The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-11 00:00:00

SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 11, 1863.

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SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.--The telegraph itself can scarcely keep pace with
the war, which within a few days has described a whole
quarter of the circle round the pivot of Washington, If
our readers would not be left behind they must give their
whole attention to the column of American intelligence this
day, for it puts yesterday's altogether out of date, and has
every likelihood of being in its turn antiquated by to-mor-
row's. For General Hooker we must to-day read General
Meade, the former having been relieved of his command,
either at his own request, or because he had lost influence,
or because he did not agree with the authorities at Wash-
ington as to the military value of the Maryland Heights,
That, however, is a small affair. The Confederates at the
last date were in possession of nearly the whole block of
country between the Upper Potomac and the Susquehanna,
north of Washington and Baltimore. They had traversed
eastward the northern boundary of that region; they had
shelled Harrisburg on the Susquehanna, and compelled the
destruction of a fine and costly railway bridge over that river
at Columbia ; they had broken up the Baltmore and Ohio
Railway within 25 miles of Baltimore; they were making
a similar attempt on the railway between Baltimore and
Washington, which latter city had then only one commu-
nication left with the Northern States; their cavalry was
passing, without fear of interruption, within 14 miles of the
Federal capital on its own side of the Potomac, and at a
much less distance on the Virginian side was waylaying and
destroying the Federal cavalry. If at the last date there
was any sign of a halt in this onward movement, it was
only that the Confederates appeared to be collecting their
forces in order to be able to strike a fatal blow as soon as the
new Federal commander should give them an opportunity.
Both armies were now north of the Potomac. The Con-
federates were prepared either to demolish General Meade,
and, following up their victory, take possession of the panic-
struck and not very hostile capital; or to descend upon
Baltimore and consider at leisure what next to do ; or to
cross the Susquehanna and march straight upon Philadel-
phia. The only contingency that could deprive the Con-
federates of any one of these prizes and curtail their entire
liberty of action was the chance of General Meade—of whom
we are only told he commanded the Fifth Corps under his
predecessor—proving a more able soldier than General Lee.
Where one side is known, and the other unknown, it is im-
possible to make a comparison or anticipate a conclusion.
But we may say that unless the Federals possess much
higher qualities than they have hitherto shown to the
world, we may expect, in a week or two, to hear of
President Davis at Washington. The loss of Wash-
ington we have all come to regard as a great and
critical contingency, almost decisive of the war,
and of itself compelling overtures of pease from the unsuc-
cessful defenders. But we naturally borrow our estimate
from these defenders themselves, and conclude that what
they hold at so much cost must be really invaluable. Wash-
ington, however, was not selected either with a view to de-
fence, or as the military capital of the States. Its founders
never contemplated its use as a means for overawing and
holding the United States. The living generation has seen
it fall after a few hours' fighting to a handful of soldiers.
Converted into a fortress at enormous cost, it is at best only
a Sebastopol, at the very extremity of the vast region of
which it is now the nominal capital, and continually threat-
ened with attack. Its possession by the Federals has hitherto
compelled the war to be carried on in the Confederate coun-
try, a circumstance which has its advantages, as well as its
disadvantages, for the Confederates. Its loss would draw
the latter into a country where they will, indeed, live at the
cost of the foe, but will not be able to conceal their move-
ments and keep their own counsel so well as they have done
hitherto. The loss of prestige is another affair ; and in this
case it is not merely the prestige of power, it is rather the
prestige of union that is in jeopardy. Should the Govern
ment have to migrate to New York, that will materially
affect the whole aspect of the question at issue. It will
give colour to the scandal against which the Cabinet has
hourly to struggle and protest—that the war is fought in
the interest of New York, Philadelphia, and New England,
not in the interest of the Union at large. From what-
ever reason, Washington is regarded as the palladium
of the cause. Though selected simply as a convenient
rendezvous, it has become as Rome or Jerusalem itself to
their respective possessors, We presume the Federals were
not fighting for a shadow when they constructed we know
not how many miles of fortifications round their capital,
and guarded every stream, every valley, every ferry, every
mountain pass, and every river bluff that leads towards the
sacred city. They must regard it as almost essential to their
cause, and they must know as much about it as others.
