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

THE SUN, LONDON, T(JESDAY EVENING, MAY 1.0, ISM

tocracy known as " West Pointers," who are jealous
of a man who was not educated as a soldier, and
whom they look upon as a mere amateur and inter-
loper in the business that legitimately belongs to
them. Most people admit that Banks is an honest
man and a single-minded patriot ; but honesty
and single-mindedness are not the weapons with
which any one can attain or secure a command-
ing position in this country, unless he use them
as a merchant in the pursuit of fortune. All
things considered, it is likely that the star of
General Banks has culminated, and that the Presi-
dential wire-pullers are rather glad than sorry of
the opportunity afforded by his defeat to deprive
him of his command without at the same time pre-
senting him with a grievance or placing him before
the country in the position of an ill-used man.
Gen. Butler is also under a cloud. Tne West
Pointers dislike him for the same reason that they
dislike Gen. Banks ; while the Administration, glad
to make use of him as far as he can serve their pur-
poses, do not desire by any means that he should
use the position in which he is placed by their fa-
vour andcountenance to strengthen his claims to the
Presidency. It is no secret that Gen. Butler. is
discontented—that Gen. Grant has no confidence in
his military or personal character, and that he is
likely to be transferred from Fortress Monro to
some other point, where he can play the Provost
Marshal, without derangement of the military plans
of his superiors—or if he persist in seeking a nomi•
nation for the Presidency at the approaching Con-
vention of the Republicans at Baltimore, that he
will be consigned to private life, and to a political
disgrace, of which Mr. Stanton is declared to hold,
and to be determined to use, the documentary justi-
fication.

among all other classes, that he should hot hair° the
sword. To effect this objee,t a supplementary ballot
was proposed; and as it would have seemed un-
gracious in General 111‘Clellan's friends or in any
one else to object to any scheme having a tendency
to put anditional money into the coffers of a charity,
the voting was renewed. "The loyal men of New
York," or somebody assuming that designation, paid
in 2,097 dols., and recorded the same number of votes
for General Grant. " A loyal New Englander" paid
in 3,000 do's., the " loyal men of New York" a second
1,000 dole., and again the same person cr persons,
having perhaps as great an abe nuance of public plun-
der in their pockets as of animosity against 111•Clellan
in their hearte, paid in 10,000 dols,, and recorded
10,000 votes for their favourite. By these means
Nl‘Clellan's friends were defeated, and the sword
was awarded to Grant by a majority of 15,782.
General APClellan has no reason to be dissatisfied
with the result, though General Grant has much. It
proves that Grant is not the popular favourite; and
that if he has rich friends, their numbers are not equal
to their dollars. It suggests, at the same time, the
suspicion that it was not private but public money
which accomplished the end in view, and that the
10,00 U " loyal men of New York" was but the
pseudonym of some member of the Government
who puts his hand into the Secret Service Fund to
defeat, even in so unimportant a matter as this, a
mln who might be tolerated if he were not a Can•
didate for the Presidency ; but who, being a candi-
date, and almost certain to succeed if General Grant
be defeated in Virginia, is hated with a hate such
as is only felt in moribund demoeracies only to be
regenerated through a despotism.

ever, in force, the cavalry fell back after brief skirmishing.
The retrograde movement to Grand Ecore was necessary
because of the exhausted condition in which our troops were
left after the engagement. The advance had ro.ai,e forced
march, in retreat, from Sahine's Cross-roads, and Generals
Smith's and Emory's divisions had been on the march for
two days previous to going into battle, so that at the close
of the fight at Pleasant-hill, a pursuit of the advantage
gained would have been impracticable, and a prolonged re-
tention of the battle. field impolitic, when the comparatiVe
losses aro considered ettd a cairn view is taken of the whole
I—rom babine's Cross-roads to Grand Ecore there is
not much of comfort to be gleaned until the battle of Plea-
sant-hill ; there was a series of defeats with heavy losses,
The last day's engagement nanst t!otsidor'ecl it the light
of a drawn battl2, 1),,r the sole advantage we acquired, pos-
, st,nion of the field, was speedily relinquished, and our forces
continued a retreat, commenced two days previously, which
was interrupted only by a successful check of the pursuit by
the enemy. There is a probability that the operations of
General Banks's column will be seriously delayed by the re-
sult of this movement. The army must wait at Grand
Ecore in order to organise and refit. The river is under-
stood to be falling, and until it rises again the gunboats
cannot successfully co-operate. Besides, the low stage of
the water renders the passage of transports above Alexan-
dria exceedingly difficult, and therefore the supply for the
army will be very slow. The river above Grand Ecore is
infested with guerillas, who omit no opportunity to molest
transports and even gunboats passing by the river. About
a week ago the guerillas attacked two transports, when a
gunboat coming up poured a volley of shot and shell into the
enemy and drove him off, with the loss of the rebel General
Green and a large number of killed and wounded.

THE LOSS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK,