The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-13 00:00:00

'RE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA,

(From tine Times Corresponeent.)

NEW YORK, May 31.
General Grant having discovered that the direct
road to Richmond, to be traversed with the loss of
from 10,000 to 15,000 men per mile, was practically
impassable, has changed his tactics. Twice he at-
tempted, in a series of battles extending over ten
days, to cut his way by sheer brute force through
the obstacles opposed to his march, and twice, if
not actually beaten back, he was foiled with tre-
mendous slaughter. At his third halting-place on
the bank of the North Anna, he found the impedi-
ments much more formidable than those of the
Wilderness or Spottsylvania Court-house, and
paused to consider what was to be done. The par-
tisans, both of the North and the South, were
equally anxious that at this point he should once
more try the mettle of his legions. The Federalists
had an idea that Lee's army was decimated, demor-
alised, and hopeless, and that Grant had only to
fight with the fierceness and tenacity of his open-
ing battles to overbear all opposition, scatter the
panic-stricken hosts of the South, and rush con.
Tiering and to conquer into Richmond. The Con-
federates, on the contrary, maintained that the
position between the North and the South Anna
was that in which, above all others, Lee would have
preferred to try conclusions with his adversary, and
that it was the place on which he had lavished all the
resources of his military and engineering skill. For
these reasons they hoped that Grant would resort to
his old policy, and risk everything upon the issues of
battle. Grant took time for reflection. He studied the
work to be done, an after a repose of several days,
varied only by an occasional skirmish between the
outposts and a few feints to discover the whereabouts
of particular divisions of the opposing army, came
to the conclusion that the position was in all respects
what it was represented to be, and was only to be
taken at such an awful sacrifice of life as to make
it cruel, if not insane, to attempt it. He, therefore,
determined upon another flank movement, and
hastily, secretly, and successfully transferred his
whole army by forced marches to the north bank of
the Pamunkey—a river formed by the junction of
the North .and South Anna—where he took up a
new position at Hanovertown, within about 15 miles
of Richmond. On Sunday he crossed the Pamun-
key, and occupied a position about three miles to
the south of the stream. Should the attempt to
enter Richmond by this route prove as hope-
less as these previously made, we may next
expect to hear of this alert and indefatigable in •
vader at M'Clellan's old -quarters amid Cie swamps
of the chickahominy ; or, giving these the go-by,
because of their noted unhealthiness during the
summer heats, which have already begun to blaze
upon the land with a fury equal to that of the dog
days in our milder Europe, he will perhaps effect a
junction with General Butler at Bermuda Hundred,
on the James, and try to break into Richmond by
the back door. It will be, observed that in all these
movements General Grant keeps the rivers and his
transports behind him, and that in case of defeat he
can save his army from destruction by the aid of a
numerous and well-appointed flotilla both on the
Rappahannock and the James. It will be observed

that the strategy leaves Washington undefended;
and that while he "pounds awa3" (the popular
phrase just now) at Riaiaiond, Lee may leave the
Southern capital to General Beauregard and 40,000
or 50,000 men—quite adequate for its defence—and
march to the Northern capital with the remainder
of his army, either by the Shenandoah or the direct
route. It is not considered, however, by military
critics that Lee will undertake an expedition of this
magnitude, but thataa series of battles on the Chicka-
hominy will either give him the victory or force
him into Richmond.

Bat amid all this din of war the din of politics
is not silenced. The Baltimore Convention meets
this day week to nominate Mr. Lincoln for re-elec-
tion, and towards that pleasant city are flocking the
delegates from all parts of the country—the great
shoddy interest, the contracting interest, the place-
holding interest, the place-expecting interest, and
that very numerous class of political thinkers who,
without much respect for Ali.. Lincoln's character,
and none for his abilities, arc sincerely of opinion
that a change in the Presidency at a time like this
is a national peril. One section of Mr. Lincoln's
quondam supporters and present opponents have
endeavoured to forestall or deeat the action of the
Baltimore Convention by summoning an indepen-
dent Convention of all parties at Cleveland, in Ohio.
That Convention opens its deliberations to-day.
Though all parties have been summoned, none but
Republicans have been erected, and these, to the
number of between 1,500 and 2,000 have swarmed
into Cleveland with bat one purpose in their minds
—to nominate General Fremont. They are sincere
in their convictions that " State rights" are of no
farther use in the government of America ; that
their day has gone by; that State lines must be so
far obliterated as to be of no greater political value
than the lines of a county or a township; that a
great and homogeneous nation and a strong Go.
vernment must be created out of the ruins of the
Federative system; that slavery, serfdom, -..na
social and political disqualification on acce_dot of
colour must be abolished ; that the. Monroe
doctrine must be maintained at all azarda ; that
General Fremont is the able, the edmistent, and the
proved champion of " free spe.,ch, free soil, and free
men," and of all the i:eas that naturally grow
oat of them; that he is a gentleman as well as a
statesman, and fitted both by his manners and
his education, to reflect honour upon the chief
magistracy, instead of making it a laughing-stock
in the eyes of the world ; and that for these and
countless other reasons, of which the egregious in-
capacity of INTr. Lincoln is not the least, it is both
the duty and the policy of the Repu lean party hi' to I
unite their vote in his favour. The Germans in the
west, who are declared to be a unit on the question,
are enthusiastic for the' Pathfinder ;" the Germans
in New York and other large Cities go with their
countrymen; v,rid as they have the support of the
churches an, of such men as Dr. Cheever, Dr, Tyng,
Mr. Wart Beecher, and Mr. Wendell Phillips, and
the great bulk of the educated and contemplative
Abolitionist party, who despise Mr. Lincoln for his
'Want of manners and education, and distrust him for
his lukewarmness in the cause, which appears to

•
them too sacred to be taken up or let fall as expe-
diency may dictate, it is all but certain that the

Cleveland nomination will be as enthntiastie for

Fremont as that at Baltimcre promises to be for
Lincoln. A few friends of Gen. Grant have mnst:ired

at Cleveland, as they will probably do et Baltimore,
to urge the claims of the hero of Vicksburg upon the
gratitude of his countrymen ; but as Grant has not
asked for the nomination—us it is not certain that

he would accept it, if offered—as it is not known to

any one that he has any poiitieal principles at all, or
any talents except those which find their normal

exercise in the env or the battle field—and as,

moreover, his defeat on the Chickahort iny or at Ber-
muda, Hundred would mak3 an end of him as
thoroughly in a political as in a military sense, and

consign him to obscure servi39 on the Indian fron-
tier, or perhaps to privßto life at his tan-yard in
Missouri, his friends labour under many disad-
vantages in pressing his claims, and are not likely
to advance his prospects at either convention. On
the other hand, if signal, undoubted victory should
reward his efforts before Richmond, he will need no
aid of conventions to jump into the Presidential
chair. Success in the field would make him Presi-
dent in spite of himself, so that in view of all the
circumstances his friends but waste their energies
in premature discussions of his candidacy. The
next
mass meting summoned for Saturday evening
in Union square, in this city, with the object of
nominating him to the Presidency by acclamation
of the crowd instead of by the ordinary machinery
of a party convention, will, of course, afford the
opportunity of speech- ni akir.g nod sp2ech •beering,
both so dearly beloved by the Yankee multitude, but
will be of no further importance, unless: on or before

that particular day, the victory his friends expect
shall hare .been fairly won. In that improbable
contingency the meeting would become a fortiante
accident, and be the signal and forerunner of a series

of popular gatheringa, the force of which no other
candidate could help to withstand.
The friends of General ll'Cleilan keep discreetly
quiet. Their convention will not be held until the