The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-16 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1863.

Everything concurs to show that, in these last
conflicts to the north of Washington, the advantage
remained (when the latest advices left) with the Confe-
derates. Nothing demonstrates this moreclearly or
more significantly than the tone of the closing para-
graph in President LINCOLN'S message or procla•

oration. if it is expressive of anything whatever
it is expressive of profound despondency. There
is no glimmering through any one syllable of it,
of that old and at length obsolete exultation which
used to characterise every individual document
emanating from the Government authorities at
Washington, from the PRESIDENT downwards to
the veriest underling. The last fighting—to which
this most exemplary and most "resigned" pro-
clamation of President LINCOLN has especial

reference—took place at the commencement of this I
present month of July at Gettysburg, in Pennsyl-
vania. As to the result of the conflict, so far as it
could in eny way be learnt before these last de-
spatches left by the Bohemian—the advantage, we
must still insist, quite manifestly remained on the
side of the Confederates. True, that the very few
English journals yet contriving, we presume by the
simple device of hoping against hope, to maintain
their consistency by continuing down to the very
last to be the persistent thick-and-thin supporters
of the North, argue with the most amusingly
naive confidence that black is white, that defeat
is victory, that at the very least discomfiture
is success for the Federals. A fortnight ago, they
complacently remark, there was hard fighting at
Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania—the result of this
hard fighting being, according to their distorted
view of the very facts they tbemselves relate, that
the Confederates had been" repulsed" at all points.
Mark that—repulsed According to their inge
nious narrative of events, moreover, the conflict
beginning thus and ending thus on the first of July.
was renewed on the second with, if possible, sue
greater fury ; a " tremendous cannonade" con-
tinuing, we are told, on that morning for three
hours without intermission. With what result, is
it asked ? The Federal apologists shall answer in
their own words—" with the same result as before
Meaning, that is to say, nothing less than
the repulse at all points of the army of Ine Con
federates. Now mark well how plain a tale shall put
them down. By their own summary, in effect, of
the particulars thus flagrantly distorted ! "At the
close of the day "--zhat is of the second day's fight-
ing at Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania—" at the close
of the day," says to-day's issue of the chief organ of
the Federals among our morning contemporaries,
General MEADE held his ground at all points!"
A very different matter indeed from the immedi-
ately preceding account given by
the same journal,
namely, its account of " the repulse at all points"
of the army of the Confederates ! No—without
putting any gloss
whatever upon it, the
news furnished by the telegrams is sufficiently ex-
plicit and sufficiently comprehensible—proving
quite plainly, if it can be said to prove anything
whatever, that the Federale were the chief sufferers
in the two days' battle at Gettysburg, and that, by
the close of the second day (both of the month
end
of the battle), the advantage was left with the Con
federates. Tao right flank of the Federal army
was turned—the like being done with the left flank
shortly afterwards—in other words, the northern
forces were effectually doubled up by the Confede-
rates. REYNOLDS'S corps was compelled to give
way, with a loss of 1,500 men, including their
unfortunate commander. HOWARD'S followers
were obliged in like manner to yield before the
victorious advance of the Southerners. Both corps

together fell back so unmistakeably as to occupe
a position "south" of Gettysburg—Gettysburg re-
maining, in point of fact, in the possession of the
Confederates. When the later fighting "to the
right of Gettysburg" is referred to afterwards in
the exceedingly confused narrative of events cam-
ieg to tie through N,..w York—when that later
fighting is epoktn of at New York in signi-
scant words like these, "it is impossible
to say what has really bean the result
of the coeflict," we may be abselattly certaie
of this, that the result is not by any means in favour
of the Federal cause. No doubt we have to read, at
the head of General MEADE'S Report, under a date
as recent as eight o'clock on the morning of the 3d
inst—" Repulse of the Confederates !" But—bok
at the Report, itself, so headed in the telegrams !
Read what it is that General MEADE himself states
therein—" 'Thus far the enemy has made no impres-
ston on my paaition!" And in the telegram sure-
‘ntr7 we read—' At the termination of the
battle each belligerent appears to have held
the came poiA:on
Not Tc-47 talia. a:, the COlailmenCeMe.ni.”
18—like a repulse at every

point of the Confederate army ! Add to the state-
ments contained in General MEADE'S own report
and to the corroborative intimations conveyed
piecemeal by the telegrams, add to all this the
profoundly despondent tone of the closing passage
in the PRESIDENT'S message already alluded to,
namely, when he "claims the condolence of all for
the many gallant men who have fallen, and for
this especially desires that on this day He whose
will, not ours, should ever be done, be everwhere
remembered and reverenced with the profoundest
gratitude!" Reading all which, who shall deny that,
when these last advices left, the powers that still
were at Washington were then, indeed, in fearful
jeopardy ?

