commissioners
despatched to inquire into the riot at Memphis
without feelings of the deepest indignation. For
four days we see a city given up to plunder, incen-
diarism, and murder. The mob, aided and abetted
by the police—incited to further enormities by one
of the highest officials—the chief magistrate, either
drunk, or feigning to be drunk—and the general
officer, expressly appointed to protect the victims,
helpless without a force, and narrowly escaping the
destruction which had overwhelmed the people he
was there to guard. We see the loyal inhabitants,
whose minds revolted at such barbarism, themselves
subjected to indignity,, and threatened with expul-
sion ; the press aiding and excusing the rioters,
and not one step taken after the lapse of
weeks to bring to justice the mid-day murderers
of more than 30 fellow-citizens. If the Report of
these Commissioners is to be believed, the scene at
Memphis was no fight between the low white and
black inhabitants ; it was a simple massacre of a
helpless and unresisting population ; it was a con-
suming fire that burnt out for lack of materials to
prey on ; it was a causeless, senseless, diabolical'
outrage, which would have disgraced the darkest
age, and to which fit parallels can only be seen in
history, as the result of the strongest prejudices,
and the deepest religiow‘ fanaticism.
It is the duty of the European press to strengthen
the hands of the North by stigmatising such
scenes as they deserve--by making the names of
the officials who led, and who tacitly allowed such
barbarities, infamous in all civilised lands.
Well may the negroes mourn over the memory of
their murdered President—the great and good
Abraham Lincoln, the instrument under Divine
Providence who shook the fetters from their
arms ; but Andrew Johnson should not forget the
task he accepted when Governor of Tennessee.
"Looking at this vast crowd of coloured people,"
he exclaimed, " and reflecting through what a
storm of persecution and obloquy they are com-
pelled to pass, I am almost induced to wish that,
as in the days of old, a Moses might arise, who
who should lead them safely to their Promised
Land of Freedom and Happiness."
" You are our Moses " shouted several voices,
and the exclamation was caught up and cheered till
the capital rang.
" God," continued the speaker, " no doubt has
prepared somewhere an instrument for the great
work he designs to perform on behalf of this
outraged people, and in due time a leader will
come forth, a Moses will be revealed to you."
"We want no Moses but you," again shouted
the crowd.

" Well, then," replied Andrew Johnson,
" humble and unworthy as I am, if no better shall
be found, I will indeed be your Moses, and lead
you through the Red Sea of war and bondage to
a fairer future of liberty and peace."

Andrew Johnson has a gigantic task before
him. Few of us can appreciate the enormous
difficulties with which he has to contend. Few of
us can fully understand the means by which he
hopes to perform the solemn promise he there made.
His measures may not appear to us directly to
lead to such an object, and we must not forget
that the children of Israel passed to their Promised
Land through forty years of suffering in the Desert,
and that their leader was only permitted to get a
glimps3 of the country which Providence :had
marked out for his followers. There are those who
believe that the President's heart has failed him
in the task ; that he has fallen off from the stern
resolve required for the weary struggle. Bat we
do not believe this. We believe Andrew Johnson
to be a Patriot--with his heart fixed on the grand
object of Reconstructing the Union, of giving to
the South—the Law, Peace, Order, and Equal
Rights of the North. It is no fault of his if

slavery has so degraded a large section of the citi-

zens he rules, that nothing but years of patient
legislation and strong government can elevate the
lawless people into the highest task of a civilised

community—that of governing its own passions.—
dinglo-American Times.

Court Ciro Tar

HER MAJESTY.

OSB 0 RNE, Monday.

Divine service was performed yesterday, by the
Itev. Geo. Prothero, before the Queen, Princess
Louise, Prince Leopold, and Prince Beatrice.
The Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting were
present.

Her Majesty walked in the grounds this morning
with Princess Louise. Princess Leopold and Prin-
cess Beatrice also went out.
The Hon. Mrs. Wellesley has left Osborne.
Her Majesty the Queen will hold a Council at
Osborne, on Thursday next, at one o'clock.

- ,11. -

The Prince and Princess of Wales.

Yesterday afternoon their Royal Highnesses the
Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke of Edin-
burgh, and the two infant Princes, Albert Victor
and George, attended by Major Grey, the Hon• E.
Yorke, and the Countess of Morton, left Marl-
borough House, on a visit to the Queen at Osborne•