The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-10 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA,

(From the Times Correspondent.)
NEW YORK, APRIL 2G.

The most hopeful of optimists, though he were as
easy to satisfy as Caneide, or to console as Micawber,
might fail, if he were an observer of contemporary
history and manners in the Federal North, to draw
comfort from the present situation, whether social,
political, or military. If he found limitless paper
money, limitless debt, limitless extravagance, and
limitless corruption, how could he hope for the sta-
bility of a Republican form of Government, of which
the only possible basis is frugality, simplicity, and
public virtue. If he found that, in the crisis of the
most fearful war which ever afflicted the world,

the men in supreme direction of affairs were far
more interested in the prolongation or renewal of
their own powers than in the conduct of their
armies in the field, that they withdrew their confi•
deuce from their best generals for fear that they
should be successful, and so become dangerous—that
each Minister thought and acted for himself with-
out reference to his colleagues or superiors—that
the chief magistrate was afraid to act upon a hig:d
principle, though sometimes compelled to avo,-; one,
lest it should lead him into mischief or raise up
enemies against him—how could he lope that good
could come out of suc-i evil, or t}:at leaders such as
these could lead the nation P.-a yho w but wrong ? If,
continuing his survey, *no looked from the great
cities to the camps, and found armies mainly com-
posed of mercenaries, officered by politicians, led
by generats without experience, education or
manners, and only respected by the rank and file it
they displayed the qualities of the bulldog, and not
those of the strategist—how could he expect that
such armies could successfully compete with a foe
their equal in numbers, and their superior in
generalship, with the additional stimulus of fight-
ing for home and independence ? Where, under
such circumstances, could a Northern Caudide
find a pretext for thinking or saying that all was
for the best, and how could Nlicawber deceive
himself with the idea that anything except dis-
grace and disaster could by any possibility " turn
up ?"

The Governors of the five Western States of Wis-
consin, lowa, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, with
the view of permitting the President to reinforce
the armies of Gen. Grant and Gen. Thomas with all
the veteran troops now doing garrison duty in dis-
tricts remote from the scene of war, have jointly
offered to raise 100,000 men, to serve for 100 days,
to be clothed, armed, and equipped by the FeCeral
Government. The President has accepted the offer,
and Congress has been asked to vote 20,000,000 of
greenbacks for the purpose. This new force is to
garrison all the posts and forts on the frontier ; and,
as there will be no fighting, the 100,000 militiamen,
mostly belonging to the rowdy and adventurous
class of the great towns, and not to the rural popu-
lation, required at this season of the year in other
field work than that of war, will probably think it

no particular hardship to leave their homes for
awhile at the cost of the Government, and earn a
holiday and a few of the bloodless laurels of
patriotism by one and the same effort,

Contrary to general expectition neither Lee nor
Grant has yet made a move. The two commanders
watch each other from opposite sites of the Rapidan,
each too wary and vigilant to strike a premature
blow. Meanwhile the fortune of war in other
directions is wholly in favour of the Confederates.
The surrender of Plymouth is a heavy blow to the

North, and if it be followed, as many fear it will,
by the capture of Newbern and the other cities and
towns of North Carolina now held by Federal forces,
it may disarrange ail the plans of General Grant
for the advance upon Richmond, which was to have
been made simultaneously from three separate
directions, of which North Carolina was one. The
failure of General Banks in Louisiana, though still
represented as a victory by some of the silly
newspapers of this city, looks more disastrous the
more the circumstances are known. His intention
was to march upon Shreveport, the State capital of
Louisiana, where the Confederate Governor, Mr.
Allen, holds court and authority, and where the
Louisiana Legislature has assembled. He had not
arrived half way towards that city when his ad-
vanced cavalry was set upon and routed with heavy
loss, and after a succession of battles, which lasted
a rapid night
retreat
with varying fortune for three days, ho only saved
hs
entire
to theforcep l
farcoemw h destructionence he c a
nae with a loss ofby
men and material of which the Government will
not
permit the exact amount to be known, and with a
!ass of military character which ha will not be allowed
to retrieve. General Banks is a candidate for the
Presidency, and is therefore disliked by every mem-
ber of the Administration. It is alrea,ly urged that
he ought to be removed from the command of the
army of the Galt; that he is singularly unfortunate
is a general ; that he knows nothing about military
movements, and that he is toe old, to learn. " Off
with his head, therefore, and so much for Banks,"
is the cry of the officials, re-echoed by the regular
officcvs of the army, and ail the little military aris-