The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 12, 1861.

THE 7PEABL DIVERS OF CALIFORNIA•

The divers on the Californian coast use no weights in
order to sink more easily, as those of Ceylon and of the
Persian Gulf are said to do. It sometimes happens that the
diver is forced to come up without a single shell, either
from the difficulty of detaching from the bottom those old
rough ones in which alone there is any chance of finding
pearls of value, or from his having made the startling dis-
covery that a shark is watching his motions from above.
In the latter case he trusts to his quickness and agility in
swimming, and still more to audacity. The experience of
generations of divers has proved that the shark is a coward,
and that when met with resolution and presence of mind it
is not impossible to make him retreat. The Yaqui, if he
finds himself interrupted, swims directly towards the fish,
and strikes it with his spud. Generally, the shark becomes
impressed with the idea that he has caught a Tartar, and his
fright is increased by the plashing on the surface which the
companions of his antagonist make when they become aware
of what is going on. Fatal accidents are rare ; on the whole
coast, not one occurred during the diving season of 1859, al-
though in no part of the world are sharks more numerous.
A good diver will often bring up a hundredweight of shells
in one day. The process of opening them takes up a con-
siderable time. The oyster is carefully examined for the
pearls which may exist in part of it. Sometimes very large
ones are found in it, adhering to the inside of the shell ; but
being necessarily imperfect, they are less valuable than
smaller ones unattached. The oyster itself is cooked and
eaten by the Indians, but 'few other persons ever acquire a
taste fo: them. When a large and valuable pearl is found,
the fortunate diver receives a gratuity from the Armador of
20 or 30 dollars, and is allowed a holiday of a week, to en-
able him to go to town and spend it. These are the glorious
moments of the Yaqui-Indian's existence, and it is the
remembrance of them which brings him across the Gulf
year after year. lie clothes lamself in graceful and flowing
garments of white calico, he drinks mescal and sings wild
songs in the streets, smokes innumerable cigarritos, and
dreams away long hours in the shade, lulled by the plea-
sant notes of his three-stringed guitar. The music of the
Yaquis is livelier and more varied than that of the gene-
rality of American tribes, and when performed on instru-
ments more melodious than their own, many of their
airs are not without beauty. They are quite sensible
of the superiority of the instruments of the civilised man,
and I have seen Indians thrown into an ecstatic state when
one of our patty played one of their festival airs with varia-
tions, on the harmonium. An eager crowd soon collects in
front of the verandah, and a dance, fall of complicated
figures and graceful movements, is executed by the white
robed children of the sea. The holiday joviality of the divers
occasionally brings them into trouble, and a few of them
may sometimes be seen chained together by the ankle, en-
gaged in what are supposed to be " government works."
The punishment is a mere joke; the culprits pass their time
chiefly in making fun of their guard, and grinning at the
passers-by; and in a day or two they are allowed to return
to their little wigwam on the beach,—St James's Magazine.

