The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-29 00:00:00

ROYAL E NGTASII OPERA,
COVENT GARDEN.
Under the management of Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr. Wm.
Harrison, Sole Lessees.
THIS EVENING, THE TOY MAKER. Mr. H. Haigh,
G. Pyne ; Mesdames Susan Pyne and Thirlwall,
After which, at Eight o'ctock, MARITANA. Miss Susan
Fyne, Madame Guarabelia ; Messrs. H. Corti, G. Honey, E.
Dussek, 1 atey, and W. Harrison.
Conductor, Mr. ALFRED MELLON.
Commence at Seven o'clock.

The Box-office open from Ten to Five daily. No charge for
booking-, or fees to Box-keepers.
Stage-Manager, Mr. Leigh Murray. Acting-Manager, Mr.
Edward Murray.

ri.EATM.RUYAL, HAYMARKET,
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Bnextstot..
TUTS EVENING, the nertermances will commence with
THE BALANCE OF COMFORT.
After which, OUR AMERICAN COUSIN. Lord Dun-
dreary, Mr. S Ahern. Mr. Buckstone, Mr. Farren, Mrs. C.
Young, dm.
Followed by SHOCKING EVENTS.
To conclude with MY HUSBAND'S GHOST.
Commence at 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Managrer---Mr. Edmund Falconer. _ _

THIS EVENING, GONE TO TEXAS. Mr. Walter Lacy,
Mrs. St. Henry.
After which, at a quarter to Eight (18th time) the new
and original Drama, entitled PEEP O'DAY ; •or, Savourneen
Deelish. Messrs. Walter Lacy, llermann Vezin, Charles
S-Iby, Edmun Falconer ; Mcs. D. P. Bowers, Miss Clara
Weston

Acting Manager—Hr. F. B. Ch Merton.
Prices as usual. Doors open at half-past 8, to commence at
7. Box-office open daily from 11 till 5.

I)OYAL PRINCES S'S THEATRE.-
Lessee and Manager. Mr. A. Harris.
T lII'S EVENING. JEANETTE'S WEDDING. lilies M.
Harris and Mr. H. Widdicomb.
After which, at Eight o'clock, Shakespe,re's tragedy of
OTHELLO, with new scenery, dresses, and appointments.
Othello, Mr Pechter

EW THEATRE-R0 VAL, ADELPHI.-
Sole Proprietor and Manager, Nr. B. Webster.

- --- -
THIS EVENING, THE PRETTY HORSEBREAKER.
31r. J. L. Toole, Mr. P. Bedford, and Miss Woolgar.
Alter which, the new drama, entitled THE OCTOROON;
or, LIFE IN LOUISIANA ; written by the author of "The'
Colleen 'sawn." Mr. George Jamison, from the Winter-
garden, New York ; Miss Latimer, from the provincial thea-
tres ; and Miss Denvil, from the lyceum. The other prin-
cipal characters in the drama will be performed by Messrs.
Emery, Stephenson Billington, Paul Redford, Romer, Mrs.
Nillin,Apn, Mrs. Marston, &c., &c. Entirely new scenery by
ttessrsalby and Thompson.
To conclude with DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Mr. Toole,
Alas K. Kelly, etc.
Doors onen at half-past 6—Commence at 7.
Box-office open from 10 till 5. No charge for booking.

NEW ROYALTY THEATRE,
Dean-street, Oxford-street.
Under the Direction of Mdlle. Albina di Rhona.
THIS EVENING, to commence with a new farce, en-
titled ALL IN THE DARK : Messrs. Butler, D. James,
Worboys, Miss E. Wilton, Am
After which, A THUMPING LEGACY.
Followed by SMACK FOR SMACK.
After which, Mdlle. di Rhona will appear in CAMELIA,
tind Dance two National Dances.
Box-office open from 11 to 4.
Doors open at half-past 6—Commence at Seven.

CANTERBURY HALL CONCERTS,
AND FINE ARTS GALLERY.

MIL SAM COWELL at Eleven o'clock in several favou-
site Songs, including " THE HOUSE THAT JACK
BUILT. "

Grand Selections from
STRADELLA. and LA Tit A VIATA,

'By Miss Russell, Miss_Ernst, Mr. Herbert, and Signor Tivoli.

with a poixerful Chorui.

The Comic department :—Mr. Sam Cowell ; Mr. Marshall,
in his new song, "John Bull, you don't bamboozle me ;"
Messrs. Ilarvey and N'rench (the Nerves); Mr. Wood and
his talented son, the best neg,ro delineators of the day ;
and Miss Harriet Coveney .

Musical Director, Mr. Jonghmans.
Admission—Hall, Bd. ; Stalls and Balcony, le.

T HE 0 X F O RD,
6, OXFORD-STREET.

EVERY EVENING.

