The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-04 00:00:00

best shifty on the subject of slavery. His con-
science was sapped by his selfish political interest.
At the present moment probably the North has
to feel that she has nurtured a foe not too easy to
deal with. Hitherto, indeed, the substantial tri-
umph seems to be with the North ; yet the South
has beaten in two skirmishes, and though the
Northern line is said to be advanced a few miles,
yet near Harper's Ferry itself the Southern artillery
was playing on the Federalists on the north side of
the 'Potomac, and the "rebels" were advancing
their works to within four miles of Fort Monroe,
which, therefore, was plainly not furnished with
Armstrong guns. Washington has still to be
strongly garrisoned. The Sontherns are evi-
dently not to be despised, though we
may well believe they cannot long resist the vast
levies which the North will make, and in time, drill,
for a great war. Bat a great effort indeed it must
be on the part of the North, if a single campaign
puts an end to the struggle. We quite expect,
however, that to demand the most imposing naval
and military means is the chief object of calling
together Congress at this time. When the 4th of
July was first named by Mr. LINCOLN, he had
probably hoped that before that time things might
have looked more peaceful ; he sees that they have
become ten times worse, he knows that there is no
alternative now but to conquer thoroughly or to
compromise ; the latter he dares not propose, he will
appeal to the pride of the North to make sure of the
'ormer.

We must wait, of course, ten or twelve days, till
Monday week perhaps, for even telegraphic infor-
mation respecting the celebration of the 4th of
July by our American friends—probably we shall
have a little foretaste of it, however, here
in England. We expect in their present per-
verse temper with us to come in for some
ludicrous abuse ; indeed, we hardly know
what would save us from it unless declaring
war against the Southern Confederation would
do it, and then, perhaps, they would be angry
with us for helping them to thrash those whom

it was their business alone to chastise. Eng-
land and her cotton proclivities will, we may be
sure, be a frequent topic. We are happy, however,
to inform Americans that the most earnest wish of
Englishmen is to get cotton elsewhere. We should
be but too thankful never to see another bale of
slave-grown cotton ; and are making every effort
that such should be the case. Only to-day, our
readers will notice another and hopeful communi-
cation from Jamaica ; and we are anxiously look-
ing round on the fifty-eight places from which
cotton has been already received in this country with
the reason able hope that the encouragement furnished
by present circumstances will call forth such a sup-
ply from many of these places as will go far towards
superseding our dependence on the accursed slavery
of America. That will be indeed a glorious 4th of
July, according to English notions, on which Ame-
rican ovations can celebrate the extinction of slavery,
and proclaim to all the world that the produce
which she has to exchange with other countries is
the creation of her own free sons.

The last of the vacant legal appointments has at
length been filled up. Mr. ROUNDELL PALMER
is the new Solicitor-General. The announcement

of this learned gentleman's nomination to the office
from which Sir WILLIAM ATHERTON has recently
been promoted to the Attorney-Generalship was
formally given to the public only last evening by
the semi-official Whig organ of the Government.

Our own readers having been 'upwards of a
week since apprised by ourselves of the
fact thus tardily notified by our contem-
porary So that the intimation of Mr. ROUN-
DELL PALMER'S selection for the office came not
one jot more ae a surprise to the public generally
than the superfluous announcement to HAMLET of
thearrival of the Player, by that garrulous Lord High
Everything, the Royal Chamberlain POLONIUS.
HAMLET sees POLONIUS eagerly approaching—

" I will prophesy," says the Prince to ROSEN-
CRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN, " he comes to tell me
of the players ; mark it." Polonius—"My lord,
I have news to tell you." Hamlet—"My lord, I

have news to tell you. When Roscius was an
actor in Rome—" Polonius—" The actors are
come hither, my lord.' Hamlet—" Buz, buz."
Polonius—Upon my honour,—" It is thus now pre-
cisely with the Whig POLONIUS. On Wednesday,
the 3d of July, it announces as news the fact which
had been given to the public in the first leading
article of The Sun on Tuesday, the 25th of June.
Yesterday—only yesterday—the Whig organ en-
deavoured to startle her MAJESTY'S lieges with the
information that Mr. ROUNDELL PALMER has been
nominated to the office of Solicitor-General. Now,

it was only yesterday that we had occasion

to direct attention, in fairness to ourselves,
to the accuracy with which from the first we had
indicated the legal changes consequent upon the
death of the late Lord Chancellor. Immediately

upon the morrow of Lord CAMPBELL'S sudden
demise we had said quite plainly and confidently
that Sir RICHARD BETHELL, the Attorney-General
during Lord CAMPBELL'S Chancellorship, would be
raised (with a peerage) to the woolsack. And
eventually he was so raised. We asserted at the

same time that the then Solicitor-General would
be, in due course, advanced to the Attorney-
Generalship. And Sir WILLIAM ATHERTON has

been so promoted. We even filled up the gap
left by the advancement of Sir WILLIAM
ATHERTON, and as far back as on Tues-
day, the 25th of June, distinctly named
Mr. ROUNDELL PALMER as his successor in the
Solicitor-Generalship. These assertions, one and all
of them, were so distinct indeed, and so positive,
aad so categorical, that we may as well give them
here again in the shape of a " proof positive" quo-
tation. The first leading article, then, in our im-
pression of Tuesday, the 25th of June, thus com-

menced :
I, The Ministerial intentions in regard to the law
changes consequent upon the
i be
lamentedstadteeadtl:woef
the Lord High Chancellor may i
believe, pretty confidently. They are throughout
precisely what we ourselves at the very first
moment anticipated. They run exactly in the order
marked out by us in our earliest impresszon yester-
day afternoon. The At torn ey- General, Sir RICHARD
BETHELL, is to be advanced, with a peerage to
the woolsack, to be England's now Lord High
Chancellor. The Solicitor. General is in duo
sequence to advance, in his turn, by a single stEp
to the post vacated by Sir RICHARD BETHELL—
the post of the Attorney-Generalship. There will
then remain to be filled up the secondary, but highly
responsible, position of the Solicitor- General. And
Tr7ho —is it asked—shall we have as Solicitor-
General? Let us answer the inquiry accord
ing to our belief—r Mr. ROUNDELL PALMER is
the lawyer whose name is set down for the
post of Solicitor-General by Lord PALMERSTON."
Than which certainly, as the events have
proved, nothing could possibly have been more
accurate throughout. We went on to add, however,
what yet remains to be verified :—" But,"
We said, " Mr. PALMER, it may be objected, lacks at
this moment a seat in the House of Commons ! True
, —but that, too, is of course taken into consideration
by the Premier ; and thus is the objection pro-