The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-05 00:00:00

NORTH DEVON.

A special general meeting of this company was held yes-
terday, at the office, Gresham House, Old Broad-street--
Mr W. Tite, M.P., in. the chair.
Mr Harris. the secretary, having read the notice conven-
ing the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said they had had several discuesions
with members of the Smith-Western board, and everything
connected with tbe amalgamation was now settled.
The Soli&or read the heads of the agreement entered into
between the directors of the London and South-Western
Railway Company and the directors of the North Devon far
the amalgamation of the latter with the former company.
The amalgamation was to take place on the Ist of January,
1865. The debenture debt of the North Devon was to be
assumed by the South-Western Company, who would issue
debenture stock in place of it. The £38,000 6 per cent.
preference shares of the company had been purchased and
commuted by the South Western Company. The last £B,OOO
of it had been exchanged for a 5 per cent stock. The A
stock of the North Devon was to be exchanged at the rate
of £lOO stock for £l9 12s of South Western ordinary stock.
The original agreement was £2O for every £lOO of North
Devon A stock, and £5O South Western ordinary stock for
every £lOO of North Devon original stock. It was now £49
of South Western original stock for every £lOO of North
Devon original stock, and £9B of South Western original
stock for every £lOO of B stock.

The CHAIRMAN' said the alteration in the terms was, in
fact, a discount paid for getting the amalgamation sooner
than was originally proposed.
The SoLicrrou said the liabilities beyond a certain
amount were to be declared by twe of the directors and the
secretary, and in case of dispute it was to be settled by arbi-
tration. The clauses of the bill authorising the amalgama-
tion made the heads of agreement binding on the two com-
panies. The South Western Company would issue ordi-
nary stock, in the proportions above specified, to the holders
of the North Devon ordinary, and A and B stocks.

On the motion of the Chairman, a formal resolution,
approving a bill for the amalgamation of divers railway
companies with the London and South Western, so far as
it affected the interests of the North Devon, was carried
unanimously.

On the motion of Mr. Hartridge, the best thanks of the
meeting were awardti to the directors.

BIDEFORD.

A special general meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at the office, Gresham-house, to consider a bill now
before Parliament—Mr. G. Braiginton in the chair.
The Solicitor read the heads of an agreement between
this company and the London and South Western Railway
Company for the amalgamation of the Bideford under-
taking with that of the South Western Company. The
amalgamation was to commence on the Ist of January,
186.5, the debenture debt of £lO,OOO was to be assumed by
the South• Western Company, and in lieu of the £55,000
ordinary stock of the Bideford Company the South-Western
would issue £55,000 4 per cent. preference stock, with the
proviso that only 3i per cent. per annum should be paid to
the holders until the year 1869, after which the full 4 per
cent, would be paid, unless in the meantime they were re-
deemed at par.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving a formal resolution approv-
ing a Bill for the amalgamation of divers railway companies
with the London and South-Western Railway Company,
so for as it affected the interests of the Bideford Company,
said that no alteration had been made in the terms originally
agreed upon between the two companies.
Mr. TITE, M,P„ seconded the resolution, and it was
unanimously adopted.

On the motion of Mr. MORTIMER, the best thanks of the
meeting were voted to the directors for the satisfactory
arr,ngement concluded between the two companies.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

CHESTER -RACES-WEDNESDAY,
THE CUP DAY.