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Lincoln, Abraham, an American lawyer and statesman,
born in apart of Hardin county, Kentucky, which is now
included in Larue county, Feb. 12, 1809. His ancestors,
who were Quakers, went from Berks, county Pennsylvania,
to Rockingham, county Virginia, and from there his grand-
father Abraham removed with his family to Kentucky
about 1782, and was killed by Indians in 1784. Thomas
Lincoln, the father of Abraham, was born in Virginia, and
in 1806 married Nancy Hanks, also a Virginian. In 1816
he removed with his family to what is now Spencer county,
Indiana, where Abraham, being large for his age, was put
to work with an axe to assist in clearing away the forest,
and for the next ten y ears was mostly occupied in hard
labour on his father's farm. He went to school at inter-
vals, amounting in the aggregate to about a year, which
was all the school education he ever received. At the age
of 19 he made a trip to New Orleans as a hired hand upon a
flat boat. In March, 1830, he removed with his father from
Indiana, and settled in Macon, county Illinois, where
he helped to build a log cabin for the family home,
and to make enough rails to fence ten acres of
land. In the following year he hired himself at
12 dollars a month to assist in building a flat boat, and
afterward in taking the boat to New Orleans. On his
return from the voyage his employer put him in
charge as clerk of a store and mill at new Salem, then in
Sangamon, now in Menard County, Illinois. On the break-
ing out of the Black Hawk war in 1532 he joined a volun-
teer company, and to his surprise was elected captain of it,
a promotion which, he says, gave him more pleasure than
any subsequent success in life. He served for three months
in the campaign, and on his return was in the same year
nominated a Whig candidate for the legislature ; but the
county being democratic, he was beaten, though his own
election precinct gave him 277 votes and only 7 against
him. He next opened a country store, which was not pros-
perous, was appointed postmaster of New Salem, and now
began to study law by borrowing from a neighbouring
lawyer books which he took in the evening and returned in
the morning. The surveyor of Sangamon county offering
to depute to him that portion of his work which was in his
part of the county, Mr. Lincoln procured a compass and
chain, and a treatise on surveying, and did the work. In
1834 he was elected to the legislature by the highest vote
cast for any candidate, and was re-elected in 1836, 1838,
and 1840. in 1836 he obtained a licence to practise law,
and in April, 1837, removed to Springfield, and opened
an office in partnership with Major John F. Stuart. He
rose rapidly to distinction in his profession, and was espe-
cially eminent as an advocate in jury trials. He did not,
however, withdraw from politics, but continued for many
years a prominent leader of the Whig party in Illinois. He
was several times a candidate for presidential elector, and
as such in 11844 he canvassed the entire state, together
with part of Indiana, in behalf of Henry Clay, making
almost daily speeches to large audiences. In 1846 he was
elected a representative in congress from the central dis-
trict of Illinois, and took his seat on the first Monday of
Dec., 1847. In congress he voted for the reception of anti-
slavery memorials and petitions ; for motions by Mr. Gid •
dings for committees to inquire into the constitutionality of
slavery in the district of Columbia, and the expediency of
abolishing the slave trade in the district ; for various reso-
lutions prohibiting slavery in the territory to be acquired
from Mexico. He voted 42 times in favour of the Wilmot
proviso. On January, 16, 1849, he offered to the :house a
scheme for abolishing slavery in the district by compensat-
ing the slaveowners from the treasury of the United States,
provided a majority of citizens of the district should vote
for the acceptance of the proposed act. Ho opposed the an-
nexation of Texas, but voted for the Loan Bill to enable
the Government to defray the expenses of the Mexican war.
He voted also in favour of river and harbour improvements,
in favour of
.a protective tariff, and of selling the public
lands at the lowest cost price. He was a member of the
Whig National Convention of 1848, and advocated the
nomination of General Taylor. In 1848 he was a
candidate for the United States Senate, but the legislature
was democratic, and elected Gen. Shields. After the expi-
ration of his congressional term, Mr. Lincoln applied him-
self to his profession till the repeal of the Missouri com-
promise called him again into the political arena. He
entered with energy into the canvass which was to decide
the choice of a United States senator in place of General
Shields, and it was mainly to his exertions that the triumphs
of the republicans and the election of Judge Turnbull to
the senate was attributed. At the republican national con
vention in 1856, by which Col. Fremont was nominated for
president, the Illinois delegation ineffectually urged Mr.
Lincoln's nomination for the vice-presidency. On June 2,
1858, the republican state convention met at Springfield,
and unanimously nominated him as candidate for United.
States senator in opposition to Mr. Douglas. The two can-
didates canvassed the state together, speaking on the same
day at the same place. The debate was conducted with emi-
nent ability on both sides, and excited universal interest.
In the course of this debate Mr. Lincoln said, in reply to
questions from his antagonist, ' I do not now, nor ever did,
stand in favour of unconditional repeal of the fugitive slave
law. Ido not now, nor ever did, stand pledged against the
admission of any more slave states into the Union. Ido
not stand pledged against the admission of a new state into
the Union with such a constitution as the people of the
state may see fit to make. I do not stand to-day pledged
to the abolition of slavery in the district of Columbia. I
do not stand pledged to the prohibition of the slave trade
between the different states. lam impliedly, if not ex-
pressly, pledged to a belief in the right and duty of Con-
gress to prohibit slavery in all the United States territories.'
He said further, in explanation of these answers, ' In regard
to the fugitive slave law, I have never hesitated to say, and
I do not now hesitate to say, that I think, under the con-
stitution of the United States, the people of the Southern
States are entitled to a Congressional fugitive slave law.
Having said that, I have had nothing to say in regard to
the existing fugitive slave law, further than that I think
it should have been framed so as to be free from some of the
objections that pertain to it, without lessening its efficiency.
And, inasmuch as we are not now in an agitation in regard
to an alteration or modification of that law, I would not
be the man to introduce it as a new subject of agitation
upon the general question of slavery. In regard to the
other question, of whether I am pledged to the admission of
farnaynkmvo rtehslavestateswo
d intob e th
eedi Union.
s rlr state toto you very
ut in
ab
e positionex eeedionfghi
ya v
agd t ot
op ass
know
ouwp ont thatthat
there
equestionre
would
esvhe or u lb de
another slave stated admitted into the Union; but I must
add that, if slavery shall be kept out of the territories
duringafinelddwe
htnhe etnht
teehr
per
eyi to ocprol i
ema
sehexistencet ofntgh constitution, do such
aa nfyai ro one
agni vc
na
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an extraordinary thing as to adopt a slave constitution, un-
eir
LW:htenced by the promo of the institUti9ll 413.9ng

