The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-06 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The successive mails from America are
.once more full of interest, and we jdoubt, indeed,
whether at any period of the war more important
issues have been at stake than seem pending at this
moment. In four of the States of the old Union
operations on a considerable scale are now in pro-
gress, and it really appears as if the present cam-
paign would produce results more decisive than have
hitherto been attainable. So vast, however, i 3 the
theatre of war, and so remote from each other are
the various expeditions of the belligerents, that it
requires some pains to disentangle and arrange the
condensed summaries of the telegrams. Perhaps
we shall best perform this office for the reader
by separating the scenes now presented, and at-
taching to each field of operations the importance
which it appears to merit. It will be recollected,
no doubt, that at the opening of the campaign
all the interest of the war w's conceived to
centre in the great camps of the North-East and
the Sow h-west. Meade and Lee in Virginia, and
Grant and Johnston in Tennessee, absorbed the at-
tention of the public. The first essay was made by
the armies of the two last-mentioned Generals, and
it ended in the discomfiture of the Federals. They
relinquished apparently all hopes of success in this
quarter, transferred General Grant to Virginia in
the place of Meade, and concentrated their efforts
on another expedition against Richmond. Of the
prospects of this great enterprise we shall speak
by and by, but we must observe in passing that
the South-Western armies of both combatants
appear to have been inactive since the first weeks,
of the campaign. The recent operations in Ten-
nessee and Louisiana, which have resulted so favour-
ably for the Confederates, were conducted by in-
dependent forces or detachments, and were not
shared, as far as we can learn, by the great Confe-
derate army of the South, which won last year the
battle of Chickamauga, and which at the beginning
of the present year confronted the Northern army
at Chattanooga, and barrel the road to Georgia.
These two great armies seem now to be doing no-
thing. The armies in Virginia are preparing to do
a great deal, but those we must leave for, a moment
while we attend to the minor expeditions which
have been recently undertaken, and in which the
South has been so generally successful. The most
:mportant of these was the advance of General
Banks into the north-western angle of Louisiana—
the province, be it remembered, which he claims
to govern as a conquered district from its
e ipital of New Orleans. How very imperfectly
this " conquest" has been achieved may be in
ferred from the simple fact of the expedition
itself. New Orleans was taken early in the war,
the command of the Alississippi was acquired by
laborious operations, a strong torae of guns eats was
stationed on the river, and Louisiana was brought
as far under military occupation as any State of the
Confederacy could be. Nevertheless, in this " con-
quered" province we find the Governor compelled
to advance with a large force and a otrong otilia
of gunboats against a hostile army, and it is certain
that in this enterprise he received a severe defeat.
The scene of the first engagement was near Shreve-
port, on the Red River, one of the great affluents of
the Mississippi. Here, in the extrPulle north-west-
ern angle of the State, it is not denied that Banks
was beaten, and that he lost some thousands of men
and all his guns. After this he retired in a south-
easterly direction, still on the Red River to
Natchitoches, but more recent intelligence con-
tains a report that in a second engagement the
Confederates were repulsed, with the loss of three
Generals killed on the field. Considering that
Banks would be fighting under the cover of his gun-
boats, this second story, though unconfirmed by
the latest adviees, is not absolutely improbable.
The fire of these vessels might Compensate for his
lost artillery, and prove too heavy for the Southern
infantry. It is possible, however, that by this second
engagement is meant only an attack confessed to
have been made by the Confederates on the retreat-
ing flotilla. After their victory at Shreveport they
followed up the enemy, and assailed the squadron so
fiercely that the transports, we are told, barely es-
capedcapture.:Still they did not actually succeed in
arresting its progress, and this encounter, in which
it is likely enough that they suffered severely from
the heavy guns of the flotilla, is perhaps the affair
described as a renewal of the first engagement. Upon
the whole, then, we find that the military Governor
of Louisiana, after being drawn to the frontiers of
his command by a Confederate army, is beaten in a
pitched battle, and is not protected even by a fleet of
gunboats from a fierce assault on his retreating force.
