The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The House o. Commons could not fail to
take further notice of the unpleasant question which
has been raised by the reflections of the Procurcur-
Imperial upon a member of the House of Commons
and of the Government. The explanations given
had been so unsatisfactory, the course which had
been pursued so unworthy of the occasion, the con-
duct of the person principally concerned had exhi-
bited so much forgetfulness of what was due to the
Government, to the House of Commons, to the coun-
try, and to himself, arid the tone adopted by the
(:,der Secretary for Foreign Affiirs had been
so uncourteous to the Emperor of the French and
so contrary to the most obvious claims of nterna-
tional usage, that a general feeling of discomfort and
restlessness on the subject had taken possession of
the public mind. It was not that any one doubted
for a moment that perfect explanations were forth-
coming. Whatever might be the truth about the
letter found among Greco's papers, apparently in
M,zzini's handwriting, directing the con-pirators
to apply for money to Mr. Flower, 35, Thurloe •
square, Brompton, it never entered any English-
man's head to believe anything about it, except that
it was either intolerable folly or intolerable icoper-

tinence in M4zzini to have at any time given the
address of an English gentleman to such miscreants;
and that a gentleman who could be so unwise—to
say nothing else—as to put it into the power of
Mazzini to drag his name and address through the
mire of Continental revolutionists was very natu-
rally punished by getting them bespattered. But
it was just for this very reason, because explanations
were so easy, because the matter might have been
so readily disposed of, that explanations ought to
have been given, and a disagreeable affair got rid
of at once. Above all, it was felt that a course had
been adopts d with respect to the Emperor of the
French which was inconsistent not only with the
respect due to a great Sovereign and a great nation,
but even with the courtesy commonly observed
between private persons. Mr. Stansfeld, therefore,
is entirely beside the mark in maintaining a tone of
indignation at what he calls " an odious imputation."
No odious imputation whatever has been made upon
him in this country, and it is not credible that the
Procureur-Imperial can have intended by the words
he used, to convey any such imputation as Mr.
Stansfeld repels. No doubt the ready sycophants
of Imperial power have caught at an opening for
adulatory declamation, and have used language
which we might resent if it were worth resenting.
But it is impossible that a personage of the high
position, character, and responsibility of the late
Procureur-Imperial can have intended to insinuate
such imputations against a member of the Engiish
House of Commons and of the Government of
her Majesty. Such imputations could not have
been made without the evidence of facts which
would not only have justified the French Govern-
ment in demanding, but would have compelled them
to demand, an immediate investigation. All such
imputations, therefore, ar© out of the question; and
we repeat that it is Mr. Stansfeld, ana Mr. Stens-
feld alone, who has introduced them into the dis-
cussion. But what the Procureur-Imperia. did
reflect upon was the fact of a gentleman in Mr.
Stansfeld's position allowing, himself to be connected
with persons woo were capable of being involved in
schemes of such a nature ; and we do not see how it
can be denied that he had sufficient evidence to
justify such a reflection. Let it be remembered that
the main facts upon which his observation was
founded have been admitted now by both Mr. Stens-
feld and M. Mazzini. It is not disputed that letters
have been addressed to M. Mazzini at Mr. Stens-

feid's house under feigned names, and th© particular
address contained in the conspiralor's letter appears
to have been one of them. Moreover, though the
particular observation about Mr. Stansfeld's connec-
tion with a supposed Tibaldi Fund was not true, it
has been made sufficiently evident by the bank-note
which was forwarded to us the other day that he
has at former times allowed himself to assist in the
p,cuniary arrangements of Latian revolution".,
Now, to put out of question M. Mazzini's own opi-
nions, which are not so material to the point at
issue as they have been representf d to be, can it be
considered by any reasonable man that M. 'Mr.zzi nes
correspondents in the revolutionary party abroad
are so entirely free from the objtet and disposition
of political assassination that it need be matter of
surprise if some of the communications which
reached him should be from very suspicious charac-
ters and of a very questionable nature? Here, for
example, we find beyond all question that tie has been
in communication with Greco, the infamous principal
in the recent plot. Could Mr. Stansfeld, in short,
have any right to be surprised if be were to find that

his house had been made the channel for the most
compromising c.mmunications ? And when he had
laid himself open to this danger of his own accord,
is it at all reasonable for him to rise to a height of

