The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-03 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TlMES.—Since the great Duke of Marlborough
turned his back upon the Dutch, and plunged heroi•
cally into Germany to fight the famous battle of
Blenheim, military history has recorded no stranger
mlrvel than the mysterious expedition of General
Sherman on an unknown route against an unlis-
coverable enemy. It is six months since the Federal

commander brae up his quarters at Chattanooga
and marched against the Confederate army in his
front which barred the road to Georgia. This army,

by dint rather of manoeuvring than fighting he drove-
continuously before him for three months together,
until he found himself in August before the defences
of Atlanta. He completed this remarkable success
by compelling the Confederate garrison to evacuate
the city, which he occupied in triumph ; but here his
real embarrassments began. He had captured
Atlanta, to the infinite delight of the Federal and
the great advantage of Mr Lincoln's electioneering
prospects, but it soon appeared that the victory was
useless, and that it would be necessary either to do
_ _

something more or undowbat had beendone already.
The Northern General was nearly 150 miles from

his base of operations; he was in the heart of an
enemy's country ; hostile armies still kept the field

.a undiminished strength, and the same strategy

which he had employed against the Southern com-
mander could be turned by that commander against
him. It was obvious, indeed, that if Sherman, by
intercepting supplies and interrupting communica-
tions, could make Atlanta untenable to Hood, Hood
could, with at least equal facility, make Atlanta un-
tenable to Sherman. This was what quickly oc-

curred. Gen. Hood, reinforced by Gen. geauregard,
soon drew the Federal commander out of the city,

and for a week or two the contending armies were
engaged in manoeuvres of which the details and ob-
jects have been but obscurely reported. Suddenly,

however, we hear that Sherman has changed his I
game, and taken a new and momentous decision.
He has absolutely evacuated Atlanta, and left it to
be re•ocoupied by the Confederates. He has turned
his back upon the Confederate armies and marched
off in another direction; but whither he is marching,
or what he designs, neither Federals nor Coofede.
rates can tell. We must presume that the Govern-
ments of Washington and Richmond are in the secret.
Sherman, whatever may be his plan, can hardly
have adopted it without concert with other Federal
commanders, while it is obvious that the Confede-
rate authorities might expect intelligence from the
population on the track as soon as the direction of
the march had been disclosed. But never, even in
Russia, was secret better kept. Neither Northern
nor Southern journals can do more than conjecture
what has happened. New York papers speak of the
expedition as " The Great Mystery," and ejaculate
" What 'has become of Sherman's army r Some
think that he has left Atlanta for Montgomery,
which is about 175 miles to the south-west, on the
road to Mobile, which would be above 100 miles
further ; some that he is gone to Macon, about
100 miles to the south.east, intending to march from
that town to Savannah, which is nearly 200 miles
beyond. Others think that Charleston is his object,
while there are those who maintain that, instead
of marching either south-east or south-west, he has
pushed straight away north, there to co-operate
with General Grant in Virginia by seizing Lynch•
burg, and thus blockading Richmond on the west.
Conjectures so wide and inconsistent sufficiently
demonstrate tho entire ignorance which prevails,
but that an army of 50,000 men should in a civilised
country be so utterly lost to sight for days together
is one of the most incredible incidents of this extra-
dinary war. It is believed that General Sherman
started upon this mysterious expedition on the 11th
of November, and it is stated, though we know not
with what authority, that his first march from At•
lanta was certainly southwards. This might be in
the direction either of Montgomery or Macon, and
might take him, according as he diverged to the west
or to the east, into the heart of Alabama or the heart
of Georgia, and enable him to advance, if unopposed
and unembarrassed,upon either Mobile or Savannah.
ThelNow York papers repeat with apparent satis-
faction, but with an evident ground of misgiving,
that Sherman in thus advancing towards the sea is
marching to a base, and not from one, since on his
arrival at the coast ho could be supported by the
naval forces of the North. But if his object is only
to reach the coast he could have reached it more

