The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-13 00:00:00

" The flattering reports of the Southern crops have been
greatly exaggerated. They are by no naeans in as good a
condition as represented, and the people are very uneasy
about the prospect before them. In many places throughout
the South provisions have already reached fabulous prices,
butter bringing a dollar a pound, and other articles in pro-
portion.

" The blockade kept up by our squadron along the entire
Southern coast is making itself felt already in the scarcity
and consequent high price of provisions. Before it was put
in operation the necessaries of life ranged at pretty nearly
the same rates in New Orleans as in New York. Since
then, while there has been no appreciable difference here,
prices have actwilly doubled in the Crescent City. Flour,
which in New York costs 5 dols per brl, sells in New Or-
leans at from 9 dols to 10 dols ; corn, which costs 45c per
bushel here, costs there from 75c to 85c ; pork sells at 25
dols per barrel there, against 12 dole 50c here, and so on
with other articles. In Virginia even provisions are only to
be had at famine prices, and that while hostilities are not
yet a fortnight old in that State."
The Richmond ►Wig advocates a British Protec-
torate in preference to coming back to the Union.
The Wheeling (Virginia) Union, a strong Seces-
sion paper, has died for the want of patronage.
Advices from Havannah to the 25th ult., state
that the Consul-General had commenced a vigorous
war on the flag of the Confederate States, and the
commander of the Niagara had gone so far as to
send armed parties on board those vessels which
displayed it in the port of Havannah. Two cargoes
of Coolies, amounting to over 700, had been landed.
A telegraphic despatch from St. John's, New
Brunswick, dated May 30, announces the arrival of
Prince Alfred at that place :
"Prince Alfred arrived here last night at midnight. He
was received by the Governor and suite and civic authori-
ties. There was a large torchlight procession by the fire
companies in uniforms."
" The Prince has been driving about the city and out-
skirts to-day. He leaves to-morrow morning for Frede-
rickton, and it is supposed he will proceed to Quebec by the
River St. John and the Lakes to the River de Loup."

The following letter from Halifax, giving details
of the Prince's movements there, is published in the
New York Herald :

"HALIFAX, MAY 25.

" Yesterday was the Queen's birthday, and it was cele-
brated by the usual review. What added most to the in-
terest of the scene was the presence of his Royal Highness
Prince Alfred, who, albeit acknowledged only as a midship-
man in her Majesty's service, yet attended as the guest of
Lord Mulgrave, Governor of Nova Scotia, his lordship's
review of the garrison and Volunteers. The day was re-
markably fine, and your correspondent, by the kindness of
his worship the mayor, was so placed as to have a most ex-
cellent view of the ceremony. His Royal Highness was
seated with Lady Mulgrave in her ladyship's carriage. He
was plainly attired in midshipman's undress, the usual
rosette being removed from his cap on account of the recent
death of his grandmother, the Duchess of Kent, which cir-
cumstance also prevented many other public demonstrations
that would have otherwise taken place. The Prince re-
sembles his brother very much, but is apparently of a more
lively disposition. He is, however, very much smaller.
Among the distinguished people present were Gen. Prom-
ley, commander of the garrison; Admiral Sir Alexander
Milne, K.C.8., and most of the officers of the fleet. The
troops consisted of the 62d and 63d Regiments, both of
which served in the Crimean war, as was honourably
shown by the numerous medals that glistened upon their
broad breasts as they marched by. The artillery, both of
the regular service and of the Volunteers, was exceed-
ingly well served. The 1 olunteer rifles presented a
most soldierlike appearance, their uniform—a dark gray—
presenting a strong contrast to their redoubted rivals, and
the ostrich-like white uniform of the band. The 62d
carried two tattered flags, that forcibly recalled to the
spectator their late valour in Russia. The three cheers for
the Prince were given as only British cheers ara given—full,
regular, and deafening. The review lasted about an hour,
when his Royal Highness was driven off to the Governor's
house amid the long-continued plaudits of the people.
" The fleet containing the Prince was signalled oft the
harbour on Sunday last, but the St. George was separated
from the rest of the fleet by a storm, and did not arrive un-
til 9 p.m., May 22. The Prince disembarked at 11 the next
day. The St. George is a first-class line-of-battle ship,
mounting 90 guns, with an auxiliary power of 500 horses.
She carries a crew of 800 men and a full staff of officers.
lion. F. Egerton, captain; E. H. L. Ray, commander. The
St. George will not return to England for some time, but
will remain upon the North American station.
." The Prince will visit New Brunswick and the Canadas,
and return to England in a small steamer some time in
August. On account of the troubles in the United States,
it is not probable that he will visit them at this time."

We understand that Admiral Sir F. Grey, K.C.8.,
and Commodore J. 8.. Drummond, C. 8., will fill the seats
now vacant at the Admiralty Board by the death of Sir R.
S. Dundas and the retirement, from ill-health, of Admiral

