The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-08 00:00:00

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PRICE .4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

lery from Colonel Bayard's Regiment ; altogether
numbering between 4,000 and 5,000 men.
This brigade having been ordered to advance in
the direction of Dranesville, which is about half-
way between General M'Call's head quarters and
Leesburg, for the purpose of obtaining a quantity of
forage known to be in the possession of the Seces-
sionists, marched from camp at about 6 o'clock in
the morning. General M'Call ordered another bri-
gade, commanded by General Reynolds, to follow
at about 8 o'clock. This brigade proceeded as far
as Difficult Creek, where it came to a halt to await
further orders, and was joined some two hours later
by General M'Call and his Staff. In the meantime
General Orde's brigade had advanced to a point
near Dranesville when it was assailed by a Confede-
rate force and an engagement ensued, during which
General M'Call arrived at the scene of conflict and
took command. General Reynolds was sent for, but
his force did not get up in timeto take rant in this
action. The engagement lasted nearly an hour,
when the enemy's forces fled in the direction of
Fairfax Courthouse, abandoning on the field a num-
ber of their killed and wounded, besides arms,
clothing, and other articles, including two caissons
with their harness, the horses having been killed.
The enemy's force was composed of the Ist and
11th Kentucky Regiments and the 10th Alabama,
with a regiment of cavalry and a battery of cannon
all under the command of Colonel John H. Forney,
of the 10th Alabama Regiment, acting Brigadier-
General. They left on the field 40 dead bodies and
10 of their wounded. Eight of their number, un-
hurt, were taken prisoners.
The Federal forces, after remaining at Dranesville
till near sunset, returned to their camp, which they
reached between 9 and 10 o'clock, bringing with
them 50 waggon-loads of forage, and also the pri-
soners and abandoned articles.
When General M'Clellan heard of the encounter
he ordered General Hancock's division to move
towards the battle-ground to support General
M'Call, but the enemy being greatly outnumbered
Lad by this time retired. There were only three
infantry regiments of Confederates opposed to five
regiments of Federals,
P,S.—Lord Lyons and Mr. Seward bad two in-
terviews to-day, but from motives of courtesy and
consideration the English Alinister did not present
the note and ultimatum to the Secretary of State,
who was, however, made acquainted with the
nature of the Government demands and did not
express any desire for the presentation of the note.
Mr. Seward did not, I believe, give any opinion as
to the course his Government would pursue, but
was friendly in his tone and remarks. Lord Lyons
having thus cleared the ground will be obliged to seek
from Mr. Seward a formal interview for the purpose
of presenting the despatch and making the de-
mands on the part of his Government, which the
American public fondly believe will be of the mildest
possible character. One paper, with characteristic
—what shall I call it P—proposes that Mason and
Slidell be put on board the San Jacinto, and thence
transferred to the Trent, in order that Captain
Wilkes may seize her and bring her into port
for adjudication, as his omission to do' so was, for-
sooth, the only matter of complaint. Another
journal proposes the recognition of the Confederacy,
leaving the Border States out, and then the United
States can turn its army against England if she
demand Slidell and Mason. There is a secret fear
that the demand will be for no less, in spite of the
assurances which are so freely given on all sides.
Other journals clamour for an immediate despatch
of forces to the Southern States to get into posses-
sion before any danger arises from the British fleet.
It is insisted on that there are thousands there who
would eagerly join the Unionists, especially against
Great Britain. _ _ _

SATURDAY, DEC. 21.

