The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-17 00:00:00

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.
The Royal Mail steamship Canada", which touched
at Queenstown yesterday, has arrived.
The .21Tew ork, Tribune narrates an incident vi hich
took place at the White House on the 31st :
" A scene of exciting interest occurred at the
White House yesterday, which has obtained pub-
licity from the number of persons present, in which
Mr. Lincoln exhibited the Jacksonian element in
his character to much advantage. A delegation
from California called to protest against the influ-
ence supposed to be exerted by Senator Baker in
the appointments for that State. A paper was pre-
sented to the President, severely reflecting upon
him and the motives which actuated his conduct.
After hearing their statement and charges, Mr.
Lincoln informed the delegation that he could not
enter into any such personal controversy. He said
he had known Mr. Baker 25 years, and did not
credit the aspersions. To conclude the matter, he
calmly destroyed the document and threw the
scraps into the fire, with an admonition which re-
minded those present of some neglected proprieties,
The delegation withdrew, and do not propose re-
newing the interview soon."
The Government policy respecting the Southern
forts had not leaked out, but it was surmised that
Fort Sumter only would be abandoned.
Governor Pickens sent a lengthy message to the
South Carolina State Convention on the 28th.
First he explains the inaction in re Fort Sumter.
The C. S. A. took from him all responsibility in the
premises. The troops which the State enlisted for
this purpose, with the officers, are still in commis-
sion, and Governor Pickens urges the necessity of
their being provided for by the Confederate authori-
ties. Thus far the expenditures of the State in her'
new experiment have been 640,317 dols., of which
amount 195,000 dols. was disbursed by the
Ordnance Board. Since this expense was in-
curred for the common weal Governor Pickens
cherishes the belief that the C. S. A. will
assume it. Some action should be taken authoris-
ing the transfer to the new Government of the arms
seized by the C. S. A. Having disposed of these
practical matters, Governor Pickens proceeds to set
forth the philosophy of the Secession movement.
Hitherto in the history of the world the struggle
has been to secure personal rights. That has been
accomplished. The United States Government was
framed to secure the rights of political communi-
ties, and having failed in that object it became
necessary to make a new attempt. The Governor
adds :

" Our State, true to the great principles upon
which the Confederacy was formed, and true to those
great and progressive ideas which were so identified
with American independence, was forced to resume
her original powers of government; and if she suc-
ceeds in engrafting the fundamental right of a
separate and independent State, to withdraw from
any Confederacy that may be formed, whenever her
people, in sovereign convention assembled, shall so
decide, then she will have made another advance in
the science of government, and added another
guarantee to the great principle of civil liberty.
And if this principle could be secured without an
appeal to arms and blood it would show that the
country has progressed in civilisation and intelli-
gence, so far as to be able to settle all controversies
and issues involving political rights by an appeal
to reason, interest, to free discussion, to conventions,
to treaties and covenants, rather than by an appeal
to brutal force."

It is reported from Montgomery that the railway
from that place to Pensacola would be completed in
a few days, great efforts having been made to finish
it in order to facilitate the transportation of troops
to the siege of Fort Pickens. It is also said that
2,000 troops were expected at Montgomery.
Troops, provisions, and ammunition were flowing
into the Confederate army in numbers and quan-
tities. The Alabama papers relate an attempt to
spike the guns at Fort Pickens :
" A man named Doyle, one of the workmen at
the Navy Yard, slipped over to Fort Pickens a few
nights ago, and came very near getting in before
he was discovered. He had a bundle of rat-tail files
in his pocket, and says if it had not been for a ser-
geant holding a lantern up to his face as he was
going in the door he would have had every gun
spiked in 20 minutes. He was sent back by Slem-
zner, with the request that he be dealt with, as he
did not wish to do anything that might bring
about a collision, which was so much to be depre-
cated. Colonel Clayton sent a note in reply, by
the hands of Private Bullock (who, by the by, has
since been appointed to a corporalcy), stating that
he would punish Doyl9, but just at this time he
had too much need of his services in casting cannon
bulls. The conference took place just outside the
fort."

The Federal steamer General Rush had landed
troops at Key West and proceeded with others to
Tortugas. The Brooklyn had arrived at New York
with disbanded troops from Texas. In the Virginia
State Senate, the House amendment, authorising
the Governor to call out a guard to resist the re-
moval of the guns from the Bellona Foundry, was
agreed to. Nine senators presented a protest against
the passage of the resolutions into law. The Senate
refused to permit the protest to go upon the journal.
The secession feeling appeared to be gaining
strength. In the Convention a delegate from Albe-
marle county presented a resolution, passed by a
portion of the people represented by him, instruct-
ing him to vote for secession. He said that when
he became convinced that a majority of the people
of the county desired him to vote so, he should
shape his course according to their desire. Resolu-
tions of a like character were presented from three
other counties. The Secessionists, in consequence
of these and similar indications of feeling, were
becoming more emboldened, and did not hesitate to
declare their intention to precipitate secession as in
the case of Texas, even at the expense of a division
between Eastern and Western Virginia. Notwith-
standing the state of affairs in the South, the fol-
lowing paragraph would lead us to believe that
slaves had not fallen in value :

“The Memphis Avalanche says that at a sale of
negroes belonging to Mrs. T. Ganett, of Lafayette
county, Mississippi, the following were the sums
paid, the sale being made upon nine months' credit :
—.Wilson, 4 years old, 917 dole. 50c. ; John, 16
years old, 1,778 doll. ; Andrew, 14 years old, 1,527
dolts. ; Susan, 48 years old, and child 4 years old,
967 clols. ; Ellen, 25 years old, and.two children, 3
and 5, 1,300 dole. ; Ann, 25 years old, and infant
child, 1,454 dole. ; Amanda, 10 years old, 1,225
dole. ; Mary, 8 years old, 374 dols. ; Becky, 6 years
old, 761 dols. ; Jane, 12 years old, 1,601 dols.—
making a total of 12,404 dole. 50c.”

The Mexican Extraordinary of March 16 gives
the following particulars of the attack upon Capt.
Aldham

" Captain Aldham's party consisted of Mr. Brett,
Mr. Heslop, and a hardy sailor named Harris, all
well armed. They were accompanied by Mr. Glen-
Die, English Consul of this city, his sister-in-law
Mrs. Kauffman, and Madame Maison, the com-
panion. in misfortune of Captain Aldham. The
whole company had two diligences, which were
escorted for a part of the way, and they reached
Orizava in safety. Here it was supposed all danger
ended, and on leaving Orizava all the travellers
appear to have been quietly snoozing away in their
seats, when, a short distance beyond Cordova, they
were alarmed by the diligence stopping and the
cry of robbers. Captain Aldham and his officers
being in the first diligence, with Mrs. Kauffman
and the unfortunate French lady, they at once
seized their arms and prepared for defence. Capt.
Aldham fired his pistol upon one of the assassins at
the side of the diligence, and then made a dash to
gain a position outside. As he was alighting he
was fired 'upon and fell, the ball having passed
through his thigh. The same discharge wounded
Madame Maison. A ball passed through the dili-
gence and hit that unfortunate lady in the knee,
breaking the bone in such a manner that her leg,
it is feared, must be amputated. In the meantime
Harris, the sailor, on the top of the stage, and