The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-08 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 8, 1863.

If History is—as it is—a series of repetitions, it
is pretty much the same with regard to the events
periodically brought to us from the American seat
of war. Take these latest tidings, so anxiously
looked for during these last few days, and now just
brought to us in a string of rapid telegrams, via
Roche's Point per the America, under dates 26th
ult., New York, morning; 28th, by telegraph to
Halifax; 29th, by telegraph to Cape Race—tele-
grams giving us a rapid epitome of recent events
(up to their dates) on the Mississippi. Upon exa-
mina'ion it will then be found that the warlike
situation there described, and the warlike results

thereupon enumerated, are in a vary great measure
similar to those with which we had so lately be-
come acquainted as having so very recently before-
hand come to pass upon the Rappahanock. The
similiarity at any rate is immediately discernible in
this, that, after several successive days of very hard
fighting, although no decisive occurrence as the
consequence of the hard fighting has to be narrated,
the Federals have so far succumbed under the
heavy pounding they have endured at the hands
of the Confederates that they, the so boastful
Federals, who were for swallowing up their antago-
nists almost at a mouthful, or at the very least for
taking possession of Vicksburg as a matter of just
a dead certainty—have not taken Vicksburg after
all ! have been four times repulsed from those for-
tifications !! have so far suffered defeat already
that they had actually, according to the last ad-
vices, begun intrenching themselves !! ! While the
facts are undoubtedly as we have here stated them,
it must be borne in mind, however, that the de-
fenders of Vicksburg were still, according to the
last telegrams, left in a critical position. Yet, al-
lowing this, we can in their regard patiently await
the accounts certain to come to hand very rapidly,
telling us what may have been the result of these
last operations upon the Mississippi.
It was as far back as the 30th of April that
the Federal commander of the expedition against
Vicksburg landed at Briensburg, on the left bank of
the Mississippi with the full intention, with the firm
determination of taking it in the rear. Briensburg,
it should be borne in mind, is situated a little below
Grand Gulf upon the Mississippi : and it was at
that point that General GRANT landed his expe-
ditionary force. Instead of advancing, however,
directly up the left bank of the Mississippi—a pro-
ceeding that would have been quite obviously most
nirdonsi threatening a serious onslau2ht by the
enemy
upon the right flank of the invading army
by reason of the whole country lying eastward being
in possession of the Confederates—General GRANT
first of all directed his march inland to the end
that he might drive b
k
the Southern forces.
Setting out with this intention, the Federal com-
mander would seem to have ccaerstsfully carried out
p
his design during the better
ofa fortnight !
accomplishing this, at last, inasmuch
as
during
that interval he was steadily pushing
forward
y
without encountering in his advance
serious opposition. From the landing: place
at gradensburg he marched, it now appears, almost
in a due north-easterly line upon Jackson. Pre-
cisely, at the clmoe of a fortnight Jackson was
reached indeed—and taken. Previously two
serious engagements had been fought with the
Confederates under General JOHNSTONE, the one
at Fort Gibson, near Benersburg, the starting
point, the other at Raymond, near Jackson,
General GRANT'S first destination, Having seized
Jackson on the 14th ult., the Federal commander
appears then to have turned point-blapk: to the
right about, and forthwith marched westward
upon Vicksburg. It was during this westward
march from Jackson (which General GRANT
had taken) towards Vicksburg (which he wanted
to take) that the great battles, of which we now
obtain through telegrams the first brief intelli-
gence, took place—the Federals, fighting under the

isrd ers of General GRANT, the Confederates under the
con inland of General PEMBERTON, to whom the
d d 'enc,e of Vicksburg had been entrusted by the
S outbern Government. Two days after the capture
of Jackson a terrible contest we learn came cff at
B a ker's Creek or Edmund's Station. Here the
C 3 nfederates were driven back. That was on the
16 th ult. But on the 17th they were again driven
ba: ck. And on the 18th ult. the Federals, under
GI LAST, formally invested Vicksburg. There, in
spite of repeated assaults—in every one of which
tie e Federals were discomfitted—the Confederates
(r, umbering in all at Vicksburg some 15,000) still
solutely held out when the last advices were
fl a shed to the America at Cape Race. They held
o sit thus gallantly although assailed on
t.e land side by the Federal troops
under GRANT, and simultaneously bombarded from
t' c.e river side 'ay the Federal fleet under Admiral
P ORTER. The Question now is—if the Confederates
an still hold out long enough to afford General
JOHNSTONE time to march up with the reinforce-
ments now rapidly being collected together at Can-
ton, or somes here in its neighbourhood. If so, the
siege of Vicksburg must inevitably be raised—im-
mediately upon the advance of JOIINSTONE. Such
as we have here defined it to be is the actual
position of affairs in that south-west point of the
Mexican seat of war. Such, as we have here in-
dicated towards the close of these remarks of ours,
are the momentous tidings we shall have to await
as patiently as may through our next advices.