Selections from " LA CIRCASSIENNE," " Simon BOMA-
necrra," and " Ernani," by Miss Russell and Miss Ernst ;
Messrs. Albert (his first appearance', Morley Greville, Sze.
Full Band and Chorus.—Conductor, Mr. F. Jonghmans.—
Balte's new ballads by Miss Russell and Madame E,clers-
tiohn (composed expressly for them). And Varied Comic
Entertainments by Miss Harriet Coveney, Messrs. W. Ran-
dall, llarvey and French (The Nerves), E. Marshall, and
SAM COWELL. Hall, 6d. ; Balcony and Stalls, is ; Private
Boxes, 10s. 6d.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAY.—Morning, llh. sm.—Afternoon, llh. 33m
TO-MORROW. -Morning, h. m.—Afternoon, ]2h. 6m,

WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, NOVEMBER 29, 18d1,
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
03 —lighest since noon yesterday.
41—lowest this morning and during the night.
s;—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-29.82.
WlND—Westerly ; fresh, with dull weather.

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THE SUN.
LONDON, FRIDAY, NOV. 29, 1861.

We shall be, as the phrase is, agreeably disap-
pointed, if Messrs. LINCOLN and SEWARD are will-
ing and able to accede to the demand which must

now be made by the British Government. Willing,
we fear they will not be, because few persons, and,
least of all United States officials, are willing to own
themselves wrong if they be so. It is a pitch of
breeding far above them frankly to confess an error.
A British gentleman, if he has been betrayed by his
temper or by ill-advice into a wrong against an-
other, could not rest till he had adequately apolo-
gised. He feels his honour involved in making the
best separation in his power. But the low class
of men with whom it has been the misfortune

of America to fill her highest places
mistake vulgar pertinacity for honour and dignity.
"Not to yield an inch"—and that not in a matter
of courage, but for the impartial judgment of unpre-
judiced persons—is the notion of honour held by
POLK and PIERCE, BUCHANAN AND LINCOLN,
and by the speech-making bullies whom they have
used as secretaries. We suppose there can be little
doubt that the American Commander acted under
direct orders from Washington, and if so, for the
reason above mentioned, it is hardly to be hoped
that the American PRESIDENT and his Secretary
will voluntarily undergo the penance of acting like
gentlemen.

But suppose them willing, will they be able ?
What would the fire-eating press of America say to
them ? What would the sovereign mob say ?
What would become of Mr. LINCOLN'S majorities
in Congress ? It is, perhaps, more than
any mediocre man elected by the vast mediocrity of
the United States dares do, to disown the act of any
man who had in conformity with orders from
Washington flouted the British flag. But one
argument would enable a President to yield, and
that is an overwhelming British superiority in
guns. It was this which brought Mr. BUCHANAN
to acknowledge the demands of our Government in
the case of San Juan. His envoy found there that
British men-of-war were masters of the situation.
possibly when Mr. LINCOLN is aware that we have,
or soon shall have, nearly a thousand guns afloat
within easy reach of the Potomac, he may feel the
weight of armaments if he feels little the weight of
arguments; and it may be the most peaceful
course for the Americans not only to
know, but to see, that if we pleased
we could by a
few broadsides annihilate their blockade,
or send
all their ships crouching beneath their forts
to feel very ill at ease there also. -We are not
counselling war, or even direct threats, but when,
we have to do with bullies, it is not amiss quietly
to let them be aware that we have a life-preserver
or a revolver in our pockets.
The terms of the opinion furnished by the Law
Officers of the Crown have not yet been made
public, bat their purport has not been concealed.
If we are rightly informed, the seizure of peaceful
passengers is held to be illegal ; and further, the
law of nations requires that the vessel should have
been taken before a prize court and regularly dealt
with, that all persons might have an opportunity
of proving thci: position and rights. The last is,
we presume, unquestioned law. It has never been
heard of yet out of the range of piracy, that a
commander of an armed vessel could do more than
seize an unarmed ship of a neutral, acting on his
own responsibility for proving before an Admiralty
Court that the ship was violating international
No civilised nation has ever authorised its

= commanders to act the part of lawyers, and to decide
on the application of the law of nations to indi-
vidual cases. We do not see, even if this legal and
technical ground be adhered to, what reply the Go-
vernment at Washington can make. They may
plead the notoriety of the errand of the Commis-
sioners, they may even plead that though their
orders were carried out with every adjunct of rude-
ness that could well be invented, they yet intended
to save the Trent inconvenience, by not delaying the
mails on board, but they must know that this could
not avail legally, and that as the Commissioners
were illegally taken from under the protection of
onr flag, we can claim for them that they should
be replaced in the position in which they were
found.

