The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-30 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The news from America this morning
informs us of a fresh and extraordinary charge in
the aspect of the Virginian campaign. General
Grant, having found the Confederate position on the
Chickahominy as impregnable as all the others he
hes att.:xi:earl, has made another strategical move-
ment. When we lest received any important infor-
mation from him he was facing Lee's army on the
north-east of Richmond, and had been completely
defeated in an attempt to force his way through the
Confederate defences. He remained in the same
position for no less than ten days, making no further
attempt to force an advance. The repose must have
been as welcome to his own army as to his adver-
sary's; but it could not be long continued without
an acknowledgment of defeat. On the 13th of June,
accordingly, he and his army commenced a fresh
flank movement to an entirely new field of opera-
tions, and to a scene hitherto undreamt of by the
army of the Potomac. He marched again to his
left, down the Chickahominy, and crossed it appa-
rently near the ground made memorable by Weld-
lan's disastrous battles in 1862. He must have
traversed those fields themselves, and, like his pre.
deccs3or, he reached the James River. His movement,
however. not stop there ; he crossed the James
River, and joined Butler at Bermuda Hundred. He
seems to have effected this march unmolested, and
the successful accomplishment of such a hazardous
movement is a remarkable proof either of General
Grant's skill or General Lee's caution, or both.
The extraordinary result is that Grant is now
exactly on the opposite side of Richmond to that
from which he began his campaign. He started
from near Fredericksburg on the north ; he is now
close to Petersburg on the south. Being unable to
enter Richmond in front, he has marched past it,
and is now trying to get into the city at the back.
In fact, he has made a half-circle round the city,
and if he continues, as he has promised, to move
"on this line" all the summer he may, in process of
time, complete the circle, and get round again to
where he started from. It would be difficult to con-
ceive a more practical admission of failure up to the
present point than is contained in this remarkable
movement. As has been already observed, both in
America and here, the position which Grant held
on the Chickahominy might have been reached, as
it was reached by M'Clellan, without any loss at
all; but the same reflection is still more obvious
and decisive in this case, for a Federal force had
already been established at the point to which Grant
has now betaken himself. The Federal gunboats
and transports planted General Butler at Bermuda
Hundred, at the very outset of the campaign, with
the express purpose of efhcting a diversion on the
south of Richmond while Grant made the main
attack from the north. It is obvious, therefore, that
General Grant has only resorted to this manoeuvre
because his original plan has been entirely defeated.
He has expended 100,000 men with absolutely no
result at all, and he begins to all intents and pur-
poses a fresh campaign eeith all the disadvantages
of an army diminished by this enormous loss and
dispirited by obvious failure. It must be allowed
that General Grant and his soldiers maintain the
character they had already acquired for indomitable
perseverance. Few Generals and few troops would
persist in this dogged and determined struggle.
Beaten off on one side, he attacks on another, and
promises to be true at all events to part of his
determination—" to fight it out all summer."
When we turn from the mere external aspect
of the movement to attempt an estimate of its
nature and prospects, we are met by the dls-
advantage of not having the experience to guide
us on the south which makes a campaign on the
north and east of Richmond a matter almost of
scientific calculation. This movement of General
Grant opens up, as we have said, an entirely new
scene of warfare. The struggle hitherto has been
either on the line from the Rappahannock or on
that from the Peninsula. General Grant has tried
both these and failed, anj now, for the first time in
the history of the war, he caters on a third. The
first effect of tree transfer of the aihole Federal army
to the south bank of the James Rive.'!' has been, of
course, the withdrawal of the Confedefate force
which had confined Butler to his intrenchaaents.
Before Grant can follow them it is obviously neces-
sary for him to secure his rear by making sure of
Petersburg, and accordingly we hear that two divi-
sions of the Federal army have attacked that city.
On the 15th this attack had been so far successful
that an outwork two miles from the city had been
captured, and a rumour seems to have prevailed at
the date of the last advices that the city had been
taken. It had, however, no confirmation, and it is
difficult to believe that a city of so much importance
as Petersburg, the centre of so many lines of rail-
way, can have been open to so easy a capture.
Unless this attack is successful, the campaign may
resolve itself into a siege of Petersburg instead of a
siege of Richmond. supposing, however, General
Grant to be successful in this first act of his new
programme, he will then be free to march o❑ Rich-
morid from the south, having his headquarters on
the James River. What grounds he can have for ,
presuming that he will find less resistance on this
side than on the other it is difficult to imagine. I❑
the first place, he is now on the south side of the
James, and a river, therefore, is added to the other
defences which the south side of Richmond may poe.
sees in common with the north, for only a small pot•
tion of the city lies on the south side. As matters are
at present the Federal gunboats could offer no as

sisCance, About eight miles from the city the naviga-
tion of the James is closed by artificial obstructions,
and Fort Darling stands on the south bank to bar
any further advanc‘,. Ii Grant could take Fort

