The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-10 00:00:00

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.
The Arabia, which touched at Queenstown yes-
terday, has arrived.
Vice-President Hamlin on the 23d sent a letter
to the Senate, announcing that it was his inten-
tion to be absent during the remainder of the
Session, and asking that a President pro tern, be
appointed. Mr. Foot, of Vermont, was accor-
dingly unanimously elected, and Mr. Hamlin was
duly notified of the fact. Mr. Foot, on taking the
chair, delivered a short address of thanks.
In the Senate on the 25th a resolution was
passed requesting the President to communicate to
the Senate the despatches from Major Anderson to
the War Department during the time he has been
in command of Fort Sumter. Mr. Howe, of Wis-
consin, made a further reply to Mr. Douglas's

speech, opposing the amendment to the Constitu

tion which the former had suggested, also the
recognition of the seceded States ; and as to war,
declared the issue is made between the loyal
citizens and those who defy the authority of the
United States. He contended that the Unionists
in the seceded States were borne down by tyranny
from which they should be relieved. The debate
was then taken up by Mr. Douglas, who wanted
to know positively whether there was to be peace
or war. The discussion was then continued in a
colloquial siyle at some length between the
senators from Wisconsin and Illinois, Mr. Clark,
of New Hampshire, also taking part therein.
Mr. Douglas, among other things, charges the
Republicans with desiring civil war for the pur-
pose of perpetually separating the North and the
South, so that there can be no resuscitation of the
..Union. The discussion was quite protracted: Mr.
Breckinridge wished to reply to Douglas, but after
an Executive session the Senate adjourned. On
the 26th, the subject under discussion being Mr.
Douglas's resolution calling for information rela-
tive to the forts and other public property in the
seceded States, Mr. Breckinridge proceeded to
make a speech in which he attempted to con-
trovert the arguments of Mr. Douglas re-
lative to the position now occupied by the
South in the Territories. He was followed
by Mr. Douglas, who reiterated- his former argu-
ments, and still further enforced them. At the con-
clusion of his speech a vote was taken upon a mo-
tion to lay the resolution upon the table, and it was
so disposed of, by a vote of 23 to 11. Mr. Breck-
inridge then asked leave to offer a resolution recom-
mending the withdrawal of the Federal troops from
the Southern States, and pressed for a vote upon it,
but it was objected to. Mr. Clingman, of
North Carolina, offered a similar resolution, with
the addition of a recommendation that no attempt
be made to collect the revenue in the Confederate
States. Tbat also was laid over, and the Senate
went into Executive session.

Washington advices state that there was every
reason to suppose that Fort Sumter would be eva-
cuated immediately, and that a similar step would
be taken at Fort Pickens in about 30 days.

