The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-03 00:00:00

wonderful Federal Commanders-in-Chief, meaning
Gen. GE.ANT—almost even now, so far as his aggres.
sive capabilities are concerned as " catawampously
thawed up," to write for a moment in the expres-
sive Yankee vernacular, almost as " catawampously
chewed up" as ever before him was Fighting lOE, or
the Young NAPOLEON, or any other of those sack-
ing Tamerlanes who were to have subdued the whole
of the insurgent States, as it were, offhand, and were
to have brought the Southerners into a wholesome
state of subjugation in the first preliminary taste,
as one may say, of a single campaign ! Campaign,
however, has (since the first virginal boast
of Federalism was uttered) succeeded cam-
paign, in dreary and most destructive successioa—
the Conquering North being even now still at it as
desperately and, to all appearance, quite as hope-
lessly as ever. It was only the other day that the
Confederates under LEE were stated to have been
compelled to beat a hasty retreat before their formid-
able assailants, their then all but conquerors, the
Federals. Instead of which being really and truly
the case—the fact turns out to be exactly reverse !
LEE, so far from beating a retreat, is, on the con-
trary, beating—the Federals. His signal manner
of repelling their last attack upon him is thus
recounted by the Federals themselves—" After a
desperate conflict, lasting throughout the forenoon,
the Federals were forced to retreat, with the
loss of 1,200 in killed and wounded." Subse-
quently he even turns the tables—becomes him-
self the assailant ! And finally, we learn from
the seat of war, according to one of the very last of
these telegrams —" On Thursday (the 19th)
EWELL gained GRANT'S rear, and attempted the
capture of the Federal supply trains. The result is
unknown ; but after an hour's hard fighting, in
which the Federals lost upwards of 1,000 men, the
Confederates returned to their entrenchments."
Altogether, a wonderful anti-climax !

There is no surer way of meeting with imperti-
nence than to let overbearing nations know that you
are afraid of them, and to yield to the demands of
encroaching avarice. Our Ministers have given
rise to the most hurtful suggestions, and caused the
most impertinent remarks to be made concerning
us by the German writers. The language which it
pleases these good people to adopt is quite extraor-
dinary, and must surprise even tho.se who are well
versed in their tactics and manceavres, and are
aware of their irritation when opposed in their
plane. It is perhaps as well that this sort of
poetical justice should exist, for other wise an
encouragement might be given to succeeding states-
men to follow in the footsteps of our present
advisers. After all that tboy have con-
ceded and yielded to Germany, it certainly
is too bed that insults should be heaped upon them,
and indignity be attached to their politics. No
seruples of consistency nor motives of propriety and
decorum seem to influence or restrain them in their
headlong course, and we find the Gotha Gazttte has
been amusing its readers and the public generally
with the summary of all the disagreeable things
that have been said and written against England.
The title to this combined jumble of precious relics
is of a character with all the rest of this transac-
tion. I; was styled " a straw in her neighbour's
eye, and a beam in her own, or the irritation of vir-
tuous Britain against wicked Germany." The con-
ductors of this journal cannot really entertain a
solid idea of respect, or they wouid never so grossly
insult a nation from whence comes their future
King. The Sovereign of their State will be a son
of that people they are holding up to scorn and de-
rision, and it would ba as well for many reasons if
they feigned a virtue, though they had it not. It
must be evident, however, by this time to the
dullest capacity that it is quite id:e to expect any
consideration from German States, great or small,
and that we have entered upon a course which will
lead us blindfold to the sacrifice, the immolation of
our proudest hopes and most cherished memories, the
feeling of being free to hold oat the right hand
of fellowship to any people we are inclined to serve,
and the consciousness that our influence is immense
whether we speak in the words of thunder, by land
and sea, or essay the persuasive but potent agency
of conciliatory councils and redeeming mediations.
One sows that another may reap, has been verified
in this instance to a striking extent, for our Govern-
ment have brought upon us the most deplorable of
all injuries that can befall a State touching its
dignity, the annoyance of being ridiculed, with
the conviction that the sarcasm cannot be repudi-
ated. The insolence of uncultivated persons, the
withering contempt of jealous rivals, and the preju-
diced notions of more important personages, may be
withstood, but it defies patience and outwits mode-
ration to think that but for the grossest mismanage-
ment not a syllable of all this tirade of flummery
would have found its way into the publicatiOns of
the several States; or, if by chance, any attempt
was made so to do, it would speedily be arrested,
and die a natural death. It is impossible at'all
times to fathom people's motives, and ,it really
seems almost beyond our discernment to account
for the object that these detractors could have, in
thus decrying the character of the very country
that has so firmly, and fatally for herself,
stood up for them through thick and thin.
It is to be presumed that there lurks somewhere a
reason, but what it can be may puzzle the most
astute politician and the shrewdest casuist. Per-
haps even the hardened feelings and selfish machi-
nations of the Germans have not quite deadened
them, or made them indifferent to the growing sew.
timent of reason and the indignant expressions that
ever and anon are manifested in this country tonchs
ing their proceedings. They think that they will
take time by the forelock, and disarm criticism by
beginning a vindication of their conduct before it
is asked for, and engaging the most proficient per-
sons to defend them before they are put on their
trial, 'When that day Comes, it will be vain for
them to resort to that abuse which is not argument,
and unlike many counterfeits, cannot take its pace
for a moment. such subterfuges will no more avail
than more potent weapons of contention. Tho good
opinion of an honest and independent nation can-
not be forfeited easily; but, once lost, it is a ques-
tion if it can ever be restored, and certainly it never
will be in its pristine integrity and endurance. It

is worthy of remark that the errors of our Ministers

are constantly bringing insults upon us. The Anae.

rican press teems with slanders, and its writers

have vied with each other as to which shall succeed

in heaping the groeseSt abuse, and casting the

fiercest reproaches upon us. It results from these

imp_rtinents hnow;ng that the chief men in autho-

rity will not resent tho insults that ore so gra-
tuitously put upon an um, ffending nation. Had

, and treated we been consistent throughout

unwarrantable demands with the stern denial that

they deserved, such an occurrence
icoutlhdneot
mhevhe
taken place. It is by shilly-
h
harm is done, and a timorous vacillating policy
always results in the most ignominious manner.
When a Government yields one thing after another
to arrogant requests and insolent expectations, the
men who have resorted to these unjustifiable courses
begin to wish for something more ; and whether it
is practicable to accede to their new desires or not,
of course it is expected that they should do so with-
out fail. We heard no more of the French colonel's
ardent entreaties to be led on to exterminate the'