The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-10 00:00:00

Commence at 7.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEAT RE.--
Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Barris.
THIS EVENING, the new comic drama, entitled A
HOMESTEAD STORY, Messrs. Ryder Shore, and Miss
M. Harris.
Followed by HAMLET. Hamlet, Mr. Fechter. Sup-
ported by Hermann Vezin, Ryder, Meadows, ,te. ; Misses
Beath, Eiswortby, and R. Leclercq.

EW THEATRE-ROYAL, ADELPHL-
- Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
THIS EVENING MR. GORILLA. Messrs. J. L. Toole,
P. Bedford, Billington ; Miss Kate Kelly, Miss E. ;:hornc.
After which (228th time), TUE COLLEEN BAWN. Mr.
D. Boucicault, D. Fisher, Billington, Falconer, Stephenson,
C. J. Smith, Romer, Howard, Ward ; Mrs. Boucleault, Miss
Woolgar, Mrs. Billinirton. and Mrs. Chatterley.
To conclude with THE CENSUS. Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr.
Eburne, Miss K. Kelly, and Miss E. Thorne,
Doors open at halt past 6—Commence at 7.

OANTERBURY-HALL CONCERTS
AND FINE ARTS GALLERY.
EVERY EVENING.
Two Grand Selections from celebrated Operas. including.
Verdi's new Opera. THE BAL MASQUE (first produced
in England at this Establishment). with a Chorus of Forty
Voices, and upon a scale unequalled at any other Concerts.
Miss Russell, Miqs Ernst, Mr. Greville, MrHerber, Signor
Tivoli, Mr. Bernard ; popular Solos on the iston,
by Mr. Levy (the first performer of the day); the Brothers
Conrad (in an entirely original entertainment on the double
r opt,
not to be seen elsewhere); continued success of Mr.
Wood and his talented little Son.
The Comic Department comprises the following favourites :
—Mr. M
Marshall, r. Hol ilngsworth ; the NERVES by
Messrs. Harvey and French and Mrs. Lawrence.
Musical Director, Mr. JONGHMANS.

O X F O R D,
6, OXFORD-STREET.
This noble building being now completed, its architct
eural
beauty, elegance of ornamentation, and brilliancy of lig_hting
render it one of the sights of the metropolis. Open merY
Evening. The programme is varied, and includes and Selections
(by a full company of principals, powerful band,
chorus)
from " Macbeth" and "I.ln Ballo in Maschera." both operas
by Verdi, the composer of the day—The wonderful Solos on
the Cornet-a-Piston of the renowned Scotch Duets by
the Misses Stuart, and other vocal and instrumental music
of the highest order. Conductor, Mr. F. Jonghmans. The
Comte portion of the entertainments is supported by Miss
Green, Messrs. Sam Collins, Harvey, n French (the Nerves),
W. H. Wieland, E. Marshall, and W. Randall. Admission,
Hall, sixpense ; Balcony and Stalls, one shilling. private
Boxes, 10s. 6d.

T H E

WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tilts DA:Y.—Morning, 3h. 24m.—Afternoon, 3h. 44m,
To-rao2mol.-I.aorning, 4h. sm.—Afternoon, 4h. 20m

THE WEATHER.....-SUN OFFICE, JULY 10, IH6I.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADP•
7•2—highest since noon yesterday.
56—lowest this morning and during the night.
70—this day at noon.

BARommTER-30.02.
WlND—Westerly; light, with warm weather.

„.•,...,4. .;.„. -4. „,,,,,-.-..,--,„.,---,)•,(
.4:‘,...,,y),..„,•,,---..,.4.„,---_,,,-..-_,..„::::.,, ,N. , rpeA.
;,_,..,"'-`-'
-ttt----r:- --',. t.*., ,[4„_ f ;.:...f,i.).:..;-.:,:d: -„,, ~.,.. k • -,,,-"%:,.,A
1- -:;•...H.tt:11.--L,! I.; -f,, 1r• I i, •.,..,,0;,4-3;,, ' -.l` ' '4,-,:._ ,;•,:.:-,-,'
..„12.11,..,......7

THE SUN.
LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1881.

We were complaining hut the other day of the
difficulty of obtaining anything like trustworthy
information respecting the South and its movements.
In regard to the former, however, we have a per-
fectly authentic story from a well-known pen. All
that is worth telling us between Natchez and Vicks-
burg, the capital of Mississippi, situated on the
river of that name, and Cairo—the first town in
Illinois, placed at the very junction of the Ohio and
Mississippi, and commanding the river access to the
South—is here told us; and told us in a manner
somewhat more interesting and self-verifying than
the paragraphs we cut from Northern Heralds)
Tribunes, &c. Within this distance the Father o
Waters runs between five Slave States, Missouri
and Arkansas on his west ; Kentucky, Tennessee,
and Mississippi on his east side. The eastern shore
was the one which the steamer seemed to prefer, for
we hear nothing of the other ; and the railroads
are, as might be expected, all on the side where the
cities, if we may so call them, are to be found. In-
deed, Mr. WYLD's last map shows but one railroad
at all on the Western side of the Mississippi ; it is
in the State of Missouri, running parallel with the
river of the same name.