The settlement of the long-vexed Greek question
is a matter of general satisfaction. The successive
failures which had attended the various attempts to
supply the vacant throne had not only disheartened
the Greeks themselves, but had almost given rise
to an impression that the vacant throne would never
be filled. All well-wishers to Greece, and, indeed,
all who desired to preserve the peace of Europe, re-
gretted very deeply the prolonged delay and sus-
pense which was reducing the Kingdom to anarchy,
and was only too likely to disgust the people with
constitutional Government. The revolution, SO
long foreseen and so easily accomplished, seemed
profitless to them—worse than profitless, if they
were to become the prey of some unscrupulous and
aggressive Power. All felt that it was an oppor-
tunity that might never recur for the resuscitation
of Greece, and her rise in the scale of nations an a
contented, well-governed, and united people. But
after the first great disappointment, when
Prince after Prince refused the offered Crown
—offered, that is to say, by diplomatists and nego-
tiators, not by the Grecian people—the prospects at
first so bright became gradually dim and doubtful.
The weakness of the Provisional Government, the
difficulty in dealing with the lawless soldiery, and
the disastrous effects always produced by long con-
tinued uncertainty and irregular authority have,
after a trial of seven months, nearly exhausted the
patience of the Greeks. In Western Europe each
successive refusal, though some of them were little
to be regetted, seemed to render the prospects of
Greece more gloomy, when, by a sudden turn of
the wheel of Fortune, a solution has been found to
every difficulty. We may probably thank the aus-
picious marriage of the Prince of WALES for first
suggesting the name of Prince WILLIAM of Den-
mark to a statesman who is not always so felicitous
in his schemes for the benefit of foreign nations.
The choice appears to combine every requisite.
The Prince is young, unfettered in policy, and be-
longs to a decidedly constitutional family. He is also
closely connected with England, and will probably be
ready and willing to profit by her example. Of
his personal character as yet nothing is known.
We have only to hope that he will prove equal to
the responsibilities of his new position, and that he
will be as successful in gaining the affections of his
people as his sister has been in winning all English
hearts. There is no doubt that the ready accept-
ance of the Prince by the Grecian people is mainly
due to the constitutional principles so resolutely
maintained in Denmark. The choice, as. Admiral
KANARIS justly observed at the interesting cere-
monial of Saturday, " is as much an act of homage
to the Sovereign to whom it has pleased Providence
to entrust the destinies of Denmark as a proof ot
confidence in the talents of the young Prince." The
reply of the King to the proffer of the crown was,
of course, in the affirmative. The most interesting
part of his speech was the brief address to Prince
WILLIAM, which comes with peculiar interest and
significance from a monarch who is still engaged
in a protracted and perilous struggle for the pre-
servation of his constitutional rights :—" Before
you leave this spot I give you this heartfelt and
well meant advice. Let it be your constant endea-
vour to gain and preserve the love of the people.
Without boasting, I speak from experience when I
say that in this consists the true happiness of a King.
Adhere firmly to the constitution of the country ;
strive constantly to procure its recognition ; watch
that it be maintained intact—if you make this
your rule you and your people will prosper."
It must have been an interesting moment when
the King of DENMARK conducted the young
PRINCE to the highest step of the throne and
gave him his solemn benediction on his enterprise.
The youth who but a few months since seemed
destined to an uneventful and comparatively insig-
nificant career has now stepped into the circle of
European monarchs, not indeed occupying the
foremost rank but still as the ruler of a country
which must always retain a strong hold on the
imaginations and sympathies of all civilised races.
The very name of the veteran who proffered him
the crown in the name of the Grecian people
awakened recollections of those stirring days when
Europe thrilled with interest and excitement at
the struggle between the Moslem oppressor and
the old Hellenic people, and the glorious news of
Navarino filled every Englishman with pride and
delight. "It is with profound emotion," said the
new King, " that I have heard the greetings of
the Greek people from the mouth of the man
whose name ;s linked with everlasting fame to
the regeneration of Greece." Let us hope that the
new reign will inaugurate another and a fuller
regeneration, and that a long course of peace, pros-
perity, and unity may repay the Gr. clan people for
their protracted perplexities and misfortunes.

It will be with a feeling of great indignation '
that the public generally will peruse the details of
the disgraceful transactions regarding Major
LILLEY. Mr. FORTESCUE is entitled to great
credit for bringing the subject before the House,
but
fa
tit is to be very much regretted t :at so unsatis-
factory
yis renderedareP reply was
givenconcerns
tohisremar
Colonelks.The
CRAWLEY, from the fact that these men, whose
crael case was brought before the House, were con-
demned on a charge against the
were important witnesses as to olonel. They
had been absent from the monthly e
masters w
csters:f the
regiment. For several weeks they
were
in
close, arrest and the result Was that " onenota. ed
them
was transferred to a hospital a raving maniac,
and
that he died in the course of a few hours." Mr.
FORTESCDE tilty observed that if too late for re-
dress it was not too late for puniz merit, The
Marquis of ....TIARTINGTON'S remarks were most un
satisfactory, and he stated that Colonel CRAWLEY
could not be brought before a coui-r martial, be.