The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-05 00:00:00

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PRICE 41). STAMPED, SD.

sistence, clothing, unif0rm5,&c.,272,975 dols.; for the
support of families of soldiers, being in addition to
the Government pay, 34,300 dols. They say," The
number of families now receiving aid from
the committee is such as to require an expenditure,
at the present rates of supply, of about 38,000 dols.
per week, and, in the opinion of the committee,
additions will shortly be made, in all probability,
to the number of beneficiaries, which will increase
the weekly exnenditure under this head to about
50,000 dols." The money kir this purpose is fur-
nished by the municipal authorities of New York,
and is to be raised by tax. I enclose this report, as
a document showing the details of the working of
this popular arming. Do not the recent experience
of England and the present experience of this coun-
try show that a popular form of government and
free institutions are quite as efficient in the organi-
sation of large forces as a despotism can be ?

There is little commercial news. The South con-
tinue to make defaults in payments, and the cur-
rency of the West continues to derange exchanges
there. The Southern Banks have been for some
time drawing their specie from New York by pur-
chasing sterling exchange, so as to lodge their
balances in London. There are also signs that
more California gold will go hereafter directly to
England. _

Nay 25,

I avail myself of the departure of the Great
Eastern to-morrow to write another between-
packets letter. The election in Virginia took place,
according to programme, the day before yesterday,
and undoubtedly the return when canvassed will
show a large majority in favour of Secession ; for,
although in the Western counties, where the public
voice could give itself expression without fear of
violence, the majorities are in favour of the Union,
no Union vote is expected to the east of the moun-
tains. Mr. Senator Mason has published a mani-
festo, counselling the people of Virginia to vote for
Secession, and declaring that all who will not so
vote " must leave the State." Armed bands of
South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi troops,
as well as Secession levies in Virginia, are stationed
throughout the eastern part of the State to enforce
the directions. The election, held under such cir-
cumstances, will not even have the pretence of free-
dom. It will neither be entitled to respect, nor will
it receive it at the hands of the Government of the
United States. Already the advance movement
upon the west bank of the Potomac is made. Last
night five regiments from New York, including the
seventh and the Firemen's Zouaves, four regiments
of New Jersey, and one from Michigan, were pushed
across the river, and are now in occupation of the
Virginian shore, from below Alexandria to Arling-
ton Height, opposite Georgetown. We judge from
the despatches that this move was made withoutre-
sistance, and with the loss of but one life—unfortu-
nately that of Colonel Ellsworth, the commander of
the Firemen's regiment, an excellent officer, who
cannot well be spared. You must not infer from
this that the Government intend to make any deci-
sive move to the South at present. Many points
in Virginia are occupied by rebel troops, which
threaten Gen. Scott's lines. At Harper's Ferry,
for instance, there may be said to be a prac-
tical force of 15,000 men, 5,000 being quar-
tered there and 10,000 at Winchester, only
30 miles distant, and connected with Harper's
Ferry by railway. Linchburg, Norfolk, Peters-
burg, and Richmond are all supposed to be
depots for Southern troops, and it is understood
that a force of some 10,000 either is already or is
to be gathered at Weedon, in North Carolina, on
the main railway line to the South. These figures
and arrangements are, of course, given as supposi-
tions, or as gathered from information not of the
best kind ; but I think they will be found to ap-
proximate the truth, and to furnish a reason why
the Government should occupy the west bank of
the Potomac, and perhaps, when strong enough,
push a column forward to break the long line of
the enemy and . intercept. the communication be-
tween Harper's Ferry and Richmond. I have it,
however, from the best authority that it is the
unanimous opinion of all the military advisers of
the President that there should be no decisive
movement forward " until frost." But I have had
so much information of future action in the same
way since the beginning of these troubles that has
proved incorrect, or in other words, the high func-
tionaries have changed their minds so many times
on different matters, after coming to positive con-
clusions—that any statements of projected plans or
movements, no matter how well founded, must be
made with a proviso. Any present great hostile
demonstration is impossible, from want of means.
The Government have not the troops to do it with.
There are in Washington and on the opposite bank
(deducting the regiments sent to Baltimore, those at
Annapolis, and those sent to Fort Munroe) about
20 Northern regiments of 1,000 men each. To these
should be added about 1,700 regular and about
2,500 district militia. This is on paper a for-
midable force; but it must be remembered that
most of the men are raw recruits, and that rein-
spection will cause the rejection of a large number.
I understand the diminutions from this cause will
be about 15 per cent.; but, with this weeding-out
completed, the force that remains will be the best
possible material for an env—strong men, in the
vigour of life, with much more than ordinary intel-
ligence, accustomed to exposure, trained from the
beginning to serve in large masses, and in active
service with an enemy in front, of temperate habits,
and used to self-discipline. Without under-estima-
ting the material of the Southern army, I doubt
whether it will equal that of the army which is
being organised under the immediate supervision
of General Scott. Three regiments have gone from
here since i last wrote, every one made up of picked
men. The one that went yesterday—a regiment of
Zouaves, 1,000 strong, organised and equipped under
the superintendence of and commanded by Colonel
Duryee, the old commander of the famous 7th, who
made that regiment what it is—is as fine a body of
men as I have ever seen.

