The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-26 00:00:00

HIGH WATS/ NI LOSDOS DAIDOL

Tmo 25fe... Afternoon. Oft. {Ts.
To-noilow—ltorelne. Ik. Afternoon. 30na.

LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 26.

Tits news by the steamer America has probably
been looked for in this country with more interest
than any intelligence expected since the settlement
of the Trent difficulty. But although it is highly
and obviously important the crisis is still protracted.
The great and inevitable battle between Wasr.x.sir
and Las is still to be fought, and fought apparently
for the defence of Richmond. For the statement
transmitted by the last mail, that the Confederates
bad crossed the James River, information which
led some military commentators to believe
that they had resolved to abandon Virginia
to the enemy, is not referred to in the
intelligence just received. On the contrary,
the Confederates are represented as continuing an
orderly retreat on the peninsula between the
York and James rivers, and on the right bank of
the Chickahominy. M'Ci.susw is said to be
within two and twenty miles of Richmond, and
only about three miles from the enemy. At
Bottom Bridge, a point about seven miles further
on the road to Richmond, it was supposed the
Confederates would make a stand, but we are not
told what advantages this place offers for defence.
It is clear, however, that they are falling back on
their capital, and tolerably certain that the great
battle will be fought there.
In prospect of this struggle the abandonment of
Norfolk Navy Yard, and the destruction of the
Merrimac are of great importance. By blowing up
the Merrimac the Confederates resign the contest at
sea. That vessel was virtually their fleet, her proteo-
tion having formed the only guarantee of the effi-
ciency of the few other vessels they could dispose of
in the neighbourhood of the James River. Of late,
indeed, the Monitor, with the iron-clad Galena
and Nangatucket, had so far re-established the
ascendancy of the Federal' on the water, even in
presence of the Merrimac, that they had
begun to treat the James River as their own, and
use it almost as freely as the York River. But,
although it was evident from her inactivity that
something had happened to impair seriously the
utility of the Merrimac, the memory of the Bth of
March, when she shattered Federal frigates with
a single blow, surrounded her with a terror very
profitable to her masters. Now that she has dis-
appeared, the Monitor and her iron clad consorts
will be available for other duty—perhaps to assist
in the reduction of the defences of Charleston and
Savannah, or, as the telegram suggests, of Rich-
mond itself.

The real reason for destroying the Merrimac
was probably the inability of the Confederates to
hold Norfolk. The abandonment of this arsenal
is certainly the most important of the facts now
announced. It was no doubt wise to give up
its defence, but only just as, under special circum-
stances, it may be wise to cut off a right arm.
Norfolk has been in some important respects a
base of operations to the Confederates for the
defence of Richmond, supplying them with ammu-
nition and military stores. Its loss is irreparable.
They will now be dependent on such supplies as they
can obtain from the interior, while the Federal
army may obtain all its wants either from Fortress
Monroe or from Washington, by the numerous
rivers on each aide of it. We read nothing in the
telegrams of either Banas or M‘Dowitia., although
the war is shifting to a scene on which they must
soon appear as co-operating with MTLELLAN.