surely by sea, and if a land force was wanted to co-
operate in an attack upon Savannah or Wilmington
it need not have been sent by way of Chattanooga
and Atlanta. It appears almost certain that this
expedition, whatever may bo its object, has been
attempted not as part of any original scheme, but
as the sequel of an enterprise to which no other end
could be discerned. General Sherman took Atlanta,
but when ho had taken it he knew not what to do
with either his prize or himself. The enemy, who
had been rather circumvented than defeated, made
the place untenable for him, the capture itself pro-
duced no results, the blockading armies could not
be disposed of, and, though pursued, could not be
caught at a disadvantage; so there lay the Federal
General with his army unable to stay, and yet find-
ing no good in taking the field. It was necessary
to strike out a new line of operations, and that has
certainly been done, though in what direction or
with what intent nobody can tell. If Sherman hes
gone northwards to cosoperate with Grant, the
!nevem at may produce important consequences, for
he could materially help to invest the Confederate
capital. This would, perhaps, be the most reason-
able and natural enterprise, though even in this
ease it would follow that the whole campaign in
Georgia hed been a mistake, and that Sherman had
better have marched upon Lynchburg in May last,
instead of Wasting six months in an expedition
producing no results whatever. Put the anticipa.
tions of the Americans themselves point for the
most part in an opposite direction. It is commonly
believed that Sherman has plunged either into
Alabama or Georgia, and that he will appear on
the coast of ens of those States in due time. In
this case, however, how will it fare with him f'
His army is undoubtedly good and in efficient
condition. It carries thirty or, as some say, sixty
days' rations with it, and, beside°, the country
is untouched by the war and the Southern
granaries at this season of the year would be
well stored with provisions, It is also possible that
no considerable force of the enemy would be eneotan.
tered in the way, for Hood and Beauregard have
been left behi▪
nd in Tennessee, and though they, or
even Early, might be despatched on the track of the
Federals, Sherman would have got a good start,
and he is fully capable of improving that or any
other advantage by his professional resources and
skill. On the other hand, ho would be throwing
himself headlong into a hostile country of immense
extent, without any line of communications. He has
cut himself off from his base so completely and deli-
berately that he cannot even send intelligence of his
movements. He has converted his entire army into
a flying column for an expedition involving most
formidable di▪
stances. The State of Georgia is up-
wards of 300 miles long and 200 miles broad, and
contains 68,000 Ettuare miles. Alabama is nearly
as large. The roads in these countries may be broken
up, bridges destroyed, and provisions carried away,
while it is certain that, even if the Federal corn.
mender should ultimately appear before either
Charleston or Mobile, a hard siege would still await
him at the end of his unparalleled march. Never.
theless, he is beyond a doubt both an able and a
resolUte soldier, and he may know better than any
of his countrymen what are the real chances of his
enterprises. That it is a momentous enterprise can-
not be denied, but it is exactly one of those enter-
prises which are judged by the event. It may either
make Sherman the most famous General of the
North, or it may prove the ruin of his reputation,
his army, and even his cause together.
POST.—The ceremony which took place on Wed-
nesday last at the little town of New Radnor, far
away from the basy scenes of commerce, and in the
bosom of the Welsh hills, was no mere complimen-
tary tribute to departed obscurity. It was true
that it was, as far as posed:else the commemoration
of a private bereavement and not of a public loss.
But it is equall7 so that the public and private life
of the great and good mat ee hem his friends and
neighbours were met together to nommemorato
wore so indissolubly blended together that it wad
practically impossiisle tN dissociate the one from
the other. Sir George Cornewail Lewis was,
by the consent of all parties, one of those
bright inste ce^t which can happily be hardly
said to be rare in this country, of an ardent and
earnest pelitician who had never made a personal
enemy cr rounded the feelings of a single individ-
ual. He was one who held indod his own opinions,
and had proved himself well able to maintain them,
but The held them in such a manner as id ptotoke
no needless antagoniato, End to win the confidence
and respect e'en of his strongest political oppo-
nents. And thus it comes about that, at the foot
of the Eleanor Cross which is to mark the sense of
his own county neighbours of the irreparable loss
which they have sustained, were to be found men
differing widely as the poles in opinions, in senti-
ments, and in predilections, but all eager to pay a
willing tribute to the memory of ono well dee
scribed by a competent judge as
" Justissimus unus
Qui felt in TOUCTIP, et servantiseirnus ?aqui."
It was not, however, in this light alone that Sir
George Lewis has left his fellow-countrymen a
noble example for them to follow. Mr Vernon
Harcourt pointed out that he was one who was
calculated to shine in other fields than that which
ho had selected as the special theatre for his great,
although perhaps not brilliant, abilities. On Wed-
nesday last he received the testimony of a political
adversary to his power of inspiring general confi.
dence—of a statesman of European reputation to
most
he

