The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-20 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, JULY 20, 1863.

Unaccustomed to victory, the surrender of Vicks-
burg has fairly turned the heads of President LIN-
COLN and his Cabinet. The speeches made by the
President and Mr. SEWARD on the occasion of the
" serenade" by which the victory was celebrated,
" even the friendly reports could not invest with
dignity," While General Hauxeliclaimed for him-
self a considerable share of the triumph because he
had been the means of retaining General GRANT in
command. But when the serenading and the self-
congratulations have subsided, what is the actual
amount of the advantage obtained by the elated
Federals. Vicksburg has been surrendered, and
the garrison are prisoners, it is true; but the re.
treating army of General LEE, reinforced by new
detachments, is concentrating its strength for fresh
action. The battle of Gettysburg, which took
place upon the 3d instant, was followed by the
retreat of General LEE's-,division ; the results of
the battle were, however, almost equally disas-
trous to both armies. The loss sustained by the
Confederates in killed, wounded, and prisoners is
estimated at about 20,000 men, and that of the
Federals is said to amount to the same number.
The Federals have the advantage of maintaining
possession of the battleground, but General LEE,
retaining his artillery, and preserving his army in
good order, has during his retreat been reinforced
by the whole of General BRAGG'S army, and by a
portion of that of General BEAUREGARD. The last
accounts left the Confederate army on the banks of
the Potomac. This river, swollen by recent rains,
is now six feet above the fording level.
It is therefore doubtful whether General LEE
will attempt to pass it. Instead of retreating into
Virginia, it seems probable that he will turn upon
his pursuers and give them battle. " The old
Antietam battle-ground" may probably be the scene
of the new engagement. The next despatches will
be looked for with interest. We shall be in no way
surprised to find that President LINCOLN has been
somewhat premature in his serenades, and that
General HALLECI and Mr. SEWARD have congra-
tulated themselves without reason. Meanwhile, it
appears that the Conscription Act is to be enforced
immediately throughout the whole North, the first
call being for 300,000 men. " The drawing has
already commenced ;" where will the end be ? " The
Americans will soon settle their own differences, if
only foreigners will kelp their hands off," ex-
claims Mr. SEWARD. Time will show. The
40,000 men disabled by the indecisive action of
Gettysburg afford a melancholy commentary on the
effects of Civil War. Are the 300,000 men now
being raised to follow the same sad inglorious
fate ? Until how long shall this disastrous state
of things endure ?
Lord CAMPBELL proposes to bring the American
question under the consideration of the House of
Lords this evening. His motion will, without
doubt, only obtain a similar result to that brought
about by
the motion of Mr. ROEBUCK. We must
fold our hands and look on while the work of
slaughter proceeds. In the meanwhile the general
sympathy and interest so strongly manifested
throughout the country will not be without their
effect in the ultimate but tardy Pacification.

A large number of members of both Houses, on
Saturday, paid a
visit
of
tainly an important inspection to what is cer-
tainly remarkable work. Though
a system of drainage can scarcely be called a work
of art and architectural beauty, it claims the first
rank in undertakings of a utilitarian
character, and
the present works bear high testimony
to the ex-
tent and the resources of English engineering
skill.
The vast scope of the plan, and the vigour and com-
prehensiveness with which it has been carried out,
are very remarkable, and the importance of securing
efficient drainage, in a sanitary point of view, as
well as the large sums demanded by the scheme,
elevate it into the position of a national undertak-
ing. The condition of the metropolitan sewage has
long been highly unsatisfactory, and the state of
Old Father Thames has been a standing disgrace to
the Cty, as well as a continual source of annoyance
to residents in his vicinity, or passengers over his
dark and dirty waters. The rapid and extraor-
dinary development of the metropolis has naturally
altered the aspect of affairs since London was in-
cluded within the square mile surrounded by the
City walls. In those days, as Mr. BAZALGETTE
observed in his explanatory address to the visitors,
no inconvenience was felt from the sewage when
discharged into the Thames and diluted by its
tidal waters. But, in our time, when on every
side, streets and squares stretch far away into
the country, when the centres of the
busy hive remind us in their nomenclature
that the days are not long past when they were
" fields" a,ud rural highways, the old system is no