do all that lies in her power to prevent the reconstruction of the Union.  The war of words has been begun, and it is but preliminary to the war of swords.  The savage music of the British press is the overture to the opera.  The morality of England may be neither higher nor lower than that of all other countries,—­may be no worse than our own,—­but there is so much that is offensive in her modes of exhibiting her destitution of principle, that she is more hated than all other powerful countries that ever have existed.  She not only sins as badly as other nations, but manages to make herself as odious for her manner of sinning as for the sins themselves.  There is no crime that she is not capable of, if its perpetration be necessary to promote her own power.  When Sir William Reid was governor of Malta, he said to Mr. Lushington, ’I would let them (i.e. the heathen) set up Juggernaut in St. George’s Square (in Edinburgh), if it were conducive to England’s holding Malta.’  And as this time-blue Presbyterian was ready to allow the solemnization of the bloodiest rites of paganism in the most public place of the Christian city of Edinburgh, if that kind of tolerance would be conducive to England’s retention of Malta,—­of which she holds possession, by the way, in consequence of one of the grossest breaches of faith mentioned even in her history,—­so do we find the Christian people, peers, and priests of England ready to become the allies of slave-holders and the supporters of slavery, if thereby the American Republic can be destroyed, as they believe that its existence may become the source of danger to the ascendency of their country.

The last intelligence from England allows us to believe that that country has adopted a more liberal policy, and that her government will do nothing to aid the rebels.  Some of the language of Ministers is friendly, and altogether the change is one of a character that can not be otherwise than agreeable to us.  France, too, has declared her neutrality as strongly as England.  These declarations were made before intelligence of our military and naval successes had reached Europe, which renders them all the more weighty.  Peace between America and Europe may, therefore, be counted upon, unless some very great reverses should befall our arms.

* * * * *

AMONG THE PINES.

The ‘Ole Cabin’ to which Jim had alluded as the scene of Sam’s punishment by the Overseer, was a one-story shanty in the vicinity of the stables.  Though fast falling to decay, it had more the appearance of a decent habitation than the other huts on the plantation.  Its thick plank door was ornamented with a mouldy brass knocker, and its four windows contained sashes, to which here and there clung a broken pane, the surviving relic of its better days.  It was built of large unhewn logs, notched at the ends and laid one upon the other, with the bark still on.  The thick, rough coat which yet adhered in