The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-28 00:00:00

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be felt by a man when it is proved to him that the
slap in the face he has unexpectedly received was
given in accordance with law. Mr. Seward, no
doubt, is quite ready, if not eager, for the war of
words, in which, it must be confessed, he is an able
adversary.
In the meantime the public here are deluded by the
semblance of successes in the North, and think they
have killed the beast Rebellion already,because they
have stuck a few arrows in his horny hide. Their
politicians are wrangling over the spoils ; they
are fighting about the fate of the negro and
his ultimate disposal before they have got him ;
and by a narrow majority the ultra black Repub-
licans were defeated but the other day in a propo-
sition which would have raised the most formidable
issue. But will Mr. Chase be able to sustain the
platform on which the warriors are standing ? The
most sanguine here admit that the finances of the
United States cannot endure this expenditure for
another six months. Much may be done in that
time by active Generals, successful expeditions, and
daring and happy enterprises. But I do not per-
ceive the ingredients for these things. It is true
Major-Gen. M'Clellan, when he begins to move,
may display on a large scale the qualities which
did distinguish his little campaign in Western 'Vir-
ginia, and the scheme of operations developed as-
sumes colossal proportions and a certain coherency,
but one failure in any one part may cause the fail-
ure of all. The South is, in spite of all that has
been said or done, exhibiting as determined a hos-
tility as ever, nay, more, it warms as the fight goes
on—the Southern heart has communicated its fires
to its own cotton, and the coast is wrapped in flame
and smoke at the approach of the invader. By slow
degrees some offshoots may take root on the main-
land, but as yet the unparalleled expenditure of the
United States—an expenditure on credit and not
yet realised—has produced but small impression on
the enemy. The subscriptions to the national loan
are tumbling down. They are by tens of thousands
of dollars, where the expenses are by hundreds of
thousands of pounds. But if " the United States
will go on till they have come to their last dollar,"
which is the cry that for ever meets me when the
politicians talk of finance, they will do a good deal
more than they have done yet or evinced a dispo-
sition to do. The burden of taxation has yet to be
placed on these unaccustomed shoulders. Up to this
moment the enormous amount of money circu-
lated through the country has compensated for the
cessation or diminution of ordinary trade and in-
dustry. There has been enormous profusion with-
out any outcry for economy, and waste :without
efficiency. It is probable that this army of
600,000 men costs far more than an army of
1,600,000 Eurepean troops, and certainly, except
for detachment and guerilla duties,an armyof 60,000
European troops could have settled the question of
actual superority in the field very speedily by
marching on either Richmond or Washington, in
spite of the long line of intrenchments, some time
ago, though the task would not now be so easy.
Notwithstanding the processes to which contractors
are exposed, they pocket fortunes at every clutch.
The ruin of material is enormous. Horses purchased
by Government for 118 dols, or about £23, are so
treated that they are sold in batches at sums vary-
ing from ls. to £4, the latter being the average
price at which 160 were sold a few days ago. In
justice to the Americans I must say it is rather the
foreign teamster and the city riff-raff who are so
cruel, for as a general rule the native-born Ameri•
cans are kind to animals and treat their horses very
well, as is well attested by the gentle disposition of
the animals themselves.

But if the North suffer in purse the south is
threatened with greater calamities, which she can
only endure on the supposition that she does not re=
quire trade, commerce, or money to go on iith the
war. The States seem to conduct their internal
government just as of yore, and one must feel some
admiration for the system which, sorely tried, has
stood so well against all external trials up to the
present moment. Governor Brown, of Georgia, in

his message to the Legislature, rather insinuates
that the Secretary of War did not do all in his power
to defend the coast, and says he was obliged to ap-
propriate the funds in the State Treasury to the pur-
poses of the Confederate Government in defending
the forts, or let them fall into the hands of the
enemy; the State has not been compensated for the
outlay (100,000 dole) thus incurred. The volunteers
seized the arms from Augusta and carried them off
without his knowledge or consent. There were only
5,000 Confederate troops on the coast, to which an
addition of 10,000, with a reserve of 10,000, was
considered necessary. The State is called on for an

appropriation of 5,000,000 dols accordingly, and
the Secretary of War is censured by implication for
neglecting to call out the State troops when the
danger of attack became imminent. As the Go-
vernment has not provided for the defence of the
coast, the State is recommended not to count the
cost, but to call out as many troops and give as
much money—whether 10,000 dols, or 20,000 dols,
whether 5,000,000 dols or 10,000,000 dols—as may
be necessary to defeat the invader. Certainly all
this reads like "no surrender." The message is
dated November 19, from Milledgeville: It speaks
of the United States very much as Russia spoke of
the Allies in 1854-5, and in the Norfolk Daybook
special fnn is made of Mr. Saulsbury's proposition,
on the meeting of Congress, for the appointment of
certain commissioners to confer with a commission
from the Confederate States for the preservation of
the Union. That blessed Constitution is said to be
" an excellent union for the Yankees, being com-

posed of such despicable God-forsaken scoundrels as
were never raked together in one parcel since the
world began—a perfect dog-cat conglomeration of

negro thieves and pirates." " What under Heavens
should we want with a union with them? To share
the debts caused by their folly ? To share with them
the contempt of the world?" As to debts, however,
there may not be much to choose. The Richmond
Despatch proposes to punish with death any one
who shall ask or receive a percentage for exchange

of paper, to make all paper of bank or corporation
receivable at par by the States Treasury and by the
Confederate Treasury, to authorize the Treasury

Departments to use the public funds and securities
for the redemption of paper money in the States,
and to require all banks to redeem the bills of
each other.

There has been nothing of interest to record, bui
I subjoin one or two passages from my diary :
DECEMBER 11.

The habit of funeral eulogies is rather French

than English, and may be good enough notwith-
standing, but it is hard to see why a Legislative
Assembly in the crisis of an empire's destiny should
waste one whole day in " winding wreaths" round
the brows of departed senators, or " throwing chap-
lets" on their urns. It is the living who speak to
the living. They glorify themselves in praising the
dead, and their speeches are entombed in the Con-
gressional records. The President made the occasion
one of distinctive compliment by taking his place
in the Senate. Washington appeared there several
times, and perhaps some of the earlier of the Presi-
dential Casars, but of later days the head of the
State has rarely presented himself on the floor of
the Senate.

There is a feeling in reference to the dead which
appears morbid to Europeans. A strange result of
this is visible in Washington, where the walls are
covered with placards from professor, of" Embalm-
ing the Dead." In one shop in the principal tho-
roughfare, Pennsylvania-avenue, there is a lively
representation of the process, eridently
photo-
graphed, which shows how the fluid is injected into
the vessels of the deceased. Metallic air-tight
gh which the fea-
coffins, with glass plates
through
in all the
tures may be seen, are
freight, d sn t
btyo
under-
takers' stores, and bodiesdai
dozens. As I was visiting
the other
of the 6th
distant parts of the S.tc4.esrs,peasleatirlyhreebaiacllwaramaevpd
Regular United States Cavalry