The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-01 00:00:00

THE SUN.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1861.

Fuller intelligence strengthens the probability
of war in earnest in America. If the PRESI-
DENT'S Message was rather hesitating in its tone,
there is no hesitation on the part of any of the
Free States. The Border States, as might have
been expected, either refuse to send their quota of
men to the PRESIDENT, or remain inactive; but
the Free States more than make up for their failure.
It would seem as if Mr. LINCOLN might have a
militia army—and it will be a militia army on both
sides—of any number that he pleases. Even the
little State of Rhode Island, with a population of
147,000, less than that of many of our towns, offers
1,000 men, the Governor offering to lead them in
person. New York is providing an army of
30,000 ; Pennsylvania, 25,000 ; Ohio, 20,000 ;
indeed, it is stated that 250,000 men could
be raised with ease at a short notice. It may
be said that these men are not regularly trained
soldiers, mere 4tla of July men, good only at a de-
monstration ; they are however of the same material
as the army which conquered Mexico so easily was
made of ; and though they would be no match for
the men who fought on either side at the last battles
in Lombardy, neither are their antagonists better
drilled than themselves. The southerns have pro-
bably had much more practice with the revolver,
the rifle, and the bowie knife, as these seem to con-
stitute the bench to which they almost daily appeal
for justice. But the north has vastly the advantage
in artillery, and in the means of manufacturing both
great guns and small arms. Indeed up to the
time of the last advices the south was buying
its weapons from northern manufacturers, and
the sale of them thither had only been
stopped since the attack on Fort Sumpter.
The South must now go to Europe:for them. That
will take time, and possibly they may be captured
on their way by a Northern fleet.
The South responds to all the preparations of the
North, with, considering their population, more
than equal vigour. It must, however, be borne!in
mind that in all slaveholding countries the number
of freemen at disposal for military purposes is
always, in proportion to the entire population
of freemen, large. Labour is dishonourable,
and freemen abound to whom military service is
but a relief from weary idleness or from pressing
want. The Galf States can extemporise an
army of vagabonds and illers, who are, because
having to maintain themselves by their wits, not
wanting in the desperate kind of courage which
may make a decent soldier. They have
some military supplies already, and if the contest
be prolonged, will get more by smuggling them
from the North or from Europe.
We do not see, however, what the North can do
more than blockade the ports and hold its Southern
ports as we hold Gibraltar in Spain. For the rea-
sons we have already mentioned, it would be im-
posible for a Northern army to penetrate the interior
of the gulf States—Nature and a deficient population
arc against them. A glance at any map will show
how little there is to occupy and hold. Not a great
deal, comparatively, on the coast itself, in the centre
next to nothing. few ports, amongst which New
Orleans stands conspicuous, might with greateffort
be perhaps conquered; they might be with no great
difficulty blockaded —but when that is done it would
be difßcult to do more. The worst aspect of the
last "reeve is, that it seems like the beginning of a
.svalll3 which, from the nature of the case, neither
party can so They
conquer as to compel a peace.
may
weal"' each other out by mutual injuries, and
be glad to settle oti the
basis of mutual indepen-
dence, but the North can
no
effectually the South, thanthreere hope to conquere
South the North.
At Fort Sumpter the possibility of p eeful counsels
prevailing was wickedly thrown away, The South
probably wished this. There is a verp The
of Unionists even in the seceded Stat:,t;rtahYe
noisy and furious party who, from the beginning,
have determined to be independent, wanted to
silence their voice by placing them in a false posi-
tion. The South never, as n e meet remember, had
the shadow of a legal or even fair cause for seces-
sion ; it had long resolved to keep its man in the
Presidential chair, to rule the whole Union, or to
separate. It will fight, therefore, to the last for
a separate existence, nor do we see how the largest
Northern army can compel reunion.

Not having made much way with the Covert -
ment in the House of Commons, Sir It. PEEL, aided
by the Earl of SHAFTESBURY, has resolved to try
what a "large and influential meeting" of the
QuEix's suhlects can do, through her MAJESTY,
to Put a stop to suue most cruel religious persecu-