Apart from that inscrutable question of prestige, in which
wo aro forced to take the valuations of others, however seem-
ingly irrational, we cannot help attaching at least as great
importance to the news from the Mississippi as to that from
Pennsylvania. From the Federal camp before Vicksburg
there was still the same dreary, monotonous, and almost
desponding daily bulletin. General Grant had an impos-
sible task before him, with an aivancing foe and increasing
difficulties behind. General Banks had not even this much
to say for himself. At the last date he had announced to
his army that they must raise 1,000 'volunteers for one
more assault, and, if they could not take the fort, they must
retreat as fast as possible, if they could retreat at all. This
was, of course, to give up the command of the great river to
the Confederates; it was to expose General Grant to a
similar reverse, to endanger the possession of New Orleans
and Louisiana, and compromise the safety of the Federal
forces in that quarter. As yet there were only rumours as
to the results at Port Hudson and Vicksburg ; but one can-
not help feeling that in the state of things in the South
there is a very small margin far success, and a very w:de
margin indeed for every conceivable amount of disasters.
In this dark and dreary prospect there is hardly a gleam of
hope from any other quarter. In all the States, midway
between the opposite poles of American opinion, there rages
a social war even more dreadful than the occasional collision
of great armies. Bands rove about without molestation,
and, if not able to protect, are never without the power of
plundering and destroying, This roving and marauding
propensity has taken root in the people and is becoming
habitual. " One year in seed, seven years in weed," says
the old proverb ; and when the seed of licence and
rapine is once sown broadcast, and allowed to germinate and
grow up, it will take many years to pluck it up and rid the
soil of the baneful intruder. From hand to foot, from the
capital to every valley and village, the whole body politic is,
in the words of Sacred Writ, full of "diseases." It is al-
most past hope that even peace should heal them, but the
longer the war lasts the more incurable they become.
HERALD—LordPalmerston is not an acutely sensitive in-
dividual, but he is evidently very keenly alive to the incon-
veniences of a prolonged discussion on the interview of
Messrs. Roebuck and Lindsay with the Ruler of France.
We should have expected that on a question so seriously
involving the honour of the Ministry every opportunity
would have been sought for bringing the whole truth to
light. Instead of this our adroit Premier is only too anxious
to stifle all discussion. The Government have had their say,
and there is to be no response. Messrs. Roebuck and Lind-
say are to sit down quietly under the imputation of some-
thing worse than a want of discretion ; Lord Palmerston is
to get rid at once of an inconvenient motion and a humiliat-
ing exposure. Be it so. We have had a session of motions
withdrawn, and of animated recriminations. It would be
a pity to alter the humdrum character of our parliamentary
proceedings at the fag end of the session. Let the House of
Commons agree that the Itioniteur is right, Messrs. Roebuck
and Lindsay right, and Mr. Layard right, and illustrate the
old proverb, the least said the soonest mended. There is
great justice in Mr. Gregory's view that it would be a mis-
fortune if a vote of the House of Commons should make the
House of Commons appear hostile to the independence of
the Southern Confederacy; and we fear that the mode in
which the French Emperor's name has been made use of
would ensure a majority against recognition at the present
moment. But whether Mr. Roebuck will be content to put
up with the aspersions which the Ministerial press has heaped
upon him is another question, which it would be impertinent
in us to answer. But explanation of some sort is duo to all
parties, to the House of Commons, to the French Emperor, to
the public. The question of recognition may well stand over.