NEW YORK, MARCH 26.
The mail closes so early to-morrow morning that
I am obliged to write without the morning mails. I
apprehend, however, that this will not be of much
consequence, as all parties—at lcaet, in the Northern
States—are lying idle on their oars and watching
the drift of the ship of State. The attempt to unite
the Administration upon a policy contemplating the
eventual recognition of Southern independence as a
necessity, if the people desire it, having failed,
owing to various circumstances, an attempt was
next made to find some line of policy promising
peace on which all the Cabinet could agree; but the
discordant materials composing it were so far apart
that it was found impossible to do more than agree
that the laws should be enforced only so far as Con-
gress should place power in the hands of the Pre-
sident; and, as Congress has failed to pass any
law placing extraordinary poweis in the hands of
the President—has left Charleston. Mobile, Savan-
nah, and New Orleans ports of entry, but with-
out custom-house, customs' officers, and machi-
nery for collecting the revenue—has left the Ware-
housing Act unrepealed on the Statute Book, by
which every importer has a right to have his
goods warehoused—has made no additions to the
army and navy, and granted no unusual supplies,
and vested the President with no extraordinary
powers over the militia, it is fair to presume, as the
country has presumed, that, however divided the
Cabinet may be on other matters, on one point—the
preservation of peace—they were agreed. No one
was surprised, therefore, when the evacuation of
Fort Sumter was agreed on ; nor will any one be
surprised should it be announced by-and-by that it
has been determined to withdraw the garrison from
Fort Pickens. Both President Lincoln and Presi-
dent Davis wish to avoid the appeal to arms, which
by all logical rules would seem inevitable. The
Southern chief has, however, this advantage over
his Northern brother, if we may believe reports--
that his Cabinet is not divided, and reflects his own
sentiments, thus giving his Administration vigour
in any emergency that may arise.
At present it is not determined to evacuate Fort
Pickens, but that it mast be done, unless the fort is
soon reinforced, is plain. Troops.under command
of experienced officers are surrounding it with a
cordon of batteries more powerful than itself, just
as Fort Sumter was shut in by the Carolina troops.
When the line is completed, reinforcement will be
impracticable except at great loss of life and ex-
pense, and then the same questions will be pre-
sented that were presented at Charleston. Although
the future is not so plain, I am advised that Fort
Pickens will not be reinforced, from which I draw
the conclusion that the Administration is more
peaceable than it dares avow itself. Although Mr.
Seward was obliged to succumb, and yield the posi-
tive parts of his plan of conciliation, in his negetive
non-residence he is in the ascendancy. You may
observe even a coincidence in dates in the order for
evacuating Fort Sumter and the election of a suc-
cessor to Mr. Chase's seat in the Senate, by which
the door of retreat is shut to him. And it is pro-
bable that the new Secretary of the Treasury, in
view of the embarrassed condition of his depart-
ment, may recognise the propriety of the steps
taken, although he did not do so at the outset.
The diplomatic appointments are hurried up, in
order to counteract any supposed efforts of the
Southern Commissioners. In addition to those re-
ported last week, Mr. Sanford, formerly charge at
Paris, gets the mission to Belgium ; Mr. Burlin-
game, of Boston, the mission to Vienna; and the
mission to Turkey goes begging, Mr. Watson
Webb, the editor of the Courier and Enquirer, hav-
ing declined it. I understand that the appointment
of Mr. Burlingame gives offence to the Austrian
Minister, as the mission to Italy was created by
Coni,v,reSs on the motion of Mr. Burlingame when he
was a member of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Wilson, of Chicago, the editor of the Chicago
Journal, gets the secretaryship of the London Lega-
tion. He was an applicant for the local Post-office,
losing which, the Government, to compensate him,
make a diplomatist of him. Mr. Rufus King, of
Wisconsin, is treated in the same way. He wanted
the Milwaukie post-office, and got the mission to
the Pope. It is not easy to see the connection be-
tw the .
e.O two offices, except that both pay. Col.
T. go I
gets ow Laurence, formerly attache at London,
the Consulate at Florence, and it is supposed
that Mr. *inter Davis, of Baltimore, will be sent
to Russia as
ilinister. As a whole, notwithstand-
ing the coteprincipbles
many
lections appear to have on which some of the se-
n made, th appointments
are gooyears.d--better,
Perhaps ee ,
than have been made for
The American claimant, e
been sustained by t.„,ia,„ ria.inst Paragaly have
" I•ineelo, as they were
by Pre.sioent Buchanan, in
tle
Mr. Johnsoni award. The 4i9 to annul
otha
!on t I,Atle`aa
the Senate:atm- ' the award
to Mr. Seward, h k bent the
recommnidat
wig givirg it his attention
prior
to sending it to that body. , R
'lle Itn'" of the
treaty Mr. Johnson, as Corninissionsr, was 4i„ctehd
to decide upon the ain.;u:it, not upon the chiraeter
ad,
or the validity, of the claim 3 • 'These had been
routed by Paraguay in its offer to pay about 300,000
dots. Tha Corntai;i3ionar has, however, ciec:ded that

th..-ers was no.foundatian fur the claims.

M-f. Lin-