The Cup day at Chester, like the Derby at Epsom, is the
carnival of the densely populated districts of Lancashire,
Cheshire, and Shropshire. It is needless, therefore, to refer
to the features of the occasion, or the tens of thousands who
congregate annually on the picturesque Itoodee. With the
racing public the meeting has long enjoyed great popularity,
end the decision of the Cup, from the great amount of bet-
ting and the important interests involved, attracts to the
spot turfenen from all parts of the country. Betting upon
the event has presented such a constantly fluctuating aspect
that public* curiosity has been much stimulated thereby, and
perhaps led to one of the most monster demonstrations in
the annals of Chester. And yesterday will long be remem-
bered as a red letter day, inasmuch as it was stated that hie
Royal Highness the prince of Wales, who had arrived over
night at Lord Grosvenor's seat, near Crewe, intended to
hoeour the course with his presence, an announcement re-
ceived with deep satisfaction by all grades of sportemen,
who were greatly disappointed at the Prince's nonearrival
on the course. During the early part of the morning rain
fell heavily, and continuing tip to noon, the Course became
heavy, which was all in favour of the older horses, a cir-
cumstance which produced its effect upon the betting, and,
as will be seen, Accident became a better favourite as the
time approached for the raee. From the earliest hour im-
mense crowds earned into the city, blocking up the quaint
gabled "rowe," and rendering locomotion in the streets a
task of great difficulty. Special trains arrived in rapid suc-
cession, Rliei the people walked in " umbrellaed" regiments
towards the course, Watergate. street being the main artery
through which the masses streamed. The scene on the
Roodee cannot well be described in these columns—the
ancient walls, the Standr) and enclosures being densely
packed, Indeed) the excitement centred in the Cup was
never eeceeded on any previous anniversary, We may
mention here that Mr. Tophana's handicap aekVe Universal
satisfaction, and received testinionials of praise from the
leading patrons of the meeting, Although the rain held off
shortly after midday) the remainder of tha afternoon was
Ll3orem Bslyi. inc' thet
dark and cloud.y, and the ettnesphere close, and in the ring
quite
the °ttaotnthoetetwraontishayetifoena-s
at may be
morning
presented mentioned
Lure, the only remarkable movement being the increased in-
vestinents on Aoeident, who was wonderfully firm at 4 to 1.
The sport commenced at 2 o'clock with the Biennial Stakes,
for which six came to the post, Mr Merry's filly,Effie, being
made favourite at 6 to 4 ; Isle after making the running to
the barn she was joined by Fisherman's Daughter, Wel-
beck) and Cutaway, who came to the front in the straight,
and a most magnificent race resulted in favour of Cutaway
by a short head, Welbock being only defeated a neck for
second place, The Welter Cup, which followed, furnished
three runners, and 13 to 4 was betted on The Clown, and
another splendid struggle ensued, the favourite just getting
done by a head, entirely owing to Fordhara's fine horseman-
ship on Despair. The Cup was appointed for 3.40, and as
the hour for the decision of the race approached the excite-
ment became intense, and every available spot on the walls
and stands were crammed, presenting a most extraordinary
spectacle. The preliminary canters were watched with vast
interest, a half-suppressed roar swelling forth as each of the
prominent favourites was recognised. The telegraph board
displayed 20 runners, and all were in readiness some time
before the hour appointed on the card, and when the horses
were well together some failures were caused owing to the
eagerness of certain light weights to get away, and in one
of the false starts Flash-in the-Pan broke away, and ran a
mile round the course at a great pace before young Morris
could stop him, which considering his after success was most
remarkable. A somewhat tedious delay occurred, and in the
meantime rain fell heavily, and a mass of umbrellas sprung
up among the spectators like gigantic mushrooms. The
latest betting just prior to the start will be found below;
and in reference to the race we may say that the issue was
one of the most remarkable surprises in the history of the
Chester Cup. All the favourites were beaten by old Flash-
in-the-Pan, who had, according to the statement of his
jockey, the race in hand at any moment, and came away
about half a mile from home, and, making a terrible exhi-
bition of all his opponents, Wen, pulling double, by ten
lengths, the race being literally a case of" hare and hound,"
as all the field were in hopeless pursuit. Little Stag, it will
be seen, confirmed his high trial by boating all the 3-yr-
olds, and two of John Day's—Tippler and Lord Zetland—
finished third and fourth. Tremendous cheering awaited the
winner on his return, as the bookmakers landed large stakes.
Flash-in-the-Pan is the property of Mr. T. Hughes, of
Epsom, who is noted for a stable of cast-offs, which have
been derisively termed " yearlings," from their being all
aged. Mr. Hughes on cia wins £40,000. Subjoined are de-
tails of the running :
The Biennial Stakes of 10 Boys each, h ft, with 100 added,
for 3-yr-olds ; colts, Set 101 b; fillies, Set 71b; penalties
and allowaneee, Grosvenor course, about a mile and a

