The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-09 00:00:00

Federal authorities are disposed to do in regard to
those of FREDERICK WILLIAM.

There is reason to hope that now, albeit at the
e7eventh hour, France and England may, by
%rated action, avert the threatened hostilities.
CLloQuor" has manifestly " missed his tip."
Although Louis NAPOLEON' was for a time misled
by what a member of the English Ministry has
designated as " soft sawder, you know,"
h• will still retrieve his error. The people
of France, who can appreciate a generous
opponent, whose reconciliation with England
has been baptised in blood the blood of
the best and bravest of both nations, shed on the
Alma, at Balaklava, at Inkerman, at Tchernaya,
at the Malakhoff, and at the Redan—are now our
cordial, and, we earnestly hope, our permanent
friends. But, to use a homely but expressive
phrase, they cannot yet "cotton" to the Prussians.
They cannot forget the sanguinary and insulting
disposition formerly manifested by the Prus-
sian troops, on many occasions, whenever they
had the opportunity of displaying their evil pas-
sions, or wreaking their vengeance. And it would
be a bitter day, indeed, when they beheld Prussia,
encouraged by France, proceed to extremities in
an unrighteous cause. It would be the heaviest
blow that could be aimed against the permanency
of the Imperial Dynasty.
There is yet time for an amicable solution of
the important problem, although FREDERICK WIL-
LIAR threatens to decide the mobilisation of the
Prussian army ere another week has passed away.
The fact is that he is, perhaps of all others, the
most disturbed at the semblance of the phantom he
has himself created. Like To Taumn, he has
" made the giants," but, unlike that redoubted
champion, he finds himself unable " to kill them."
He was encouraged by the unfortunate article in
the Moniteur, and therefore, a la Ancient PISTOL,
" uttered prave ords at the Pridge"—words which
he would gladly swallow even with " leek "
sauce. He finds that even in Germany his de-
mands and menaces are " laughed to scorn," that
his friends and neighbours are not prepared " to
march through Coventry" in his company. In
Wurtemburg the Deputies had protested against
the passage of his troops. Similar demonstrations
have taken place in Stuttgardt—while the greatest
discontent has been manifested in Upper Bavaria,
amongst all, in fact, who may be compromised by
the presence or passage of Prussian troops.

We hope and believe then that the oloud in
the political horizon will pass innocuously,
If not, we are convinced that it will not be ag•
gravated by France or England arraying them-
selves under the Prussian banner ; and even if
the worst should come, Switzerland would only
demand a " clear stage and no favour" to protect
her rights against all that Prussia could accom-
plish.

What are we to do with our convicts I The
question is one of great gravity, and cannot much
longer be trifled with. It is also a question of
much difficulty, and one respecting which there
is a considerable difference of opinion. Some go
so far as to lead us to infer they would entertain
no great objection if the gallows were again re-
sorted to as a universal panacea. Others would
have the criminal imprisoned, in some way, for
life. A more reasonable opinion is held by those
who would have penal settlements at home, and
would employ the convicts on public works.
Transportation meets with most favour. A diffe-
rence of opinion, however, exists even with regard
' to it. Some appear to think confinement in a
penal settlement a long way off is all that is re-
quired. Once ship and disembark your convicts,
and all that is loft to be done is to provide them
L with the necessaries of life, and adopt such measures
' as are required to prevent their escape. Others
who have considered the subject more deeply are
more exigent in their requirements. They would
have transportation, but transportation conducted
on principles of humanity and economy, and made
to subserve the future interests of the Empire.
With the latter we are best disposed to agree.
At the present moment the public are to a large
extent under the influence of panic. There is
more than a reasonable dread of liberated con-
victs. Danger there certainly is, but not so much
as to warrant the apprehensions which are enter-
tained—not so much as to justify the headlong
way in which so many would have the criminal
population dealt with. After all, there is such a
thing as duty. After all, there are reclaimable
offenders. GOD'S laws and human instincts are
not to be dissipated with a breath. Panio
fear is no excuse fer injustice any more
than intoxication is for crime. In every
contingency our obligation is to do our duty to I
others as well as ourselves, and it should never
be forgotten that, as if by an eternal law of Pito-
TIDENCE, the discharge of both duties invariably
turns out in the long ma the wisest course.
What is it that is wanted ? Protection for
the public ? By all means let it be supplied.
The public are entitled to it. Honest men and
good citizens have a right to be protected against
knaves. But honest men and good citizens in
the search of means for such protection have no
right to overlook the obligations they are under
in either capacity. As honest men they are bound
to show as much consideration for the criminal
who may have some good in him as is compat•
ible with the attainment of the legitimate objet
they have in view. As good citizens they are
under obligation to consider the interests of the
State and of those who come after them. Of all
who have expressed an opinion on the sub.
ject, those who recommend transportation to
Hudson's Bay or Western Australia seem to us—
if not best to have perceived---.best to have re-
conciled these apparently conflicting duties.

Day by day it becomes m•re evident England
is no place for the repentant and liberated con-
vict ; society, it appears, cannot afford to take his
newly-acquired honesty on trust. It is alarmed
by the misdeeds of members of his class, and its
prejudice otherwise seems inveterate. If we are
to keep our convicts at home, to all appearance
it must ho as prisoners. To us such a procedure
seems to involve a frightful expenditure, and to
bo incompatible with justice. There are various
classes of offenders, and this would be treating all
alike. We should thereby shut out hope—that
most important means of amelioration. Even
the employment of our convicts on useful public
works could not reconcile ae to this. We don't
know there would be much more, if so much,
cruelty in hanging them. To transport them to
some solitary island, and employ them there in
hopeless labour, would rid us of them, to be sure,
but is hardly worthy of more approval. The old
system of transportation, with such amelioratiwis
as have been found desirable, seems to be the last
and best resource. The difficulty is to find a
place. To our thinking such a place is to be
found at Hudson's Bay. It is little populated,
capable of immense improvements, which would
ultimately pay, and is already regarded with long-
ing eyes by the Canadian settler. A penal settle-
ment once established would 30011 find every material
for successful working. Employment for labour,

and. that of a useful description, would be found
at once ; and before any long period had elapsed

ettlers, to whom ticket-of-leave convicts, in all