It, with the Coutederate army threatening the very gates of
Washington, of Philadelphia, and of Baltimore, the house
of Commons cannot make up its mind to stand by the i• 1 in-
ciples v,,hich have for centuries prescribed its policy, it is
quite right to leave all responsibility to Lord Palmerston,
and to suspend all consideration of the question until ano-
ther half million of lives have been sacrificed, until the lest
cotton plantation has been ploughed up by Northern armies
or Southern patriots, and another winter of starvation has
told its tale upon the famished population of Lancashire.
Poses—The capture of Mexico by the French possesses
a significance which it is impossible to overrate. It may
not be the crowning conquest of a successful war, but it is
certainly one of those achievements which tend directly to
bring hostilities to a speedy termination. The Mexican
republic is peculiarly situated, and can better afford the loss
of its capital than most States; but still the brilliant suc •
ceases of the French army on the present occasion, follow-
ing so quickly after the capture of Puebla, must exercise
some infinehCe on the future conduct of those at present

guiding the affairs of the Confederation. We confess we
did not expect to have heard so soon of the fall of Mexico.
The progress of the French army has hitherto been ex-
tremely slow. A considerable time elapsed after the land-
ing at Vera Cruz before Orizaba fall, and then another long
interval elapsed before the French general was enabled to

announce the capture of Puebla, By Juarez, howover,the
passibility of the capture of the capital was practically re-
cognised immediately after the evacuation of Puebla. Pre-
parations were indeed made to defend Mexico, but at the

same time arrangements were made for the transfer of the
Government from the latter city to San Luiz Potosi. The
lines of defences, both natural anil artificial, which inter •
vened between Mexico and Puebla, were turned to account,
but proved unavailing to check the advance of an army
flushed with recent victory, In the city itself not even the
show of resistance appears to have been made. On the 20th
May the garrison, numbering some 20,000 men, evacuated
the town and retired into the interior. Immediately after-
wards a deputation of theleaders of the Church party commu-
nicated with the French general,and on the sth June the ad-
vanced guard of the French army entered the town without
opposition. Three days later it was anticipated that the entire
of the invading force would occupy the capital of the republic.
With the scanty information which we at present possess
it would be idle to speculate on the tactics which have been
pursued by Juarez. When Puebla fell he evidently resolved
on abandoning the city of Mexico. Indeed, strategically
considered, its possession could not be regarded as valuable,
whilst the effort to hold it would not improbably have led
to a disastrous defeat. He has doubtless exercised a sound
discretion in abandoning without a blow a town which he
could never have hoped to have held against a vigorous op-
position for a considerable time. Mexico, as we had observed
on a previous occasion, is, after all, only an outpost, and it
equally suits the interest of the Mexican chief that the seat
of government should be elsewhere. On the other hand,
however, the prestige and glory gained by the French army
through the occupation of the chief city in the State must
operate in no small degree to the prejudice of the native
Government. The most serious danger which threatened
the French expedition to Mexico came from Europe. The
French people, fond though they are of military glory,
began to question the policy of endeavouring to plant the
tricolor over the halls of Montezuma. For many months
all that was known in France was that millions of francs
were being expended on an expedition at the opposite side
of .the Atlantic, and that thousands of lives were being sac-
rificed without any visible fruits. In the Legislative As-
sembly a small but fearless minority denounced the policy
of the Imperial Government, and the sentiments they ex-
pressed were not received with disfavour by the mass of the
population. Just at this time Puebla was captured, and
with the news of that victory vanished for the time all ap-
pearances of popular discontent. But, atter all, the taking
of Puebla was considered but as a step towards the far more
brilliant achievement of capturing the city of Mexico ; and
now that the latter is announced, the French people will
not inquire too closely into the exact bearings it may have
on the ultimate reduction to submission of the Mexican
Government. We do not think that the occupation of
Mexico by the French army can be accepted as a prog-
nostication of the speedy termination of the war, but
there can be little doubt that its effect on the Government
and on the people of France will be to excite the one to re-
newed exertions, and to induce the other to regard with
more favourable eyes an expedition which at one time pro-
mised to entail upon the French armies many losses, unmi-
tigated by any increase of glory or of fame. If the capture
of Mexico opened the way to a compromise between the
contending parties, the value of the conquest would be in-
deed great. We doubt, however, that such will be the re-
sult. The capital was deliberately abandoned by its nume-
rous garrison with apparently other views than probable
concessions to the invaders. The relinquishment of an un-
tenable position cannot be hailed as a sign of approaching,
submission. Without, however, such submission, full and
complete, the occupation of Mexico by the French army
will be but a barren conquest. Hitherto the French
generals have been operating on the confines of
a vast territory, which they must overrun and
subjugate before they can enforce compliance with
their demands; They have not as yet penetrated into
the interior. If the abandonment of Mexico is but the
commencement of a series of operations by which the
Mexican chief proposes to withdraw into the interior of the
country, the war may be considered as having scarcely
begun, instead of having almost reached its termination.