moral indignation at the occurrence of the natural
consequences of his own rashness ? Does he not,
on the contrary, owe every apology to those wnom
he has, from want of proper consideration, brought
into a most upleasant position, as well as to the
great Sovereign in an attack upon whose life the
same carelessness has allowed his address to be made
use of ? We are really unable to understand the obli-
quity of natural feeling which still restrains him
from expressing his deepest regret to the House of
Commons, the Government, and the country for
having given occasion to their being placed in such
an unpleasant positio❑ in the eyes of the French
people; and to the Emperor of the French for
having made it possible that anything connected
with him could be turned to such en infamous pur-
pose. If he had done this, and had, betore any
pressure was put upon him, taken the step which be
has now taken to prevent the recurrence of such an
eifair, the inexperience of younger days would have
been all ,wed to excuse his rashness. But he has
made it impossible for the matter to be so passed
over, and the least that can be said is that he has
displayed such an amount of folly as almost con-
stitutes culpability. We regret very much that the
Government, in their determination to defend a
colleague, have not take❑ a more generous view of
their relation to the Emperor of the French in the
matter. A simple explanation of the facts of the
case would have removed every excuse for the un-
worthy language which hes been used in France on
the subject, and we are unable to understand the
squeamishness of dignity which has prevented their
reeking allowance for and explaining away a very
natural misconception. The insinuations of an
enemy for i malicious purpose may be rightly
spurned, but reflections proceeding from a friend,
and made " in sadne,s," deserve consideration, and
true honour and belt-respect would have anticipated
the suggestion. At the same time it does
not make matters better to use a question of this

sort fora party Walking-horse. The Opposition by
taking it up as a party question urged the Meais-
renal side of the House into a mere attitude of
counter assertion. It would have been more fitting
it both sides of the house, putting aside any part)
views, had combined to expeess a proper and
spontaneous regret at the misconception and errors
of conduct which have been display, d in the matter.
rnis unpleasant affair does not end as we enuld have
wished it to end for our character as a consic.
erase
and generous nation The Emperor of the Frene,ll.
however, and the French nation may be satisfied
that the people of this country, whose judgment is
undisturbed by the conflict of Parliamentary par-
ties, view the matter very differently, and they feel
that the reserve and confidence with which be has
treated this unfortunate occurrence deserved a more
generous return.
POST.—By the latest intelligence from America
it appears that at the beginning of the present
month an opinion was in process of rapid formation
among the Federals that disastrous failure, equally
speedy and complete, had overtaken the spring cam-
paign both in Virginia and in the west. The plan
of these ill-starred enterprises seems to have been
in substance as follows. The Federal Gen. Sherman,
and others holding commands in the army of the
west, of which Gen. Grant is the Commander -in-
Ceief, were to manoeuvre in such a way as to induce
Confederate Gen. Johnston to divide his forces by
the necessity of covering the points threatened by
the Northern troops. Admiral Farragut was to co-
operate with his fleet, and make a demonstration at
Mobile to further distract the attention of the Con -
fede rat es on the side of the coast. In concert with
these movements Federal Gen. Thomas was to move
upon Dalton and Atlanta with a body of 35.000 men.
It was anticipated Gen. Johnston would divide his
army to meet these several movements, and that the
reserves of the Federal forces would attack his dis-
persed army, and, in co-operation with the troops
previously thrown forward, capture, or destroy it.
Such is an outline of the projected campaign in the
south-west, so far as it can be gathered from the
meagre details before us as we write. This plan
Gen. Johnston, as it appeare, has been able entirely
to frustrate and defeat. The movements of Sherman
and Griereon, as well as Farragut's demonstration,
are stated to have been little else than feints, and
the land forces employed do not seem to have been in
much more danger than the fleet:. The first-men-
tioned (Sherman) is reperted to have marched back
is fast as ho could to Vicksburg, whetee he came
Federal Gen. Thomas, however, was not so toetu-
nate. Ha seems to have come into sharp collision
with Johnston's army on the 23d, 24th, and 25th of
last month, the immediate result being the loss of a
thousand men in killed and wounded, and the ulti-
mate consequence a somewhat hasty strategic move-
ment to the rear. It was not to be reasonably ex-
pected that sa wary, experienced, and vigilant
commander as Gen. Joseph Johnston was likely to
be caught in ouch a clumsy trap. No sooner was
set for him and brought within reach than he recoil
noted it at once, and broke it to pieces with the
greatest facility and despatch. Admiral Farra,guti's