them, I see no alternative, if we own the country, but to
admit them into the -Union. In regard to the abolition of
slavery in the district of Columbia, I home my mind very
distinctly made up. T should be exc3,3dingly glad to see
slavery abolished in the district of Coluro bia. I believe that
Congress possesses tha constitutional pc,wer to abolish it.
Yet as a member of Congress I should not with my present
views be in favour of endeavouring to abolish slavery in
the district of Columba, unless it would be upon these con-
ditions : 1, that the alolition should be gradual ; 2, that it
should be on a vote or the majority of qualified voters in
in the.district ; and 3, that compensation should be made
to unwilling owners. With these three conditions, I con-
fess I would be exce4ingly glad to sad congress abolish
slavery in the distric of Columbia, and, in the language of
Henry Clay, sweep iore our capital ti tat foul blot upon
our nation.'" The vault of ,:the election was a vote of
125,275 for the repullican candidates, who were pledged
to the election of Mr. Lincoln, 121,190 for the Douglas
candidates, and 5,071f0r the Lecomptoro candidates. Mr.
Lincoln had thus a majority of more than 4,000 of the
popular vote over Mr. Douglas ; but tho latter was elected
senator by the legislature, in which his supporters had a
majority of Bon joint ballot.—On May 16, 1860, the repub-
lican national convention met at Chicago, and on May 18
began to ballot fora candidate for President. The whole
number of votes was46s—necessary to a choice, 233. On
the first ballot Mr. Sward received 1731, Mr. Lincoln 102,
Mr. Cameron 50i, aid Mr. Bates 48, while the rest were
scattered among several candidates. On the second ballot
Mr. Seward had 1841, and Mr. Lincoln 181. On the third
ballot Mr. Lincoln had 354, Mr. Seward, 1101, Mr. Dayton
1, and Judge M‘Lean half a vote. The nomination of Mr.
Lincoln was subsecuently made unanimous on motion of
the chairman of tht New York delegation,—Nov Ameri-
can Cyclopaclia.

escutcheons and tablets destined to be placed on the
pedestal erected at Woolwich for the reception of the
monumental memorial in progress of execution
by Mr. Bell were yesterday placed in position. The
tablet facing the barrack field bears the following :
" Erected by their comrades to the memory of the
officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the
Royal Regiment of Artillery, who fell in the war
with Russia in the years 1854, 1855, 1856." The
tablet fronting the north-eastern gate leading to
the barracks contains,—" In honour of the dutiful
and brave." And the two sides are covered with
escutcheons bearing the arms of the corps.

LORD PaILMERSTON ON COM-
PETITIVE EXAMINATIONS.