The readiness with which Juarez has withdrawn the gar-
rison from Mexico makes us suspect that his tactics are
those we have indicated. In the course of a short time,
however, we shall be better informed upon this point.
Meantime the French may justly congratulate themselves
on having obtained possession of the city of Mexico; and if
their army entered it without striking a blow, they have
the satisfaction of feeling that its evacuation was rendered
necessary by the prowess evinced by their troops on pre-
vious occasions.

ture in connection with this target in motion that
the side of this figure represented 113 a scarlet uni-
form was hit much less frequently than the gray
tunic painted on the other side. On Wednesday,
when the running-man was last exposed to the fire
of the Volunteers, the gray side was struck 74
times, while the red side only exhibited 42 hits.
This circumstance, no doubt, will be regarded as an
argument in support of the view always entertained
by military men that scarlet, though the most bril-
liant, is yet the colour most difficult to hit. The
fact appears to be that against the sky line scarlet
can be picked out at almost any distance ; but when,
es at Wimbledon, there is a green or any dark
background, scarlet in motion produces an optical
illusion by leaving a deceptive red streak behind,
which unsettles the aim of the marksman. Any
one can try the experiment for himself by twisting
round a lighted stick in the dark ; every one knows
that it will produce the appearance of a circle of
fire, and, exercising merely the organ of sight, and
Lot of touch, it would puzzle even the holder of the
stick to say whereabouts exactly the point of the
stick was at a given second.
The firing for the first stage of the Queen's Prize
concluded last evening, and the excitement which
had been exceedingly great as time advanced, cul-
minated when it became known that the high score
of 49 had been made by two. The fortunate com-
petitors were not only cheered, but chaired ; and the
enthusiasm of their friends was nearly as great as if
the second instead of merely the first stage had been
brought to a close.
The following were the highest total scores at the
200, 500, and 600 yards ranges for the first stage of
the Queen's Prize up to seven p.m. last evening :
Private Whisker, 2d Essex, 49 marks ; Sergt. Milard
(St. George's), 49 ; Private Miller ; let Gloucester,
47 ; Capt. Henderson, 12th Cornwall, 44; Sergeant
Winser, 3d Kent, 44; Private Phillips, Ist Shrop-
shire, 43 ; Sergt. Allen, 25th Somerset, 43 ; Corp.
