The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-16 00:00:00

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

The news received to-day is of critical importance in seve-
ral respects. Mr. Lincoln has actually signed the bill
which confirms the secession of Western Virginia from the
rest of the State. Is this one of the functions of what is
called the " war power," or was it a "military necessity ?"
That the Congress should have passed this Act is what
every one must have expected who has studied the character
of that body. But in Mr. Lincoln some considerable amount
of shrewd common sense appears ar times amidst his
jokes, and it was expected that this would have saved him
from such a step. The State of Virginia withdrew, in
virtue of its sovereignty, from a compact on entering into
which it declared, by a solemn act of its Legislature, its
right to withdraw and resume the powers intrusted to the
Federal Administration. That State has done nothing
more in withdrawing from the Union than to exercise the
right expressly reserved on entering it. But here a frag-
ment of its territory, devoid of any right or separate exis-
tence, secedes from the rest, and this most indefensible and
rank form of secession is accepted anft approved by the
Northern Government. The Supreme Court would, of
course, quash such a measure if ever submitted to it, but in
the meantime it will add two Senators to the strength of
the factious minority now in possession of office and assist
to thwart the will of the people in the next Session of Con-
gress, when the newly chosen representatives enter on their
duties. The shade of poor George Washington would, in-
deed, look sad could it behold this attempt to tear up his
noble State for the ends of faction and profit of contractors ;
and this not at the hands of some foreign conqueror, but
those of the people who owe their independence to him, and
who but for his wisdom would have plunged at the forma-
tion of the present Constitution into the bloodshed that dis-
honours its end.

By the accounts from the West it appears that the attack
on Vicksburg, thrice attempted, had been repulsed ; and as
prisoners are spoken of, it must have been a combined attack
by land as well as gunboats. No doubt this attempt will be
persevered in, with numbers and resources so large that, but
for our knowledge of former events, the fall of the place might
be anticipated. But as six weeks of bombardment and canal
digging had no effect before, and the place will be much
stronger now, the probabilities are not in favour of the suc-
cess of the Federals, although they have evacuated New
Madrid and No. 10 Island, in order to concentrate their
strength upon the effort. The retreat of Grant's army must
wholly disconcert the plan of operations, and as the first at-
tacks have failed, those to follow will afford time for troops
to arrive by railway from other districts of the South to
take part in the defence. As Corcoran's brigade was sent to
New Orleans, we shall probably hear, as at Fredericksburg,
that wherever human life was to be wasted, Irishmen will
be selected for that work.

Of the severs conflicts at Murfreesborough, we must
needs suspend our judgment till we hear the issue. It is,
however, ominous that no victory is claimed, and that the
terms used are those which have ushered in every Federal
defeat. M'Clellan, Pope, Burnside, Buell, all were at first
described as making fine strategic moves, or driving back
the enemy. Judging from past experience, we may expect
that this will prove another heavy blow to the Federal
cause. If Johnson be defeated he can fall back to Chatta-
nooga, a position perfectly safe; a severe defeat on the
other side would involve the loss of Nashville. The people
of New York have learnt by thin tittle how to translate
Federal despatches, and the view they take of affairs in the
West is to be seen in the large advance in gold, or, in other
words, the fall in Government paper.
Where, indeed, was there ever so hopeless a prospect ?
When the war began—apart from the repudiation by the
North of any political profession and the crime of shedding
the blood of fellow-citizens upon a question of dissolution
of partnership—there was some excuse for a belief in Union
sentiment or the power of sueerior numbers. Ample ex-
perience has exploded these delusions. Here is the Grand
Army of the Potomac at another standstill, and the only
wise thing it can do is to go back to Washington for
the fourth time. General Burnside issues an address
in which he first declares his incompetence to com-
mand the army, and then proceeds to prove it. It
was the want of pontoons that caused the disaster. But
how did generals cross rivers and win victories before pon-
toons were heard of ? When Wellington crossed the Douro
and drove a French army out of Oporto he had one small
fishing-boat to begin with. In truth, the delay complained
of was the means of saving Burnside's army from complete
destruction. Had he crossed the Rappahannock at once,
advanced upon Richmond, and made an attack there simi-
lar to that on the heights of Fredericksburg, it is probable
that none but a few stragglers would ever have got back to
the Potomac. A country of a million of square miles is not
to be conquered by armies that cannot cross a river, with
fords on one flank and gunboats on the other, without wait-
ing three weeks fee. pontoons.
If there be any event of this war which the real friends of
the North may well deplore it is the act of Mr. Lincoln in
issuing his emancipation fiat. It is clear proof not only of
his purpose to treat the will of the majority with contempt,
but that be has abandoned the last shred of calm reason,
and given himself up into the hands of such advisers as
Cassius Clay. What good can come out of this proclama-
tion to nny human being ? What trace of principle is to be
found in it ? A million of slaves are within the power of
Mr. Lincoln and his soldiers; these he carefully preserves
in slavery. Other three millions are entirely beyond his
reach; these he pretends to free with a stroke of his pen.
If such a measure could succeed we should have the cotton
States free, and the Northerners and their advocates the
only slaveholders of the country Mr. Cassius Clay, the
real instigator of the measure, let fall some indiscreet reve-
lations at Washington when it first appeared. He told us
it was not the negro he had in view —he, indeed, was too
debased for his notice—it was the effect on Europe, on a
House of Commons or a Chamber of Deputies. Precisely so;
but this is exactly what is understood in America by the word
" Buncombe"—something which pretends to address a party
present, but is really aimed at others at a distance. It is
we who are to be emancipated from our. sinful sympathy
with rebels. As for the negro and its effect upon him, Mr.
Lincoln's own contemptuous opinion of the measure was
expressed in a simile that none have forgotten. Doubtless
that opinion was correct; it will prove wholly inoperative
as against the South, except in adding to the score for which
there will come a day of reckoning. Not so with the North.
The dissensions there were dangerous enough without this
fresh ingredient. Fanaticism has now shot its long-tree.
mired and poisoned arrow ; it has done its best to spread
the flames and atrocities of a servile war over the land which
it could not subdue by manly weapons. The efforts of im-
potent spite are not likely to succeed where those of brave
men in arms have failed. This step is really a confession,
on the part of the faction in power, that all bore of sub-
duing the South is at an end, and it remains only to attempt
its ruin.

Is it with such work as this that we are to sympathise ?
It;is well known that the Northern agents are now in this
country, without stint of money, hiring lecturers and at-
tempting an agitation. Now, if it were possible to stir up
a negro revolt one of two things must happen. Either the
negro must destroy the white race, as in St. Domingo, or
the white race \m,i'ciilanlssdtteenrsetinrsoybehtitienr.
with'llere is no !sore a half-
way house than in a mutiny on board a ship. Which of
the.e, two is it that Christian people are to pray for? Some
few thousands of negroes can run away to the Federal
, camp, where they are at once used as slaves .i every re-
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