The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-31 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVE.NING, AUGUST 31, 1868.

fluence the great Presidential contest. To-morrow
the Vermont election for State officers will be held,
and this at least will be on the side of the Republi-
cans, since they have predominated in that State
for many years. It is thought probable, however,
that their majority will this year be much reduced,
and should this prove to be the case the omen will be
favourable to the Democrats. California comes next
on the list, and the election will be held on Sep-
tember 8. Last year the Democrats obtained the
majority, and are of course hopeful as to the result
this year, but the Republicans aver that their defeat
was due to divisions in their ranks which will not
be repeated. Pennsylvania and Ohio hold their
elections in October, and upon the action of these
States much depends. They are at present divided
between the two parties, but if the Democrats can
keep Pennsylvania and gain Obio their chances
of success in the Presidential struggle will be
greatly increased. Mr. PENDLETON, a pro-
minent Democrat, who, it will be remembered,
was himself put in nomination for the Presidency,
has given his opinion that the battle will be decided
by the action of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. These
three States give one-third of the vote necessary to
decide the election of the President, and Mi•
PENDLETON himself is therefore devoting all his
energies to promoting the Democratic cause in
them.

We are sorry to find it reported that some pro-
minent journals on the Radical side have not
scrupled to invent speeches for their opponents,
prophesying the establishment of a Southern Con-
federacy, and advocating wholesale slaughter. It is
needless to say that the Democratic leaders have
given utterance to no such absurd and preposterous
language. If they entertained such visions they
would not certainly put them forward at a time
like the present, while the notion of recommending
their enemies is, one would imagine, too much for
any one to credit. However some readers of these
journals appear to have been deluded by these
scandalous attempts and are greatly exasperated.
Of course the calumniated speakers have authori-
tatively denied the whole of the reports, but the
mischief is done. Political feeling always runs high
at election time, and this year it is likely to be more
violent than usual, but the employment of such
unscrupulous means to forward party interests can
scarcely fail to rebound upon the authors.

While we in England have been lamenting the
absence of rain, our fellow-subjects in India have
been having rather too much of it. In the North-
West the rains have been threatening the grain
crops with absolute inundation, but, as usual,
there are two sides to the question. In Central
India and Berar the heavy rains have done good
service, and have actually saved the cotton crop.
The cotton commissioner, Mr. CARNAC, reports
that encouraging accounts have been received from
all the districts, where a few weeks back all was arid
and sterile. Curiously enough in some parts of
America the cotton crop has come short of the esti-
mate from excessive rain and inundation, while in
India it has suffered from the other extreme. The
cotton cultivators of Central India are now full of
activity, sowing or resowing their cotton. It is
hoped, from the delay in the arrival of the mon-
soon, that it will be prolonged, and therefore the
crop next spring will be plentiful. In Bengal the
monsoon came on early, and therefore it is feared
next season's crops will suffer. Berar and the Central
Provinces are rapidly rising into importance in the
cotton trade, having last season exported 220,000
bales to Bombay. The prospects of the cultivation
are the more promising, as the railway now lends
its aid in carrying the bales to the coast, and
affords a powerful stimulus to the export trade.

CORRESPONDENCE PROM PARIS.

(Fnot OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, SUNDAY, Augitsi 30.

A political speech was anticipated from M. de PersigiO
at the opening of the Councils-General ; but, though it is
said that he was prepared to discuss the "situation," a
message from Paris prevented him. All the other presi.
dents have likewise followed the instructions and the
example of M. Rouher. Save Marshal Vaillant's allusion to
peace, which was anything but compromising, the speeches
have been singularly barren of speculative material.
The Emperor will positively depart for the camp at
Chalons on Wednesday. His Majesty will personally
direct the grand manoeuvres at the camp on the 6th or
7th of September. In the meantime the Count and Countess
de Girgenti will be received. This visit still continues to
occupy, and I may add to puzzle, the public mind here.
The speculators have yet done nothing towards a satisfac-
tory solution of the problem, but their enterprises are not
the less numerous on that account. It is remembered that
recently Prince Humbert of Italy and his bride, the
Princess Marguerite, visited the Courts of Germany with-
out entering France, and the gossips put this and that
together. The distinguished reception about to be ac-
corded to two members of the House of Bourbon—a family
to whom the Emperor is generally anything but friendly—
leads to the conclusion that the Court of Paris is adopting
a system of reprisals.
Whilst the people of France are harassed with the
doubt and uncertainty of the future, and ready to magnify
every movement and visit into a war prognostication, the
Court at Fontainebleau is almost wholly given up to
amusement. The Prince Imperial is, of course, the centre
of these distractions. llis Imperial Highness has many
admirers of both sexes, as a matter of course ; but if the
sayings attributed to him are authentic, he ought to find
great favour with the pious women who are to be found
sparsely scattered even in Courts. He, expresses himself
a great friend of religion, and declares that when he
is Emperor he shall desire that nobody fail to per-
form their religious duties. He is said to be an
intelligent boy, with aptitude for various branches of
study, though it is not much to the purpose to say that his
tutors arc satisfied with him. His musical faculty is repre-
scnted as being exceedingly promising ; but the Emperor
does not desire that this talent be too largely cultivated.
He does not wish, he says, his son to be made a Cohourg.
The Prince's preceptor, M. Filon, is a worthy man, and
strives bard for the due cultivation of his young charge, but
he sometimes makes a ridiculous figure in attempting to
take part in the dances which are organised for the enter-
tainment of the Prince.

The forced reconciliation which the King of Italy has
determined to bring about between Generals Marmora and
Cialdini is not likely to produce voluntary friendship. A
duel between the two is considered imminent.

Further details shew that the injuries sustained by
M. de Montalembert, through the carriage accident which
I mentioned yesterday, are much less serious than was
stated by the telegraphic report. It appears that the
horse took fright and ran away, ultimately throwing
out M. de Montalembert. lie sustained several severe
contusions, but no serious wound. Dr. N6laton, the new
senator, has gone to render assistance to the sufferer.

THE WEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.

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