INNlrt.r.lNßleartrbye'rr'rsEClßuet,aBv,staty,7lbsaf 41b
t
quarter. 16 subs,
(J. Snowden) 1
(A. Edwards) 2
Mr Hargreaves's Welbeck,... 101 b .. (S. Rogers) 3
Mr Stet ets's Fisherman's
agst Fisherman's Daue-hter, 7
..Daughter, Bst 41b (Fordham) 4
Duke of St. Albans' Mamhead, tist 7lb .... (F. Adams) 5
Sir R. C. Naylor's Little Saxon, Sat 71b (R. Smethurst) 0
Betting-6 to 4 agst Effie, sto 2 agst Welbeck, 4to 1
Effie made play at an excellent pace, followed by Slam-
head, Fisherman's Daughter, and Cutaway, Welbeck bring-
ingto 1 agst Cutaway.
up the rear to the railway arches, where he passed
Little Saxon. Proceeding
along the Dee side, Marehead
dropped away beaten, and Cutaway, Welbeck, and Fisher-
man's Daughter joined Effie, the four running abreast head
and head to the distance, whore Fisherman's Daughter was
in distress ; a fine race, however, with the other trio ensued,
Cutaway
winning a capital finish by a short head; a neck
separated the scconcl and third, and the others were beaten
off.

The Welt- Cup of 5 sous each, with 50 added, for 3-yr•olds

and upwards; penalties and allowances, One mile and a
half. 10 subs,

Lord Bateman's Despair, 5 yrs, list 101 b.... (Fordham) 1
Mr Barber's The Clown, 3 yrs, 9,,t 10Ib (J. Snowden) 2
Mr Saunders's Belle of the Ball, 4 yrs, lOst 61b
(S. Rogers) 3
Betting--7 to 4on The Clown, 2to 1 aget Despair.
The two favourites took up the running from Belle of
the Ball, after going a few hundred yards, and the pair,
keeping close company throughout, finished a capital race,
which was wcn by Despair by a short head : a bad third,
The Tradesmen's Plate of 290 soya, added to a Handicap
Sweepstakes of sovs each, 15 ft, and sif declared, for
three•yr. olds and upwards ; winners extra. Cup Course,
about two miles and a quarter. 151 subs, 77 of whom

declared.
Mr Hughes's Flash-in-the-Pan, aged, 6st 41b.. (Morris) 1
Mr J. Osborne's Little Stag, 3 yrs, Pest (Carroll) 2
Marquis of Hastings's Tippler, 4 yrs, 7st slb
(H. Grimshaw) 3
Duke of Beaufort's Lord Zetland, 3 yrs, bet 121 b (in bib)
(F. Clark) 4
The following also ran :—Oldminster, Knutsford, Change,
Canary, Earl of Surrey, My Mary, Accident, Lancashire,
Muezzin, Bacchus, Gordian Knot, Tooi Tooi, Rose, Hersey
filly, Greenland, and Vacuna colt.
Betting-1 to 1 agst
,Accident, 100 to 15 agst Kersey
filly, 100 to 12 agst Little Stag, 9 to 1 agst Change, 10 to 1
agst Gordian Knot, 12 to 1 agst Canary, 15 to 1 agst Lord
Zetland, 20 to 1 each agst Bacchus, Muezzin, and Olduiin-
ster, 30 to 1 each agst Tippler and Flash-in-the-Pan, 100 to
3 agst Tooi Tooi, 40 to 1 agst Earl of Surrey, 50 to 1 each
agst My Mary and Yampa colt, 1000 to 15 agst Knutsford
and East Lancashire.

