The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-20 00:00:00

towards Branchville. GRANT is moving his forces
and attempting to surround Richmond, with the
object, most probably, of encumbering LEE and
preventing him from interfering with SHERMAN'S
march to Branchville and Charleston. TERRY'S
troops are said to have left the Cape Fear River
' to reinforce SHERMAN, so that even the great attack
on Wilmington is held secondary to the success of
his expedition. A large force from THOMAS has
reinforced GRANT, so that it is determined to
make some movement. On the sth inst. there
was a slight encounter between the rival forces at
Watcher's Run, near Richmond, and a general
battle was looked for the next day.

We have a sufficient indication of the renewed
determination of the South to carry on the war un-
flinchingly in the appointment of General LEE to
the chief command. The Richmond Sentinel,
writing on this, urges the people to fresh and vigor-
ous efforts. "We stand," it says, "on the
threshold of a stern campaign," and it charges the
Southerners, as they love their country, to lose no
time in preparing for it. They have, it declares, a
noble army, a wide country and abundant supplies,
and can do great things if they will apply themselves
to the task manfully and hush all bickerings, leaving
only the noble emulation as to which shall best
serve his country and support his leaders.
It is rumoured that LEE'S policy will be a new
and bold one, that he proposes to abandon Charles-
ton, evacuate Richmond, and withdraw his forces
from the coast, leaving the whole of the Confede-
rate armies free to operate in the open field. He
has, it is said, more than once declared that the
loss of the Atlantic cities would be an advantage to
the Confederacy, since he would then be relieved
from the encumbering duty of defending them, and
be able to teach the North what war meant. Gen.
SHERMAN is said to hold the same opinion as the
wisest course now open to the South. It is argued
that by the new system of dealing with the North
the Confederates would be able to dispense with the
supplies of the blockade runners, and that therefore

tile loss of the Atlantic cities would be very little felt.
But there are some drawbacks to the scheme, which
we should think would serve to moderate it. In the
first place, to depend entirely on the enemy for ex-
ternal supplies is to give him the power of cutting
them off when he pleases. Secondly, Richmond is

lot on the sea coast, and the force necessary to de-
'end it, though large, is well employed. The whole

nation cannot take to the open field, and it is abso-
lutely necessary, if the South is to remain a nation,
that it should retain some stronghold as head-
quarters, as the seat of Government, and the centre
of authority. It would weaken the European
prestige of the Confederacy immeasurably to sur-
render the capital, and would reduce the struggle
more to the level of a mere military rebellion than
anything that has yet been done. Charleston,
again, is a strong point which it would be a pity to
resign, and whose loss would be disheartening to
the-people. The Confederates would no doubt gain
immensely by concentrating their forces, and so
wise a tactician as LEE will be certain, we should

Lope to do so. The abandonment of some points

for the sake of getting a larger and more vigorous
army in the field will very likely be his policy,
though the surrender of Richmond and Charleston
would, we believe, be a mistake. His first task should
be to recall HOOD'S army from the west, where its
presence was the great mistake of the campaign.
Had HOOD, instead of suffering THOMAS to decoy
him into Tennessee, detached his forces, and while
allowing a few troops to keep up the appear-
ance of moving westward, hurried with the
main body after SHERmAN, the redoubtable
raid through Georgia might have been arrested at
the outset.

An important question is now under considera

tion in the Confederate House of Representatives
where a resolution has been introduced to put in the
field 100,000 slaves, giving one as property to each
white soldier. Englishmen will not enter very cor-
dially into this condition, but there is no doubt that
the arming of the slaves will be the great step to-
wards the total extinction of slavery. The nume-
rical strength which this movement will give the
Southern armies will be increased by the moral
strength gained by the virtual abandonment of their
detestable Institution. It is worth notice that
neither side is reported to have made slavery a con-
dition at the Conference—a fact which might en-
lighten our Emancipation Society. This great
duty now lies before the Southern people, and we
shall see whether the experience and sufferings of
the last four years has taught them to accept it.
If not, they will in a great measure forfeit the sym-
pathy which their gallantry had earned, while sur-
rendering a powerful weapon against their adver-

saries.

The Emperor of RUSSIA is one of those who seem
to glory in outraging public opinion, and certainly
the mistaken manner in which other nations have
treated his proceedings have given him every en-
couragement to go on in his course exulting at his
own audacity and want of consideration. He paid
no heed whatever to the repeated remonstrances of
the different Governments concerning the Polish
affairs, and he is now acting precisely the same as
if no despatches had been written, or communica-
tions received from anywhere. As with foreign, so
with domestic affairs; he can brook no interference,
and he will bear with no advice or admonition. To
all intents and purposes he might just as well have
been let alone to settle matters according to the
dictates of his own fancy, and to carry out his pre-
conceived and predetermined notions, for his adaman-
tine resolvesfieem to manifest no change, whatsoever
influence is applied to them. The rescript of the
EMPEROR to the Minister of the Interior is a very
characteristic document, and seems significant of
the policy likely to be adopted in the future by the
autocrat. The Russian nobles appear to have fallen
under the ban of the Imperial displeasure, and to
have drawn upon themselves the full force of his
vituperative vehemence. He denies their right to
touch upon certain subjects, and expresses his opi-
nion upon the matter without any reserve or reti-
cence. Apparently he dreads the effect of any oppo_
sition to his plans, and thinks the only safe course to
pursue to uphold his policy will be to put down at
once and for ever all expressions of opinion and
movement contrary to his purpose. For a time, at
all events, there is no supposereasontowill n
that this
bthies
arbitrary mode of procedure
as successful as it has hitherto
dieheritnobateineon,s and
that individual and national will
long this may last remains not be suppressed partially or t
oentirely.be shown,
now
but meanwhile the effect
nor the consequences less complete.is. not
ThelessE3sitrriEkßinog
r:
takes credit to himself for having done so much for
the benefit of his subjects, and actually infers that
he has commenced a work of " gradual perfection."

" Gradual," indeed, it is likely to be, so far as any

one can see, and it would be amusing
if it were not
so serious an affair to note how the semblance of a
thing can ape the reality, or how affecting
a virtue
if you have it not, may realise a fair show and . a
good appearance. To read how the EMPEROR des-
cants upon matters, we might fairly suppose at first
sight that he was a great national benefactor in lieu
of being a tyrant of the most arbitrary and
absolute kind, and deadly foe to all free-
dom of opinion and liberty of action. Ills address