The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-15 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, DEC. 15, 1864.

The news brcught by the Nova Scotia is alto- I,
gether unfavourable to the Federal cause. We have
intelligence from New York up to the 3d inclusive,
but in spite of all the efforts of Northern ingenuity
the boasts about SITERT4IAN'S immense success
and Napoleonic movement are already becoming
very vague. Richmond papers of the 29th ult.
declare that it is well known that his Efforts to
p ,netrate Georgia had been altogether unsuccessful ;
that be had neither captured Macon nor threatened
Augusta, since during the previous week he had
been unable to advance 10 miles, being harassed on
the flank and rear and manfully resisted in front,

so that he was compelled to avoid all important
towns. Yet in face of this, it is reported in the
North that he was making for the sea coast, having
crossed the Oconee river; but if the former state-
ment be correct, and it bears every appearance of
probability from the disposition of the Confe-
derate forces and from the popular in-
dignation against the invader, there is
not much probability that a General so
harassed and encumbered would have advanced so
rspidly. But allowing he has succeeded in crossing
the Oconee, and in nearing the coast, what has be-
come of his conquest of Augusta, the great object
of his march ? It does not look much like the ad-
vance to Richmond, of which the capture of Augusta
was to be the first step. The Northern General
has, apparently, thought discretion the better part
of valour, and in this he was amply justified by the
preparations made for him. A heavy Confederate
force is concentrated at Augusta ; BEAUREGARD
and JOHNSTONE being already there on the 23d
ult., and BRAGG having left Wilmington with a
large force for the same destination. LAMBTON'S
Cavalry had also arrived from Virginia, and
WHEELER has 10,000 cavalry On SHERMAN'S
flank. It is no wonder that under these circum.
stances SHERMAN'S march was slow and uncertain,
for he is surrounded by enemies on every side-
The Southern Generals have wisely seen the im-
portance of arresting the movement, and have
spared no effort to be on the spot in time to re•
ceive him. A decisive repulse of his army would
be of great value to them, but the loss to the
North would be even greater than the Southern
gain. It is probable that the Confederates, being
so largely reinforced, will endeavour to meet SHER.
MAN and decide the case by a pitched battle, but
without such a test it is difficult to see what can
be the fate of his army, cut off from supplies,
threatened by so large a force, and harassed on
every side by skirmishers—while he is forced to
avoid the large towns—and the country people have
made every effort to defeat him. It is reported,
whether accurately or not is uncertain, that BURN-
SIDE has sailed from Fort Monroe with 20,000
men to meet SHERMAN. If so, it shows that the
exigency of his position is known in the North, and
that this effort is made to save a disgraceful failure.
Should SHERMAN be so largely reinforced the plains
of Georgia may prove to be the scene of one of the
most decisive crises of the war. General GRANT
despatched GREGG'S Cavalry to reconnoitre and
ascertain whether LEE was sending troops south-
ward. That astute Commander, however, does
not allow his movements to be so easily
detected, and GREGG returned, having ob-
tained no information, after capturing and de•
stroying the Confederate stores at Stoney Creek.
It is probable enough the Southern forces advanc-
ing into Georgia from Charieston and Washington
will proceed along the coast with the view of
intercepting SHERMAN, knowing that he had left
Augusta in his rear, so in that case he would be
hemmed in on both sides, while every day must
increase the fatigue and depression of his 'army.
It is evident that his troops must be much demo-
ralised, for several hundred stragglers have been
captured and sent to Augusta as prisoners—a fact
which augurs ill for the condition of the main body.
Meanwhile the news from Tennessee is highly im-
portant. A battle had taken place at Franklin on
the 30th ult., between part of the armies of HOOD
and THOMAS. HooD's forces drove back the
Federals and scaled their works, capturing guns
and prisoners. The Federals being subsequently
reinforced, recovered their position, and accordingly
General SCHOFIELD reports that he had succeeded
in repulsing a persistent attack of the Confederates,
and that the probable loss of the enemy was from
5,000 to 6,000 men, besides 1,000 prisoners, while
the Federal loss was only a fourth of that number.
The success, as he thus made it appear to he, was
of that very doubtful character so common with
Northern victories—for the very night after this
glorious repulse of the foe, the Federals thought it
prudent to evacuate the contested position and to
retire to Nashville, a distance of about 90 miles.
HooD's cavalry, notwithstanding their repulse,
crossed Harpeth river at the fords near Franklin
the next morning, in close pursuit of the retreating
Federals. This was certainly a novel position for
the ♦ictor and the vanquished. Heavy skirmishing
had already taken place when the news left, and a
battle was thought to be imminent. Nashville was
in a state of great excitement. Reinforcements
were arriving there, and the troops and Govern-
, ment employe's were under arms in the fortifications
and trenches. The Federals boast of the strength
of Nashville, but this does not confirm their asser-
tions. If it is necessary to impress the civil officials
in the service, it would seem that the city can
scarcely be so well defended. Columbia has been
evacuated, the Federal wounded having been rem
moved to Nashville, which is just at present no very
safe shelter. Nashville is a most important position,
both from its being the capital of Tennessee, and as
being the head quarters for stores, supplies, &c. It
was the base of SHERMAN'S operations before he
went to Chattanooga, and is still indeed the great
bass for the Western campaign. Should HOOD
succeed i❑ capturing Nashville he will gain an im-
mense advantage ; and if that success should be
simultaneous with the defeat of SHERMAN'S army,
it is probable that the State of Kentucky; as well
as Tennessee, will be subtracted from the remnant
•f the Union. Should it prove so, Mr LINCOLN
will find his conscription less satisfactory than he
anticipates, since he will, of course, lose the large
body of troops which he calculates on drafting from
those two States. The winter is likely to be a
rough one for the North, but so long as their leaders
refuse to recognise actual facts, the popular desire
for peace is profitless. One of the journals of De•
cember 3 foretold that the two following weeks
would be the most eventful of the war, and cer.
tainly the coincident operations in Tennessee and
in Georgia must both have reached a crisis by the
expiration of that time. A despatch from Nash-
ville of the 2d inst. states that the army had
fallen back within the lines of the city, and that the
enemy was only three miles distant, so that by this
time it is more than probable that the city is in Con-
federate hands. In accordance with their usual
tactics, the Southern cavalry was threatening the
railway between Nashville and Chattanooga, so as
to cut off any assistance from THOMAS; while, on
the other hand, MAGRUDER was endeavouring to
cross the Mississippi to join HooD, who will thus
gain additional strength. Altogether the Confe..
derate prospects in the West are much snore en-
couraging than they have been for some time past,
and unless the whole aspect of affairs has suddenly
and completely changed, Mr LINCOLN will not have
been able to congratulate his people on the state of
their military affairs, in his first Message to them
as re-elected President.

Industrial 'Exhibitions form one of those subjects
of consideration that have of late years engrossed
Public attention and attracted universal interest.
In fact, they have inaugurated quite a new style
and system in our social affairs, and many who
at one time would have been incredulous es to
their feasibility must now conform 'o the general
opinion, and concur in their advan age and ad-
visability. Not only in particular points, but in a
comprehensive scope and a rational scale, such