Worth, Bth Warwick, 43 ; Private March, 12th
Norfolk, 43 ; Private Pace, 26th Kent, 43 ; Sergeant
Bingham, Ist Gloucester, 43; Private Ridler, Ist
Gloucester, 43 ; Private Adamson, 47th Lancashire,
42; Corporal Marshall, 6th Lincoln, 42; Ensign
Bland, 3th Lancashire, 42 ; Colour-Sergeant Gale,
10th Surrey, 42 ; Private Richardson, 10th Nor-
folk, 42 ; Private Cranford, 11th Renfrew, 42 ;
IPrivate Fuller, sth Isle of Wight, 42 ; Sergeant
Graham, 2d Wilts, 42 ; Sergeant Banning, 2d Bed-
ford, 42 ; Corporal Coldcleugh, 7th Durham, 42 ;
Private Wyatt, Ist City of London, 42 ; Lieut. Mar-
riner, 9th Middlesex, 42; Private Mackenzie, Lon-
don Scottish, 42 ; Sergeant Smith, 15th Derby, 42 ;
Sergeant Curtis, 15th Glamorgan, 42 ; Corporal
Whitehouse, 3d Leicester, 41; Sergeant Darley, 9th
Leicester, 41; Private Richardson, 6th Lincoln,
41 ; Corporal Clitheroe, 9th Lincoln, 41; Private
Ellis, Bth Surrey, 41 ; Corporal Allen, 14th
Wilts, 41; Lieut. Brougham, 13th Stafford, 41;
Private Trotter, 4th N. York, 41 ; Private Russell,
29th Kent, 41 ; Private Birkley, 2d Tower Ham-
lets, 41; Sergeant Brookes, 12th Middlesex, 41;
Corporal Taylor, 21st Middlesex, 41; Lieut. Bea-
van, 17th Glamorgan, 41 ; Private Rhea, 3d Glou-
-4c eels: e
Cr ,a
p4tla Clßorropookr
sa, IAO
tnhd eLres
Leicester,
t 4e
r, othoL; a ns ce ar
gs he iarnet,
Brown, Ist Lanark, 40; Private Murray, Ist Mid-
lothian, 40 ; Major Pipon, 13th Sussex, 40 ; Ser-
geant Haines, 16th Surrey, 40; Private Chuter,
25th Surrey, 40 ; Private Coles, Ist Notts, 40 ;
Sergeant Norseworthy, Ist Oxford, 40 ; Lieutenant
Watson, Newcastle, 40 ; Private Houghton, sth
Norfolk, 40 ; Private Garwood, 15th Norfolk, 40 ;
Corporal Kettle, 16th Stafford, 40 ; Lieutenant Har-
rison, 36th West York, 40; Private Betts, lst War-
wick, 40 ; Private Read, 14th Suffolk, 40 ; Private
Roberts, 12th Shropshire, 40; Private Bazeley, 3d
Cambridge, 40; Lieut. Pollard, 13th Cornwall, 40;
Lieut. Taylor, 26th Lancashire, 40; Colour Sergeant
Gregory, 13th Dorset, 40; Colour Sergeant Pyman,
4th Bucks, 40; Colour Sergeant White, 39th Mid-
dlesex, 40; Private Kersey, 20th Middlesex, 40;
Private Cree, London Scottish, 40 ; Private Avis,
Ist Devon, 40; Gunner Hyde, Ist Glamorgan, AN.,
30; Private Walters, Ist Edinburgh, 40.
It will be seen that there were two ties of 49
points for the first place and silver medal ; 14 ties
of 41 points for three places, 28 to 30, Whitworth
rifts ; and 28 ties of 40 marks for 19 places, 42 to
60, in second 30 and £5. The ties will be shot off
this day.
When the firing for the day was over Private
Wisker was carried on the shoulders of some of his
comrades from the firing ground to the exhibition
tent, where he was greeted with loud applause.
The highest scores for the other prizes shot for
during the day were as follows :
First Stage, House of Lords, 500 yards—Corporal
Kemp, 41st Middlesex, 22 marks ; Sergeant Col-
lett, 7th Sussex, 21 ; Colour Sergeant Gibbs, 80th
Lancashire, 24 ; Private Scott, 3d Renfrew, 24;
Private Horrard, 23d Middlesex, 22 ; Miller, Ist
Lanark, 22 ; Sergeant Hesketh, 27th Lancashire,
23; Sergeant Tilley, 2d Derby, 23.