~a v.% en. In ;t> t lifa—.and of one of

- -
eminent scholars of the day to his classical learn'
ing and knowledge. Lord Derby and Mr eihid-
stone have latterly familiarised us with the idea
that loading statesmen may employ their leisure
moments in pursuits which would be deemed er•
duous were they attempted by a university p
sor as a part of his ordinary curriculum.But
.it
is not every one, as Dean Milman has well put !t,
who, had he lived, would have been first favourite.
for the vacant Premiership, and might have occupied
with honour the chair of the Greek professor in the
most learned university in Europe. His country was
refer
well aware when he was taken from amongst us thi!t
she hed lost one whom she could ill spare. Elle,
neighbours, and still more those who were connected
with him by the tics of relationship, mourned not
only a dear friend, but ono whose temper was never
ruffled, whose patience was never wearied, and who
missed no opportunity of doing a kindness to other!.
It is late in the day now to recapitulate sellapo
all the offices which he held, and all the services
which he rendered in each of them to his Sovereign..
But it is not too late to point the moral which is
suggested by every stage of such a career. Sir Geo.
Lewis was emphatically not of the number of those
born geniuses who wake some morning "to find
themselves famous." His was a career of unwearied
industry, of patience, of self-denial, and of gradual
development. lie was known, indeed, from the
time of his university career as a deep and profound
scholar, well versed in foreign as well as in ancient
literature. Still, it was not till he had attained
something very like middle life that what might be
called a fair opportunity of distinction presented
itself, and office, when it came, came in its driest
and least attractive form. It was as a Poor laW
Commissioner that Sir George Lewis first won
spurs, and displayed those faculties of research, Cr'
centration, and general aptitude for business which
made him afterwards successively Chancellor of the
Exchequer, Secretary of the Home Department,
and Secretary for War. To the end of his days be
could never be called an orator, and his speeches
invariably read far better than they were delivered.
But he brought to every subject which he aP;
proached a thorough honesty of purpose, a moue
wonderfully devoid of prejudice, and powers of
work and of investigation which may occasionally
have been equalled, but which can rarely have been
excelled. There was a thorough conviction in the
minds of all who came in contact with him not only
that he meant well, but that he was capable 01
doing well. He was never over elated by success,
and he took failures when, as in the case of the
Herefordshire election, they overtook him in a
manner which endeared him even to those Till?
were responsible for his disappointment.
love of truth, as his brother-in-law,
Lon'
Clarendon, pointed out, was the prominent fee:
ture of his character, and the knowledge of this
won for him the respect of all parties. Had any
misfortune befallen Lord Palmerston during the
earlier period of the present session, he was the 0136
of all his lieutenants to whom the public eye would
have turned instinctively as his probable and most
fitting successor. And this because he was known
to be not only a man of no extreme views, but one
who would flatly refuse even to appear to advocate
them in order to curry favour with their supporters'
There were those among his colleagues who Were
more brilliant in conception, more eloquent in de:
clemation, and far more effective in debate. Be,:
there were none who inspired the confidence who",
he did, and none accordingly who could have found
it an easier task to lead the House of Commove'
The grave closed over him without his leaving a
single enemy behind him, and without his hevloi
ever lost a friend. Such a character as this is no"
only rare, but it is well worthy of study and iraited
tion. We are not all gifted with the same pewee
of analysis, the same grasp of mind, or the sad°
kindly temperament as Sir George Lewis. But We
can all imitate his patience, his perseverance, and
his determination not to be turned aside by diffian,`4
ties or to be daunted by delays. The same (valid
tics which won him success in the political arena
would have won their possessor success in 01
other field of action. Most of them aro quite witkin
the attainment of far humbler capacities than bl,
and all them are pre-eminently the attributes of the
best typo of English character. It is well that tbje
memory of such a man should have been honouree;
It is especially so that it should have been me;
honoured in the place where the man himself was
best known.