Mr. Seward called on Lord Lyons, and his lord.
ship had another interview subsequently in refer-
ence to the contents of the despatches. In these
conversations no opinion has been expressed by Mr.
Seward in explanation of the course which would be
taken by his Government and by the President, who
is the Executive in such matters, and it is not
possible to say whether Mason and Slidell will be
given up or not. There are two opinions on the
subject, and these extend to all classes, but many
still believe that no demand will be made for their
surrender. Mr. Seward's manner is calm, much more
so than it was in May last, and Lord Lyons has given
him full time to familiarise his mind with the na-
ture and bearing of the demands of his Government
before he presents his ultimatum. It is gradually
leaking out that these interviews are taking place,
and the utmost anger is expressed at the idea of
giving up the ambassadors. One officer suggested,
as a good way of getting out of the difficulty, I am
told, that Mason and Slidell should be tried for trea-
son, and if found " Guilty," as they certainly would
be, that they should be at once executed. Every
attempt is made to conceal the demand from the
public, but the Government organs are already be-
coming aware of the danger, and New York is
quivering to its centre. In the camps there is im-
mense greed of:newspapers, and the bar-room talk
is very fierce and determined. There are great
hopes that France will interfere, and that she will,
if it come to war, at last side with the United States,
" her old friend and ally."
The Irish organs are shouting out very defiantly,
and there are pleasant hopes of a Hibernian insur-
rection, just as the Northerners rely on a Negro in-
surrection in the South, of which as yet we see no
signs, notwithstanding the rumours of a great upris-
in Mississippi.
And so, while the men of war at Willard's are
waging fierce battle in words, and killing many
Philistines with the weapon of Samson, the journals
come in from New York, which, being the city of
dollars,hasm oproelitiineZ or,ene at al
ethan l
en
ietvs rivalsta,the
admit like to
on theh
poli-
ticians of the country; and what do they say?
Mark the eager rush at the fluttering sheets as
the newsboys bear the moistened bundles into the
crowd. An:American journal is certainly not a thing
for eternity. It is read and flung away at once—
luckily for it. See how the leaders are read and the
news is scanned, and the rag is thrown on the
ground, and the angry look of the captains. There
is a sound of peace when there is no peace but that
which comes from the iron club of necessity. She is
breaking the men of war in sunder. Let us take the
New York times, a decent An glophobiac. It tells the
world there is an under current of popular feeling
in England adverse to the national passion, which is
a current we, being so long in America, do not be-
lieve to have much " go" or force in it, and then it
tadju-
dication
gets on to the probable solution of the English ques-
tion. What that is we might not understand; but
we can understand what the American question in
re Mason and Slidell is, and on reading we find the
1‘
"unfortunately
re
w°rklargueses
the that,
a matter Captain
0 Wilkes
and the proofs to escape, the United States
Government is bound to restore the rebel Ministers
allowed
subject
peaceableto t hei r original r icgoinncal lu status."conclusion.
B
u tAt
think
ky
osound
anotherand Ivieer
wy
s presented to us a few hours ago. Lord Lyons has
d an appointment from Mr. Seward for
nowumlto inn
idaarum
obtain
when the British iNlinister will present his
eh.
The facts will soon be known. Yester-
day it loomed in New Y ork that some very positive
demand would be made, and all men's brows were
clouded. Since I wrote there has been little altera-
tion in the aspect of affairs. Missouri is very much
in the state of Burgundy or Lorraine during the
wars of the Middle Ages; marauding bands plun-
der on both sides, burning towns and villages, the
resorts of rebel guerilla bands, or of " Black Repub-
licans and Lincolnites." The recent news would, if
true, indicate that the Federalists are getting the
best of it in their struggle, and the capture of 1,300
Confederates and 1,000 horses with stores, &c., just
reported, must prove a severe blow to the enemy,
Nevertheless, General Price is advancing from
the South once more to cross the Osage river,

Gt

prophecy, utterly unabashed
3ifications, declares that he
d by Stein and Slack.,
in that direction, In Kca-

Generals were advancing tc-
!en, where the Confederates
under Buckner were awaiting them in an iutrenched
position. The former are reported to have 65,000

men—the latter at present only 25,000. The ercosz-

ing of Green River at Mumfordsvillo on the 17th
led t.) a skirmish already mentioned, in which the

Federal troops seem to have had the advantage,
though engaged with a superior force. The town
is on the Louisville and Nashville Railway, and a

continuation of the advance of the same line will

conduct the Federals to Bowling green, in front of
Buckner's army. Since then some 16 or 17 bat-
talions have crossed the river, and are slowly fccl-

ng their way as an advance guard.

MONDAY, Dec. 23.
At 10 o'clock this morning Lord Lyons went to
he State Department and communicated to Mr.

Seward officially the note of the English Govern-

ment. Mr. Seward expressed no opinion at this
formal interview, and the note will be laid before a
Cabinet Council, and will form the subject of its de-
liberations to-day or to-morrow; but, as the mail
leaves Washington this afternoon, I shall not be

able to communicate anything in addition to this
bare statement of facts. My impression is that Mr.
Seward will endeavour to open a correspondence,
and that failing, as he necessarily must, in that, he
will refuse on the part of the Government to sur-
-1 render Messrs. Mason and Slidell and their secre-

.aries. In that case Lord Lyons leaves the United

States with the members of his legation. Then
follows a declaration of war—a sudden, destructive,

and sanguinary war between two nations, of which
the one is already engaged in a desperate conflict

with an internal foe, and of which the other is an

ancient monarchy, jealous of its honours and its
rights, but which has, neverthless, endured
so long the threats and menaces of its
powerful offshoot that forbearance has been
construed into " dare not," and endurance has

been mistaken for pusillanimity. Cotton and
tobacco would be dearly purchased by England

and France at the cost of a war which would

destroy our North American trade, shut up

Northern granaries, and expose our commerce to
the enterprise of privateers all over the world, act-
ing under the letters of the only maritime people

which refused to abandon the right of privateering
in 1856 ; but all considerations of the kind would be
base and mercenary in view of the tacit submission.
to an outrage and the surrender of a principle for
which Great Britain has so strenuously contended.
One of the first effects of the war would be, of course,

the opening of the Southern ports. The fleas which
at present watch Galveston, New Orleans, Mobile,