The brief debate on the subject of Prize Money,
the other night, called attention to a subject which
especially deserves consideration. Colonel NORTH
moved an address to her MAJESTY to issue a Royal
Commission to inquire into the realisation of
i
fnarmze
prize property and its mode of a
said that his attention was calledwbion tonatdhebqoueensteioxn
by the great dissatisfaction .
pressed throughout the
officers an d
y
men. They had taken
apartarmyinboth b
glorious
campaigns,
and the result was that they were entitled to prize
for complaint was the immense
money. The cause
e time -when the captors received the money. He
would time which had intervened between the capture and
the
cite several instances in which most unrea-
sonable delays had occurred of late years. In the
Burmese war he found that the first order for pay•
ment was issued ten years after the war was closed.
In 1839 the capture of Ghuznee took place, but no
prize money was distributed until nine years after-
wards. The prize money with regard to gu was
not received for ten years. Colonel NORTH truly
declared that no one could be surprised at the
soldiers la( ing disgusted. What the object of this
absard dilatoriness can be, must puzzle the most
astute to account for. If the object in view was
to disgust and dissatisfy the army, it might be
comprehensible. But presuming that all in autho-
rity in such cases are willing to do their utmost to
satisfy the defenders of their country, it remains
an inscrutable problem. Colonel NORTH also ad-
verted to the real appropriation of forfeited and
unreclaimed prize money. A large sum arising
from soldiers' prize money had been expended on
the purchase of land near Chelsea Hospital. "Ne
less a sum than £40,000 Lad been paid to Commis-
sioners in virtue of an Act of Parliament for the
purpose of purchasing a site for the Royal Military
Asylum." Also, it had been represented to the
House in 1854 that a large number of boys had
been turned out of Chelsea Hospital to enable tho
schoolmasters for the army to occupy their apart-
ments. This was disapproved of by the House, and
the boys were restored to their rights ; but now i'
appeared that a considerable sum had been taken
from the soldiers' prize money to build a place for
these army schoolmasters. This is really a Beauties
lows proceeding, and requires investigation of a
searching nature. Colonel NORTH referred in con-
clusion to the capture of Delhi, where the soldiers
could have carried away immense booty, but at the
command of their officers they gave it up. Hence
it was the more to be regretted that the sum
received as prize money was so miserably small as
to cause great dissatisfaction. He left the matter to
the noble lord at the head of the Government, and
trusted he would appoint those who " from their
services, their ability, and their name would be
qualified for the task." Colonel NORTH acquitted
himself very creditably of his arduous endeavour.
It is all times an invidious task to bring forward
these claims; but in the present instance, happily,
there was no opposition to the fulfilment of the
laudable suggestion that was made. Lord PAL •
MERSTON said he had no objection whatever to the
motion of the hon. and gallant officer. The noble
lord very forcibly demonstrated the evils arising
from the present system. He said that when a
period of ten years elapsed before prize-money was
received, men die, or get dispersed, and then their
families have to prove their right of inheritance.
Again, the men often sold their claim at a great
loss, and thus the parties who eventually receives
it were speculators, and not they whose meritorious
services had earned the reward. It reflects honout
on the noble lord that he should so readily have
acceded to this demand for investigation, and,
doubtless, he will gain the thanks of many who now
suffer most undeservedly great inconvenience from
the harassing delays and vexatious obstacles that art
so constantly interposed. Sir S. NORTHCOTE was not
so fortunate in his attempt to inquire into the Benda
ana Kirwee booty. Lord P ALMERSTON did not
take up the idea at all, and seemed inaigeant at the
suggestion. He said that there was no rule on the
subject, and the motion was withdrawn. Colonel
DICK, thereupon very properly observed ,that i
there was no law for the distribution of prize money,
the sooner one was made the better, for it was mon-
strous that our soldiers should for years be kept out
of a reward that they had earned with their biome
and valour. Lord PAL3IERSTON promised that this
fund should not be dealt with until the papers re-
lating to the affair should be laid before the House.
fbis is a satisfactory conclusion to have strived at,
and thus the contending claims of the troops under
Sir G. WHITLOCK and Sir HUGH ROSE will have
an opportunity of being adjusted iu a manner that
will do justice to all. It is, to be trusted that these
discussions will eventually result in benefit to the
officers and soldiers of our army, who are the chief
parties concerned in this affair. If their interests
are well protected, and their gallant services suit-
ably requited, it
will be a matter of very little im-
portles are violated, and some
angry feelings engendered on the part of those who
if some official rules
in these complicated
now rule with arbitrary sway
affairs. The mistake is too often
made of tolerating
grievances and sanctioning injustice
rather than
offend prejudices or alter exiating
arrangements.
ne sooner such ideas are exploded the better, for
l'
the maintenance of order and the inculcation of
good and right feeling in the army.

