The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-07 00:00:00

AMERICA.

THE SECESSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
LONDONDERRY, SUNDAY.

The Canadian screw steamer North Briton, Cap-
tain Borland, from Portland, Maine, on the 22d of
December, has arrived here.

South Carolina seceded from the Union on the
19th of December by an unanimous vote of 169
members. The news created great excitement in
the House of Representatives.
It was stated that two condemned war steamers
sold at Havannah had been bought by South
Carolina.

The news of the secession had been received with
rejoicing in several Southern cities.
The Pacific Railroad Bill passed the House of
Representatives on the 20th, after considerable
debate, by a vote of 95 to 74. During the course
of the debate Mr. Garnett, of Virginia, announced
his belief that Virginia' would not hold heirself
responsible for the debt to be incurred in the issue
of the necessary bonds for the construction of the
road.

The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times stated that the President had instructed
Major Anderson to surrender Fort Moultrie if
attacked.

The icpringfield Chronicle, Mr. Lincoln's organ,
in speaking of secession, says :

" The laws of the United States must be exe-
cuted. The President has no discretionary power
on the subject. His duty is pronounced in the
Constitution, and Mr. Lincoln will perform that
duty. Disunion with armed force is treason, and
must and will be put down at all hazards."

QUEENSTOWN, SUNDAY.

The Royal Mail steamship Europa, Captain
Moodie, from Boston on the 26th of December and
Halifax on the night of the 27th, arrived here at
2.40 p.m. to-day.
At Washington, on the 24th of December, a letter
was read in the House of Representatives, signed
by the South Carolina members, announcing the
secession of their State from the Union, and their
consequent withdrawal from Congress.
The Speaker did not recognise this act of seces-
sion.

The leading secessionists were endeavouring to
precipitate all the Slave States into secession. The
Senate and House Committee had not reported on
the subject.
Great excitement prevailed consequent on the
discovery of a defalcation of nearly 1,000,000 dols.
in the Treasury departments. One of the Treasury
clerks has been committed for trial.

Congress had appointed an investigation into
the robbery. Several arrests had been made.
(LATEST BY TELEGRAPH via HALIFAX).

NEW YORK, DEC. 27.

The secession ordinance has been adopted by the
South Carolina Legislature, and an address has been
sent to the slaveholding States calling upon them to
join with South Carolina and form a Southern Con-
federacy. Secessionists are to be elected to the
Alabama Convention.

Fort Moultrie has been abandoned by the troops,
who, expecting an attack, have intrenched them-
selves in Fort Lampher, in Charleston Harbour.
Great excitement prevails in Charleston.
A deputation has arrived from South Carolina at
Washington to treat with the general Government.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

NEW YORK, DEC. 27.

Money very irregular. Stocks are quoted :
Erie, 35; New York Central, 75 ; Illinois Central,
68.

The cotton market is firm. Flour has advanced.
Wheat is tending upwards. Corn rising. Pro-
visions steady.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Nothing of special moment occurred in the Senate
except the delivery of a speech by Mr. Pugh on the
absorbing topic of the day.
The Springfield journal, Mr. Lincoln's organ of
the 20th ult., has a startling leader on secession,
which, from the peculiar relations of the paper
to the President elect, has great significance.
It says that South Carolina cannot dissolve the
Union by the simple passage of resolutions or other
passive demonstrations. Her federal officers may
resign, and she may close her courts and post-
offices, but she cannot get out of this Union until
she conquers this Government. While this Go-
vernment endures there ' can be no disunion. If
South Carolina does not obstruct the collection of
revenues at her ports, nor violate any other federal
law, there will be no trouble, and she will not be
out of the Union. If she violates the law then
comes the tug of war.

The President of the United States in such an
emergency has a plain duty to perform. Mr.
Buchanan may shirk it, or the emergency may not
exist during his administration. If not then the
Unwn will last through his term of 'Vice.
If the overt act on the part of South Carolina
takes place on or after the Ist March, 1861, then
the duty of executing the laws will devolve upon
Mr. Lincoln.

The laws of the United States must be executed.
The President has no discretionary power on the
subject. His duty is emphatically pronounced in
the constitution. Mr. Lincoln will perform that
duty.
Disunitn by armed force is treason, and treason
must and will be put down at all hazards.

The New York Times of the 21st Dec. says :
South Carolina by solemn ordinance declared
the connection with the confederacy of the United
States dissolved. The instrument by which this
desperate act was consummated declares that the
ordinance adopted by the State, in convention on
the 23d May, 1788, whereby the Constitution of
the United States was ratified, and all acts and
parts of acts passed by the Legislature of the State
ratifying amendments to the Constitution are
repealed, and that 'Union subsisting between South
Carolina and the other States, under the name of the
United States of America, is at an end. The
ordinance was engrossed on parchment, and
the members of the Convention signed
it at half-past six o'clock last evening ;
considerable discussion took place as to the imme-
diate effect of this action on business and other
relations, on the collection of revenues at Charles-
ton by the Federal authorities, on the distribution
of mail matter, &e., but no definite idea seemed to
be entertained by any one as to what was neces-
sary to be done. Some were in favour of continu-
ing certain relations with the " foreign" Govern-
ment of the United States, while others were
opposed to any such arrangement, and for striking
out at once into the labyrinths of separate Bove=
reignty. These matters will probably be discussed
by the Convention today.
Yesterday was an exciting day in Washington,
especially after the reception of the news of the
passage of the ordinance of secession by the South
Carolina Convention. An official despatch announc-
ing the action of the Convention was received by
President Buchanan while a number of Southern
men were present, and our report says that he
exhibited much agitation on the occasion. The news
created a great sensation in Congress, also confusing
the proceedings for a short period. But the most im-
portant intelligence in this connection which reaches
us from the Federal capital is that orders have been
issued to Major Anderson, in command of Fort
Moultrie, to surrender in case of attack. In accord-
ance with the spirit of these instructions, he tele-
graphs that he has surrendered all the arms—some
70,000 or 80,000 stand—which were deposited in the
arsenal at Charleston to the authorities of that city.
The commercial news brought by the Keder has
been anticipated.

ARRIVAL OF THE MELAZZO WITH ENGLISH
GARIBALDIANS...--PLYMOUTH, Saturday.—This morning
the Melazzo screw steamer, Capt. Patty, arrived at Fal-
mouth, having on board 231 English Garibaldians. She
has been 21 days from Naples. She put into Gibraltar for
provisions, and remained there three days. Seventy
volunteers were left behind at that port. Most of the
volunteers landed at Falmouth, 42 of whom came to this
place by the evening train. The Melazzo is bound for
Londou. The men complain of the quality of provisions
supplied them on hoard,