Darling and remove these obstructions, he could
proceed to attack the Confederate capital; and if
after the capture of Petersburg the next point of
attack is not Fort Darling, it is difficult to see what
general Grant's prospects are. There are some
reasons for believing that the Confederates have
gunboats above Fort Darling, and therefore, if
Grant cannot force a passage up the river, he may
have the favourite resource of the Federals turned
against himself. It is to be remembered also that

a; General Grant's army is now united, so also may
General Lee's be. It would seem that no sufficient

Federal forca has been left to the north of the
James to occupy General Lee's attention, and to all

appearances he-may either transfer his force to the
assistance of Beauregard, who has hitherto defended
the south, or, if a smaller force can make that side
of the city secure, he is free to march unopposed
towards Washington. All these considerations
make it very unlikely that the Federal task will be
easier in the new battle-field than it was in those
upo❑ which they have so often been foiled. It must
be added, however, to these considerations, that
if a large Federal force could establish itself to the
south of Richmond the consequences might be
serious, for if the city were besieged on that side its
connection with the rest of the Confederacy would
be endangered. The advance of General Hunter
upo❑ Staunton is, therefore, assuming considerable
importance. He has been joined by two other
Generals, Crook and Averill, and Pepe with
4,000 men was said at be marching to his reinforce-
ment up the Shenandoah Valley. His forces are
directed towards Lynch burg, an important mannfac-
taring town higher up the same river as Richmond
—the James—and on the Virginia and East Ten-
nessee Railroad, which is an important line of Lee's
supplies. If he succeeded in seizing the town and
railroad, the Confederates would not only lose an
important depot, but the communication of Rich-

mond with the south would depend upon one line
of railway to Danville, running midway between
the Petersburg and Lynchburg lines, and even this

would be a very precarious resource, when Federa

armies were on both sides ol it. The movement is
considered sufficiently serious for two divisions of
the Confederate army to have been sent to defend
Lynchburg, while General Early's corps, which
held the left of Lee's line in his recent position on
the Chickahominy, has been despatched to attack
Hunter directly. The fact of General Sheridan's
cavalry Corps having been detached to join this ex
pedition seems to show that it enters materially
into Grant's plans. 'This cavalry force indeed has
been met and defeated by the Confederate cavalry
under Fitzhugh Lee and Hampton. That a similar
fate should overtake the other divisions of Ge-
neral Hunter's expedition is of very great im-
portance to the Confederate defence. The
other news is of minor importance compared
with the struggle in Virginia. General Sherman
is said to be forbidden to go any further, or to risk
any general engagement outside his intrenchments.
This is not a hopeful position for a General in the
heart of an enemy's country. Moreover, an attack
upon his communications was anticipated. A Fe-
deral expedition, 8,000 strong, which left Mem-
phis on the Ist of June, was met in Western Ten-
nessee by a strong force under General Forrest,
and was so completely defeated as to lose all its
ammunition and artillery, and be driven back
with great loss to Memphis. This force of
Forrest's is believed to be moving on Sher•
man's rear. While the Federals are thus powerless
in Tennessee, General Morgan has reappeared in
Kentucky, and has retired after a succeasful raid.
His force, however, is much needed in Virginia,
and it is bad policy to waste energy upon such
transitory efforts. Everything for the present
centres round Grant, and we await with more in.