Mr. CHILDERS' resolution regarding the en
couragement of emigration from the distressed dis-
tricts of Lancashire was fully discussed the other
evening. The arguments on both sides were in a
great measure the same as those formerly brought
torward. Mr. CHILDERS' motion was to the effect
that any moneys raised uoder the Union Relief Aid
Bill should be app,icable to the assistance of emi-
gration to such colonies as might be willing to cr-
operate in the effort. The hon. gentleman spoke
with moderation and temperance of tone, and he
brought forward a long array of figures in support
of his proposal. He said that during
prosperousto th
years there was a great influx of labour
manufacturing district,' from the agricultural, and
that tae present check was hurtful to both. In the
prospect of the abundant harvest we have reason to
hope for, this is, however, scarcely the time or sea-
son for such a complaint. He remarked on the
amount of emigration from this country during the
years, and said that his proposal granted
power, and the guardians need not
makeolanslt few
y ae
permissive
us e
ot' i t unless they chose. The Southern
colonies of Australia were, he maintaiced, especially
suitable for emigrants from ti;is country; the cli•
mate being wild and the colonies being very ready
to come forward and mist. Vicorio, according to

his statement, has received 70,000 or 80,000 per-
sons in one year without the rate of wages being
affected. We readily grant the
great amount of
labour that can be absorbed into the vast colonies of
our Southern continent, but several drawbacks re-
main to be considered, and this is a question
on which hasty legislation is especially to be depre-
cated. Mr. VILLIERS stated that he had that very
morning heard from the Emigration Board the
rules and restrictions under which they
acted on behalf of the colonies. He
had inquired whether there was a likeli-
hood of the cotton operatives being selected
for assistance to the colonies. He was assured
.hat the rules of the Board would prevent their
ending them. The emigrants must not be above
40; they must not have more than two children ;
and they must have been employed as either
mechanics or agriculturists. These rub s are espe-
cially enforced with regard to the sonny of Victoria.
stipulate to
pb
eah partly
t lcy
seriouslyo iaotn i
wst
theirhs
what
tohnaksvi
considered,
expense,oeof course,ai
persons
srstioht is e
nei a Ps
s are
restrictions
tu:
perfect
that
eis:leisgut out
must
be
who do not approach the description given are
not suitable to send, as the colonists must naturally
evietdr to
refin t
be the best aware of what class is likely to succeed
and thrive in the new land, and be a source of pro-
fit to themselves and the colony. The most serious
difficulty in the case is the oae that has often been
pointed out, and was especially dwelt upon on Tues-
day evening by two gentlemen who ought to know
something of the matter—Mr. VILLIERS and. Mr.
COBDEN. They both insisted on the impropriety,
end even the cruelty, of despatching a large nupi-
her of families to great distances unless some secu-
rity is provided for their obtaining employment at
rhe end of their journey. Mr. r —HILDERS had spoken
of the eagerness of the people to emigrate, and had
cited, in support of his assertions, some letters
written by M. KNIGHT, who visited Manchester
.s an acting emigration agent this spring. This
.4entieman described his office as perfectly besieged
with applicants, and expressed his belief that he
could have booked 1,000 per day for a considerable
time. The hon. member for Rochdale, however,
replied by saying that Manchester was a metropolis
n its way, and that there was by no means the
same anxiety felt in the purely factory towns. He
also pointed out that the proposed resolution
would not come into full effect until the terrors of
the winter were half over. We have good grounds
for hoping now that the face of affairs is changing.
The aspects of the American war encourage us to
hope ; and it should never be forgotten in discus
sions of this nature that we are legislating for a
temporary and exceptional state of things. It is
wise, no doubt, to lighten the ship in times of
danger; but let us not throw overboard our most
valuable cargo just as the harbour is in sight.
There was no surplias of labour before, as the high
rate of wages testified very plainly. It is, there-
fore, a doubtful kindness to transport families to
a new life and a new world, when, in a few
months, their old source of profitable occupation
may be again open to them and needing their aid.
the truth was fairly stated by Mr. VVILLIERS
when
he said that some temporary provision is necessary ;
and people should be left free to emigrate it the y
wish ; but for the House to encourage, direct, or
compel them to do so is contrary to ancient prac-
iice and good policy. Partial schemes to aesis'
these anxious to emigrate have long been on foot,
and are at this time especially deserving of assist-
ance, provided they arrange for the reception of
their members, but the wisdcm of wholesale mea-
sures of the kind is always doubtful. Mr. atm
HERS, becoming sensible of this, withdrew hie
motion, and the Union Relief Aid Bill was allowed
to pass finally through committee, and will, we
hope, prove a substantial amelioration of some
part of the still existing distress.