The Sun. — 1863-10-23 (London, England)

DAILY NEWEL—When the Southern party was dominant at Washington, and conquests, annexations, and filibustering expeditions were the engrossing occupation of American statesmen, a phrase was current by which it was imagined that all lawless aggression was excused and justified, or rather by which the blame was wholly transferred to the weaker resisting party. Mexican wars, Texan annexations, Nicaragua expeditions were not to be imputed as a fault, for it was the " manifest destiny" of the United States to overpower and absorb its neighbours. The phrase, we believe,was pi egiarised from a customary expression of the First Napoleon. It did not, however, impose on the understandin g of honest men either in the New or the Old World. The " force of circumstance" is a plea as old as the race, and may be employed to excuse every act of wrong. Nothing is easier than for States or individuals to place themselves by. one irrevocable step in circumstances which make a certain course of conduct inevitable without making it right. Recent events are suggesting the inquiry—has ~,treat Britain, too, a " manifest destiny ?'"flaat her general policy at all resembles that which is identified with the American Presidents of the last thirty years her bitterest enemy will not allege. But her best friends may well be anxious when they hear particular lines of national action which have led to events with which nobody is satisfied, palliated with the same equivocal faltering excuses which they have rejected when urged to cover the acts of other nations. Take the latest news from Japan. A squadron of the fleet of which we are so justly proud has just visited Kagesima, one of the cities of that country, to demand satisfaction' of Prince Satsuma, who appears to be master there. Not receiving a suitable reply, our Admiral opened fire, and in a few hours was able to report, " Wholetown in flames ;" and again, on the following day, City one mass of ruins." Kagosima. which we have destroyed so easily, was the home of an immense population, said to number 180,000 people. It would be a considerable relief if some great Minister, or in his  default a great Minister's journalist, could assure us that he is delighted with this brilliant feat, and would give us some reasons for sharing his satisfaction. is it honour or profit that we are to reap from the destruction of Kagosima ? Whichever it may be we could better have spared it. It we examine the steps by which we have advanced to this catastrophe we find that—assuming that we did right in the first place to force ourselves on a nation that was known to dread intercourse with foreigners —we find that they were all unimpeachable. We have not been hasty ; we have not been angry. Our deportment, in fact, has been most exemplary. We have advanced with a calm air and words of moderation to do a deed which is terrible to think of. One of our countrymen had been murdered in Japan, and the Government was too weak to seize the murderers, believed to be the retainers of Prince Satsuma ; so we resolved to take the redress which caul d not be given. We have destroyed a city, and with it a great number of innocent people ; it is not said that we have destroyed Prince Satsuma. " But what were we to do ?" it is asked. What indeed ! It was " manifest destiny."