The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-22


graphically speaking, the existing bars are the
result Of natural causes and not as has been
alleged, the actual production, merely the neg
lect, Of Russia.
Some improvement has taken place on the
continent, which must be so far agreeable to
the English and American travellers who are
seen everywhere traversing every region in
such numbers at the present day. The state
siege has been repealed from Vienna, Prague
Buda, and other places ia Germany and Hun
gary, and the northern parts of Italy have been
released from military law, to enjoy civil rights
and protection again. Ii is to be presumed
that passports will become more facile, and the
transit from State to State less troublesome
and annoying
The few particulars gathered from China, in
addition to former news, furnish no facts wor-
thy of comment unless we attach Importance
to a-loose report that the imperialists had been
beaten by the insurgents, in an attack, where
the former were assisted by foreign aid. We
cannot believe that the neutrality 30 wisely
proclaimed by every outside barbarian has
been violated; and essuredly, if it were So it
ought to be on the other side. From the mass
of documents and publications now deluging
the press on Chinese matters we see strong
reasons for confirming us in the opinion we
expressed in a preceding letter, as to the orr
gnal ground work, character, and objects, OF
the Instruction. II is evident that a strange
corruption Of Christianity has been grated
upon Pagan tenets and new impostures. But
it is very difficult to understand the real state
Of the case. The accounts from the seat of war
are sufficiently obscure but the darkness is in.
creased by our imperfect knowledge of the Ian
guage in which they are communicated. The
best informed English journals have not touch
ed upon this important point; but readers may
appreciate its interest when we notice the sim
gle fact that the word or words signifyng "El-
der Brother" and younger Brother so re-
markable as applied to Jesus and to the leader
of the insurgents, are merely tituar, and do not
involve the sense in which they have been re-
ceved in Europe The Emperor of China him
self is styled Elder Brother as a term of respect
and reverence; and unless he addresses for
eign sovereign as Whasg TIE, it is known that
he does not recognise him as an equal or inde-
pendent monarch. Words are, indeed real
things in this curious country; and we will not
be quite clear of many mysteries till we learn
to comprehend condition of men so unlike our
own.
Of English home news there is nothing of
consequence to transmit. There are to be no
betting houses tolerated after the st of Decem.
Der; and verdicts against the Lancashire and
Yorkshire railroad, to the amount of Ct, 300
for one set of accidents, Including life lost
are hailed as significant indication that it
will be bad pecuniary speculation to play
with lives and limbs quite 80 heedessly as here
tofore. England cannot readlyreconcile itself
| to such matchless explosions as seem hardly to
| create a sensation in the States, where every
thing is on grand scale.
Our clergy tried to get up a synod on the
18th, to bring the disputes Sc, of the Church
under discussion but the Archbishop of Can
terbury jockeyed them, and they departed
though not in peace) as they came.
BY far the most important feature of the
time, however is the condition and prospects of
the harvest The weather has again become
wet, stormy, and unsettled and so sensitive il
the country with regard to these alterations,
that showery day produces more effect upon
| the funds than any intelligence from the Bos-
| phorns: and no wonder for much of good or
evil is wrapped up, for the next twelve months
in the sunshine or clouds of every twenty -four
OF the passing hours. The topic is full Of mo.
mentous suggestions, but will be ripper for dis
cussion on circumstances which the next fort
night must bring to light.
Slduery an Cubd.-A very brief conversation
in our House of Peers threw considerable light
upon the present bearings of the slave trade as
connected with the increased and increasing
amount OF lmportations to Cuba. It appears
that the whole of this violation of treaties is
attributable to the faithlessncss of the Spanish
Government and the cupidity of Cuban Gov
ernors and their abettng by parties of wealth,
| station, and influence, in the mother country,
by whose means, indeed the traffic is princi-
pally carried on.
Lord Brougham put q question to the noble
lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He un-
| derstood that person named Zuluetta, the
owner of the ship Lady Suffolk and notorious
slavedealer, had been sent to prison in Cuba,
but in q few days afterwards he had been re-
leased, and had gone back to the Havana,
where he had held a meeting of the persons
most VIGOROUSLY engaged in slave trading, and
it was stated to be in furtherance of the pro.
ceedings Of the Government of Cuba, who was
strongly suspected Of having given, on oil oc-
casions, only colorado adhesion to the treaties
for aboshing the slave traffic. He wished to
know whether the noble earl had received any
authentic information on the subject!
The earl Of Clarendon could only say that a
short time ago the Consul General of Cuba re-
ported that, as he understood, in consequence
OF very stringent instructions from Spain an
improvement had taken place with reference to
the abolition Of the slave trade, and that most
severe measures were being taken for its sup
preston. He had received this intelligence
about three weeks ago, and had laid IL before
the Committee of the House Of Commons then
sitting on the slave trade. Among other facts
stated by the Consul General was tho arrest
and imprisonment of Zuluctta, who was said
by his noble and learned friend to be notori-
Gus slavedealer. He added also that such an
arrest was measure 10 unusual in the island
OF Cuba, that il spread Consideration amongst
the slave @aders, and he had no doubt that a
good result would be produced by il. He had
certainly seen AN account Of Zuluetta's having
been released, but he had no Official kno Wedge
Of the fact
The trade having been put down in the Bra
xils and the sale Of human beings, except with
In the bounds OF Africa itself, ceased through
out the world it is surely to be hoped that with
every eye fixed upon this its last stronghold, the
niquity cannot long survive the exposure. Fan
atheism has nothing 70 do with this great NOR.
al and political question, and we may rest as.
ured that bigotry and intolerance are more
likely to rctsrd than to hasten the solution Of
this the n II important Of all social problems.
Before man inhabited the, world it was filed
with hugo and monstrous shapes; man was
created, and from the monster period has been
gradually advancing let us imagine, towards
perfection 10 this progress all that is foul and
deeriorating must gradually clear away, and
let us only remember that the blots cannot be
removed and the evils remedicd by dark vio-
lence and passionate preciptancy, which are
themselves blots and evils No, reason and
caution are needed for the welfare alike Of the
white and the black, tho free man and the
slave Then, pursuing steadfastly tho onward
course we have indicated IN possible, man, hav-
ing fulfilled his mission on earth, may become
extinct, like the monsters that preceded him,