Before the time for starting had arrived the front rank
broke away; Flash-in-the-Pan, Greenland, Gordian Knot,
and the Vacuna colt ran to the hllf-mile post, Accident and
Muezzin being pulled up at the workhouse turn, whilst
Tippler and several others ran to the enclosure. At five
minutes to four o'clock they were capitally started, and upon
passing the stand Bacchus, Accident, and My Mary were iu
front ; at the head of the second division were Gordian Knot,
Hersey filly, Change, Little Stag, and Rose, next to whom
were Muezzin and Earl of Surrey, the last lot being Flash-
in-the-Pan, Canary, Oldminster, and East Lancashire,
After rounding the top turn Gordian Knot pulled xis way
to the front and took a slight lead of Bacchus, Little Stag
going on third, Hersey filly fourth, with Accident at her
side. These were followed by Rose, Change, and Earl of
Surrey, Tippler being at the head of the next division, and
My Mary, who had dropped from the front, formed one of
the rear lot. Passing the stand the second time, Gordian
Knot held a slight lead, Bacchus going on second, Little
Stag third ; Hersey filly, Earl of Surrey, Change, Accident,
Rose, the Vacuna colt, and Tippler following in a body.
After rounding the far turn towards the Dee side, the
Hersey filly dropped away beaten, and Bacchus took a slight
lead of Gordian Knot, Little Stag being third, and Flash-in-
the-Pan (who had gradually overhauled his horses) occupied
fourth place at the half-mile post, where Tippler and Lord
Zetland were well up. At the Grosvenor turn Flash-in-the
Pan rushed to the front, came completely away from his
opponents in the succeeding couple of hundred yards, and
won one of the hollowest races ever witnessed by ten lengths;
four lengths between second and third, and a neck between
third and fourth; East Lancashire was fifth, Accident
sixth, Bacchus seventh, and Gordian Knot eighth. The
last lot were Oldminster, Change, Muezzin, and My Mary.
Knutsford broke down, and walked in.

A Handicap Plate of 40 soya, for all ages; winners extra

Half a mile. 11 subs.
Mr Crook's Airedale, 4 yrs, 6st 101 b (Loges) 1
Lord Uxbridge's Erythia, 4 yrs, 7st 61b.... (I'. French) 2
Lord Bateman's Gipsy Girl, 4 yrs, Bst 21b„ „ (Fordham) 3
The following also ran —Dualla, David, Menotti, Lady
Knight, and Rejection.

Betting-5 to 2 each agst Erythia and Airedale, 4to 1
agst Gipsy Girl, 8 to 1 agst Dualla.
Won by a neck; a length between second and third.
The Members' Plate of 60 sovs, added to a Sweepstakes of
5 soya each—weight for age—winners extra—allowances..
Three quarters of a mile. 5 subs.

Captain Christie's Lady Clifden, 6 yrs (Fordham) 1
Mr Clark's Garotter, 3 yrs (T, French) 2
Mr Archer's Vindicta, 4 yrs (Daniells) 3
Betting-5 to lon Lady Clifden.
Won by four lengths—the sane between the eecond and
third.

BETTING AT MIDNIGHT.
THE DERBY.
sto 1 agst General Peel (taken)
7to 1 agst Scottish Chief (taken)
10 to 1 agst Cambuscan (taken)
100 to 7 agst Paris (taken)
15 to 1 agst Coastguard (taken)
16 to 1 agst Prince Arthur (taken)
20 to 1 agst Blair Athol (taken)
20 to 1 agst Baragah (taken)
40 to 1 agst Copenhagen (taken)
1000 to 1.5 agst The Major (taken)

SCRATCHINGS.—Ob the 4th inst., at 5 p.m,, La Toucques
out of the Stewards' Cup, and Ilymettus out of the Dee
Stakes, at the Chester Meeting.

