The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-28 00:00:00

THE WEAT HER.—Stur Orvion, SEPTEXBER 28, 1661

rnnemostwrsut, IN IRS SHADE.
61—highest since noon yesterday.
51 —lowest this morning and during the night.
59 —this day at noon.
BAROMETER-29.90.
WIND—Southerly; rather fresh, with dull weather.

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N

THE STUN,
LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, 1881

October is not quite come yet, and American news
hardly reaches to the middle of September. We
must, therefore, patiently wait for another fortnight
before even the time fixed by the North for the
great advance arrives, and when it has arrived, we
must still look for the demand of a few days' grace.
Indeed, the two great actors seem to look on each
other like any other two combatants fighting with
weapons which will give the victory not to the first
mover, but rather to the second; and most certainly
to him who does not expose himself while attacking
his opponent. II'CLELLAN, we read, has made a
reconnaissance, at the cost of two lives; BEAITREGARD
is shifting about a little to his left—why, is not
known, unless it be to draw out his antagonist. For
the rest small battles in Western Virginia and in Mis-
souri, and successes almost entirely on the side of the
Federalists, but of no military value, or of very
little, sum up the military news. Re-
membering how long we had frequently to wait
during the Crimean war for any achievements of a
striking kind, we must certainly not complain of
the doings or not-doings on the Potomac. Both
armies have indeed more than enough to do in con-
verting men into soldiers, and soldiers into an
army.

Missouri, and in some respects Kentucky, attract
most observation now. From the latter a recon-
naissance by means of two gunboats was made down
the Mississippi from Cairo. A battery of sixteen
guns was found not a great way down on the Mis-
souri side. It was silenced and a rebel gunboat
disabled. The latter escaped capture, because sup-
ported, we suppose by artillery, from Columbus,
where 15,000 rebels were said to be encamped.
And thus from Fort Munroe, where they are
fitting out fresh expeditions to follow the suc-
cessful precedent of that to Cape Hatteras, to the
Mississippi, considerable bodies of troops are at
work, on either side of the grand armies.
The large State of Kentucky, on account of
its peculiar position, both politically and Geo-
graphically, is just now the object of special
attention. By the Census of 1860 it had a population
of 930,223 whites and of 225,490 slaves. Dr. Rus-

SELL compares it in importance with several small
European kingdoms ; but it is more to the purpose
to notice that it is inferior in white population to
Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio
and Pennsylvania, of the Northern States. Virginia
' alone surpasses it in white population among the
Slave States proper, and Virginia is now split
into free and slave. And Missouri has
only about half the number of slaves, while she
has 1,058,352 whites. Missouri and Kentucky,
therefore, have but a comparatively small vested
interest in slavery. The former is the fierce battle-
ground of FREMONT and the Secessionists,
anxious to keep so large a State for the
South ; but the latter has up to the present
time managed to preserve neutrality. This,
however, must now come to an end. The Gover-
nor, MACGOFFIN, is a hot Southerner, and
even vetoed a Militia Bill on behalf of the South.
His Legislature repassed it once over his head, and
made it felony to aid the rebels by levying troops.
He has been obliged to order the Confederate troops
out of the State, who however refuse to leave, while
the Federals are allowed to fortify their fortresses

at leisure.
It will be remembered that the PRESIDENT
was fearful chiefly about losing Kentucky when
required to give his assent to the bill confiscating
rebels' slaves. And now we are told that he has
written to General FREMONT, requiring him to
tone down his proclamation to the Act of
Congress. 'Whether he will do this remains to
be seen. The first proceeding under it is worthy
of notice. It occurred on the 13th. Two
slaves, of one THOMAS A. SMEAD, of St.
Louis, were regularly manumitted, it having
been proved that their master had taken treason-
able action against the Government. May the
incident be the first of a series of similar ones,
which shall be multiplied by the ten thousand and
the hundred thousand, till they reach four millions.

The historian of Europe has said (chap. xxv. sec.
8.) it is in general safe to intrust arms to the people
when their national feelings are roused ; it is al-
ways perilous to do so when their social passions
are excited, and they see their real or sapposed
enemies in a particular class in their own country.
" The italics are Sir ARCHIBALD'S own. And in
thus emphasising the antithesis of his dictum, ALI-
SON made reference more particularly to the con-
trast visible between the national rising in England
during the wars of the Great NAPOLEON and the
popular rising in France upon the downfall of
LOUIS PHILIPPE'S monarchy at the concussion of the
Revolution of February. The remark is eminently
philosophic and just. And like every remark bear-
ing that character it admits of very general ap-
plication. The accuracy may be illustrated from
almost any nation's history. It is demonstrable in a
remarkable manner, upon one hand, from all the re-
volutionary outbreaks in France, and upon the other
from the memorable incidents of the Volunteer
movements in the United Kingdom. Among our
neighbours, in each of the three great risings of the
people, the cry " To Arms" was essentially one pro-
voked by the "social passions" of the multitude. It
was--in variousdegrees of course--alike in 1789, in
1830 and in 1848. Nay, it is only necessary to bear
in mind the immediate cause for the summons to
arms upon the very last occasion (that of
February) in order to understand at once
Tat the population rose there because they saw
their real or supposed enemies in a particular
class in their own country." The Reform Banquets
were prohibited by
were struck down
thelvii
dischargen
ipeoplesMinister
f 00rfthe Government. Several of
musketry in front of the outhewHontdeled by
of the
fel
Foreign Affairs, M. CUIZOT the Kin.'s
were excited.
Prime Minister. The " social passions': of the mob
And the people rose and armed—
with-the muttered cry "no mistake th-s time." It
was against no foreign enemy that they fought 17
or 18 years previously to that in the streets of Paris
during the three (so called) " glorious" days of
June. And as to the source of the popular arming
at the outburst of the First Revolution, the Great
Revolutlon—has not that been, so to speak, eternized
in the refrain of the lifareeillaise ?

"Aug armes, citoyens ! formez vos battailons I
Marchons.l qu'un sang impur abreve nos sill3ns

A shriek of imprecation, directed more against the