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

THE SUN.

LONDON, MONDAY, SEPT. 9, 1861.

At the commencement of the American civil war
we ventured to tell our Northern friends that, as
abolition of slavery was neither their object nor
their weapon, they had better at once make terms
with the South, and thank it for ridding them of
the disgrace of complicity with slavery. All the
thanks, however, which we and others who told
them the truth was—to be accused of sympathy
with slaveholders, on the ground of English want
of cotton and indifference to the abolition of slavery.
We Englishmen were subjected, indeed, to wholesale
accusations of hypocrisy, because we avowed that
we felt little interested in the strife. It was in
vain that we replied, "Inscribe ' Aboli-
tion of Slavery' on your flag, and you
shall have our most cordial support."
No ; they would neither avow abolition objects nor
withdraw their accusations against us. On the
contrary, the President not only watched most care-
fully against every emancipating proposal, not
only more than once declared it to be his purpose
to maintain slaveholding institutions in their full
vigour in the Slave States, but was very reluctant
to include confiscation, that is, liberation of slaves,
in a bill providing for the confiscation of rebel pro-
perty.

We think, however, we see some indications of
the Northern mind itself beginning to waver. The
Government has got, it is true, £10,000,000 of
its loan of three times that amount, and ex-
pects the other two-thirds to be forthcoming,
but it is at the rate of seven per cent., and
there is no proof that the larger part of the
money will be so readily forthcoming as was the
first part. The bankers too are evidently uneasy,
since they have sent a deputation to the Govern-
ment to expedite its action—advice which, if acted
on, might be as perilous as that which prompted
the advance at Bull's Run. But the want of men
is beginning to be felt. The only hope of the North
can be in such a number of well-disciplined troops
as will completely overpower the South, and this it
cannot obtain. The numbers of the regiments
cannot be completed. Volunteers come in slowly.
Fighting is seen to be a serious business, and the
Yankees—who were ready to pour forth all their
loose hands by hordes, while it was supposed that to
be able to pull a trigger was enough to make a soldier,
and that the Southern levies would run away before
immense levies of such a kind—now that they
have learned that soldiering may mean charging
artillery in position, are by no means so ready to
enlist. The " sublime uprising" has sunk down to
but half successful efforts at enlistment on rather
higher terms. INITLELTAN does, indeed, seem to
have gained general confidence, and as he is a
detemined enforcer of drill, and of the essential
rani tary and commissariat regulations of camp,
he may, by the aid of the Bull's Run disaster, suc-
ceed in making soldiers of his men ; but the worst
is, that now that men are to be transformed into
soldiers, recruits are slow to come forward.
We think the North is altogether in a better
position ; that is for gaining a victory or two. FRE-
MONT see ms likely to get some very much needed
reinforcer ‘ents in Missouri, and hisichief opponent's
forces, those of General PILLow, are reported to be
demoralised'. BANKS at Harper's Ferry is able again
to advance, ; Ind at Washington all isconfidence that
M'CLELLAN Is making the "Army of the Potomac"
worthy of Oat ,name of an army. GeneralWoot„ the
old sold ierwh,a,aw through theConfederates'military
policy at first,. and who wrote the letter to General
Cass which induced him to resign because I
BUCHANAN w ould not adopt General WooL's
suggestions, wl ich would have prevented secession
altogether—thi a' General WooL is now in com-
mand at Fort Monroe, and, though very old, is
all the soldier y, ?.t, and is to have his forces
strengthened. If LINCOLN could send him 50,000
men, and he could advance on Richmond from the
East, while M'CLEL LAN came down from the North,
the Confederatms \ 'mild probably be obliged to