The next scene of interest will be familiar enough
to those who remember the early operations of the
war. /t lies on the coast of North Carolina, at the
mouth of Roaaolee giver, in Albemarle Sound. In
these parts the Federate aclie7cd some of their first
conquests, but their footing in the State was slight,
and the vitality of the Confederate arms Ills been
shown in a succession of efforts to dislodge them
from their position. The most recent attempt of
the Southerners has been directed against the town
of Plymouth, and on the 17th of the last month
they made a desperate attack on a fort in the
immediate vicinity. In this they were repulsed,
but on the following day the assault was re-
peated, but as we are told that Plymouth, at the
departtr.© of the mails was actually invested, it is
probable that kort Grey hap fallen, The most re-
markable incident of the affair,'however, is the ap-
pearance of a Confederate ram, which destroyed
three out of the five Federal gunboats lying in the

Roanolee, coed invited complete commeed of the
river. The Federals have sent a flotilla to the
rescue:, and ate moving up large bodies of troops
from the force recently engaged in the siege of
Charleston, hut it was anticipated that P:ymoutil
would be lost, and that Newherp, enother impor-
tant town at the month of the Neese River in Pam-
lico Sound, might perhaps share the same fate.
In the midst of these discouragements the Fede-
rals aro preparing for one more campaign on the
unlucky ground of Virginia. If wo inquire into
the chances of this adventure, we shalt not find
much reason for thinking them more in favour of
the North than before. The most that can be said
is that General Gran`, if not a military genius, is a
good practical soldier, endowed with deter mined
resolution, and competent to avail himself of the
lessons suggested by the misfortunes of his prede-
cessors. Tine Army of the Potomac, now placed
under his command, is probably neither better nor
worse than in former years, but else difficulties of
the enterprise before him are probably increased
ey the experience and success which his adversaries
have gained. Richmond is, no doubt, stranger than
ever. General Lee, we may presume, is not weaker.
Of actual movements we learn only that the Southern
Commander has been joined by his favourite col-
league, General Longstreet ; that both sides are
manoeuvring preparatory to action ; and that the
Government of Washington, with an ominous anti-
cipation of remits, has "stopped the transmission
of news from Virginia." This, then, is the general
position of affairs, and the survey conducts us to
conclusions very favourable to the Confederates. In
Virginia, it is true, the fortune of war has still to be
tried, and any considerable success in this quarter
would probably be hailed by the Federals as an
adequate recompense for all the disappointments of
the year. But in that view there would be more
sentiment than substance. A victory in Virginia
would do nothing for the Northern cause in Louisie
ana, in Tennessee, or even in North Carolina. The
telling fact in favour of the South is that in all
quarters at once, and after three years of war, it has
shown itself at least equal, if not superior, to its
adversaries. If the Federals are beaten even in
Louisiana, if they cannot hold their own even on
the shores of North Carolina, and if a mere raid like
that of General Forrest in Tennessee can deprive
them of their positions on the Mississippi, what
have they really accomplished by their expenditure
of a million of men and hundreds of millions of
money ? That question, we should think, is one
which Americans must needs ask themselves before
long ; and if Grant should fail in retrieving the
fortunes of the North by some signal triumph in
Virginia, it may, perhaps, receive a decisive answer.
HERALD.—The Conference has been adjourned
until Monday. It might as well have been adjourned
sine die. For although Sir George Grey declares the
proceedings of the Conference to be private, we know
quite enough of what has taken place in the large
room at the Treasury, to say that unless some mar-
vellous change comes over the spirit of the Govern.
meats represented there yesterday before Monday
next, all parties will then acknowledge the hope-
lessness of any further deliberations. The truth is
that the German Powers are determined to set the
Treaty of London and the public opinion of Europe
at defiance. They accepted the Conference because,
as no basis was proposed, the acceptance left them
free to continue their attacks upon Denmark, and
free to raise any demands which the weakness of
the Danes and the cowardice of their professing
friends might suggest. The meeting of the Confer-
ence has not in the slightest degree hampered their
military operations. Marshal 'Wrangel continues
to pillage Jutland in the style of a German free-
booter, and the re is no cessation of the infamous
terrorism by which Schleswig is being made Ger-
man. Upon frivolous pretexts the first sitting of
the Conference was rendered null. At the next de-
mands were made, which were quite unexpected by
Denmark and the neutral Powers. At last the pro-
position of the neutral Powers for an armistice was
met by the German representatiVes with the plea
that they 'must refer it to their Governments.
On Monday, the result of that reference—a refusal
to accede to any terms which do not place Den-
mark absolutely at their mercy—will be announced,
and the neutral Powers, unless they mean to take
an active part in the destruction of the Danish
monarchy, will have nothing left them but to dis-
solve the Conference, or adjourn it sine die. The
Prussian Government is satisfied, has been satisfied
since last December, that the English Government
would not redeem its pledges to Denmark, and that
if boldly confronted, would eat all its big words
and it has been able to satisfy Austria upon that
point. Herr Van Bismarck treats the remone
etrances of the English Cabinet with neglect and
its menaces with derision, He fears no opposition
from England; he has managed so to involve
Austria that she cannot oppose his projeots or
even refuse to lend them her assistance. He be-
lieves that France and Russia will not interfere,
and he proposes to himself nothing less than the
annexation to Prussia, directly or indirectly, of
Schleswig and Holstein, and, perhaps of the whole
of continental Denmark. Professing, therefore,
his readiness to agree to an armistice, he insists upon
terms which it is impossible for Denmark to accept,
and which the other nen'i,ral Powers cannot ratify.