Great disappointment is felt in New York at the
manner in which the news of the perils of this
nation was received in England; nor is the expres-
sion of that. disappointment always of the mildest
form. Yet it is believed here that when the real
issue between the North and South—or rather, be-
tween the Government of the United States and the
rebels—is fairly understood, English sympathy will
be with the Government. It is true that there are
those here—high in influence, too—who are actively
aiming to create a cold feeling between England and
the United States, under the belief that that will
more effectually reconcile North and South than
anything else. They argue that the pressure of a
foreign;foe alone can reunite the disintegrated
r
States, and they would court a foreign war
dratim_
than a civil one. Strange as it may
sound,
that
practicable as it may appear, I assutreedyj
such ideas are entertained and areeualcid,
unstates-
New York. To mo they seem pon in
on behalf of the South co.ubldeuot y
"winning back one of
manlike, fallacious. The interlfuernesrnecelpoiftaEtenaglwanadr
with the United States wit
oa
nl
with
tr
h-
raosb:ibstlaynbeeri,nogr aebvoeunt the
r
pt
oh
sei
t.oitol other
o side,m ai
maintain,
abolition
revolters, ss, andav
slavery
wouldy.
Her
n
support,
atibleol
in a single summer. moral
campaignbe the a
difficult
all the intimate commercial relations that exist be-
mn Neu-
trality a teliven n n
tween the two countries. The questions between
the two parties are argued in England as if nothing
were at issue but the right of self-government.
Nothing can be further from the truth than
to sup-
pose that the question of self-government has any-
thing to do with the matter at issue. Under the
institutions of the United States certain functions,
such as regulating the foreign relations, governing
the territories, coining money, controlling the na-
tional army and navy, carrying
the mails, federal
ing the frontiers, &c., devolve unnr. 621" ed era
Government, and for thr.o pui poses it is as absolute

e

a Government with as well vested and kißciedi
powers as Great Britain—a single united nation,
not a bundle of collected States, tied together by a
Federal withe. The political heresy on which the
doctrine of Secession is founded has been again and
again refuted—by no one, however, so ably as ,by
the late Mr. Webster, whose clear intellect foresaw
the result to flow from it. But in all other matters
the State Governments remain absolute, whether in
the Union or out of it. The Federal Government
has no power over slavery within the States; it can
neither introduce it, nor can it compel the States to
retain it or to abolish it. For political purposes
the United States, as a whole, purchased Louisiana
and Florida. They permitted the inhabitants to
organize themselves into States for the purposes of
local government, retaining the Federal authority
over them only in matters to which it ap-
plied. Secession is only revolution in another
form—it is an attempt to throw off the Federal
n
authority, and, liifke
the
ell r e
v olotherrevolters
s revolutions,it will be done
in the constitution enough
to compel
tin of h
it.o But
ttoeoculnatimry
a righttherethat
is of
Secession is as sheer nonsense as it would be to
make the same claim in behalf of
the Sepoys of
India or the Irish rebels. Secession being, then,
only another form of revolution, both parties seek
the verdict of the world on the question, whether
there is cause for revolt. I venture to say that the
Government of the United States have done
nothing—absolutely nothing to provoke this revolt,
except to eject from the national offices .at Wash-
ington sundry Federal office-holders, who have
been for many years living upon the Government
Treasury. No new laws have been passed, except
one authorizing a popular vote on an amendment to
the constitution, guaranteeing slavery in the States
from Federal interference. Beyond this affirmative
additional protection to Southern property, the
United States have done nothing—absolutely no-
thing. The whole conspiracy is as unprovoked as
it will be terrific in its effects if not checked. I
say they have done nothing—perhaps that is too
strong ; for they have negatively done something.
The whole policy of the Government of the United
States for the last 25 years has been devoted to the
extension of slavery and to the increase of the poli-
tical power of that species of property which is an
anomaly in the American constitution. For this
Texas was acquired ; for this the Mexican war was
undertaken ; for this the Missouri:compromise was
repealed ; for this the right of search and the right
of visit have been denied to British cruisers; for
this filibustering has been fostered ; for this
Walker's criminal expeditions were overlooked, and
the piratical attacks upon Cuba encouraged; every-
thing that has tended to disgrace the American
name in Europe has grown out of this. This policy
the country has determined to change ; to substitute
for filibustering a respect for the rights of other
nations ; for protection to the slave trade, its de-
struction ; for the extension of slavery, curtailing
it to its present limits. In carrying out this de-
termination, they ejected from power the Southern
politicians who advocated the old measures ; and
out of this determination of the country springs the
present rebellion. Government or no Government,
restraint or rapine, order or anarchy, is the issue
which the North see in this controversy. This it is
which has made them so unanimous, which will
sustain them in the controversy, and which will
carry them through with the power of the Govern-
ment intact, whether the integrity of the country
be maintained or not.
I. have heard from a source entitled to confidence
that in Virginia arms are being put into the hands
of the blacks—that in every regiment of 1,200 200
are blacks. If this is true, which seems incredible,
must not terrific consequences flow from it if this
controversy is prolonged ?

The Federal and State authorities in Missouri
have come to a compromise, which leaves Missouri
in the Union. The Generals on each side have
signed a treaty of peace, which is published by
General Harney :

IN E WS PAPE R
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