The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-28 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1865.

The intelligence brought by the Canada dates
down to the 17th of this month, and is full of inci-
dent if not of great events. The general aspect of
affairs is, on the whole, favourable for the North,
though the friends of Southern independence have
as yet no reason to despair. The direction of
military affairs is in the hands of a very able
general, but the best of generals is hampered in his
movements by scarcity of troops, and the Confede-
late% are now suffering from the refusal to enlist
their negroes. Had they reinforced their armies

with black soldiers some time back, how different
their present position might have been ! Still there
are two points which it is very necessary for the
reader to bear in mind—one, that all news
comes to us at present by means of New
York, so that Northern feeling colours it ;
and the other that the South has been employing
for some time a system of strategy which entails
the renunciation of several hardly-contested points.
The old joke about retreating " for strategic
reasons" may be quoted literally with reference to
the recent proceedings of the Confederates. It is
probable, indeed, that the system of evacuation may
be carried a step further, and that Richmond itself
may be abandoned. Such a course seems to be in-
dicated by President DAVIS'S message to the
Southern Congress, which was to have adjourned
on the 11th, but which, at his request, extended its
session a few days in order to receive a communica-
tion of importance which he said he had to make
to them. It is very likely that this communica-
tion related to the abandonment of the capital,
which has been under discussion for some
time past in certain quarters, and which LEE may
think it advisable to carry into effect at this junc-
ture. SHERIDAN has succeeded, after his encounter
with EARLY, in pushing on to Charlottesville, an
important station on the Virginia railway. There
he broke up the railway from that town to Lynch-
burg, and destroyed the locks and cut the banks
of the James River Canal, inflicting great damage.
He afterwards destroyed an aqueduct of the canal
at Beaver Dam, 20 miles from Richmond. The
chief injury thus inflicted upon the Confederates is
the destruction of one of their channels of supply
in the James River Canal. Lynchburg, fortunately
for the Confederates, remained in their hands, the
fortifications being too strong for attack, though
SIIERIDAN advanced to them.

SHERMAN'S movements are at length accounted
for. He has arrived at Fayetteville on the Cape
Fear River, and has succeeded in sending scouts to
Wilmington, about 70 miles distant. The Chicka-
mauga had been sunk across the channel of Cape
Fear River, 40 miles from the city, which prevented
communication by water. Boats were, upon the
receipt of this intelligence, at once despatched to
remove the obstruction, and open up the channel of
communication with SHERMAN, so that he will reap
the advantage of the Federal possession of Wil-
mington. Grant received a letter from him, dated
Fayetteville, the 12th inst., in which he stated that
his army was in good condition, and had met with
no serious reverse. The Confederate General
HAMPTON attacked KILPATRICK'S cavalry in the
rear and captured his staff. KILPATRICK, however,
recovered himself, and succeeded in recapturing
much of what he had lost. We do not learn this
from SHER3IAN, but from the bearer of the de-
spatches. Had the attack been made by the Federals
upon their antagonists with similar results, we sus-
pect we should have heard of a great victory.
SHERMAN has now, it would seem, moved to Golds-
boro', with the evident design of advancing still
further northwards and combining with GRANT.
There has been an encounter between BRAGG and
the Federals at Kinston, North Carolina, which is
differently reported. LEE states that the Federals
were driven back three miles, with the loss of 1,500
prisoners, three cannon, and many killed and
wounded, while the Confederate loss was small.
SCHOFIELD, who arrived on the spot the next day,
reports that BRAGG was beaten in a renewed
attack two days later, and was retreating
across the Neuse. It is said that reinforcements
from JOHNSTON'S army are being sent to BRAGG.
With reference to the Canadian question we have
a significant paragraph from the I ribune, stating
that there is a rumour afloat to the effect that a
Federal commissioner has been for some weeks at
Montreal trying to ascertain the feelings of the
people respecting the union of Canada to the United
States. Such an annexation would certainly be very
pleasant for the Canadians, who would have to
bear the burden of the enormous national debt of
the States ! One of the great blessings of a young
colony is supposed to be its freedom from the heavy
rates and taxes of an older country, and we
should hardly suppose the aspect of American
finance was attractive enough to induce the Cana-
dians to forego this privilege. It is evident, how-
ever, that the Confederation scheme has not been
set on foot too soon, for though the Federal
Commissioner may very possibly be untrue, yet the
fact of such a rumour finding its way to the public
journals shows that the idea is not new to the American
mind. The old storyof the kingwho sentenced the cour-
tier to death, because the latter dreamed hehad killed
him, suggests to us a similar reflection to that upon
which his despotic MAJESTY acted. If the annexa-
tion of Canada had never been thought of, such a
story would hardly have arisen from empty air.
Meanwhile, we are glad to see the Canadians are
showing a proper readiness for self-defence, having
voted a million dollars for the permanent defence of
the country, and 350,000 dollars for the Volunteers
on the frontier. Our Government will, it is to be
hoped, come forward liberally and promptly, and if
such an undertaking is to be carried out at all, it
should be done quietly and thoroughly.

It is something very new to find anything con-
nected with the management of Unions or the
administration of the Poor-law satisfactory, but the
large majority which last night decided in favour of
the second reading of Mr. VILLIERS'S Bill is cer-
tainly a step in the right direction. The right hon.
gentleman had to encounter great opposition, but
he set forth his proposals at the beginning with so
much clearness that it seems strange that he met with
so little favour from some quarters. It is evident
that so long as the system of " parochial liability"
is retained there can be little done in the way of
amicable arrangement, or of satisfactorily settling
the complicated workings of the system. The
plan hitherto pursued is the occasion of great
confusion, for one parish naturally endeavours
to shift the burden of maintaining the poor to
another
arise unwilling to incur the risk, and
hence
squabbles and constant bicker-
ings, while, of course, the interests of the poor fall
aee equally
yless
to the ground, and many wretched applicants are
driven forth without shelter, and sometimes fall
victims to this false legislation. Sir B. KNIGHTLEv's
amendment was merely a put off to gain time, and
represented the feelings of those who dislike any-
thing in the way of legislation for the poor, and
always think it something grand to gain time in
the way of all improvements suggested. As for the
plea that by next session a better knowledge would
be had of the affair, it was quite untenable, because
enough is known now to enable those who are will-
ing to enter on the subject ; and those who
do not wish to do so will always find some
pretext, or make some very plausible excuse
to deprecate criticism and satisfy their purpose.
As for any measure that may be introduced filling
the Union workhouses to repletion, that is quite an
unnecessary alarm, for the experience of all time
shows that there exists •
an invincible repugnance to
entering the Unions among all classes of the poor
and destitute, and they thatwill
put up with every
kind of privation rather than come within the hated
precincts of the workhouse. There e. n. be no more
groundless complaint made than I his, and it is
really surprising that any one should attempt now-