There are doubts arising in my mind respecting
the number of armed men actually in the field in the
South and the amount of arms in the possession of
the Federal forces. The constant advertisements and
appeals for " a few more men to complete" such and
such companies furnish some sort of evidence that
men are still wanting. But a painful and startling
insight into the manner in which " Volunteers"
have been sometimes obtained has been afforded to
me at New Orleans. In no country in the world
have outrages on British subjects been so frequent
and so wanton as in the States of America. They
have been frequent, perhaps, because they have
generally been attended with impunity. English-
men, however, will be still a little surprised to hear
that within a few days British subjects living in
New Orleans have been seized, knocked down, car-
ried off from their labour at the wharf and the work-
shop, and forced by violence to serve in the "Volun-
teer" ranks ! These cases are not isolated. They are
not in twos and threes, but in tens and twenties ;
they have not occurred stealthily or in by-ways ;
they have taken place in the open day and in the
streets of New Orleans. These men have been
dragged along like felons, protesting in vain that
they were British subjects. Fortunately, their
friends bethought them that there was still a Bri-
tish Consul in the city, who would protect his
countrymen—English, Irish, or Scotch. Mr. Mure,
when he heard of the reports and of the evidence,
made energetic representations to the authorities,
who, after some evasion, gave orders that the im-
pressed "Volunteers" should be discharged, and the
" Tiger Rifles" and other companies were deprived
of the services of 35 British subjects whom they
had taken from their usual avocations. The mayor
promises it shall not occur again. It is high time
that such acts should be put a stop to, and
that the mob of New Orleans should be taught
to pay some regard to the usages of civilised
nations. There are some strange laws here and else-
where in reference to compulsory service on the
part of foreigners which it would be well to inquire
into, and Lord John Russell may be able to deal
with them at a favourable opportunity. As to any
liberty of opinion or real freedom here, the boldest
Southerner would not dare to say a shadow of either
exists. It may be as bad in the North for all I
know, but it must be remembered that in all my
communications I speak of things as they appear to
me to be in the place where I am at the time. The
most cruel and atrocious acts are perpetrated by the
rabble who style themselves citizens. The national
failing of curiosity and prying into other people's
affairs is now rampant, and assumes the name and
airsof patriotic vigilance. Every stranger iswatched,
every word is noted, espionage commands every
keyhole and every letter box; love of country takes
to evesdropping, and freedom shaves men's beads,
and packs men up in boxes for the utterance of
abolition sentiments. In this city there is a terrible,
substratum of crime and vice, violence, misery, and
murder, over which the wheels of the Cotton King's
chariot rumble gratingly, and on which rest in
dangerous security the feet of his throne. There
are numbers of negroes who are sent out on the
streets every day with orders not to return with
less than 75 cents—anything more they can keep.
But if they do not gain that—about 3s. 6d. a day—
they are liable to punishment; they may be put
into gaol on charges of lasiness, and may be flogged
ad libitum, and are sure to be half starved. Can
anything, then, be more suggestive than this para-
graph, which appeared in last night's paper :
" Only three coroners' inquests were held yesterday
on persons found drowned in the river, names un-
known ? " The italics are mine. Over and over
again has the boast been repeated to me that on the
plantations lock and key are unknown or unused
in the planters' houses. But in the cities they
are much used, though scarcely trusted. It ap-
pears, indeed, that unless a slave has made up
his or her mind to incur the dreadful penalties of
flight there would be no inducement to commit theft,
for money or jewels would be useless; search. would
be easy, detection nearly certain. That all the slaves
are not indifferent to the issues before them is cer-
tain. At the house of a planter the other day one of
them asked my friend, " Will we be made to work,
massa, when ole English come ?" An old domestic
in the house of a gentleman in this city said, " There
are few whites in this place who ought not to be
killed for their cruelty to us. Another said, " Oh,
just wait till they attack Pickens !" These little
hints ire significant enough, coupled with the notices
of runaways and the lodgments in the police gaols,
to show that all is not quiet below the surface. The
holders, however, are firm, and there have been
many paragraphs stating that slaves have contri-
buted to the various funds for State defence and that
they generally show the very best spirit.
By the proclamation of Governor Macgeffin, a
copy of which I enclose, you will see that the Gover-
nor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Com-
mander-in-Chief of all her military forces on land
and water, warns all States, separated or united,
especially the United States and the Confederate
States, that he will fight their troops if they attempt
to enter his Commonwealth. Thus, Kentucky sets
up for itself while Virginia is on the eve of destruc-
tion and an actual invasion has taken place of her
soil. It is exceedingly difficult of comprehension
that with the numerous troops, artillery, and bat-
teries which the Confederate journals asserted to be
in readiness to repel attack, an invasion, which took
place in face of the enemy and was effected over a
broad river, with shores readily defensible, should
have been unresisted. Here it is said that there is a
mighty plan, in pursuance of which the United
States' troops are to be allowed to make their way
into Virginia that they may at some convenient
place be eaten up by their enemies ; and if we hear
that the Confederates at Harper's Ferry retain their
position one may believe some such plan really
exists, although it is rather doubtful strategy to
pet mit the United States' forces to gain possession
of the right bank of the Potomac. Should the posi-
tion at Harper's Ferry be really occupied with a
design of using it as a point d'appui for movements
against the North, and any large number of troops
be withdrawn from Annapolis, Washington, and
Baltimore, so as to leave those places comparatively
undefended, an irruption in force of the Confede-
rates on the right flank and in rear of General
Scott's army, might cause most serious inconve-
nience, and endanger his communications, if not
the possession of the places indicated.

- _
Looking at the map, it is easy to comprehend
that a march southwards from Alexandria could be
combined with an offensive movement by the forces
said to be concentrated in and around Fortress
Monroe, so as to place Richmond itself in danger,
and, if any such measure is contemplate& a battle
must be fought in that vicinity, or the Prestige of
the South will receive very great damage. It is
impossible for any one to understand the mcve-
ments of the troops on both sides. These companies
are scattered broadcast over the enormous expanse
of the States, and, where concentrated in any con-
siderable numbers, seem to have had their position
determined rather by local circumstances than by
considerations connected with the general plan of
movements
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same mail which carries this,
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exceedingly impor-
tant information, to which I, in
n
posi-
tion, can have no access. The influence of the
blockade will be severely felt, combined with the
strict interruption of all intercourse by the Missis-
sippi. Although the South boasts of its resources
and of its amazing richness and abundance of pro-
duce, the constant advice in the journals to increase
the breadth of land under corn, and to neglect the