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TmEa.—The members of the Conference upon the
affairs of Denmark assembled at the official residence
of the First Lord of the Treasury yesterday, but
very little progress was made towards the solution
of the question upon which they had met to delibe-
rate. Not even the preliminary difficulty of an
armistice was adjusted. The representatives of the
beLigerent Powers accepted the proposals of the neu-
tral Powers only that they might be transmitted to
their respective Oovernments, and the Conference
then adjourned till Monday neat, by which time it is
hoped that the Courts of Vienna and Berlin will have
providsd their representatives with sufficient in-
structions. In the meantime it must be remembered
that a practical suspension of hostilities obtains,
though no formal armistice has been concluded.
It is hard to wait for the completion of formali-
ties Whieh should have been foreseen from the first,
but time, if it does not bring us nearer to the goal
of our wishes, give us better opportunities of esti-
mating the Motives of those who are engaged, with
more or less bad faith,in playing out the melancholy
interlude of the fall of Denmark. Never was such
information More needed. Never did the conduct
of kings and emperors appear more incomprehen-
sible to the eye of ordinary intelligence, Never
was there so much need of some explanation of the
hidden aptinge by evbieht they are put in motion.
There is not a single power that appears at first
sight to be acting according to its teal interest
or traditionary principles. Take Austria, fot ex,
ample. Austria had established a considerable re-
pete.tion in Europe for fide.ity to her engage.
ments. Tenacious of what she possessed, but as
respects other nations unenterprising and un-
aggressive, she was regarded as the balance-
wheel of the European State machine, as a Power
that could always be counted on by those who
limited their ambition to the maintenance of
the European status quo. Her differences with the
discordant nationalities composing her Empire have
descended to her through centuries of turmoil and
conflict ; and her finances are in a state of confusion
and embarrassment which might damp the hopes
and paralyse the energies of the most enterprising
and aggressive Government in the world. It is
under these circumstances that Austria embarks in
a war from which it is impossible she should reap
any direct advantage whatever. She joins in the
attack on a Power from whose conquest she could
singly gain no honour; but whose conquest when
shared with another great military monarchy, be-
comes something little short of ignominious. And
what are her objects P A wish to conciliate
the smaller German States, in which, so
far as we can see, she has not in the
least succeeded ; a jealousy of Prussian in-
fluence, and a determination not to allow her
rival to monopolize the laurels which are to be
gained by the overthrow of an enemy scanty in
numbers, poorly armed, ill sheltered, overtasked,
and possessing ionly an old-fashioned artillery as
little able to contend against the modern improve-
ments which the poverty of Denmark forbade her
to adopt as the catapults and gal istas of the ancients.
Even now we learn, from a source in which we place
considerable reliance, that Austria does not view
the glories, such as they are, of the storm of Dyh-
bol with absolute equanimity, and that she is an-
xious before an armistice is concluded, to revive
the memory of her exploits of February by some
new feats of arms at the expense of a puny adver-
sary, which seems made for the purpose of giving
great Powers the opportunity of winning little
victories at small risk. We hope that the
Danes will be wise enough not to afford Aus-
tria the opportunity of gratifying this de-
plorable ambition. She has shed blood enough,
and has now more glory to win by fairly encoun-
tering her creditors than her enemies. The case of
Prussia is much simpler, though not more credit-
able. 'I he monarchy, under the guidance of a Mini-
ster absolutely reckless of consequences, had ad-
vanced to the very verge of destruction. The Go
vernment had deliberately violated the Constitution
in its most important point—the power of the As-
sembly over the public purse. Successive dissolu-
tions only showed, each more clearly than the other,
the resolution of the people not to submit tamely to
this usurpation. Things had come to the lest ex.
tremity when fortune flung in the way of a despair-
ing Government a means of safety which they
little looked for. The extraordinary agitation of
the Germind mind on the subject of the Duchies, the
desire to deprive Denmark of her continental pos-
sessions and to vest them in some German Prince,
the opportune death of the King of Denmark, and
the opportunity which her obstinacy gave of
concealing the projects of Prussian ambition under
the mask of zeal for Federal rights, came just in
time to save Prussia from internal revolution by
what we should have called,were it not of ever-recur-
ring use and invariable success, the stale and worn-
out device of a foreign war. The people of Prussia
rushed headlong into the snare. They forgot their