Respecting the numbers and movements of the
Southern troops which confront General SCOTT on
the Southern side of the Potomac, we have, indeed,
not a word of information. But concerning the
kind of men who are, we cannot say marching, but
getting to Virginia as well as they can, we have an
account full enough. We see, too, almost, as in a
photograph, the cities in this half-wilderness land,
and the fortifications, with their garrisons on
the banks of the river, watching to sink
any mischief-making steamer which may
slip down from the North. Of the country
we have had detailed, and matter of fact
descriptions before, from the pen of Mr. FREDERIC
LAW OLMSTED, yet we see things as they now are
better through the help of Mr. RUSSELL'S pen.
They give us a picture of soldiering under new

conditions. The men seem to be a motley group of
almost all countries ; Ireland, we are sorry to say,
furnishing the great majority of these fighters for
freedom to enslave. One company consisted en-

tirely of Irishmen ; of another five-sixths were of
that country ; there were brutal Germans, and
vindictive Italians also; native Americans, not in
large numbers—lrishmen taken from their works,
appeared to form the greater part of the companies,
their well-known brogue saluted the ear every-

where.
The merit of most of the defensive works on the
bank of the river oar English critic seemed to think
but small; they were neither well planned nor
usefully posted—gun-boats on the river, supporting
and facilitating appropiate operations by land,
would easily, he thinks, reduce them. The artil-
lery was contemptible; powder very scarce, and
the practice which he saw poor indeed. It would
certainly be easy for trained gunners very soon to
clear the great river of such impediments to its
navigation as our writer describes, but probably for
some time to come no attempt will be made to
disturb them ; and if the Mississippians could but
T,ractise long enough, and get better guns and pow-
der, they may become formidable shots. At present
their guns seem given to missing fire, sending their
utissiles short or wide of the mark, and recoiling
t,ut of the works.

11,4 soldiers themselves were rarely distinguish-
tible by any particular uniform, and though pro-
bably formidable shots, each man behind his tree,
hey bad acquired yet but little of the arts of acting
ogether and handling their weapons in military
.tyle. Colonels appear to be numerous, seventeen ;
end one captain, Mr. RUSSELL was introduced to
1,11 one day. Free and easy seems to be the military
-rule on the iNthsir,sippi, and why should it not
be ? What have freemen to do with martinets
.for officers ? Plumed felt hats are distinction enough
for soldiers, what need of uniforms and mere
useless appendages to a soldier's alms? Why too
Should not a sentry smoke
a cigar in his chair, and
set guard over the general's quarters "He is on
guard over the after part of the aeok, called the ladies'
saloon, and sacred to the general and his staff and
young fellow Attendants. He is a tall, good-looking

in a grey flannel shirt, a black wide-awake, grey
trousers, fastened by a belt, on which is a brass
buckle inscribed " U.S." His rifle is an Enfield,

and the bayonet sheath is fastened to the belt by a
thong of leather. The youthful patriot is intent
on the ups and downs of fortune as exemplified in
the pleasing game of euchre, or euker, which is
exercising the faculties of several of his comrades,
who, in their shirt sleeves, are employing the finest
faculties of their nature in that national institution ;
but he is not indifferent to his duties, and he for-

bids your correspondent's entrance until he has
explained what he wants and who he is—and the
second is more easy to do than the first. The
sentry tells his captain, who is an euchreist, that
" It's all right," and resumes his seat and his
cigar, and the work goes bravely on."
Here is an account of seven or eight hundred
men drawn up " for inspection." What would our
military men, and our professional military critics
say to it ?—" There were few of the soldiers in
any kind of uniform, and such uniforms as I saw
were in very bad taste, and consisted of gaudy fac-
ings and stripes on very strange garments. They
were armed with old-pattern percussion muskets,
and their ammunition pouches were of diverse sorts.
Shoes often bad, knapsacks scarce, head pieces of
every kind of shape—badges worked on the front
or sides, tinsel in much request. Every man had a
tin water-flask and a blanket. The general ad-
dressed the men, who were in line two deep (many
of them unmistakable Irishmen). and said what
generals usually say on such occasions—compli-
ments for the past, encouragement for the future."
It by no means, however, follows that many of
these men may not become very troublesome to the
regulars if they can but have a guerilla chief to lead
them. They would go where regular soldiers would
not ; and if they could not face a well-appointed
regiment, they could harrass it dreadfully in a
land of swamps and forests. More, however, de-
pends on the duration of the war and the skill of the
officers, these men are, after all, little better than

