The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-10 00:00:00

THE SUN LONDO TUESDAY

and the result would be that their joint labours
would produce his invention in such a perfect form
that he would by priority in manufacture have
that advantage of which every tradesman knows
the value. The confidence of the trade always
goes with the first respectable house which starts
a new article, even if it be not, or cannot be
patented. People like to make sure. Hence the
value of trade marks. The trade mark of the first
house which brought out any invention, now
patented, would, we cannot doubt, be ample pro-
tection. All who want Armstrong guns would be
certain, patent or no patent, to get them from Sir
WILLIAM if they could. If others manufactured
them, he could still get all the orders he
could execute, and get a higher price too. If other
guns were really as good as his, every Government
in the world, every artillery officer certainly, would
rather pay a handsome percentage to secure his.
The subject is eminently one for discussion in all
its bearings. We do not profess to have considered
them all yet. We are glad the question has been
mooted, and hope it will not be carelessly dropped.
At present we confess to a strong impression that
the natural laws of commerce would guarantee a full
and fair profit to every man entitled to be considered
an inventor. It may not, however, be so, and if not
we should be the last to sanction robbing mental
labour of its rights. Some of the proposals of the
Association take a step in the right direction, since
the real difficulty is to decide whether the alleged
invention has a fair title to be considered private
property. If it undeniably has such a title, even
then if the inventor cannot within a very limited
period get some one to aid him in reducing it to a
commercial form, he ought to forfeit all right to
hinder others from rendering useful what was use-
less in his hands. The form of the proposed Court
is objected to ; but it is surely preferable to the
present obscure and unsatisfactory system ; nor
can we think it would be difficult, if patent pro-
tection is to be retained, to place the decision of
what deserves it, and what does not, on a better
footing.

A deluge of American correspondence is not, un.
fortunately, a deluge of facts so much as of opinions,
and we have certainly been surprised to find how
much better we can frequently estimate the real
value of facts on this side the water, than our
friends who live in the midst of them. The truth
is, they all colour them by their wishes, and by
those of their party, while we in Europe have little
interest beyond the inquiry—how things really
stand? The rumours of the Southern advance on
Washington, for instance, we suspected to be but
rumours from the almost impossibility of their col-
lecting the means of safe transport across a river
more like an arm of the sea than a river, and across
which at least their present artillery could not
carry. And it now turns out that no trace of boats
or ships, any more than of batteries, which are more
easily concealed, could be found on the southern
shores of the Potomac. Some of the most interest-
ing correspondence, however, will give our readers
the views of an honest, clear-headed, and well in-
formed observer on the spot.
Mr. STANSFORD has just given us an excellent
map of the seat of war (one, indeed, which includes
the whole of Canada west of Montreal, which we
hope, notwithstanding the three regiments to go
there, will not become a part of the seat of
war). By the help of such a map our readers
might see at once that if the Secessionists
have not actually advanced they have so
posted their forces as to make it difficult
for the North to advance again. While each army
keeps to its own 'positions, though nothing is
gained, nothing is lost. It seems almost certain
that the works on the Virginia side of Washington

lare so complete, that if attacked the assailants
would be, perhaps, worse off than the assailants
at Bull's Run ; and Washington may be considered
quite safe. But if M'CLELLAN moves forward, he
again meets the old difficulties. If we look at
Mr. STANSFORD'S map, and notice the railways,
we shall see that three may be said to converge
at Alexandria, a few miles below Washington. One
runs westward, along the river to Leesburg—a strong
confederate force is stationed there, only a few
miles on the Washington side of Harper's Ferry,
This force could at once be brought down to
harass the rear of an army advancing direct
from Washington on the main position of the
Confederates. Then there is the railway direct
from Alexandria to Bull's Run, which runs further
on in all directions into Virginia, making sup-
plies available from every part. But closer to
Bull's Run there branches off, westward, the
the Manassas Railway, and at Strasburg, on this
line, lies a considerable rebel force, ready, at an
hour's warning, to come, as JOHNSTON'S men
did before, fresh into the midst of the battle.
Besides these at Winchester, which a short
line connects with Harper's Ferry, a strong
body is stationed which holds BANKS in
check at the Ferry, but which could easily march
to the Manassas Railway and join, if wanted, in
any battle, at or near the old serene of action.
The Confederate forces seem to be exceedingly
well disposed for combined action if requisite,
while they are divided enough to distract some-
what the attention of the Federalists. The latter
have no similar system of railways by which they
could bring up fresh troops from any distance,
and when, therefore, they advance, it must be in
sufficient strength, and with sufficient reserves
to provide against the possibility of successive
attacks from three distinct, yet closely co-operating,
bodies.

In Missouri the retreat of General SIEGEL,
after the death of General LYON, has rendered
the Confederates one essential service. It has
placed at their command some of the largest lead
mines in the world. It may be remembered by
our readers that, to prevent the enemy getting
possession of these, was the object of LYON'S
advance with a force very small for his object.
Had Mr. LINCOLN properly supported him, he
would have succeeded in his object; but deserted,
although victorious, his little army was compelled
to fall back after its leader's death. The conse-
quence is, that the Southerns will now have an
ample supply of what they were most in need of.
The Springfield mines would furnish bullets almost
for all the world. Col. FREMONT, chief in command in
Missouri, hopes soon to have a large army, recruited
from the Western States at his command, but it is
the )1d story of locking the stable door a little too
late.

Mr. LINCOLN is already experiencin,s, the troubles
of dictatorship. As he violates all laws against
suspected persons and newspapers which comment
too freely on his doings, so a whole section of Vir-
ginia has driven him to his wits' end by taking its
own course on the northern side. At first Eastern
Virginia, the free labour part of it, met and elected
their own State members and Givernor, and the
Government at Washington acknowledged them as
the legal Virginia. But lately these Eastern Vir-
ginians thought they should act more wisely to cut
all connection with the Western or slave• half of
the State, and to set up as an independent State.
By so doing they will avoid all the responsi-
bilities which the war will leave on the old
slave State, and as they have long been