Savannah, and Charleston would have to retire and
concentrate inside the Northern ports or under the
guns of Fortress Monroe and at Baltimore. The
ports formed at Ship Island, at Ty bee, at Beaufort,
at Hatteras, would necessarily be abandoned. Port-
land would be in danger. If the Federalists ob-
tained any great success before our fleets assembled,
however, and seized any of the Southern cities, the
fleets would be obliged to act with caution, as the
defences of such places as Charleston and Savannah,
at Sumter and Pulaski, would then be turned against
us. But, at the same time, the Federalists would
be placed between two fires; they would be cut off
from their friends and from all supplies unless they
found more Unionists in the South than I believe in,
and the only way of saving them would be for a
powerful army to fight its way down to them by
land, and hold the adjacent country. Fortress Mon-
roe, surrounded by enemies, might, no doubt, make
a vigorous resistance, but it would necessarily fall
also from a heavy and long-continued vertical fire
and by close blockade. Nor is it too much to sup-
pose that the concentration of a British squadron
on the Chesapeake and Delaware would force the
Federal fleets to retire, and lead to a complete
blockade of Washington, Baltimore, and Phila-
delphia. The effect of a Federal victory, if it
could be obtained, would be enormous. It would
probably transfer the Confederate batteries on the
Potomac into the hands of the United States'
troops and place both banks in their hands;
it would give them the possession of rivers
which would have opened up a friendly coun-
try to us. On the 18th or 19th of this month
Charleston was closed by the sinking of 16 large
vessels laden with stones a mile outside the bar, and
that operation will be repeated at other ports where
the Federal forces may fail to secure a footing. The
blockading of the American coast will be all but im-
possible for several months ; even the blockading of
the principal ports will be difficult, because a great
consumption of coals will be needed in bad weather,
and the ships will be compelled to retire from time
to time to the coaling stations, so that not more
than half the blockading squadrons can be available
at a time. The weather in the early part of the
year is thick and tempestuous. These are a few
remarks which occur to me as I write in haste in
reference to this prospect of war, but I heartily
pray and hope that it may be averted by the exercise
of good feeling, of honourable concession, of the
spirit of equity, and above all by a sincere desire to
avert that horrible evil, of which no one who has
seen its ravages once can seek a repetition, and
which should, indeed, be the ultinia ratio when rea-
son, and humanity, and Christianity, and justice
have been appealed to in vain.
The reports that General M'Clellan will be com-
pelled to advance by the pressure which is brought
to bear against Lim are now entitled to credit. In
the event of war with England the Federalists will
be forced to strike a blow before the powerful di-
version they may well dread is made on their flanks.
Last night it rained in torrents, to-day it is dark
and stormy, and showers of sleet alternate with
torrents of rain from a leaden sky. In such wea-
ther it is impossible to execute extensive movements
in a heavy wooded country, full of hills and rivu-
lets, like Virginia. General M'Dowell, however,
who is, after all, the moving spirit in all questions
of massing, manoeuvring, or quartermastering, does
not see much difficulty in the way of the advance,
so far as the weather and roads are concerned.
He is persuaded that corduroy roads can be
made with case in all directions, and that they
will answer perfectly for the passage of infantry,
artillery, and horse. Certainly timber is abundant
by the roadside, and there are armies of lum-
berers and men handy with the axe in the camps ;
but, at the same time, " corduroying it" up to
an enemy is tedious. work, and when it comes
close to the front it is liable to interruption.
Besides, the process as it goes on shows the enemy
where he may expect to be attacked. It is true his
front extends for nearly 30 miles, from Occognan to
the left of Centreville, with an outlying corps at
Leesburg, and his line may be pierced at some
place or other, but it will not be forced at any point
where he can concentrate. The Federalists have
two railroads in their service running towards the
same point, and close to their base of operations ;
and it is clear that the Confederates will meet the
same difficulties in moving which the Federalists
will encounter—so that, if attacked, they must stand.
their ground, as they are without much chance of
manoeuvring or changing their guns and cavalry
from one place to another. Every consideret: ou,
however, points out the necessity of shaking the
Confederates from their hold of the Potomac, and
making a vigorous effort to gain a decided advan •
tage over the enemy before a new adversary appears
on the scene, who, in effect, will be the ally of the,
Southern Confederates. Let us still hope that Great
Britain may be enabled to preserve her neutrality
and to preserve peace. This week will probably
determine the question one way or another, and na
all probability the steamer which leaves on Satur
day will carry the solution to your shores.

cAnvErrisminxT.l—Holloway's Ointment and rms...
Re iable Remedies.— n wounds, burns! sPrainp
rheumatic
glandular
swellings, enlarged veins, neuralgic Po"' and
tortures, the application of this soothing ouldaeut to
the
affected part not only gives the g
pills generally pr mote the cura-
reat?;3t ease, Vat likewise
cures the complaint. The
tive action of the ointment. Both remedies tasY be safely
used by the most inexperienced nurse; they should find a,
ess-.
cosmetics,
is unnecessary place on every toilet and in every nursery. They succ
fully supersede the use of all dangerous
render the skin soft and silky, It and/
ecessary to ex-
patiate further on the excellence of Holloway's ointment
and pills, whose merits have kept them so long before the
public, and secured for them =tumid approbation.