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

A3IERICA.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.
The Canadian mail steamship Norwegian has
arrived with advices to the 30th.

The intelligence respecting the burning of the
Harvey Birch reached New York, via Cape Race,
on the 30th, just before the Etna (hourly expected
here) sailed. It occasioned great excitement. A
private telegram from Queenstown says :—" The
news was that the Commissioners would not be
given up. They would rather try a war first ; but
expressed a belief that England would not go to
war."

Mr. Edwin James had published a letter in the
New York papers respecting the Trent affair. He
says the whole question in regard to Mason and
Slidell would rest on the answers of the captain of
the Trent to the following questions--Ist. Were
you acquainted with the terms of her Majesty's pro-
clamation commanding strict neutrality on the part
of all her subjects during the term of hostilities
between the Northern and Southern States ? 2d.
Did you not know that the two gentlemen, when..
they became passengers, not refugees, on board your
vessel, were employing themselves or were employed
in an enterprise of direct hostility to the constituted
Government of the United States ? The answer to
these two questions in the affirmative, he maintains,
and consistently with truth they could not be an-
swered otherwise, would reduce the question to very
narrow dimensions ; and should any doubt exist
upon the second proposition, the Message recently
sent by Mr. Jefferson Davis to his Parliament at,
Richmond would much facilitate its solution.
The Presbyterian Synod of New York and New
Jersey, at its late session in Newark, passed a series
of resolutions deprecating the present secession as.
an effort to overthrow a Government in which is
centered all the hopes of civil and religious liberty,
and as antagonistic to the advancement of civilisa-
tion throughout the world, and promise the use of
all lawful means and efforts in their power to aid in
maintaining the Government and in putting down
the secession. They were forwarded to Secretary
Seward, who responded as follows :--
"Department of State, Washington, Nov. 27, 1861.
"To the Synod of New York and New Jersey.

" Rev. Gentlemen,—The minute containing your resolu-
tions on the condition of the country, which you directed to
be sent to me, has been submitted to the President of the
United States. lam instructed to express to you his great
satisfaction with those proceedings, which are distinguished
equally by their patriotic sentiments and a purely Christian
spirit. It is a just tribute to our system of Government
that it has enabled the American people to enjoy unmo-
lested more of the blessings of Divine Providence which
affect the material conditions of human society than any
other people ever enjoyed, together with a more absolute
degree of religious liberty than before the institution of that
great Government had ever been hoped for among men.
The overthrow of the Government, therefore, might justly
be regarded as a calamity not only to this nation, but a this •
fortune to mankind. The President is assured of the public
virtue and of the public valour, but these are unavailing
without the favour of God. The President thanks you for
the invocations of that indispensable support, and he ear-
nestly solicits the same invocations from all classes and
conditions of men, believing that these prayers will not be
denied by the God of our fathers. He trusts and expects
that the result of the most unhappy attempt at revolution
will confirm and strengthen the union of the Republic, and
ultimately renew the fraternal affections among its mem-
bers so essential to a restoration of the public welfare and
happiness.

" I am, very sincerely, your very humble servant,
" WILLIAM H. SEWARD."
Gen. Fremont arrived at New York on the 29th.

The Treasury Department had notified all post-
masters that Treasury notes were to be received by
them as equivalent in all respects to coin in the
payment for stamps and stamped envelopes.
From Pensacola we have the following conflicting
intelligence

"NEW YORK, Nov. 29.
" The Philadelphia Enquirer's report says there was no
breach made in Fort Pickens. Great excitement prevails
in the South about the battle, but it was thought that Bragg
would be able to force Colonel Brown to surrender. A mes-
senger arrived from Pensacola on .Sunday last with a per-
emptory order for reinforcements. Bragg would then be
hopeful of an early success, and was replying at intervals
upon the fortress with great effect. His regular salvo is
described as terrible. He expected to make a breach by
Monday, when reinforcements would storm it with fresh
troops and ordnance. Colonel Brown had concentrated a
perfect storm of hot shot and shell upon the Navy Yard,
and it had been burnt down with all the outbuildings and
a considerable amount of army and ordnance stores de-
stroyed. Pensacola had been evacuated by order of Bragg.
Colonel Brown called to his assistance five vessels of war,
all of which had been driven off by the batteries. The
Niagara was almost riddled with ball,, and the Colorado
thoroughly disabled. Bragg declared to his troops that ho
would never surrender alive, and the greatest enthusiasm
prevailed among his men. Oa Tuesday Bragg would en-
gage Colonel Brown is front, and land a large force on the
island to take him in the rear. It is generally believed that
Bragg has been whipped, Pensacola burnt, and probably
Bragg's whole force captured. The despatches in the
Southern papers have no apparent end or beginning, and
are very meagre."

Despatches had been recieivQd at the Navy De-
partment from Com. Dupont, giving intelligence of
the United States' flag flying over the territory of
the State of Georgia. Tybee Island, which he says
is within easy mortar distance of Fort Pulaski, had

been taken possession of. The approaches to Sa-
vannah were completely cut off. On the island was
a strong martello tower, with a battery at its base.
The War Department was expecting an an-
nouncement from General Sherman that he had
taken possession of the Confederate fortifications
commanding the entrance to St. Helena Sound,
about 15 miles north of Port Royal, and command-
ing the outlet of the Colsaw and Combahes rivers,
thus securing the entire control of all approaches
from the ocean to the cluster of sea islands, and
affording another avenue for a movement towards
the interior of South Carolina.

From Port Royal we have intelligence that an
expedition left on the 24th for St. Helena Inlet,
land took the enemy's works without opposition.
It was reported that 14,000 Confederates were at
Hardenville, 20 miles from Hilton Head, under
Gen. Drayton. The Con federates wore concentrat-
ing a force at Bluffton. Appearances indicated that
the planters were determined to burn their crops
on the approach of the Federal troops. The guns
in the Confederate batteries taken by the fleet had
been rendered serviceable. Gen. Sherman had re-
ceived instructions from Adjutant-Gen. Thomas to
seize all the cotton, corn, rice, and crops of various
sorts within his reach, and to use what was neces-
sary and of value for subsistence to his troops, and
to send the cotton to New York, to be sold for the
benefit of the Government. Gen. Sherman was
also directed to take the services of negroes, not
'only to aid in gathering crops, but also in making
fortifications.

The British schooner Mabel had been captured
and taken into Port Royal harbour. She purported
to be from 'lava/anal), bound to New York ; but at
the time of her capture she was heading for St.
Catherine's Sound. Her cargo consisted of 7 bales
of blankets, 4 cases of cloth, 3 boxes of starch, 25
boxes of tin, 120 barrels of potatoes, 350 pigs of
lead, 30 bags of shot, 1 box of shoes, 6 bags of