liberties. They forgave their wrongs. They sub-
nutted themselves with the docility of children to
the guidance of a Minister whom a little while aeo 1
they were almost ready to tear in pieces. They suf- '
fered themselves to be amused by the poor device of
setting up a Pretender, to be dropped when he had
answered his purpose for the mightier Pretender
whose manoeuvres he had served for a while to con-
ceal. There is now little doubt about it, and the
truth may as well be spoken out at once. Prussia
seined the Duchiea on behalf and in the name of
the German Confederation. But it is not on behalf
of the German Confederation that she intends to
hold them. She condescended for awhile to amuse
herself and Europe with the Duke of Augustenburg.
But it is not for the sake of the Duke of Augusten-
burg that she has expended her troops or burdened
her finances. She is fighting for her own hand.
She is anxious to offer Schleswig-Holstein end per-
haps Jutland to her own Assembly in exchange for
the trampled down and effaced liberties of the
country. There is no doubt that the offer will be
received in a spirit of becoming humility and
thankfulness, and that Prussia will have nothing to
deny to a Minister who can by any means give
lustre to her arms or extension to her territories.
Cherishing these intentions, we must not be sur-
prised to find Prussia unwilling to enter into
any engagement which might snatch from her
the prey she believes to be already witnin her
grasp, and force her to take account of those pro-
fessions with which she entered on the war, and
which she has successively discarded as occasion
offered. She is firmly persuaded that for the mo-
ment she has nothing to fear, and in this faith she
pushes on her successes with merciless rigour, levies
ruinous war contributions on the poor and inoffen-
sive population of Jutland, bombards towns with-
out notice, and exercises, in the plenitude of her
insolence, to the most extravagant limit, every pri-
vilege which modern civilization has left to belli-
gerents. In the meanwhile France makes no sign.
So far from going to war for an idea, she will not
unsheathe her sword for a reality. That same
France which in 1859 went to war to protect Italy
from a servitude to foreign nations under which
she had groaned for three hundred and fifty years
has neither sword nor sympathy to spare for an old
and faithful ally, destroyed, dismembered, and ob-
literated from among the nations unwept and with-
out a crime. The case is the stronger since in
behalf of Denmark there was no occasion for France
to do more than notify her will. In the present 1
state of European affairs, and with the known dis-
positions of England and Russia, France had nothing
to do but to express a wish, and it would be obeyed ;
a single word would rescue an ancient and honour-
able nation from destruction, and that word will not
be spoken. We hear much of the pacific dispositions
of the French Legislative Assembly, of the desire of
the nation for peace, of the unwillingness of the
Emperor to nip the rising prosperity of France in
the blossom,—excellent arguments, if it were '.m-
possible to save Denmark without war, or if per-
mitting Prussia with the assistance of Austria to
possess herself of the Cimbric Peninsula held out
any hope of maintaining peace. No one knows
better than the Emperor of the French that this is
not so. The opinion of Europe, which now finds
expression in words, will one day make itself felt
in deeds, and Prussia will dearly rue the outrage on
public opinion which she now, with so much arro-
gance, commits. She is sowing, but another will
reap. It may devolve on the very Sovereign who
now looks on with so much complacency at this
great public crime to constitute himself the execu-
tioner of the indignation of Europe, and redress by
a ruinous war a spoliation which, but for his unac-
countable forbearance, could not possibly have been
accomplished.
POST.—Not the least of the circumstances which
tend to redress the balance Of inequality in the Ame-
rican war, and compensate the youth for their great
inferiority of numbers, is the supeeiority they enjoy
over the North in a knowledge of the enemy's move-
ments. This circumstance comes out prheninently
in the letter from New Orleans which we printed
on Tuesday. Into the cause of this superiority it is
not relevant to inquire, further than to remark that
the defenders of a fortress who have shut them-
selves up in it are better able to see the movements
of the besiegers than these are to penetrate the plans
of the garrison. Of course, if in addition to this
the Confederates have faithful friends within the
Northern lines who keep them, as the phrase is,
well "posted up" in the schemes and operations of
the Federals—who are destitute of any similar ad-
vantage—it is only another exemplification of how
little "Union sentiment" there is in the South, and
how much "disloyalty" there is in the North. Our
correspondent's letter is dated about the time of the
Federal defeat at Pleasant Hill, which doee not
appear, from what he says, to have been known at
Now Orleans. What was known there, however,
except, perhaps, to the Federals, was that
the Confederates were eagerly waiting in the full
