The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-16
THE NEW YORK sun.
. MONDAY MORNING, DEC. Il. 1851


Rarely have events Of greater magnitude pre-.
scented Themselves f,r consideration, than / tho
case today. Prominent among them is the un'
expected attitude of the Btiih Government,
consequent upon the decision o. the law officers
Of the Crow N. that tho StirEIt and Mason
seiEurr was not 10 accordance with international
law. Their previous concl5 sion in reference TO
tie cruise Of the James Al GER in search Of tho
mail steamer IL Ih's. which WINS supposed 10
have had the rebel Commission r. on b,aId, has
been nj dcr.tood as ia favor of the legality Of
such a proceeding, and has been accepted
~ the forsgone conclusion TO which they would
hs,c arrived. Hence ~ c news b. the 4 .rOpa aid
City Of Washington, which We pablish else
where. is will calculated - s''rtlc and analo
every American reader
But however great the violence with which
TIE Brid.h press ard ~, pie ere hurrying them
pelves toward. o iaaicl va- IN which populir
excitement is FAT more ind Genital Than ever
was, o. will boca'e on thia side % the Atlantic
LAS against " ich the lNuNrn TrMEs over.
anNiously c),ims that oar Pre,i lent ought mct-
sprsblJ 10 bc s,utaiu,d Us the HrI,h Govern.
incentive do'fot believe war 10 - imminent
Hit n true "a i probably '', tha' NNr5iEoNha'
Offered his services as mediation, those
services will lie accepted, or other pro
po.i,io's Of go fair nature viii 10 sub
rnitttd by our Gcvorrmcn'. as to accomplish
settlement Of the question upon the blsis Of
national righ, and cqsit7. f0r u will DO OBJ
served that the largest share e English indig
nation, on the part OF 10th Government aud
people, Atisos upon tho suppoai'ou that the
seizure WAS efi,o'ei urd,r the express sanction
u uur Government an wi h ths determination
70 uphold i, at all hazards. 1.is is known here
10 be untrue.
Tho hasty sction Of the Washington House o.
Representatives, at the time when the seizure
first became known, 10 consideiRg the passage
Of resolutions boldly sustaining the act OF Com
medore w1kcs, has also lod to much spprohen-
sion In E1g.aLd, which does not here exist.
These various circumstances bting considore ;
there is every reaion TO believe that tho more
moderate petition which we hold, will have IL
influences in bringing the subjsc: 10 fair discus
sion and peaceful tissue.
Scarcely second In importance TO the English
question is the intelligence OF the fire Ia
Charleston, and the rumor that the black pop
ulatiou Of South Carolina has caught the frcnz,
OF war aud destruction which has seized upoi
their masters, and that the negroes ar
now rcpaying with dcsolation, the cru
elites which Of late have bcen prnc,icod upo
them in compelling tho slaves to accompan
their mastsrs to the inland counties. i. will h
observed that cur latest telcgruphic dispatchc
reach to Thursday, at O'Clock +. VI, at whic
time the flames had crossed Broad ST., aud thu
Stll later marine intelligence, up to 10 T. NJ.
OF the same evening, leaves the confagratio
raging with unchecked fury. Whether the fir
hiss bosn the work Of the negroes, or not ,accort
ing to present prospcc's, the whole Of Charlie
ton has been laid in ashes.
The importance Of this event Is no. coulin,
TO the disaster itself II 1t has been the woi
OF tie negro population then, indeed, is Il
war near an end, for an up rising OF the sliv
renders the Federal Government all powcf,
and the rebels powerless for future operation
Rut simply as IN incidental disaster, the loss
Charleston viii have moral effect on the Ca
linians, and the rcb,ls generally, not easily
speedily oy Crcome.