Whilst the Conference protracts its idle labours the
Prussian army is consolidating its conquest. If it
breaks up his position is not at all affected. The
Dance cannot recover Jutland or Schleswig, and the
combined Austrian and Prussian fleets will be able to
emulate the exploits of the armies and gain deathless
renown by destroying the far smaller Danish fleet.
The Prussian Government is not disturbed in
the least by the appearance of the Channel fleet
in the Downs. It is not appalled by the solemn
declaration of the Ministerial organs that Ad-
miral Dacres will present the Austrian fleet from
entering the Baltic. The Aurora may have gone to
the Baltic. The plans of Herr Von Bismarck wilt
not be in the slightest degree affected. He knows
that she will do nothing, and that if the whole
squadron follows her it will equally do nothing,
except perhaps look on another massacre of Sinope.
He has taken the measure of Earl Russell, and he
will pursue unswervingly his ambitious schemes
un-
til other Governments, whose word he can believe,
tell him to pause or Earl Russell astonishes bins by
acting for once up to his word. This demonstration
of the Channel fleet is a wretched farce, The Govern-
ment ordered it for the Downs with the distinct
understanding—for that was the condition upon
which the decision of the Cabinet was arrived at—
that it should go no further, or, going further,
merely make a voyage of observation. If Austria
and Prussia could be frightened, well and good. If
they would not be, why then they must be left to
pursue their own wilful ways. That is the policy
of her Majesty's Government. It tries to frighten
a man who has already disregarded all its threats
with the most complete success, and when it is quite
convinced that he will not be frightened it will
again tell him that he must " take the conse-
quences" and leave aim to do undisturbed what he
pleases. So low lute the English Government sunk
that it eppeals abjectly to France for aid. A few
weeks ago Lord Clarendon was sent over to
entreat the Emperor to help Earl Russell out
of his difficulties, and to say the word which
Engiap4 Ore not say. The Emperor was no
doubt flattered by this appeal to him to return
good for evil ; he would have been rather more
than human if he had not been pleased to see
the Minister who had wantonly insulted him prosy
trate himself—albeit vicariously—at his fact; he
showed himself a little softened, he professed to for-
give though he could not forgot ) but he refused to
act with a Government which he knew would leave
him in the lurch as soon as it had committed him to
a path which his honour forbade him to abandon.
The Ministerial organs eiroulated lying assurances
of the success of Lord Clarendon's mission. They
informed the world that harmony was restored
between the two Courts, and bade Austria and
Prussia take care and moderate their demands.
Austria and Prussia were imposed upon for a few
days by this flourish of trumpets. They were
soon, however, undeceived. They soon satisfied
themselves that Lord Clarendon went home per-
fectly empty handed, and had to report to his
colleagues that, although the Emperor was exa
tremely civil to him personally, regretted deeply
the wanton sacrifice of life, and professed a strong
desire to see peace restored to the world, yet his
Majesty would not go beyond general declarations,
and absolutely refused to concert with the English
Government any measures to curb the ambition of
Germany. Now fresh and more urgent appeals for
help are addressed to the Emperor.
..The organ or
the Administration addresses him in a ludicrous
strain of mingled entreaty and upbraiding. "He
could save Denmark if he would. He could prevent
this great public crime, Why doesn't he ? He will
have to punish it one day at great cost. He is the
arbiter of Europe. Why does he neglect the duties
of that position." Never has an English Government
crouched so servilely as the present before France.
Compared with these whining supplicants the
Ministers of Cnarles 11. were honest, inde-
pendent men. Good God, iqqa it come to
thin that ttn Engli.eh Ministry can unblushingly
avow that England is powerless to prevent a great
wrong ; is unable to vindicate her honour, and must
appeal to France for assistance and protection, and
that the people -of England hear patiently this
dreadful hntniliation ? if we cannot send a fleet to
the Baltic without the permit of the Sovereign of
France, if we are no longer able to challenge the
navies of third-rate States unless we put a French
admiral at the head of our fleet, let us give up all,
pretence of keeping en army and navy, abandon
the costly title of a Great Power, save the mil-
lions we wosto•ia Luilding ships we dare not
use, and devote ourselves eaolusively to shop.
keeping,