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY EVENING.
The distribution of certificates to the successful
candidates in the recent Oxford Middle-class Exa-
minations took place this afternoon in the Carlton-
rooms. More than usual interest attached to the
proceedings from the fact of Lord Palmerston,' who
is at present residing at Broadlands, having con-
sented to present the certificates to the youthful
students. The hall, the largest in Southampton,
was crowded by a brilliant assemblage of ladies and
gentlemen, while the platform was occupied by a
considerable number of the principal inhabitants of
the town and neighbourhood, including clergymen
and ministers of all denominations. The members
of the corporation, in their robes of office, were also
present. When Lord Palmerston entered the hall
he was received with loud and protracted cheering.
The MAYOR, who presided on the occasion, briefly
opened the proceedings. He was followed by
The Rev. W. SELLS, one of the secretaries, who
read the report of the local committee, which stated
that this year the number of candidates for exami-
nation, as well as the proportion of prizemen, was
considerably larger than last year; that though none
of the candidates attained the first class, either
senior or junior, yet out of 19 actually examined no
fewer than 14 passed ; and that all showed them-
selves interested in their work and anxious for the
advantages which the University of Oxford was so
generously affording them.
The Bishop of ROCHESTER, in moving the adop-
tion of the report, expatiated upon the importance
of the University examinations as an admirable
means, not only of raising the standard of education
throughout the country, but also of breaking down
the system of caste which had so long prevailed in
England.
'The Rev. S. S. WRIGHT seconded the motion,
which was unanimously agreed to.
Lord PALMERSTON then distributed the certifi-
cates. Each of the candidates when he appeared on
the platform was hailed with marks of approbation.
There were 14 in all, and to the more distinguished
of them the noble lord addressed a few words of
commendation and encouragement.
A vote of thanks to the noble lord was moved by
the Hon. and Rev. T. HARRIS, seconded by Mr.
FALVEY, and carried with acclamation.
Mr. FALVEY remarked that, though the English
people often exercised the privilege of abusing their
Prime Ministers, yet they were ready to say of
Lord Palmerston, in the words of a late eminent
statesmen, "We are all proud of him."
Lord PALMERSTON then rose and said,—l beg to
return you my most grateful and heartfelt thanks
for the honour which you have done me, in the first
place in permitting me to perform a most agreeable
duty upon the present occasion ; and in the next
place, in giving me that mark of your goodwill
and approval which you have just accorded by your
vote. My hon. and rev. friend who moved the last
resolution told ou that a member of the committee
which arranged these proceedings said that who-
ever should propose thanks to me would do well to
be short, because the assembly would be more dis-
posed to do me the honour of hearing me. Although
‘I should be disposed as a speaker to acquiesce in
such an opinion, because in general a speaker is
more pleased to hear his own voice than to hear
that of anybody else—(a laugh)—yet I must say
that if those who spoke were always, in regard to
myself, as kind as my hon. and rev. friend has been,
and as forbearing as well as kind as the seconder
has been—who has abstained from using the British
privilege of abusing Prime Ministers—(laughter)—
and has kindly on the present occasion only availed
himself of that which, I trust, is also a British pri-
vilege—the privilege, namely, of saying something
in their praise—l can assure you that speakers so
complimentary and kind will always be more agree-
able to every man even than the hearing of his own
voice. (Cheers and laughter.) It is always most
agreeable to me to be present at a meeting of my
friends and neighbours, but it is peculiarly grati-
fying to be allowed to present my self upon such an
occasion as this. There is nothing, perhaps, more
remarkable in the progress of the country than the
advance which of late years has been made in the
diffusion and in the quality of education. The ad-
vance which England has made in population, in
wealth, in everything that constitutes in common
opinion the greatness of a country, is well known
and most extraordinary. But we should indeed
have been wanting in our duties as a nation if we
had not accompanied that progress in wealth and
population by a corresponding progress in the de-
velopment of the intellectual faculties of the people.
(Cheers.) Southampton, which equals in the rapi-
dity of its progress, both as to numbers and wealth,
almost any town in the kingdom, ought tc keep
pace, and I think has kept pace, with the progress
of the country in its intellectual development as
well as in its material prosperity. (Cheers.) It is
satisfactory to see that of those who have presented
themselves to-day to receive certificates of attain-
ment so many have distinguished themselves in
that particular department of science which per-
haps of all others requires the closest and most per-
severing application of the faculties of the mind—
I mean in mathematical studies. (Cheers.) Consi-
dering, too, how near we are to the sea, and how
much navigation must tend to the prosperity of
Southampton, it is pleasing to see so many Of the
rising generation directing their minds to the attain-
ment of distinction in mathematical science. (Hear.)
The advancement of education has for many years
past been an object of the most earnest solicitude to
almost all the public men who have risen to emi-
nenc,e in this country. We are glad to see that the
universities have started forth in that honourable
career; and it is peculiarly gratifying to me, as a
member of the University of Cambridge, to be per-
mitted to distribute certificates arising out of exami-
nations by the sister University of Oxford. (Cheers.)
There was a time, now long gone by, when envious
critics, who wanted to run down the universities of
the land, said they might be likened to hulks
moored in a rapid current, where they served only
to mark the rapidity of the stream. That has long
since ceased to be a true representation of our uni-
versities. They have improved the course, the
object, and the direction of their studies, and they
may now fearlessly vie with the academical insti-
tutions of any country in the world. (Cheers.) Cer-
tain objections have been made to the system of
competitive examinations. Some people say it leads
to cramming. It often happens that when man,
kind seize upon a word they imagine that word to
be an argument, and go about repeating it, think-
ing they have arrived at some great and irresistible
conclusion. So, when they pronounce the word
olikestemptyeasa bottle,n it
mind.
w a na ds
bt
e hf
crao t r
eeh w.
bh oe Tynh yout
i
who
h wa
" cramming," they think they have utterly discre-
dited the system to which that word is by them
applied. Some people seem to imagine that the
human
them
have filled it with anything you pour it out again
andnotit
has been crammed, to use the popular word, has, in
point of fact, learned a great deal, and that learning
has accomplished two objects. In the first place the
boy has exercised the faculties of his mind in being
nature
becomesi! mind
is
a f
h a
um
eralAmed, and in the next place there remains in his