"demonstration" at Mobile has therefore demon'
strated nothing but the complete of the
enterprise. It this is a foretaste of Gen. Gran."
qualey as a strategist and Commander-in-Chief 0,
the armies of the west, it tends to corfi,nti
tD-
theory that his former victories were due to r 4
graphical circumstances, and that, when he Is 11d
~
longer close to a river with a fleet of gunboats to
his back, the spell of his success is broken. rrha
Southern generals probably understood what they
were about, and s e'ir that it would be better '0
wait for him in their present position than scdtw
their strength in contesting the possession of V'nkBi
burg, where the flotillas of the Mississippi syna
place them at so great a disadvantage. AnW'
derived his strength from :he earth, but 1119
Northern giant, in his struggle with the conepara:
tively diminutive South, derives all his strength
from the water. Once at a distance from the rivers
and the sea, he finds that his little foe is more that/
a match for him. The Confederacy, it must be
confessed, appears more vulnerable in the vitat
than in the north, where Rice:mold seems 10 at
little danger from capture by Gen. Meade es
it were a town in France or Germsny, instead ei
being the capital of the Confederate States of North
America; but still it is not improbable that the
superior generalsnip of the Southern leaders Itnl
hold the Federal armies in that (limner so effect nail
in check as the grand army of the Potomac has been
held by Lee. The campaign in Virginia has
.ended'
almost as soon as begun, in signal and ignominious
tailure. It seems that Gen. Kilpatrick had been
despatched with a large body of troops on an extra'
ordinary errand to Richmond, going through bre
ways in order to get behind it unawares. This must
have been a promising enterprise. 'We are told he
" found it impossible to reach Richmond," so he
wended his way back as fast as he could, and sought
shelter sad repose within Gen. Butler's lines. M
for " the army of the Potomac," that is described a!
being "at its old position at Brandy Station,.
where it is likely to remain, safely and quietly, if
somewhat ingloriously, until Gen. Lee shall find it
convenient to beat up the quarters of Gen. Meade?
or whatever other general may happen to command
it a month or two hence. Gen. Meade himself WO
not with his army when the last advices left, having
been summoned to 'Washington to hold a consults'
tion with the President and the chief of the Mrsi
Department. So stood matters at the despatch
the telegrams from New York on the sth of this
month. The Ides of March do not appear to IA
favourable to the Csatar of the White House. The
sudden and utter collapse of the campaign in Vii'!
ginia and the west would seem to indicate tar
greater weakness on the part of the North, or strength
on the part of the South, than appeared to be pro-
bable before proved by experiment. We neveer
thought that the progress of the Federal armies 111
the west was likely to be very consi terable. The
farther the Northern armies are able to move
onward into the South, the farther they will
be from their base, trom whatever quarter
they may advance ; the greater will be the
danger of their communications being cut nnt
and the more will the Southern forces be concert'
treed, while their own will be proportionately
thinned and weakened. Still we had a right to
expect from the Federal army of the west something
tiff.-rent from what the last news tells us it 1359
been doing, or rather suffering. Heretofore, though
the Federals h .ve been beaten severe'y on the
Potomac, and have made hardly any appreciable
progress even in the west when away from their
gunboats. still they have fought great pitched
battles. But they now seem to have adopted a hope'
less strategy of feints and retreats. They make
sham attacks, and only escape being cut to pit ne9
by keeping out of danger, and making rapid stra
tegic movements to the rear, However, there is at
least the consolation that there is not likely to be
much bloodshed in this pacific method of conducting,
campaigns, by which war will happily be shorn of
its terrors. But as the Federals are not likely to
restore the Union by this novel system of tactics,
• would it not be the best way " to leave the South
alone" at once, and let their "erring sisters" go 1110
peace? More " raids in the direction of Richmond,
torpidity, dormancy, paralysis on the Poiotnact
feints in the west, impotent operations at Charlestont
still more impotent "demonstrations" at Mobile,
and a new organisation of slavery at New Orle-a3OO
will never conquer the South and restore the
Union.