raw recruits. They will, if they have time, make
as good soldiers as others. They have probably
nearly all one grand requisite, they are by nature
good marksmen ; they have certainly another, they
hate the North. Living in a half barbarous seclu-
sion from civilisation, they know nothing of the
antagonists against whom they expect to be pitted,
but that they are a set of Northern cowards, who
will turn and run as soon as they see the smoke and
fire of the Southern muskets ; when they find that
Northerns can fire also, and with better weapons,
they are yet of a race not to be easily
frightened. They live in a land of duels ;
they are accustomed to the expectation of being
called out daily in time of external peace, to try
their skill against some neighbour whose ire they
have unintentionally excited, and they will have
vengeance enough in their nature to fight 2espe-
rately. It is painful to know that the bloodshedding
temper appears to be as prevalent as ever. " Next
day (says Mr. RUSSELL) being Sunday I remained
at rest in the house of a friend listening to local
stories—not couleur de rose, but of a deeper tint—
blood-red ; how such a man shot another, and was
afterwards stabbed by a third ; how this fellow
and his friends hunted down in broad day and
murdered one obnoxious to them—tale after tale
such as I have heard through the South and seen
daily narratives of in the papers. Aceldama !
No security for life ! Property is quite safe. Its
proprietor is in imminent danger, were it only
from stray bullets when he turns a corner."
We may suppose that soldiers from such
a country would at least fight like desperadoes.
As to drill, General SCOTT requires for his troops
as much as General PILLOW for his, and both may,
therefore, ultimately face each other on tolerably
equal terms. Arms of every kind and military
stores will be the great want of the South.

The completion as rapidly as possible of the
Royal Naval Reserve is a matter, if not of great
urgency, at any rate of very considerable import-
ance. It is an enterprise in the furtherance of
which our patriotic ardour is directly appealed to.
From the Admiralty downwards the whole of the
maritime energies of the country are influenced
appreciably by a sense of the mere fact that a
movement of this kind is actually now afoot.

Anythihg that can in any way tend to expedite it
either directly or indirectly possesses for us an
interest and is invested in our regard with an
attraction that every loyal subject of the Crown will

upon the instant not merely appreciate but warmly
participate in. We gladly direct attention there-
fore to the proceedings which have just marked a
public meeting of shipowners, and of commanders,
officers, and others connected with the mer-
cantile service of the United Kingdom. A meeting
which took place yesterday at the London Tavern
according to announcement, in order to consider,
" First, the regulations issued by the Government
under which masters and mates of merchant vessels
may be enrolled as officers of the Royal Naval
Reserve; and, secondly, how the owners, masters,
and officers of the merchant service can most effec-
tually assist the Government in procuring the
number of seamen required to complete the Royal
Naval Reserve Forces." In addition to the cir-
cumstance that the meeting itself was very nume-
rously attended by influential persons connected
with the mercantile service of the country, it was
presided over by one of the most distinguished of
our great shipbuilders, the hon. gentleman the
member for Sunderland. Nothing could very
well have been more directly to the purpose
than the remarks which fell from Mr. LINDSAY
yesterday as Chairman, when inaugurating the
' proceedings of the meeting over which he was
presiding.
It is now, as most of us will not fail to remem-
ber, between two and three years since this ma.
I mentous question as to whbther it might or might
not be desirable to call a Naval Reserve as speedily
as could be into existence—was submitted by the
Sovereign to the scrutiny of a Royal Commission.
Her MAJESTY in appointing this Commission was
of course acting upon the recommendation of the
Legislature. But—whatever led, mediately or im-
mediately, to the appointment of this Com-
mission—the Commission was appointed. And
the problem submitted to it for solution was
also in due course scrutinised very carefully
by the Royal Commissioners. How those Com-
missioners proposed to solve it, moreover, was told
plainly enough at the close of their labours, through
the succinct medium of a report, urging upon the
Government the establishment of a Reserved Naval
Force of 30,000 men. Of this commission, it
must be borne in recollection, that the mem-
ber for Sunderland was one of the most
active among the Royal Commissionerq. The
Earl of lIARDWICIiE, first of all Lord DERBI's
Privy Seal, and after wards his First Lord of the
Admiralty, presided as Chairman over the Commis-
sioners. It happened, said Mr. LINDSAY yesterday,
that'in some respects he differed from his colleagues
in their recommendation. He considered that the
Government " ought rather to appeal to the mcr
chant service through the masters and officeril Of.'
that service, and he was glad to find thgf
,tile
Government had adopted his suggestions." How-•
ever, the
Government of that day had issued
stipulations and conditions under which- mis-
t