First Series, Extra Prizes, 800 yards, Small
Bores—Lieut. Branzill, 61st Lancashire, 23 marks;
Lieut. Evans, Derby, 26; Captain Rowlands, 55th
Regiment, 24.
Second Series, Extra Prizes. 577 Bore, 600 yds.
—Private Johnson, Bth Stafford, 19 marks ; Ser-
geant Dove, Ist Devon, 19; Sergeant Nodder, Ist
Lancashire, 19; Corporal Harms, 29th Kent, 21.
Small Bore, All Comers —2OO Yards—Major
Margery, 23 marks ; Sergeant Palmer, 36th Staf-
ford, 23; Sergeant Wilkin, 6th Aberdeen, 23;
Captain Thresher, sth Dorset, 25 ; Sergeant Cun-
liffe, 26th Cheshire, 23.
500 Yards—Ensign Peterkin, Cambridge, 23 ;
Ensign Quarm, Civil Service, 23 ; Sergeant Brown,
26 ; Ensign Baynes, 12th Surrey, 23.
600 Yards—Colonel Dougall, Fife Artillery, 21

Sergeant Tuffnall, 61st Regiment, 21 ; Ensign
Baynes, 12th Surrey, 23; Ensign Ross•Civiliai, 23 ;
Lieut. Marriner, let Middlesex, 23.
Enfield, All Comers.-200 Yards.— Corporal Rus-
sell, Ist Essex, 23 ; Private Cunliffe, 26th Cheshire,
23 ; Private Morris, Ist Hants, 24 ; Private Hollo-
way, 6th Gloucester, 24 ; Lieut. Perry, Ist Guern-
sey, 23; Ensign Walton, 17th West York, 23; En-
sign Saw, 4th London, 23; Ensign Lockhart, 11th
Cheshire, 23.
600 Yards.--Private Brunk, Hants Engineers,
22 ; Private Coore, Cambridge University, 22 ;
vate Westcott, 7th Surrey, 22; Sergeant Curtis,
sth Glamorgan, 22 ; Sergeant Chase, 4th Suffolk,
22 ; Sergeant Blackmore, 2d Devon, 22.

NIGHT MEETING IN CAMP.
About 10 o'clock the meeting round the camp fire
for purposes of discussion and conviviality, which
has grown into an institution in connexion with
these gatherings at Wimbledon, was held, Th..?
scene was such as artists would delight to sketch, it,
ti;e indeed,to ianyts TpaerniCeidl couldfsatu
rheas v. e cialueg hl
large
ragned done
flickeringj u
n-
bonfire reflected its alternate glare and
shadowcomposition.
an assembly of most diverse dress an
The white head-dresses almost universal
imparted a
don, owing to the heat of the lasthrche
embraced all
foreign aspect to the groups
position. In what may be call
were include,'
,the
tial portion of the a.' Lad n:Lady
Anne Elchri,
varieties and degrees of En
Lord and Lady Puele'li:,dy Constance Grosvenor,
Earl Gr,Thvenor, nn".l
and Lady 11,,urylb,
lalyt :Ind
aYi
yn 31bli j.nacE,-,i
a levelling tendency, and it
Lard Ftilding, d
other persons of distinction. The
a Lroirdaltria Anson, Colonel and Mm.
Fine, Lady w '--the
Count de Get-Arcs, MIT.
Lloyd Lindsay,
saj, The Volunteer uniform,
e'wmith the grdwth
Otto Goldemidt,
ha.glaislhlwecdhtahr:cinteorrridosouceinal.
however,
trht aa
it
ns
Ivy
has large
as
grownan a assembly
ociislifacintqhluuPeidtAmeedsee°o manytsic
nsiiag,bt li
certainly
; for while last year the attendance
might have been counted by hundreds, this year it
probably extended to thousands. The same feeling
of cordial good fellowship, however, was still eviced,
and if proof-were needed of 'the entirely amicable