terest and anxiety than ever the development of his
new and daring plan.
POST.—The allied armies in Schleswig have sig-
nalised the recommencement of hostilities by a buc-
cess which, though not brilliant, will at least by
them be regarded as substantial. The Island of
Alsen has fallen, and the Germans are now the un-

disputed possessors of every acre of Schleswig soil.
From its contiguity to this Duchy the island was
regarded by both belligerents as forming a portion

of it; and for this reason, even more than for its
strategical importance, was held by the Danes long
after it ceased to be tenable. Smell as the island is,
it was considered in the negotiations which preceded
the armistice as an equivalent to the province of Jot-
land, and the allies proposed to evacuate the latter
in consideration of the surrender by the Danish Go-
vernment of this apparently insignificant island.
But the same sentiments which induced Denmark to
contest every inch of ground north of the Eider, and
led her to sacrifice no small portion of her army in
the defence of the ruins of the Duppel fortifications,
equally deterred her from voluntarily withdrawing
from a post which she knew it was out of her power
to retain. When the armistice expired the Danish
Government were► well aware that the Germans
would throw a bridge across the narrow Sound,
and, as a matter of course, take possession of the
island. Tney knew equally well that the small gar-
rison which they thought proper to retain there
could scarcely make the show of resistance, and
that, whenever the assault was made, it would be
compelled if possible to save itself by flight. But,
nevertheless, it was deemed expedient to remain in
Alsen until actually driven out by the invaders, and,
no matter at what cost, to maintain the unequal
struggle to the last. The consequences of the en-
gagement of yesterday morning must have been an-
ticipated, and we cannot help thinking, in so far as
they concern loss of human life, ought to have been
guarded against. We do not know what the respec-
tive loss on each side was, but, whenever war is made
a game of exchanging pieces, it is the belligerent
with the largest army that alone derives the
benefit. It can make no difference to Austria and
Prussia whether the number of men sacrificed yes-
terday morning on their side was great or small ;
but Denmark's losses must, or at least ought to be
regarded by her in a different light. The occasions
have unfortunately been too numerous on which
her troops have given unquestionable proof of their
valour, and no further evidence was wanted to
establish their heroism in the eyes of Europe. No
justification can be offered for the continued prose-
cution of hostilities by the German Powers ; but
war is war, and, as the first step in the new cam-
paign might reasonably have been supposed to be an
attempt to capture Alsen,it would have been wiser if
the assault had been anticipated by an evacuation.
The German Powers now make no secret of their
intention to appropriate the entire of the Danish
peninsula. Earl Russell, in making the Minis-
terial statement a few nights since in the House of
Lords, alluded to a declaration made by the allied
Powers that they would content themselves with
the occupation of Holstein and Schleswig. The
Foreign Secretary, however, with great truth
admitted that the promises of Austria and Prussia
were no longer to be depended upon, and he cau-
tioned Parliament against placing too much reliance
on them. Since, then, a semi-official statement in
a journal at Vienna has contradicted the allegation
of Earl Russell, and we now learn from Berlin that
the allied Powers intend to occupy Jutland as a
pledge, and by means of forced contributions, to
compel the inhabitants to pay the expenses incidental
to the war. It is curious, and, if the consequences
were not of so lamentable a nature, amusing to
note the mild colouring which the Germans have
given in turn to each of their aggressive acts.
The occupation of the Duchy of Holstein was
purely an act of domestic discipline, and one which
concerned no one except the reigning Duke and
the Germanic Confederation. It was not war, nor
anything approaching to war, since the act of
execution of necessity recognised the right of the
Sovereign whose territories were temporarily segues•
trated. "-gain, when Schleswig was invaded Europe
was assured that its possession was sought simply
as a material guarantee for the fulfilment by Den-
mark of certain obligations entered into by her in
the year 1851. Austria and Prussia did not mean
war when they marched an army of 70,000 men
across the Eider, and they were rather to be pitied
than blamed when, owing to the foolish obstinacy
and impenetrable stupidity of the Danes, they were
compelled to make use of their breech loading
muskets and rifled artillery. When the " mate
rial guarantee" was secured, the allied Powers dis-
covered that it was necessary, for strategic reasons,
to cross the frontier of Jutland, and immediately
afterwards bethought themselves of retaining a
portion of that province as a pledge for the repay-
ment to Germany of the value of shipping taken
by Denmark in the course of the war. Presently,
however, by means of forced contributions, the
requisite indemnity was obtained, and then one
would have supposed that, the avowed object of
the occupation having been attained, the German
troops would have retired into Schleswig. Not so,
however. To the ast( 'merit of civilised Europe,
Austria and Prussia rev -ed the exploded prectice
of making war support itself. They eoeif -11 ed the
unfortunate Jutlatders to supply everything, in-
cluding money ann -)vicions, of which they stood
in need ; and, now resumer:l
after a suspension of si e,eeles, they declare tha
they will retain Jutland y pledge for the pay-
ment of the expenditure occ isioned by the con-
tinued prosecution of a war th.t ostensible objects of
which have been so long sine, attained. It would
be idle, however, to hope that even the possession
of the entire peninsula Rill content the aggressive
Powers. The islands must follow the mainland, or
German ambition will remain unsatisfied. Already
preparations are being made to cross the Sound
which separates Fuen from Fredericia, and ere long
we may expect to hear that this island has shared
the tate of Alsen. Denmark will then be reduced to
the island of Zetland. But leaving gone so far Ger-
many might with some plausibility argue that no
possible good could result from the further mainte-
nance of a monarchy whose territorial possessions
have been reduced to the area of a few square miles.
No one would pretend that Denmark could, under
such circumstances, maintain an independent
existence, and the sole matter which would
remain for decision would be the fate of the remain-
ing vestiges of that unhappy kingdom. As Europe
has allowed germany to take so much, why should
she not then allow her to take the remainder?
Great Britain, as a maritime Power, possesses an
interest in the preservation of Danish independence;
but, under these circumstances, she might well de-
spair of reconqueriug all that Denmark will then
have lost. Even if, as Lord Palmerston observed,
Copenhagen was bombarded, its citizens slaughtered,
and the Danish Sovereign made a prisoner of war,
what possible motive could an English Government
have in reconsidering that decision which has
hitherto marked out for this country a neutral
policy. The difficulties with which we are beset are
increasing every day ; and it is certainly high time
to decide, once for all, whether they are to be boldly
met or ignobly evaded.