confidence and with ample preparations made, of
which General Banks must have been in total
ignorance, for inflicting upon the North that over-
whelming defeat which they are now known to
have eitstained. We remarked before that, al-
though the battle was evidently won by a masterly
generalship, still the Confederates might have had
a much stronger force in the neighbourhood than
what they actually employed to crush and anni-
hilate the head of the Federal advance, but kept
their real numbers concealed for obvious pruden •
tial reasons. It now appears that this was actually
so. The Confederates, we are told, were in a
position to concentrate sixty thnusand men upon
any point they chose, and place 'Jura in line to
oppose the Federals in their attempt to penetrate
the country. The Confederaius looked upon the
defeat of Banks as a certainty. If he would only
advance and give them battle upon the field they
had previously determined, says our correspondent,
the Confederates had no doubt of being able to in.
flict a disastrous defeat upon him. To that end'
they were determined to force him to a pitched
battle. Now this, which it was foretold in the
South would happen, is just what we are told from
Northern sources actually did happen. The Fede-
rals advanced to Pleasant Hill (which they will not
henceforth call by that name), the Confederates
falling bask before them, skirmishing as they did
so, for about half a dozen miles. Suddenly they
turned upon their Fermiers, who, without notice or
expectation, all at once found themselves attacked
by superior forces, before which, after a desperate
struggle; they were driven back with an admitted
loss of two thousand men, and their artillery and
their train, and were only saved from being all cut
to pieces or taken prisoners by the timely arrival of
a strong army corps to their aid. Now it must be
remembered that Louisiana is the only State in
which the Federals claimed to have restored the
Union. They have treated this State as having
been reclaimed from recession and reconquered to
the North. Yet it appears that out of New Orleans,
which is really held by the Federal navy, there is
not an acre of ground they can properly call their
own. In this reconquered State, where the reor-
ganisation of society, of slavery, of the Union has
been going on for two years under such adepts as
Butler and Banks, there is a force of sixty thousand
Confederate troops close to Banks's headquarters, a
force of which the Federals knew nothing ; a force
which, however, can be concentrated on a single
point at a short notice, and which has just fur-
nished evidence of its presence and efficiency, as
well as of flit; enterprise and ability of its leaders,
by inflicting a tali. ible defeat upon the North by
her instance of tlyebikuity
generalship alone. ALIN'
of the Confederate forces in this State and the
facility of their movements is tka following ;
Banks having advanced 30 miles from Alexandria,
leaving a garrison there, and the river having fallen
to such an extent that the gunboat& bad to drop
down 20 miles below that town, it immediately be-
gan to be threatened by Confederate Gen. Taylor,
" who had got into Banks's rear. The streets were
barricaded, but the garrison feared capture, not
being able to fall back upon the gunboats." Such
is the condition of things in the very heart of Gen.
Banks's command. Of course it may be pleaded on
behalf of Banks that he bad no means of knowing
the strength or position of the Southern armies;
that he is in an enemy's country where nobody
will give him a word of information about the move-
ments or plans of his foe, while everybody is ready
to tell all they know about him to the Confederates.
But this is precisely thereaeon why he ought to have
exercised more caution and judgment in his advance.
It is to meet and overcome such difficulties as these,
and provide against surprises, that a general is
placed at the head of an army. But for this the
troops might just as well be left to themselves, to
advance or retreat, to fight or not, as might seem
good to them. Still Banks is a general quite up to
the average standard of the best Northern comman-
ders. All of them have been Napoleons, Alexanders,
and Hannibals, until their first battle, and then
the one talent, wherewith they all showed
themselves pre-eminently endowed, was that of
making rapid and sudden strategic movements
to the rear. Banks has shown himself no worse
a general than Sherman, or M'Clellan and his
half-dozen rivals, who emulated him at first in pre-
mature fame, and ultimately in the celerity with
which they moved strategically to the rear directly
after setting out upon the march which was only to
terminate at Richmond. Banks and Sherman have
been beaten in the South and West, just as the
Popes and Hookers, the M'Dowells and Burnsides
have been beaten in Virginia. Maryland, Penn-
sylvania, Washington itself have been threatened,
and are threatened even now, with occupation by
General Lee's army. It is not in Virginia that the
Federals believed themselves strongest. Yet, in the
West, which they did think was their strongest posi-
tion, from the advantage they possess in their gun-
boa%) they have suffered a serious reverse on the

