The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-31 00:00:00

THE FALL OF VICKSBURG.

The reduction of Vicksburg is a consummation to
which the enemy have addressed exertions but
little, if i.ny, less thav those they have put forth
for the capture of Richmond. They have regarded
that city as the key to the commercial use of the
Mississippi, and by the full command of the river
they expect so completely to isolate the great trans-
Mississippi country as to render its subjugation
easy and its return to the Union certain. It is now
to be tested to what extent these expectations have
been well founded. In regard to the first, the com-
mercial use of the river—which has been the object
for which the great States of the North-West have
been putting forth such tremendous efforts—we do
not see how it is possible for them to enjoy it.
For a distance of at least 2,000 miles the Missis-
sippi flows through a country hostile to the Yankee
race and Government. Anywhere along the whole
distance steamboats would be in reach of cannot—
generally in reach of the rifle—from either shore.
It is not possible for the enemy to maintain such a
guard of the river as to prevent batteries of flying
artillery from either shore, and sharpshooters, at
all advantageous points, playing upon the vulner.
able vessels with fatal effect, and picking off pilots
and officers whenever they venture to show them-
selves. Commerce is not quite venturesome
enough to run such a gauntlet as that. The people
cf the North-West will find their hopes deceived.
They will discover that the promises of Lincoln
have been fallacious, and that their great ex-
penditure of life and means has been all. in vain.
And in this disappointment will come a reaction,
under the sobering influence of which they may be
able to discover that peace is the only policy by
which they can win back what they so madly threw
away. As to the second calculation—that by
bisecting the Confederacy, and cutting off the coun-
try west of the Mississippi from communication
with the east, they may easily overrun it—there is
as little or less reason for its indulgence. The enemy
have, in fact, already held, for some months now,
military possession of the entire river, except the
half-dozen miles covered by the batteries at Vicks-
burg and Port Hudson. Communication for the
passage of troops, ammunition, and supplies be-
tween the two sides has been completely cut off.
The Confederacy has between, in a military sense,
cut in twain. Yet there has been no abatement,
but an increase rather in military operations on the
other side. The fact is, the keeping open of the
communication was more important to us than
to them, for while they drew from us only
arms and ammunition, we drew from them men
and supplies. They will now keep the latter
at home, and may readily obtain the former
from or through Mexico. They have cotton
enough to pay for all the purchases they may require.
It will only be necessary to change their base from
the Mississippi to the Rio Grande to place them in
as good a condition for defensive war as any people
ever were. They have a territory too extensive to
be overrun, supplies too abundant to be exhausted,
a population too brave to be subdued, and generals,
with one notable exception (the highest in com-
mand) too skilful, vigilant, and energetic to be out-
generaled. There is nothing, then, to fear for the
trans-Mississippi. What is most to be feared as
the immediate result of th© fall of Vicksburg is the
conversion of the great army under Grant from a
stationary into a moving force. From its organisa-
tion, almost, it has been confined to the o
workf
• h the Govern
where. Thio is the evil against which taking that city. It is now free to operate
ost energetic
meat is now called to make the in
what
to imagine in
preparation. It is not difficult effect
estimate the
direction Grant will move, ear to else-
This is the
no corresponding accession on our
serious grounds for
of so powerful an army comingouurpsoindet.he
danger that presents the
.
ss not to see it, and im-
field, with
alarm. It would be blindee
st strenuous exer-
the most
lions to guard againsta
emen t of affairs is intrusted
can only pray that
ea /mist._
_Richmond Whig.
those
oe
siloittyownohtomtothpeut forth the
I may be (qual to the

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