The Corporation of the Scottish Hospital.

A quarterly court of the guardians of this charity was held
yesterday in the hill of the Scotthh Corporation, Crane-
court, Fleet-street. The meeting was presided over by the
Duke of Montrose, the president of the institution.
The minutes of the previous court having been read and
confirmed,

The noble CHAIRMAN announced that as it had been the
usual practice at the midsummer court to make arrange-
ments for the chairman who should preside at the dinner in
behalf of the charity on St. Andrew's Day, the secretary had
communicated with General Knoltys as to whether they
could be honoured with the presence of his Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales on that occasion, To that communica-
tion an answer had been received to the effect that, there
being ample time, a positive answer would be sent as to
whether his Royal Highness could comply with the request
or not, a month or two before the event came off, so that,
should he not be able to be present, there would be ample
time to get some one else to preside.
Mr WEBSTER reported, on behalf of the committee ap-
pointed at the preceding court to inquire into the present
state of the property in Crane-court belonging to the hos-
pital, and as to the propriety of disposing of it and procuring
another site ; as also for the purpose of conferring with a
committee of the Highland Society of Scotland as to the
different Scotch public bodies in London combining for the
erection of a Central Scottish Hall,—that as regarded the
first subject, contained it the minute to them, the com-
mittee had met several times, and had made considerable
progress in their inquiries into the subject. These inquiries,
however, were not yet completed, and they were not therefore
in a position on that occasion to make any report upon the
subject of the removal of the hospital. In regard to the
other point, the co-operating with the other Scottish so-
cieties in London in the erection of a Scottish Central Hall,
they had not as yet received any communication on the
subject. They were quite prepared tomedeitdannyoto, rallof
these bodies for the consideration of the matter, but no such
meeting had as yet taken place, and they
there-
fore, know the exact proposition which was to be submitted
by the Highland Society.
Dr. LIDDELL said he presumed as a matter of course
that the committee could come to no arrangement with
these bodies until they received the sanction and authority
of the Court, and he would suggest that they should sub-
mit to them a proposition to the effect that they would bind
themselves to raise by public subscription a sum not less
than £6,000 for the erection of new premises, and should
they succeed in doing that, he apprehended all the opposi-
tion to the removal of the old premises would cease.
Mr WESTER said, as he had already stated, the commit-
tees had not met, nor had any communication been received
on the subject, and till they knew the proposition which the
Highland Society and other societies had to submit, they
could of course say nothing about it. They would, how-
ever, do nothing without the authority of the Court. He
had no doubt that the committee would be in a position to
report on both subjects at the next quarterly court.
The other business, which was of a formal and routine
character, was then proceeded with, and the proceedings
terminated with, a vete of thanks to the Duke of llontrose
for presiding,
•