very banks of that Mississippi which is thus again
practically commanded by the Confederates. A
chain is no stronger than its weakest link, and the.
Mississippi is lost to the Federals through the lose.
of a single point on its shores. It is, however, right
to point out that the capture of Fort Pillow merely
wrests an important and well.-.hosen position for a
fortress from the North. The Mississippi has never
really been open to navigation for comzerco since
the war commenced. The capture of Vicksburg re-
moved the great impediment to the transit of gun-
boats, but left the river just as dangerous to cum-
merce ns before. Nothing was easier than for fly-
ing artillery to deetroy any merchant vessels that
might venture up Or down its waters. In Tennes-
see, too, the Confederates are recovering territory
from the invaders. And all this is in the West and
South, where it was given out that the Federala
were undisputed masters of the situation ; yet it 16
in this quarter that they have suffered some of the:
most serious of their reverses. And this is the third
year of the war, with gold ranging from 69 to 7l
premium,with a debt which, if exactly ascertained,
is perhaps three or four hundred millions sterling,
and with a gross expenditure of something
like a hundred and fifty millions sterling a year.
But, as if all this were not enough, we are told
that the Federals will not be satisfied until they
have brought a war with France on their hands.
" No substantial gains have been made since the
occupation of New Orleans, and there is no prospect
of any gains. There is no further hope of plunder
within the Federal lines, or within the waste border
lands between the opposing armies, for the country
has been plundered, sacked, and devastated until
nothing remains but the land,and that is fast relaps-
ing into the savagery and solitude of primeval
nature." An example this, by the way, of the sort
of Paradise to be sought for in those parts of the
South where the "Union is restored." So "colonels,
lieutenant-colonels, majors, captains, and lieute•
nants," down to the rank and file, appear to be
yearning " for new fields of conquest and plunder."
To this end they are "enrolling in the organisation
known as the ' defenders of the Monroe doctrine," of
which Colonel De Borden, of the Mexican (Juarez)
army, is president, and General A. J. Hamilton, the
Federal military Governor of Texas, is the vice-
president. Every officer in Banks's command is
said to be a member of this society, and the general
himself is its grand patron. It is a secret organisa.
tion, with a ritual, grips, signs, and pass-words. It
makes no concealment of its aim—the expulsion of
tie French from klexico." Mr. Hahn, the "free
State Governor of Louisiana," openly advocates
this project in his journal, the Delta, declaring that
it is a " necessity of self-preservation." This, how-
ever, was prior to Banks's late crushing disaster,
Generals Taylor, Magruder, and Kirby Smith will
probably give quite enough occupation to the
Federals without another war, in which they would
be brought face to face with the veterans of Solferino
and Magenta, and have their monitors smashed by
the Gloire.