The other point may admit of more to be said on
both sides. Messrs. SLIDELL and MASON were two
unarmed passengers, proceeding from one neutral
port to another neutral port, and they were per-
' sons belonging to the States with which we ac-
knowledge the North to be engaged in lawful war.
But the North will not, probably, contend that
they have a right to seize such persons as pri-
soners of war. Unless, indeed, found assisting the
army, they could not, according to civilised usage,
have been seized as prisoners, even if
found in Charleston or Richmond. But it
will be contended that they bore an
official character, and one in which they might
greatly aid the enemy of the captors. It is not
pretended that they had military or naval skill,
which it is acknowledged, if they were proceeding
to the enemy's country, might be invaluable in war;
it is at most alleged that they were commissioned to
neutral Powers, and to Powers both of whom were
in amity with the Washington Government. Mr.
LINCOLN'S claim must therefore go as far as this—
that he has a right to prevent the Power which we
have acknowledged as a belligerent from appealing
to our Government for any purpose whatever. Can
such a claim be ever acknowledged? We should
think, if not a new case, that international law
must be against it. We are sure public
policy is against it. Public policy re-
quires that all facilities should be afforded
to belligerents of seeking the mediation of neutrals.
Mediation is only possible through hearing both
sides. The Northern representative is here to
state his side. Now, it is quite possible that the
commissioners to two such perfectly impartial
Powers as France and England might be charged
with a mission of the kind suggested ; they might
be authorised to express the willingness so far
as the South is concerned, to accept the joint media-
tion of England and France. We are not even
intimating that such was the fact—but it is so
possible, nay, in the course of time, so likely, to be
the object of a diplomatic mission to England from
the South, that we should contend, in the face of
any authority to the contrary, that such persons
ought to be as safe in a neutral ship as they would
be on British soil. The common interests of
humanity require it.
Probably there will be few now who will rei-
terate their outcries against Lord PALMERSTON
for taking moderate military and naval precau-
tions against auy abusive use the Federals might
make of their armaments. If Mr. SEWARD would
talk, and American naval officers act as they have
done, in the face of strength in Canada, and in
the American waters, what would they not have
dared and done had we not shown that we were
not quite asleep. We repeat our confidence,
however, in our Government. Lord PALMERSTON
cannot dishonour his country ; unless prompt
reparation be made he will, we are assured, insist
upon it in a way in which it cannot be refused.
Better give up our American commerce, and
close our ports to every American ship, than
submit to such outrages as these. National
honour is worth something to every Englishman,
unless he be the editor of some "Peace at any price"
penny paper. We may endure much from a bully,
but if we think it beneath us to fight him, we can
at least cut him; and, unless the Federal States
make reparation, it is the least we can do. Firm-
ness now, is, in truth, the most peaceful course. So
ashamed are the North of being held in check so long
by the South, so nettled is their temper, that unless
we show that we do not choose to catch their
side blows we shall have plenty of them. If we
allow them to console themselves for Bull's Run
and half a dozen defeats by taking passengers oat of
our steamers, we shall next hear of Mr. YANCEY
being seized in the streets of London, hurried into
an American vessel, and shipped off to the North.
Better stop such outrages by merited chastisement
at the first.

The American know now that they have caught
their Tartar. The despatches brought by the City
of New York mention that the San Jacinto has
arrived at Fort Monroe with Messrs. SLIDELL and
MASON on board. Doubtless "sensation" headings
and paragraphs have by this time flown all over
the Northern States, though it would be injustice
to suppose that there are not thousands of highly
intelligent and respectable persons who, in secret,
shake their heads at such news, and wish Mr.
SEWARD anywhere, so that he were incapable of
such useless and dangerous doings. His words
have disgusted, no doubt, the better portion of his
countrymen; his deeds will alarm them. This
portion of the inhabitants does not, however,
govern in America; it must, therefore, put up
with national conduct which it despises as much
as we do. There is a report that a large British
steamer, laden with arms, has been captured. Of
this no one will complain. We are all agreed
that those who supply arms to either North or
South must do it at the risk of capture.

There is some doubt whether the Federals
took possession of the town of Beaufort. They
appear to have encamped on the adjacent sea
island of Hilton—so at least accounts from South
Carolina state. The same accounts represent the
Confederates as having sent reinforcements to the i
town and intending to keep it, while the Federal
Government, we are told on the other hand, is
discussing whether or not it shall be made a port
of entry, It would seem that there must be a
considerable quantity of cotton at Beaufort, and
that not less than 10,000 bales (4001bs. each) are
already at the disposal of the Federal Go-
vernment. One account mentions that 2,000,000
dollars' worth had been seized. At Charles-
ton the spirit of resistance is very deter-
mined ; the black flag has been hoisted both
there and at Savannah, " as an indication that
quarter would be neither asked nor given."
If the South hoists the blaek flag, however, the
North seems likely at last to call out the Black men,
and perhaps there may be some connection between
the two. A colonel addressingthe rsehis regiment at
Washington urges the arming of the Southern
slaves against their masters. The Secretary of the
War, who is present, recommendationendo
of the military man ! This account, if true, and if
it means as much as it would seem to mean, is by
far the most important news yet received from the
North. We own to a little incredulity. Either
the language may be overstated, or the Secretary of
influence in the Cabinet, or
hWe amranly may have
pro lemplittetdto talk in terrorem—talk being
so important an instrument in the North.dnot equal
eAlall in
Northern victories put together vroul