The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-26 00:00:00

th,e let') General Sir WILLIAM FRANCIS
PATRICK. 'NAPIER—the Greatest Soldier of modern
times, perhaps of any time (HANNIBAL being
the onl:e Great Captain who is seriously
brought into comparison with him) NAPOLEON—
performed miracles in the field, particularly in his
first campaign and in his last campaign but one, in
his first Italian campaign in 1797, and in his won-
derful campaign upon the soil of France, the cam-
paign of 1814, by what was called "multiplying his
forces" by the marvellous rapidity of his movements.
If by the late achievements of LONGSTREET still
greater wonders in that way have been accom-
plished, it is attributable, of course, to the fact
that now there is, in aid of the strategist, what
NAPOLEON he,, not in his time—the railway sys-
tem None the lees admirable is the daring of the
designs of LEE as a strategist, in transferring to
and fro, along a distance of four hundred miles, the
whole corps of troops under the command of LONG-
STREET. To and fro, over a distance in all of not
much less than a thousand miles, LONGSTREET'S corps
has been. whirled like a tremendous shuttle. And,
with so perfect a concealment of the design meditated,
and with such a ready swiftness in the execution of
it, that in this moving to and fro of a whole corps of
troops, between LEE'S main army on the banks of
the Rapidan and BRAGG'S army four hundred miles
away on the southern frontier of Tennessee, it has
been like the passing hither and thither, quietly at
LEE'S bidding, of a solitary messenger. The oppo-
nent of the two Confederate armies has in each
instance been surprised. ROSENCRANZ has been
driven back, his army routed in part, the rest of it
being fairly "trapped" at Chattanooga. MEADE four
hundred miles away from Chattanooga (himself con-
fronting the main army under LEE) has scarcely
realized to his dismaythe predicament into which his
brother Federal ROSENCRANZ has been outmance•
uvred—lerhen BRAGG'S auxi iary having accom-
plished his purpose at Chattanooga is back
again with his chief, corps and all—and
the Federal Commander awakes suddenly to the
knowledge that what LEE had contrived by
the aid of his lieutenant LONGSTREET,
in regard to ROSENCRANZ, LEE has again cont rived
no less effectually and by the very same agency in
regard to MEADE himself. Insomuch does this now
actually turn out to be the case that upon the re-
turn of LONGSTREET'S corps—that is to say upon
the forward movement at last, in a body, by order
of LEE, of the whole Confederate army on
the banks of the Rapidan, upon the forward
movement of LEE'S whole army from the Rapi-
dan northwards (LEE doing this directly his
lieutenant LONGSTREET has returned from the
borders of Tennessee), the unfortunate Federal
Commander-in-Chief finds himself outmanoeuvred
still more completely and unmistakeably than
by LEE's designs had even been ROSENCRANZ.
MEADE, in effect, we now learn, had found
no alternative but to escape from a disas-
trous discomfiture by an instant retreat. The
Federal army had withdrawn bodily and with
such precipitation that all that could not
be carried away with them had to be burnt. They
have recrossed the Rappahannock. They have
withdrawn, en masse, northwards. LEE resuming
his old position upon that field already twice fatal
to the Federals, as the scene, for them, of two dis-
astrous Yankee Battles of the Spurs—the now
world-famous field of Bull Run. Such is the latest
" situation," in respect to the relative position of
the main armies of the American belligerents. Such
is the latest result of the warlike designs of that
great master of strategy, General LEE. His an-
tagonists have had to beat a hasty retreat. He him-
self takes new ground upon old ground—at Bull
Ran. The Confederates will fight there with the
prestige of victory—the Federals with a damning
recollection ofdefeat. Let MEADE turn out to be beaten
there at Bull Run—as is probable—and the capital
of Washington will be open to the Confederates.
Like the Centurion in the Gospel, LEE has but to say
to any among these lieutenants of his, " Go there
and he goeth, do this and he doeth it." And certainly
the one who has been of late the most conspicuous
of them all in the faithful fulfilment of his great
leader's designs, the most conspicuous amongst
them, at least, since the lamented death of glorious
" Old STONEWALL," is that LONGSTREET, who
(certainly as yet) knows no turning !

The memory of a great man must be ranked
among the noblest possessions of his country, and
it is a possession common to all his countrymen.
The more numerous and distinguished the names
in her annals, the higher rank a country holds
in the story of the past, and the prouder the
position she occupies in the present. England is
rich in great men in arms, in arts, in science, in
literature, in statecraft, in philosophy, in philan-
thropy, and the names recorded on the memorial
tablets in her great cathedrals may bear com-
parison with those of any nation in the civilised
world. Sometimes she has not known or acknow-
ledged their merits until the recognition was too
late to do them service ; often the panegyrics on
their tombstones were the first words of public
praise that reached them. Envy and prejudice,
poverty and misfortune have too often stood in
the way of those born to rule or influence their
kind ; but some, more fortunate, if not more gifted,
have won the applause of their fellows while still
living to hear it, and have been placed among the
seats of honour while yet the position was of
value. They have received the meed of well-
earned confidence and distinction during their lives,
and over their graves men of all rank, creeds,
and parties have united in tributes of approval
and expressions of regret. Such sentiments aro
never more appropriate, or more impressive than
when uttered at the birth-place of the one who
has gone to .„e ~ ,O
his grave full of honours. The fact
\ that
the career which has filled a marked place
in the history of the time opened unpretendingly
among
theraselv„ •
senal interest
in ! gives to the speakers a per-
played a busy its meridian and its close. The
remembrance that
par
tth.e
politics, took great man who has since
his in the broad arena of war, or
their streets gives firstt faltering steps along
years
an individual share in hise s each of the citizens
They feel with Satisfaction that
achievements.
mat when his fortunes
are traced in coming
eity,no wir
ll look with in-
terest on the unattractive
known as his birthplace and early e
born
They are
proud of the reflected honour, and home'
hasten to ado
his name, to show to strangers that h
their streets with his effigy and to call their adorn I
assembled
winhgossewif•tahtne has crossed the seas perhaps was
Glasgow, with
among them. -the erinei_
With some such feelings , .
tisleol‘fitehrechcaonutt:styof Hall,a t LanarkGi a s g
Ipaasltiwnheeakbiitnant
a view to do honour to the memory of Lord CLYDE.
The monument which they proposed to erect to him
was not intended to be especially costly in its
expression to
nature, but was meant to include a large number of
subscribers, with the view of giving
the widespread respect and admiration for the brave
Scottish chieftain now laid to his rest. The meet-
ing was large and unanimous, as befitted such an
assembly in Sir COLIN CAMPBELL'S native city. A
fitting oration for such an occasion was delivered
by one who was no ur.worthy chronicler of Lord
CLYDE'S fame and achievements. Sir ARCHIBALD
ALlsoN, in an
t, u,t quent address, alluded to hie oWn